This was SUCH great fun, and I was quite invested in both the emotional arcs of the characters and the magical world-building! It's a tough balance to pull off, but Marske nailed it. I can't wait for more books in the series, *especially* if we get sapphic ones.

A Marvellous Light is a wonderfully magical story with an interesting and original magic system. The dialogue is one of my favourite things about the writing. Witty, smart, and just a little sarcastic, I adored the interactions between characters. The story stared with a bang and then the actions slows down a little to build out the world and the way magic fits into it bit the writing style kept me engaged and interested enough to make it through the set up for what turned out to be a very interesting plot. Marske created a group of characters I couldn't help but fall in love with and I'm very much looking forward to following their story in further books.

I would also add that the inclusion of queer characters in a book set in the past always makes me happy. It's easy to find contemporary books with queer rep and it feels extra special to find such diversity of characters in historical books as well.

An exciting new fantasy starter full of slow-burn romance, a thoroughly built magical system, and a trip to a historical London. Very intrigued to continue and read more in this world.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of A Marvellous Light.

I really enjoyed this book. The dynamic between Edwin and Robin is great, the plot is gripping and there’s kissing. What more could someone ask for. I look forward for the next book because I am hooked!!

The only thing I didn’t love that is completely a personal preference is I found the chapters long. I struggle with stopping in a middle of a chapter. Again, that’s my preference and the only downside for me about this book.

A Marvellous Light is a magical and mysterious romance that deserves all of the hype it gets. The magic system is unique and gorgeously woven into the Edwardian London world Freya Marske has written. The relationship between Edwin and Robin is both tender and tense, and most of all, it feels real. Their relationship dynamics are reminiscent of Jainan and Kiem of Winter's Orbit - sweet and soft and fiercely protective. The side characters could have been developed a bit more, but I am hopeful for further development in the sequel A Restless Truth this fall!

If you love well-developed characters and relationships, urban fantasies set in historical time periods, and murder mysteries all wrapped up in the pages of a book, highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t often read romance books, much less historical romance books, but this book made me rethink if it’s something I’m going to start reading more often. The author crafted a perfect historical romance within a fantasy plot. As I don’t read a lot of romance, this was one of the first times I read a book and just wanted the characters to KISS ALREADY! The characters in this book are officially on the top of my “Favorite Fictional Couples” list.
Even with the emphasis on the romance, the magic system in this book was very well thought out and interesting. The way the author took a children’s game, cats cradle, and turned it into a way to cast spells was very fun to read.
Overall I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, romance, or fantasy. It’s a perfect blend of all three and a joy to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is absolutely one of the best books of the year. Freya Marske has make something exceptional with A Marvellous Light; a tale that combines magic, love, history, wonder, and so much more into a perfect package.

I had SOARING hopes for this novel. Magic? Queer regency romance? Usually a tried and true recipe for a favorite. However, I was let down hugely by the reality of two-dimensional characters, dense and pretentious prose, laboriously slow pacing, and frankly disappointing treatment of women for a novel that purported to dismantle themes of misogyny and sexism. The hype around this book convinced me it was something truly great, but I echo other reviewers who have pointed out their frustrations with this novel being highly publicized over other phenomenal queer fantasy that includes stronger representation of diverse LGBT identities by authors of color. I am also exhausted by modern fantasy novels that continue to uphold systems of homophobia, racism, and sexism in their societies to make a point that "these things are bad", but lack greater nuanced criticism beyond passive refusal of the protagonists to participate in said systems.

ARC received by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a tough one for me to rate because the synopsis was wonderful but the book kind of let me down. The plot gets bogged down easily underneath all the romance. Which, while the romance is great, makes the urgency of finding the villains seem like it does not matter at all. I wish it had focused a bit more heavily on the bigger problem at hand. I also have one problem is that none of the characters get a very good description. I was totally lost on what one of the main characters looked like until 200 pages into the book. I really wish we got a little more a look at them because I could not visualize many of the characters making it hard for me to feel connected to them. Overall, I just wish we had gotten a better look at the overarching plot as well as the characters themselves.

3.5 I thought it was a unique read. A good period romance/fantasy. It started out slow for me. I liked the characters, the romance, the mystery, and of course the magic! It does have some graphic steamy scenes. In my opinion those scenes started to drag on for too long, I just wanted it to get back to the story. I wanted to know what was going to happen. That's personal preference though. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It took me a bit to get in to, but once it got going I really enjoyed it. There's magic, there's romance, what more could you want? I enjoyed the characters and the story. Will definitely be reading the next book!

As expected, I loved this one! Edwin and Robin were lots of fun to get to know and I loved seeing them come together while dealing with the magical shenanigans going on. I was unprepared for the sex scenes but I am absolutely not complaining.

This was also a really cool magic system to read about. I thought the concept of cradling and Edwin using the string was really interesting as well as the touches of other types of magic we see that I hope get expanded on in the rest of the series.

Very excited for the second book in the series. Maude seems like such a fun character and I can’t wait to meet her love interest.

I absolutely adored this book in a way I didn't think I would and this series has entered my "i need the next book now" list. Edwin and Robin were amazing and I loved the story so much.

I was hyped for this book as soon I saw the blurb. Magical academia with a grumpy vs himbo romance is what I didn’t know I needed in my life until I read this book.
The magical system in the book was really intriguing. Also sentient magical houses???!!!! I am beyond excited to learn more about it in the sequels. The Edwardian England setting added its own charm to the story. But the best thing about this book was Robin and Edwin. Gimme more grumpy magician librarians falling for adorable himbos please!!! The chemistry, the sexual tension.. gahhhh gimme more. I definitely recommend it!!

Absolutely my favorite book of 2021. Edwin and Robin are such a perfect commination of uptight and himbo and the romance was a perfect balance. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. Unrelated to the arc I now own four different hardcovers of this book.

I'm not going to lie, this book could be quite slow. The plot kind of moves at a snails pace, but the world/setting and magic is so warm and inviting, comforting and enchanting. I didn't quite mind sinking into the world and the characters' lives.

A Marvellous Light is an adult LGBTQIA+ rep book, featuring an M/M romance with quite a few very spicy scenes (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5). In this world magic has been around for ages, but it remains hidden within society. Robin Blyth is a mundane who happened to piss off the wrong fellow (or more accurately, his parents' pissed off the wrong fellow) and he gets assigned to a very boring post in retaliation. Only, the post is not quite so boring, as this particular job entails exploring happenings of magic in the real world and reporting back to the Queen. Only, Robin did not even know magic existed until he was shown it by Edwin Courcey. Edwin is exasperated with Robin, and wondering what happened to the person who used to be in Robin's position. As he searches for answers, he is stuck with Robin as he becomes knee deep in a magical conspiracy spanning generations and close acquaintances.

I was really into the way magic is portrayed here as being contractual and all about consent. It is a unique way to create the world. Edwin is not what many would deem a magic heavyweight, but he is very interested in the learning of magic and different ways different sorts of people may go about it. There is not a lot of magical education it seems in this world, it is all very bare bones. As if someone decided that magic was what it was and then made sure no one else dug too deep. Only, Edwin is starting to learn the different ways magic might manifest that are not conventional. It is all very mysterious and we get to go along for the ride of learning this magical world in different ways.

The romance is slow burning, specially since in the character's time (Edwardian London if I am not mistaken) being gay is considered a serious offence, punishable by the court. So it takes a while for Robin and Edwin to form trust, get to know each other in a deeper way, and stumble upon each others wants. They compliment each other quite well, Robin being an extrovert who is just the sweetest man alive, and Edwin being the introvert/grump in the relationship who has been hurt deeply by those around him too many times.

There is also a lot of commentary regarding sexism and the role women play in this society, or lack thereof. I was really into the woman secondary characters and I hope we get to read more about them in the sequel. I am looking forward to the sequel, and will definitely read once released.

This book wasn't truly on my radar until it was revealed to be the Illumicrate book for December, and then as time went on, I found myself getting more and more hyped for it. I'd see videos of people loving it, saw the gorgeous Illumicrate copies arriving, and by the time mine showed up, I wanted to dive right in. Storytel had an audiobook available of this, and with all the Christmas present wrapping there was to be done, I decided that to read the book in that format. It was a great choice in hindsight, because I really enjoyed the narration of this story, and it was light enough that it was easy to follow, even while wrapping frustratingly shaped gifts.

Magic seemed to unfurl slowly in this book, revealing a bit more of itself with each and every page, until we had a full-on magical mystery on our hands. I loved seeing these little glimpses of magic and power as we, and Robin were introduced to this new, dangerous world. The pacing of these revelations seemed to perfectly align with Robin and Edwin getting to know each other, big reveals lining up with big jumps in their closeness. It worked perfectly for me.

The magic itself was also quite intriguing, from how it was used by others to how it was treasured by Edwin. I also loved how the magic was done, and how preciseness lined up with how much magic one had to spare. There were harsh limitations to this magic as well, especially for those who had very little magic, like Edwin. The descriptions of magic, and it's various uses within the story, were also wonderful, and I loved seeing both the how and the why of different types of spells, and how different characters applied magic differently.

However, the thing that drew me into the story the quickest was the dynamic and relationship between Edwin and Robin. There was so much banter, and then so much soft pining and angst, and it all drew me in so much faster than the story itself originally did. I loved watching them tackle the mystery together, and how it brought them closer and closer. I can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store for them, though it does seem like the next book will have different main characters (which I'm actually quite excited for!)

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this, and have already started recommending it to people I know would love it. I can't wait to read what's next!

Reading A Marvellous Light was a bit of a risk for me, as these are NOT my genres, but I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. I absolutely DEVOURED this story and I'm so glad there is more to come. Even if you don't like fantasy or romance, this might be worth trying out on a whim.

I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for the sequel to release. I love the historical setting, the detective/mystery aspect, and the romance was perfect. The gradual development of Robin and Edwin's feelings felt believable and I loved watching their relationship grow. The story had an interesting take on magic as well, and I loved the worldbuilding associated with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tordotcom for an eARC of this title.

This book hooked me from the beginning. It starts off with a very tense scene and then drops right into the awkward accident of Robin’s new job and his first introduction into the world of magic around him. I really enjoyed Edwin and Robin’s relationship. I loved that Robin was a generally upbeat guy, where Edwin was reserved and grumpy. It was especially nice to watch the two interact and influence each other over time. Watching Robin and Edwin’s relationship grow was sweet and heartbreaking in different ways, but in the best ways. I loved seeing them get to know each other and feel comfortable together as time went on.

In terms of the magic I thought it was incredible. The idea of cradling as a way to control and use magic was so fascinating. Rather than verbal spells images are created with cradling to create spells, and I think that was very cool. I also really enjoyed learning about the history of the world and where magic came from. It’s something I would love to see explored more and I liked it as a choice about where magic came from in the first place.

I thought the mystery was also really well done. I haven’t read a lot of mystery, but I wasn’t able to guess who was causing all the trouble early on. It was only very late in the book that I had a guess, and I loved that. I thin I enjoy reading the reveals when I’m not even sure who is behind it all.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next one!