This book is everything I've ever wanted. I had high expectations and Marske did not disappoint. It's filled with all of my favorite tropes: tattoo curses, charming-mc vs cold-but-secretly-shy mc, sentient houses, complicated family relationships, fisher kind lands, yarn magic, and AH. It was just incredible. It's the perfect blend of KJ Charles, TJ Klune, and all the notes you've ever scribbled on the back of museum brochures. I can't wait to sell this in my store and share it with people that I know will love it.

Surprising absolutely NO ONE who's had to talk to me since this was announced, I bloody fucking loved this book.

Marske does NOT disappoint: everyone's a wonderfully appealing mix of bitchy, wry, and all too human; the sex is A+ and should, in fact, be used as an inspiration for any and all books that are brave enough to be Fiction and Fuck; the plot is a twisty bit of MacGuffin chasing woven around the mundane politics of human interaction. I cannot wait to ease the pain of realizing that this is the author's debut and not a chance discovery of the gem at the top of an extensive backlog by reading whatever comes next.

TL;DR: This book fucks, I fuck with it (and will probably fuck with it even more as soon as I get my hands on a hard copy), and you absolutely should, too.

This book had me completely sold on just the blurb, but it ended up completely exceeding my expectations! As with all of my reviews, I don’t cover the blurb here. I feel that it’s pretty easy to find, and I really just want to get down to my thoughts and feelings.

To start, I want to say that the spice/smut level is moderate to high. I read a lot of fanfic that is much more smutty, so I wasn’t at all put off by it. I think the author does a great job of dropping hints early on about what to expect later on. It was well-written, not silly at all. And it also fit perfectly into the plot, nothing felt out of nowhere or over the top to me.

Next, I want to go into how great the dual perspectives were done. It was so clear who’s POV I was reading almost immediately. Robin and Edwin are very different and distinct from each other, and it was super clear to see as I went along. This seems like a small thing, but I really appreciate this quality in a book. It feels like many authors label by character in multiple POV books, and that’s fine and well, but it’s pretty great that this book doesn’t have that and was still easier to distinguish than most.

The world and plot were very immersive and yet understated. I loved the world, the magic, and the mystery. It seems like there’s more to come from this world, and I’m very excited to see what’s next. This book is also pretty self-contained too though, and I loved to see such a full arc for these characters in a single book of a series. It’s not at all rushed and comparable to House of Earth and Blood in that aspect.

Overall, this was a wonderful book that I very much endorse if you’re looking for a great queer romance with just the right amount of smut, a mystery set in turn of the century England, and an interesting magical world and system in a story.

Marske has taken the idea of a secret magical society and turned it on its head, creating a fascinating world and set up for the story. Here, magic is not able to compete with modern industry, it's not more efficient than steam power or a more effective energy source. Magic is limited to the families born to the gift and their social circles, with very little collaboration between magicians from other countries (Edwin even suggests that Great Britain's is stagnant for this very reason). Amid this backdrop is our two main characters: Edwin, who comes from magic but seems to not have much of his own and Robin, who is completely nonmagical. The two are brought together over a mystery that starts with a missing person and Robin being cursed. It transforms into a team effort to uncover a mystery surrounding what was once thought a myth. I really enjoyed the plot, I thought the worldbuilding was solid and the magic system was unique. There were parts where I wish there was more explanation of the magic because some of it didn't quite make sense. Robin and Edwin's relationship builds realistically and organically, going from allies to friends to more than that by the end.

This richly-worded Historical Fantasy Romance / magical mystery will appeal to fans of each of these genres. Author Freya Marske did a wonderful job bringing to life easy-to-root-for characters with Robin and Edwin, and it is a joy to read the world building of Edwardian England and its hidden magic.

This is the story of Robin Blyth, who is a disgraced baron who works for the Home Office. He’s put into a position where he’s the liaison for the magical community, a thing he didn’t know existed. On top of that, he’s attacked and cursed. He meets Edwin Courcey, his counterpart in the magical community, and together they investigate the disappearance of his predecessor, as well as how to remove the curse.

This was a lovely book that was hard to put down. I liked Robin a lot, and it was super easy for me to cheer for him to win the day. The relationship between him and Edwin and how it changes as the book went on was sweet, and often sexy, and I enjoyed the romantic element of this one a lot.

I also enjoyed the mystery of it, as it was one that I had not even a guess for until well into the book. I love it when a book can surprise me! It was well written and well paced and I didn’t want to put it down to do anything I had to be doing for two days. It was one of those. I enjoyed every moment of this book.

I’d definitely recommend anyone interested in Edwardian whodunnits or magical M/M romance to give A Marvellous Light a read. You may end up loving it just as much as I did!

More of a 3.5 probably.

I have been very excited for this book for a while, so I couldn’t resist immediately reading it after receiving my advance copy. But maybe my expectations were too high, because I ended up not feeling too delighted by it.

The world building is this one is definitely cool and I feel like I’m enjoying the historical fantasy set in England subgenre. The whole magic system with moving hands like weaving strings was very very fascinating and I kept trying to picture it in my head. The mystery was also interesting enough, but ultimately it’s the characters who kinda let me down. They aren’t bad per se, just not very engaging and I didn’t feel myself attached to any of them. The main characters Edwin and Robin’s developing relationship is nice but I didn’t feel that chemistry between them which I was looking for. And the side characters were mostly annoying or boring except Mrs. Morrisey.

So, while I can say that my overall enjoyment of this book was fine and I wasn’t too bored, I also wasn’t eagerly waiting to pick it back up whenever I took a break. Maybe go in with lower expectations and you’ll love it more.

This book isn't just a story, it is an experience. Science fiction isn't my favourite genre but I loved this book SO much. I requested it from NetGalley after hearing such wonderful things about on Twitter. When I looked it up and saw it took place during the Edwardian period I HAD to have it. Believe the hype, it is not only magical but deadly and very romantic. A Marvellous Light is a marvelous book and I can't wait to read the next one. That says a lot as I am not usually a series reader either!

First note: although this is a gaslamp fantasy, it is first and foremost a romance. The focus of the book is the relationship between Edwin and Robin, although there is an overarching plot focused on magical shenanigans. (To be clear, it's not a Paranormal Romance/PNR, either - it truly is a fully-fleshed out fantasy novel, although the romance takes center stage.) As unabashed romance readers who also love gaslamp fantasy, this was a perfect match for us - but your mileage may vary depending on how much you love SFF or romance.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about why we adored A Marvellous Light. On the surface, it's a case of opposites attract: Robin is an easygoing, athletic civil servant of (what he and others consider to be) middling intelligence. Edwin is an intellectual magician with a standoffish demeanor. Of course, deeper down they share many of the same experiences and influences, meaning that they're more compatible than they think. Watching their relationship develop from mistrust through to attraction and respect was a real joy.

On top of the love story, there's the layer of gaslamp fantasy - and the worldbuilding is great. There's a secondary society of magicians in Britain that is kept secret from "regular people." It overlaps in many ways with Society (magical ability is similar to money or reputation, and marriages can be made or broken based on it). Robin is thrust into civil service as the liaison with the government between the magical world; Edwin is his counterpart on the magical side. The non-romantic plot revolves around what happened to Robin's predecessor, and the consequences that follow from Robin's appointment.

Do note that when we say this is a romance, we mean that Marske doesn't skimp on the intimate scenes. If you pick this book up expecting the steam level of a gaslamp fantasy in the vein of C.L. Polk or Mary Robinette Kowal, you might be a little surprised!

I wanted to love this book SO badly. I've seen it blow up on BookTok and been super excited for its success. More Queer books is ALWAYS a good thing, and this one is so unique compared to every other title out there. The characters seem interesting, well thought out, and the world-building seems excellent for those who love that element in stories. For me, it was a struggle to get into. I ended up DNF'ing at 30%, but I think the fault is more with me than the book itself. I was able to get enough of a sense of the book to be able to recommend it with patrons and order a couple of copies for our library- I think it will definitely be a hit!

An incredible debut! I unfortunately don't think I was expecting quite this from the description hence the review but I am extremely eager to see what Freya Marske comes up with next!

I loved this! It reminds me in a lot of ways of KJ Charles' The Magpie Lord series, but with a completely different relationship dynamic.

I saw other reviews that described this as 'like top tier fanfiction'and 'a himbo and a librarian' and really I don't think I can top that. Because this is those things, and more.

You know how sometimes a story has that indefinable characteristic that just makes you go "ooooooh this is gonna be good!" as soon as you start reading? That's what happened here. I picked it up because it sounded good; I read it in a day because it was excellent and sucked me into the world completely. Also the writing is just gorgeous.

I love how Freya Marske took the 'secret society of magicians' trope and flipped it on its head. Richard has spent his whole life knowing nothing about magic. Then he finds out the dead-end civil service job he's been shuffled into is actually a magical liaison job that includes daily reports to the Prime Minister. Then he's accosted in the street and cursed over a missing object he knows nothing about... And things spiral from there. Edwin has always been the weakest magician of his family, forced to use actual string for his cradling as a crutch, bullied and laughed at and retreating into books his whole life, and now he's stuck with a liaison who is cheerfully oblivious to what the actual duties of his job are and comes across as a dumb jock. It doesn't seem like a promising start to a relationship, but it certainly is delightful.

Ooh, and the cradling! First, a magic system built on cat's cradle is unique and genius. It made for such a visual experience of spellcasting, with the fluid (or clumsy) movement of fingers through positions, and a shimmering or color change of the air between the fingers. Having Edwin be forced to use an actual string (the horror!) was also great.

But the inventive magic system doesn't stop there! Later they encounter a secret magic system developed by girls who were shut out of the traditional magic world, this time based on liminal spaces. And that is genius, really. Because liminal spaces are magic, and it makes perfect sense that one would be more open to magic while in one.

The slow-burn relationship was lovely and I look forward to more adventures of Edwin and Richard in the future, as the ending sets them up for this perfectly.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an e-arc for review.

First of all, let’s take a moment to appreciate this cover, which is stunning gorgeous amazing. I was first drawn to this story because of the similarities of the set up between this and one of my favorite books, Rook — secret magical governments in London. Plus, I’ll never say no to a grumpy/sunshine romance. Basically the premise is that an unsuspecting human gets caught up in a dangerous magical conspiracy, and has to rely on a throughly prickly and underwhelming (in his own eyes) magician to save them all. The fantasy and historical parts of this story are wonderful, but the romance is what did it for me. And the way the author combined all of these elements was absolutely masterful. I loved Robin and Edwin’s chemistry, and it had the perfect level of spice. I can’t wait for y’all to read this book when it’s out Nov. 2 — it is totally delicious!

Fan fiction at its finest. A+ for great tropes and great characters. I am looking forward to book 2!

Although written beautifully, I had way too many issues with A Marvellous Light to give it more than 3 stars.

My biggest gripe with the novel was how unbelievably slow it was. It starts off exciting, only to slow down almost to a standstill for the first half of the novel. It picks up around the 50% mark when Robin and Edwin visit the Sutton estate but once that episode is over nothing really happens again almost all the way until the end.

The characters aren't especially complex either. The main villains have very little screen time, and all the other characters are one-dimensional. Most of them have one single personality trait, which is meanness. The most interesting character to me and one I really wanted to find out more about was the main character's little sister Maud.

I'd say this is less RWRB meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and more The Night Circus meets Harry and Draco in search of horcruxes fanfic. Freya Marske is an expert in the art of language and the world she's created has potential but I don't see myself picking up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for giving me access to an eARC to review!

I think this is more a 'me' problem than an issue with the book in that I just don't think this is the genre for me. It leaned a lot more romance/sex than I was expecting (definitely adult!), and maybe controversial but I don't think I love graphic love scenes in books! I thought the magic was really interesting, and the connections between magicians and their land, but I found the stakes of the central mystery lacking. It wasn't until the 75% mark that I felt like I understood why their quest was so important and what the consequences were, and the villain that I liked didn't get much page time.

I think this is a book that relies on you liking the two protagonists and their relationship - a lot of the middle is relationship-building - and I never quite found myself rooting for them. Maybe a bit more time with them separately at the beginning would have helped me learn about them individually before I saw them as a couple. But the writing was solid, especially for a debut, and I would read more from this author in future if there's another concept I'm interested in, but not sure I will be continuing with this series in particular.

I don't really get the Red White and Royal Blue comparison (though I haven't read it), but I do think this reminded me a lot of The Binding by Bridget Collins!

Red, White and Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell? YES PLEASE! This book did not disappoint! With a unique magic system and engaging characters, I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the LQBTQIA+ story at its heart, and appreciated the well developed characters and fantastical world building. A stellar fantasy that is a must for any collection and library!

This is absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year. It just hit me in the heart and there was not one single thing about this book that I didn’t absolutely love.

This book ticks all of the boxes!

-Historical fiction
-Magic
-Romance with all the heat
-Suspense
-Mystery
-Angst
-Intrigue

The magical system in this book is so original. It isn’t this force that has no bounds, but a carefully constructed system with rules and science and levels of capability. And Edwin has very little magic in comparison to others in the magical community. He is slight and bookish and content to spend days in his library, working on a problem to solve.

Robin is extremely new to his roll in the Office of Special Domestic Affairs and Complaints… He doesn’t know what he does or who he reports to. When Edwin, the liaison to the Prime Minister arrives, the two start off on a bit of a hostile footing. Matters become more confusing when it becomes clear to Edwin that this young man has no magic, or knowledge of it, and he unknowingly outs himself.

Turns out, the man that Robin is replacing, has gone missing. Robin was accidentally put into this position, considering it is a job for someone with magical abilities. He ends up getting a terrible curse placed upon him and Edwin has no choice but to attempt to help the man remove it. During that time, it becomes evident that they share the same preference for male bed partners, and the time they spend together brings them a level of closeness that made me swoon.

Freya Marske has written such a beautiful slow-building queer romance. A Marvellous Light is a thing of perfection. The writing is eloquent and stunning on every single page. The story unfolds in such a way that I was fully entranced and glued to every word.

What is it about watching two characters who are into each other but won’t reveal their feelings that draws us in? When I discover that this trope is surrounded by unique characters, an intricate conspiracy, and an original magic system—as in A Marvellous Light, by Freya Marske—well, that’s just catnip to me. I inhaled this book on a cool weekend day with a pair of cats and a pot of tea (and probably a dumb, happy grin on my face). This book was a joy to read.

After a very intriguing prologue, A Marvellous Light opens with Sir Robert Blyth (he prefers Robin) visiting his new office for the first time. He has no idea what his new job is or who he reports to. All he knows is that his predecessor has disappeared and that he only got the post because someone higher up on the food chain hates him. Then a very curt upper-class man, Edwin Courcey, walks into that very office and reveals that magic exists. The post, Robin is informed, is liaison between the Prime Minister and a magical ministry that regulates the sorcerous part of the country. No moss has a chance to grow on Robin before he finds himself in the middle of the sinister mystery that (we later learn) took the life of the missing man who used to have Robin’s job. At the end of his very first day in the position, Robin is slapped with a painful curse that no one in Edwin’s magical world has ever seen.

The plot whisks us off to the country (where we meet dangerous holiday entertainment and a murderous hedge maze) as Edwin tries to figure out how to remove the curse, Robin tries to find his feet in the magical world, and both of them try to figure out what the hell is going on. Best of all, we get to watch while Edwin and Robin strike sparks. Edwardian England (magical or not) is not friendly to gay men, so both of them are used to interpreting glances and touches. My heart warmed as I saw Robin work his way past Edwin’s prickles to find a sensitive, loyal lover. For Edwin’s part, he finds a partner who stops him from constantly running himself down and pushes him to innovate even more in magic.

I am so looking forward to the next books in the series.

Anything that is compared to Red, White and Royal Blue is always going to be a hit with me and this wonderful story, despite taking a few chapters for me to be fully invested, was just wonderful!