This is a book to be savored. There's so much here--an inventive system of magic, a murder mystery, a slow-burn reluctant allies to lovers romance--that it was far more satisfying to read it in small increments than to barrel through it. I was initially wary of another magical series, but in fact this was such a well-constructed, self-contained story that I feel entirely satisfied while still looking forward to the sequel. I can hardly believe this is a first novel! It's a tremendous debut and I can't wait to read more.

A MARVELLOUS LIGHT by Freya Marske has been getting so much buzz that I was desperate to read it. When TorDotCom gave me an ARC, I squealed and immediately dove in, thrilled with the opportunity to read it early.

This is a glorious gaslamp fantasy, queer historical romance. On the first day of what Robin Blyth thinks will be a boring, civil service job, he’s kidnapped, cursed, and thrust into a dangerous plot involving a secret world of magic and the families who practice it. He needs to find The Contract, something his predecessor died to protect but has no idea what or where to start looking.

Edwin’s a member of a magic-wielding family but always on the outskirts because his talent is small. Books and libraries are his safe spaces. And yet he finds himself drawn into helping Robin.

This is an Edwardian romance crossed with Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Opposites attract, very sunshine and grump romance with a couple of incredibly spicy scenes. Plus you get all of the magic theory you could want, curse tattoos, ancient contracts, magical libraries, secret rooms hidden with spells, a killer hedge maze, and some intense intrigue.

The world-building is detailed and satisfying. The characters are complex and engaging. We get to see women like Robin’s sister Maud struggling against the boundaries that society’s placed on them. We see how even more difficult that struggle is when you’re a woman of color like Robin’s assistant, Adelaide.

For fans of Mary Robinette Kowal, Marie Brennan, and Jo Walton.

Can we all agree to put a moratorium on describing every gay book as "the next Red, White & Royal Blue?" It's ridiculous that every m/m romance novel has to exist in relation to a book from two and a half years ago. Literally the only thing these two books have in common is that they're gay.

A better (and completely obvious) comp is Witchmark by CL Polk. They're both gay magician historical romances set in England, for one. Another would be the The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles, yet another gay magician historical romance set in England. This is a real subgenre. Three seconds of research would turn up dozens more.

Like Witchmark, there's significant worldbuilding and an interesting magic system, though A Marvellous Light is more sexually explicit than what Polk writes. I thought the way magic works in this book--with hand shapes guided by string--was truly very cool. But like KJC's books, the story is overburdened with plot. There's a place for plot in romance books, of course. There's no satisfaction without conflict of some kind. But it's a matter of weaving it all together in a way that's interesting and seamless, and that doesn't happen here. It mostly felt like a slog through backstory and technical details.

Aside from the pacing, another gripe I have is that every female character in AML is conniving, shallow, cruel, empty-headed, or some combination of all four. Adelaide is slightly more dimensional by the end, but not by much.

Throughout the book, I found myself wishing for more of the tertiary villain, a character that gets one scene and then lots of later mentions. He's described pretty much exclusively as hot and mean, which already makes him leagues more interesting than the actual protagonists, both of whom are of only mild attractiveness and minimal personality. I'm hoping book 2 is 200% more Jack Hawthorn, but even if it is I don't know that I'd be interested enough to dive back into this series. Overall, it's a straightforward but not spectacular romance novel.

Cool story, good characters, quirky magical universe - this all sounds great, but. Only parts of it read well for me. I'm willing to believe it just wasn't completely my cup of tea.

A magical Edwardian adventure that I cannot *wait* to recommend to everyone in my bookshop!

I've been a huge fan of the author for years and I'm delighted to say her first professionally published novel is just as enjoyable as I'd hoped, with an engaging mystery, a fascinating magic system, and relatable leads you can't help but want to find love and happiness with each other. Marske writes queer romance with an aching tenderness that leaves you captivated and longing for more (just like the characters!), and never feels anachronistic or out of place in the beautifully realised historical setting. I loved it!

Sir Robin Blyth is not thrilled about his new job as liaison between the British government and a secret magic society. Firstly, because he was named to the job as punishment for his late parents’ actions. Secondly, because the representative from the magical side, Edwin Courcy, seems to despise him. And thirdly, because he didn’t even know magic existed until his first day on the job. Before he knows it, he’s embroiled in a magical power struggle against a shadowy enemy who has placed a dangerous curse on him, with no one but Edwin to turn to for help.

The last couple of books I read were pretty heavy, so I was looking for something a little lighter to read, and the promise of historical romance + magic + mystery seemed to fit the bill. I’ll just take a moment to note that while it has an entertaining plot and magic system, this book is heavy on the romance, with quite a bit of smut involved. (If the porn-y type of romance novels are not your thing, you might not enjoy this book, although it’s easy enough to skip these scenes if you want.) Edwin and Robin are an adorable couple, and I loved the way the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers dynamic played out between them. But beyond their cuteness, they are well suited to one another, with their talents, abilities and personalities complementing each other well.

The magic system is very interesting and well thought out. Also, it’s interesting to see a magic-practitioner protagonist who’s at the lowest end of the power spectrum. Edwin was born with very little power, and his expertise in the technical side of magic is hard-earned through study. It’s far more common in fantasy for a magical protagonist to be some kind of prodigy, and I like that this book subverts that trope.

Representation: Two gay men are the protagonists and the focus of the romance, and one of the main side characters is a highly capable woman of color. (I liked Adelaide Morrissey quite a bit and I hope she has a bigger part in the next book!)

CW: Graphic sex, and a background environment of homophobia accurate to the time period. Also, one scene involving torture in the first chapter.

I remember when I read Red, White and Royal Blue for the first time and I felt so incandescently joyful while reading it. I felt that same level of joy read A Marvellous Light.

It's set in an Edwardian England where some people have magic and some people do not and those that do keep their magic a secret. Through a clerical error Robin is thrown head first into the world of the magic users. There's murder, subterfuge, magically murderous hedge mazes, and a truly delicious romance between non-magical Robin and magical Edwin.

This is a favorite of the year for me and I'm so blown away by this debut and cannot wait for more from this author and this series!

This was a lot of fun! It seems to be marketed as an historical fantasy with romance elements, but it read like an Edwardian romance novel with touches of fantasy. Marske relies on classic romance tropes (and rather explicit sex scenes) as much as any fantasy elements. Knowing this will help guide readers to know how much they will enjoy the book. But the romance was great, the characters were fully formed, the central mystery was compelling, and the fantasy world-building was a lot of fun. It ends in a satisfying place but points toward a more fleshed-out world and story for future volumes. Overall, I highly recommend it for adventurous fantasy and/or romance readers, and I can’t wait to see where she takes the story!

First book in a fascinating new romantic historical fantasy series set in Edwardian England (Downton Abbey times)! Perfect for fans of KJ Charles, CJ Polk, and adult readers of Mackenzi Lee. There's room for discussion about whether this is a fantasy with a strong romance subplot or a romance in a beautifully realized historical fantasy setting, but in truth it's a perfect blend — satisfying amounts of fascinating magic, gorgeous historical detail, and steamy romance. And when all of those elements come together in one scene — oof. *fans oneself with William Morris wallpaper sampler*

As his name suggests, Robin Blyth is a relatively carefree charmer who has suddenly had a world of care dropped in his lap: his glitterati parents have died and left him with the responsibilities of a title, estate, and younger sister; and through mild malice and administrative error, his new civil service position has thrown him into working with an element of society he didn't know existed — one with actual magic.

Bookish Edwin Courcey was born into magic, but not born with enough of it to matter. He has learned not to react to the pain of this position, but he can certainly indulge in annoyance. To add inconvenience to this life of insult and injury, his new liaison in nonmagical society is apparently a know-nothing mistake. But what happened to the previous liaison and if Sir Blyth is a know-nothing then why did someone bother to threaten his life with an excruciating and lethal curse?

Something is afoot and our ill-matched pair of civil servants from opposite sides of the magical divide will have to work together to figure it out.

With beautiful writing and character development and clever worldbuilding, this tropetastic adventure (see below) still feels fresh and intriguing. The system of magic is based on the familiar (cat's cradle string game) and the fae (magic entered world as a contract with the departing Fae), and the peril is high stakes on both a personal and society level. I've heard that subsequent books in the series will follow different main characters while we sort out this magical mystery mess, which is fine (there are some great characters set up for further development) but I'd also be along for the ride if it continued to keep Robin and Edwin at the center. They are opposites-attract GOLD.

Here's some of the superb historical/fantasy/romance catnip!
Historical-fiction tropes: House party shenanigans! Upper-class bullies! City life/country life! Era of suffragettes! Impoverished title inheritance! Overlooked, marginalized members of society have strength/perspectives/pivotal roles!
World-of-magic tropes: A deadly hedge maze! A sentient magic-imbued house! A curse tattoo! Magic world bureaucracy! A magic-enhanced two-story library! Faceless adversaries! Blood oaths! Magic house party games! Hidden objects of power!
World-of-romance tropes: Forbidden love! Opposites attract! Athlete/scholar grumpy/sunshine pairing! Waist coats and forearms! Hurt/comfort! Secret yearning! Men loving men! Workplace meet cute! Sensory enhanced foreplay!

Topics and themes explored: power, love, consent, magic, haves and have nots, social responsibility, inheritance, contracts, curses, conspiracies, civil servants, mystery, quest, introversion/extraversion

Content notes and warnings: death, fantasy violence/torture for information, knife threat, mind control/nonconsensual behavior-changing magic, blood magic/blood oaths (briefly described), near-drowning, explicit sex scenes, family bullying and abuse, Edwardian era sexism and bigotry

This is an amazing M/M romance set against the backdrop of an Edwardian London imbued with magic. Fun, light, and intriguing, "A Marvellous Light" is sure to be a favorite of fantasy and romance fans alike.

I read this novel like an inhale. It was so beautifully written and the romance was so captivating. Himbo librarian soft boyfriends is the most unexpected yet sweetest dynamic even and I had butterflies in my stomach the entire time I was reading. I really enjoyed the slow pacing which allowed the romance to bloom in extremely enjoyable detail. Loved it!

I honestly had pretty minimal expectations for this book. Usually when I read books like this (magic, mirror realities, England) I want to love the book, I love this concept, but the writing sits just left of where I want it to.

I was absolutely delighted with this book. Maybe it's my recent love of himbo's, maybe it's that there's a librarian, I don't know but this book was brilliant. IT's so fun, so well written, the romance surprised me (somehow I missed it's a romance, but oh boy is it a romance) but it is an adorable romp, that's historical fantasy and just... just go get this book when it comes out. I will qualify this with despite my adoration above, this book was ... quieter? than a lot of similar books. It's not as high octane as a lot of the urban fantasy books out there, so just be ready, and be delighted. Pre-order it, mark it as a note in your calendar, but this book is an absolute unit of delight.

In a word, fun! I'm really enjoying the recent explosion of queer fantasy and the fact that it now comes in so many different flavors. I'm assuming since it's an England-but-with-magic book this will get comparisons to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell or Sorcerer to the Crown, but honestly what it most reminds me of is KJ Charles. Which is great, because that's a super popular niche that traditional publishing hasn't been covering much till now! Definitely a fantasy with strong romantic elements (and some moderately spicy sex scenes, in case that's a major appeal factor or deterrent) rather than a fantasy romance, but the romance is great. Both leads are appealing in their own way! It's a bit of a "grumpy is soft for sunshine" story, although the sunshine one definitely has a spine and stands up for himself as necessary. The emergence of several super-competent women at the end of the book to save the day was a bit of a deus ex machina, but at the same time it was very entertaining, which I think is much more important anyway. Looking forward to what Freya Marske comes out with next!

Robin accidentally ends up with a job in the English government where he has to liaison between the hidden magical and non-magical world. He didn't know until he got the job that magic existed. Robin ends up with a curse that forces him to find out what his missing predecessor was doing. Helping him with this task is Edwin, who is his magical counterpart in the government and has deep-seated issues regarding the magical world.

This book has more emphasis on romance than exploring the magical world. This isn't a complaint because the romance is really well done. Time has to be put into the romance. Edwin is very traumatized by people, mostly his family, who treat him as something to sneer at and throw away. Edwin has to trust Robin not to hurt him slowly. It's a long process that is worth it in the end.

Robin, for his part, is a fun character who I felt sorry for. His introduction to the magical world is pain. Then ridicule by Edwin's horrible family. But he does his best through the circumstances and has a warm, open heart and brain.

The ending really picks up the adventure part of the story, and I'm eager to see where this trilogy will go.

On an end note, I find it funny that this is the second magical world I've read where if the magical world burns, I wouldn't mind.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I love sharing a feeling of lostness with a character who has been recently dumped into an unexpected situation, and this book does it right—building the reader’s understanding of the magic system and magical world gradually. It was a deftly woven story, and played out in the most satisfying ways.

This ticked all the boxes for me—magic, mystery, romance, families, libraries and curses and power. Killer hedge mazes! And the list could go on. I closed the book, craving more. (And itching to draw lovingly-described wallpaper.)

In a word, magnificent.

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<p>This book was...<em>fun</em>. The magical mystery part was even great fun. The mystery itself was cleverly intertwined with the magical worldbuilding which was intriguing and full of unusual ideas without being so complicated that I felt I needed to make notes to keep track. I also loved that Edwin was great at magical theory but simply didn’t have much magical power. It was a nice change from characters that are either very good at everything or very bad at everything. (And unrelated to magic: Edwin came up with his own library classification system as a kid. As a library-adjacent nerd I am delighted).</p>
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<p>The non-mystery bit, i.e. the romance, was just...<em>nice</em>. I liked Robin. I liked Edwin. I even liked their developing friendship and how they helped each other with their vulnerabilities. But there was simply no spark between them that made me really care about them as romantic couple. In fact, when the big break-up due to an unfortunate series of misunderstandings/stupidity on both sides came my first thought was "Noooo! You're both going to mope now instead of investigate the mystery further and that's what I'm most interested in." which was probably not the reaction the author intended.</p>
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<p>The side-characters were a bit hit-and-miss for me. I adored Edwin's colleague Miss Morrisey and hope to see more of her in future books. But his siblings/friends of his siblings mostly stayed somewhat one-dimensional and I did have some trouble keeping them apart (admittedly I also took my time reading this book and perhaps it would have been easier if I had read it quicker). Robin's sister was very much the quirky enlightened/progressive female character that seems to be required in (historical) m/m romance and while I wouldn't call her annoying she simply didn't leave much of an impression.</p>
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<p>Overall it was a fun read and I will pick up the next book because I do want to know how the mystery continues.</p>
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Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 4/5
Final: 4.5 rounded to 5

A Marvellous Light is one part magical murder mystery, one part posh English country home shenanigans, and one part simmering heat between our two lovable protagonists. It's absolutely delightful and Edwin and Robin are both so wonderfully brilliant. Their relationship and the tension that builds between them makes this whole book.

Marske's writing is witty and engaging, and does a good job of worldbuilding without excessive info dumping. The magic system is unique and the underlying plot sets the scene for a sequel perfectly. At times, the constant similes felt a little excessive, but they are wonderfully written. My only true gripe was the excess of rather one-dimensional side characters whom I had difficulty telling apart to the point where several of the shocking moments left me confused as to who was being referred to.

This book has been on my radar since it was announced and it absolutely met all of my expectations. I am casually shoving this book in all of your faces and asking you please to read it so we can bask in the absolute marvel of Edwin and Robin. This felt like a wonderful meshing of KJ Charles and Cat Sebastian, two of my favorite authors, and I cannot wait to read more from Marske. Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings (may be incomplete, May contain spoilers): Torture, murder, parental neglect, bullying, descriptions of injury, blood, explicit sexual content, non consensual memory tampering/erasure, misogyny, homophobia

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK.

Holy crap this book was AMAZING. I knew I was going to like it, but I wasn't prepared for how much. Not only is it beautifully written, but it's instantly engaging -- absolutely un-put-down-able. The worldbuilding is unique and captivating, and the slow burn romance is agonizingly delicious. Well-paced, magically crafted, and incredibly satisfying.

PLUS: LIBRARIES. HEDGE MAZE. MAGIC. GRUMPY & SUNSHINE. MYSTERY. QUEER. FOREARMS. !!!!!

Easily one of my top favorite books of 2021. Going to re-read this immediately! (And wait *very* impatiently for the next in the series!)

A huge, HUGE thank you to Tordotcom for the e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Circumstances have landed Robin Blythe in an obscure civil service position for which he is wholly unprepared. No one told him he would be the British government's liaison to a secret magical bureaucracy. Or that magic actually existed.

Edwin Courcey, Robin's magical counterpart, is appalled to find himself saddled with someone with no knowledge of their hidden world. Despite their instant dislike, the two men soon realize they must work together to uncover a plot that could have devastating consequences for England's magical society. Along the way there are dangerous, magical house parties, maniacal hedge mazes, and thorny familial entanglements that have our heroes' dislike transforming into something else entirely.

My favorite thing about this book was the character development. Edwin and Robin both reveal more of their complexity as the story develops and we see the forces that have influenced, and in some cases, impeded their growth. In each other they find a person who sees beyond the surface to the possibilities underneath. Their journey from grudging colleagues to friends to lovers is bumpy and very believable. I was rooting for them the whole time and was not disappointed. Even the secondary characters show intriguing depth, particularly the women in the story, which is gratifying in book with two male protagonists.

Excellent world building really brings the Edwardian setting to life. This is helped along by some truly wonderful writing that makes reading about everything from William Morris wallpaper to the characters' internal lives a delight. Fair warning that the main character's romance gets steamy, then downright red hot, and there is no fading to black. No complaints here, but it was a bit of a surprise.

The author has managed to create something fresh in a crowded genre. I would recommend for anyone who loves a well-constructed fantasy/romance. I, personally, cannot wait for the next installment.

Soooo Cute! This book was So Damn Cute! I’ve had Sara from The Fantasy Inn shouting into my DMs about this one since December and I’m so happy to have finally gotten the chance to read it! Featuring both one of my favorite pairing tropes (grumpy and sunshine) and my favorite character tropes (anxious bookish nerd; must protect Edwin at all costs), I adored reading this one.

The premise of A Marvelous Light starts out quite fun. “What if a low-level, low-aspiring bureaucrat is suddenly introduced to the larger magical society through a paperwork error as the new non-magical government liaison, and how would his magical counterpart deal? Poorly. his magical counterpart would deal poorly. From there, hijinks ensue (aka, why did the previous non-magical liaison disappear and, aw shit, he’s probably dead isn’t he) and the two of them go through a delightfully prickly, sexually tense, budding romantic relationship.

As an anxious bookish nerd, I immediately imprinted on Edwin Courcey, lover of books and rolled up sleeves, hater of most other things. From Robin’s perspective, he has this extremely prickly, slightly dick-ish bevahiour (hiding both a soft interior and a Tragic Past™), but remains committed to getting Robin out of this mess in one piece. From his own POV chapters, you learn Edwin has both a strong anxiety due to his simply awful childhood and siblings (one of the few characters I was cheering for to die in this book), and also this extremely strong drive to research everything and anything. I loved seeing how academically-oriented his thoughts were, bouncing from ‘oh why doesn’t this field have proper documentation’ to ‘well I read this one obscure French paper that says this is theoretically possible so fuck it let’s try it’. Just a fantastic character overall.

Grumpy is basically always my preference for this pairing trope, but I did really really like Robin Blyth, our sunshine character, in this one too. Oh Robin, ye of big heart and little brain, man trying his best but struggling with big words. Robin’s probably equally confused about his position and not totally sure if he wants to stay, but I love both his determination to see things through and his absolute devotion to the people closest to him, both his younger sister and, later, Edwin.

For those curious, the primary focus of this book is the development of Robin and Edwin’s romance. Marske, however, does a fantastic job weaving in that development with the murder plot points so that neither aspect feels like it’s in stasis. Through various English countryside manor shenanigans, we watch the character development of Robin and Edwin, both encumbered by different forms of parental neglect, slowly learn to trust and open up. The quiet, intimate moments of researching in family libraries and mutual bonding through death-defying events bring the two together and the two are just so damn cute together.

Plot-wise, the biggest events really take place at the quarter of the book post-relationship establishment. I can’t say much without going into spoilers, but the ending is definitely very satisfying. On a broader note, I cannot stress how much I’m excited for the worldbuilding. From Edwin’s many complaints, English magic, and the study of English magic, is so far behind the rest of the world and the inner academic in me is just begging for the author to dive further into the details. Let Edwin get publications!! There’s so much potential in the magical worldbuilding here (starting with the fact the magical gestures are based on the cat’s cradle game!) that I’m so excited to explore in further books!

Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. I absolutely adore the main couple and Edwin, resident grumpy bookish nerd, is now a favorite character of mine. The relationship development between Edwin and Robin was so so cute (also shoutout to the author for not being a coward and including magical sex). I absolutely can’t wait for book 2!

Review to be posted on my blog 22 October 2021