User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
It's never fair to describe a book in elevator pitch terms, comparing it to other well-known stories: "It's like X meets Y, with a touch of Z!" That said, a helpful shorthand aesthetic for "A Marvelous Light" might be Downtown Abbey with magic and gay romance. In Edwardian England, circa 1908, part of the English upper classes are secretly magicians, their powers tied to the land and to their family lineage. There is even a liaison office in the government to handle and contain flare ups of magic and keep news of magical doings from the eyes of the general public. In the midst of this, our two protagonists -- Robin and Edwin, one un-magical, the other barely magical -- find themselves thrust into a life-or-death hunt for an ancient magical document that could change the world. And while running for their lives, the two young men also go from antagonists to unwillingly allies to . . . could it possibly be romance? I enjoyed the pacing and the world-building. The frenemies-to-lovers theme is always one I enjoy. Be advised, once things heat up about halfway through, they get quite steamy, like R-rated steamy at least, but I'm sure that will not be a disincentive to many adult readers!
Rating: really liked it
Raise your hand if you too are intensely interested in a
himbo/librarian pairing (but make it gay) and are practically vibrating in barely-leashed excitement to read this book
Rating: really liked it
I cannot find a more apt way to describe
A Marvellous Light than by saying it's like top-tier fanfiction - and anyone who's read top-tier fanfiction knows that equates to being a story that's incredibly fun, gorgeously written and includes a significant dose of steamy romance 👀
I really loved the world and characters of
A Marvellous Light (shout out to one of my favourite tropes - the magical house - and Sutton Cottage) and this first instalment sets up the rest of the series well. Secret society of magicians in London is a concept already done quite a few times over, but Marske sets AML apart by setting the story in Edwardian London (one of my favourite eras aka early Downton Abbey setting) rather than the popular Victorian London, and by including a style of magic based off of the game cat's cradle, which is really fun.
Very much looking forward to book two. Hope to see more of Sutton Cottage. Also very much appreciated all the William Morris wallpaper and the mentions to Tiffany lamps.
Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a review copy!*
applicable A03 tags, as according to the publisher: - overthinking under-powered spiteful librarian/genial jock with surprising layers
- UST (unresolved sexual tension)
- VRST (very resolved sexual tension)
- fantasy of very bad manners
- hurt/comfort
- Houses That Love You
- bound by blood
- bound by sexy magical restraints (
lol)
- gratuitous library porn
- homicidal hedge maze
- sleeves rolled up forearms
- Messing About In Boats (
classically english homoerotic trope there)
[x]
all in all, what a wonderful book this looks set to be
Rating: really liked it
gays trying to solve a magical conspiracy? yes pls
i really enjoyed this wild adventure and i'm so excited for the sequel!
maybe I'll post a more extensive review but i am a typical bookworm so it could come in a few days, six months or never
Rating: really liked it
A note before finishing, because this line caught me so strongly:
"I'd like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you."
- I have been loving this delicious book from the very first page onwards, but I think this particular line (thought - but not spoken - by one of the heroes about the other) was the exact moment when I fell head over heels FOREVER. <3 <3 <3
I am DEVOURING this novel!
***
Finished now, and oh, I LOVED it and think so many other people will too! It's an utterly delicious historical romantic fantasy, with fascinating world building, layers upon layers of wonderful magic underneath our known history, characters and dialogue that I loved, and truly swoon-worthy enchanted libraries and hedge mazes. This is the first in a series (which I think will star different couples along the way - romance readers can be assured that this story has an HEA already, when it comes to the romantic relationship), and it's going to really delight readers of KJ Charles and/or CL Polk. SO much fun!
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had a coworker looking forward to this book, and seeing the Alix Harrow blurb, I had to download it! Edwardian gay magicians, pretty cover, what’s not to love?
A Marvellous Light follows two men, Robin and Edwin, in an Edwardian London with magicians. After a clerical error, non-magical Robin gets put in a government position that investigates magical circumstances and is supposed to keep them quiet so people don’t find out about magic, with Edwin as his… supervisor. But the position Robin fills is one that was recently vacated due to his predecessor being murdered. Robin is thrust into the world of magicians and it’s up to Robin and Edwin to solve his predecessor’s murder and uncover the plot he was involved with.
As much as I thought I’d like this, it was a STRUGGLE to read and finish. I contemplated DNF-ing multiple times but forced myself to finish. The writing style seemed to WANT my eyes to skim over it. It did not work for me at all. The only thing I highlighted in the book was a throwaway line “several chapters’ worth of meaningless symbols…” because it felt like a summary of the book as a whole. Nothing grabbed me, and I frequently found myself stopping and getting distracted. The only reason I continued was sheer force of will alone, and nothing to do with the book itself.
This book was slow. Even as an adult high fantasy reader who usually doesn’t mind slow beginnings, it was GLACIALLY slow. I would read and think I made progress, just for a few percent to go by. I had to look up how long this book is supposed to be because it seemed to stretch on with nothing remotely interesting happening forever, making me think this HAD to be a tome of a book, only to find out it’s less than 400 pages! Eventually things pick up, at about 50% through, but the novel as a whole was about as exciting and riveting as an afternoon nap, since it consisted of mostly filler and very few plot points to be found.
For a dual perspective, I didn’t care much about either of the characters, and while they had different personalities, neither were compelling or endearing. And even worse than them both being wet blankets but in different ways, little was done to the writing to differentiate their perspectives, so every switch (which went unlabeled) felt as though it was fumbling as I tried to decipher what perspective I was reading from before being able to continue reading.
ANY of the other characters were completely two dimensional and like cardboard cutouts, just props to place within the narrative, so even the side characters were impossible to care about. The one exception might be the woman assistant Adelaide, but even she felt two-dimensional.
The magic system was fairly interesting and the romance was okay. There were a couple sex scenes, so definitely not a book for minors. Maybe the fact that it’s m/m gay will be enough of a draw to get people to read and like it, since m/m has always been more popular and “palatable” but I’ve been spoiled with amazing sapphic fantasy reads this year that have everything this book sorely lacked and this in no way compared.
I think the idea of this book had a solid base, and I did (eventually) want to find out what happened but it was lacking a lot of things that are incredibly vital to any good book: excitement, investment, high stakes, good pacing, interesting characters, decent resolution. It wasn’t completely terrible, but I would consider it a stretch to even call it “good” so it’ll definitely be filed under disappointing reads.
My resounding feelings and thoughts towards this book can be summed up as: meh/bad. 2 stars. I highly doubt I will continue reading this series unless there are MAJOR changes/improvements.
Rating: really liked it
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 an underwhelming (but lucrative) book from two and a half years ago. I recognize that by using RWRB as a comp, publishers are attempting to manifest the kind of financial success McQuiston (and therefore St. Martin's) had,
The Secret-style, but it's an utterly meaningless comparison. 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, people. Three seconds of research would turn up dozens more. You don't need to make lazy comparisons to the one other gay book straight people read.
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 when people (me) would vastly prefer pining and kissing. 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 have the personalities of wet paper. 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 and mostly forgettable romance novel.
Rating: really liked it
after a string of disappointing and mediocre books, i have my first five-star read of the year!! and oh, man, it was so nice to finally really, really enjoy a book this year! buddy-reading with Parris definitely enhanced the experience for me, as well. dissecting and theorizing about plot developments and just gushing about how cute/sweet/hot Edwin and Robin were being? such a good time and definitely made my reading experience more rewarding.
this is Freya Marske's debut novel and, man, did she deliver! she did such a beautiful job of balancing the book's overarching plot with its romantic aspects. Edwin and Robin were wonderfully developed, and the way their relationship slowly unfolds over the course of the book was such a joy to witness. this is what i would consider a slow-burn romance, which is really enjoyed. the foundation of their relationship is laid slowly and built upon in a realistic and rewarding way, so when they finally get together it feels earned. their romance isn't -quite- the driving force of the plot, but it does inform a lot of their reactions to the various plot points, especially towards the end of the book.
my only small niggle is i felt the ending was just a tad underwhelming; i really wanted (view spoiler)
[Walt to die (hide spoiler)]!!!!! now, that's not to say it was a bad ending! i actually really did like how Edwin maneuvered the final showdown and outsmarted the villain; that was definitely enjoyable to me! and the book's actual ending being (view spoiler)
[a sex scene (hide spoiler)]? a good time nn. i know this is the first book in a trilogy, so i have faith the true, final ending to the story will be a satisfying one.
overall, this was such a fun and satisfying read, and i'm really looking forward to the next two books in the series! 4.5 stars rounded up.
Rating: really liked it
2.5 StarsA polite round-up of stars, mostly in respect to the author and her debut efforts, and the gorgeous cover design that still sets my heart on fire.
This story has and will be a delight to many readers, with its queer leads and its magic-tinged Edwardian England setting. It had a lot of things going for it—it simply didn’t grab me the way I was hoping/expecting.
In truth, I was bored. Start to finish, bored. Took me three times the normal period to read a book of this length, bored.
To be clear, I love books with magic. I spend 95% of my reading time devouring books with LGBT characters. I love a good historical romance and I crave a good mystery arc. This
should have worked a treat for me, but it didn’t.
I can’t even pinpoint a specific problem, beyond simply being apathetic to the uneventful plot and the bland characters.
The unique magic system should have been the real draw, but it fell completely flat in its enactments. I wanted more Harry Potter wow; more Sam of Wilds power; more Whyborne and Griffin passion; more Magpie Lord oomph! Just,
more.I think, maybe, if magic-fused historical romances, featuring queer leads, was a new genre for you, this might actually be exciting.?! But for those well-versed in the genre, who LOVE the genre, this probably won’t do much for you.
Will I return for the planned sequels? Probably not… but never say never.
Rating: really liked it
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3 ½ stars
“I am nothing like you, and yet I feel more myself with you.”
Part cute/steamy romance, part historical fantasy romp, A Marvellous Light is a (mostly) delightful debut novel. A Marvellous Light is likely one of the best romances to come out in 2021. I really had a blast with this novel! While Freya Marske’s historical setting and the magical system is not quite as detailed & complex as Susanna Clarke's in
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell or Zen Cho's
Sorcerer Royal series, its setting is vibrantly rendered and the fantasy aspect was a lot of fun and gave me some serious Diana Wynne Jones/Ghibli vibes. The main characters make the novel, and I found them incredibly endearing. The plot itself is fairly conventional, and it is Marske’s engaging style and her compelling protagonists that steal the show.
“You woke me up. You're incredibly brave. You're not kind, but you care deeply. And I think you know how much I want you, in whatever way I can have you.”
Set in Edwardian England,
A Marvellous Light follows Robin Blyth and Edwin Courcey. Recently orphaned Robin is in his late twenties and despite his newly inherited title, he’s in urgent need of an income. A clerical mishap lands him in the position of ‘Assistant in the office of Special Domestic Affairs and Complaints’, his predecessor, a certain Reginald Gatling having gone suddenly MIA. On his first day on the job, Robin meets Edwin Courcey, who is the special liaison to the Chief Minister of the Magical Assembly. Robin, baffled by the discovery that magic is indeed real, is sure that someone more suitable should be taking his place. While Robin and Edwin are not keen on working together, after a certain altercation with some dubious individuals, the two decide to join forces in their effort to find out what happened to Reginald. Much of the narrative takes place in Edwin’s family home, where we learn more about how magic works and we see the bond between the two men solidify in something resembling a friendship.
The narrative’s scope remains rather narrow, and the story is very much focused on the blossoming romance between Edwin and Robin. The growing sexual tension between them complicates their ‘mission’, as the two men will be forced to confront the magnitude of their feelings for each other.
The dynamic between Edwin and Robin is truly charming. By switching between their perspectives we learn more about their personal histories, their relationship with their family members, and their previous romantic ‘exploits’. Edwin is a brilliant scholar, and he possesses vast magical knowledge. However, he does not possess much magic, and this has made his family treat him with open contempt. His older brother, who has a lot of magic, is a horrid bully, and his sister and parents have always turned a blind eye to his relentless tormenting of Edwin. Because of this Edwin is slow to trust, guarded to the point of rudeness. While Robin was never particularly close to his parents, who were not nearly as charitable and selfless as they liked to pretend, he is far more open and carefree. Of course, after a certain ‘event’, Robin too begins to have a lot on his mind. At Edwin’s family home the two grow closer, and as they attempt to find the truth behind Reginald’s disappearance they find themselves growing attached to one another.
While we don’t learn much about the Magical Assembly or of the history of magic in England (other than a snippet here and there), the author does a fairly decent job when it comes to world-building, avoiding info-dumps and overly complicated explanations. The mystery storyline is perhaps the novel’s weakest element. There is an attempt at a twist villain but I’m afraid that it was fairly obvious that that person was indeed a ‘baddie’. The last 30% is slightly repetitive, and maybe I would have found it more gripping if the villains had been more fleshed out (we also get the uber cliched line: “Come on board, you'll have the power you've always wanted”). Speaking of secondary characters, they are somewhat one-dimensional. I kept confusing the people at Edwin’s house, as they all have ridiculously posh sounding nicknames and behaved in varying degrees of obnoxiousness.
I did however like Miss Morrisey and her sister, I mean: “And we are but feeble women,” said Miss Morrisey. “Woe.” They were a fun addition and I wish they had played a bigger role in the story (hopefully we will see more of them in the sequel!).
The romance between Edwin and Robin is the cherry on the cake. Their chemistry, banter, and flirting make for some thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly sweet passages. I wasn’t really expecting the story to be quite this smutty and I have to say that the sex scenes did feel a bit overlong. I don’t mind sex scenes but smut...eeh, it does nothing for me. I either find it unintentionally funny or boring. But this is clearly a ‘me thing’ so I’m sure other readers out there will be *ahem* more appreciative of these scenes.
While the plotline is somewhat predictable (we have those fairly obvious twists, the usual misunderstanding that occurs around the 70% mark in romances) Marske does have a few tricks up her sleeves and she leaves quite a few questions unanswered (hopefully the sequel will resolve some of these).
Overall this was a very entertaining read. It has humour, mystery, plenty of magical hijinks, and a lively Edwardian backdrop. Robin and Edwin are guaranteed to give you ‘the feels’, and I really liked their character arcs. And, last but not least, their romance. While I could have done with fewer sex scenes and more plot, Robin and Edwin’s relationship was great. The author doesn’t rush it, so we have quite a decent amount of longing/yearning….which I have always been a sucker for (especially in historical fiction). I am super excited to read the sequel and I thoroughly recommend this, especially to those who are looking for a sweet-turned-sexy queer romance + the perfect blend of fantasy and historical fiction.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
We are man's marvellous light /
We hold the gifts of dawn /
From those now passed and gone /
And carry them into the night.
I love a good story. I especially love a well-written good story. And this had brilliant prose in spades. When she dropped this banger on page 10,
The last time he felt this way was when he found out that his parents were dead. Instead of surprise, this. An exhausted wrung-out space.
Sploosh.
The story starts with Reggie Gatling, a poster body for the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong intentions. He is involved with the Unsavoury Five* and with a binding spell on his tongue, he isn't of much use to our villains.
After Gatling goes missing, hapless layabout and happy-go-lucky enthusiast Robin is hired to replace him. This doesn't sit well with Edwin. But he has no time to brood or moan about it when Robin is attacked by the Unsavoury and they have to work together to uncover whatever Gatling was involved in.
An uneasy allyship is formed between our two leads. Reminiscent of Vaudrey and Day from The Magpie Lord. However, these two don't have history. They just differ as much as ice and fireworks. Robin's denial of his budding attraction to Edwin was hilarious to watch really. He became quite the poet where the other man was concerned
Robin managed to hold his tongue on something truly unwise like You look like a Turner painting and I want to learn your textures with my fingertips. You are the most fascinating thing in this beautiful house. I’d like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you.
Oh and it doesn't even start there.
Robin's first impression was still correct. Edwin was not handsome. But from this angle, with that smile like a secret caged in glass, he had... something. A delicate, turbulent, Turner-sketch attractiveness that hit Robin like a clean hook to the jaw.
What I wouldn't give to infatuate a book nerd with the power of a right hook.
There are moments where the author over-indulges in metaphor. But it's not clumsy, it's endearing. But perhaps what made this book a solid 5-star read for me is it's interrogation of talent. Is talent innate? Must it be wielded? When the talent is something as powerful as magic, are you allowed to strip others to feed your own power?
Think of someone born with a great musical gift and never put in front of a piano,” said Charlie. “But one can hardly go around testing the general population just in case you unearth the occasional natural case of magic... But isn't this where gut-feelings come in? My heart burst the first time I saw my name in a by-line. Surely other writers are born this way.
This book doesn't shy away from harsh realities. A side character, Billy, has recently had his heart broken because his betrothed turned him down for someone with better marital pedigree. Someone higher up in the magical rungs. When he confronts Kitty, it's rather an amazing display at assertion.
“Happy? Marrying a man you were barely friends with at the time?”
This argument had the weakly bitter note of leaves twice-steeped.
“If you loved me enough, you’d have told them to go hang.”
“Yes,” she said.
Deadass cheered. No one is owed reciprocation of affection.
There is a clear worship of books, history, record-keeping and story telling.
Stories are why anyone does anything. Perhaps this is why Edwin emerged my favourite character. Relatable to me, to an alarming degree,
The vivid expectation of abandonment; the bone-deep resignation to the fact that he would lose the things he wanted, or else never deserved them in the first place.
He was a Murderbot-esque character who wants everyone (except Robin, eventually) to leave him alone so he can solve mysteries in libraries.
I loved every page of this book. Even the cliche-riddled third act where the main protagonists have the requisite fight and they resolve their issues when one has to go on a rescue mission of the other. However, the trope is turned on its head and the stakes raised even more. With the promise of a sequel, one can't help but wonder what lays in store for our characters. If you are looking for a fantasy adventure story set in Victorian England with a magical protagonist who is rather under-powered with a strong sense of suspense, high stakes (well, for a romance) and an enemies-to-lovers story, look no further. This marvellous delight is for you.
* not their actual name.
Rating: really liked it
A little slow to start, but I eventually got really into
A Marvellous Light! It’s not my typical read, despite there being ✨magic✨ present, but it grew on me as the story went on. Did Dennis trick me into reading a period romance disguised as a fantasy? Yes, but at least he didn’t lie about how engaging it was.
I alternated between the audio and the physical copy, and will fully admit the first 15% or so I had no idea what was going on. I definitely could have focused a little harder and kept from occasionally zoning out during the audio, but in my defense the beginning was kind of dull. The two main characters, Edwin and Robin, were meant to be foils to one another in many ways, but I could not keep them straight (lol) for the longest time. I eventually just started ignoring the names and figured out who was who based on whichever one was acting the grumpiest (Edwin).
Without getting too much into it, Robin accidentally takes a job at magical office, despite knowing nothing of magic and having none of the ability himself. He crosses paths with Edwin who is looking for his predecessor, and the two of them end up also being pursued by an unknown party looking for the man Robin replaced. They bop around to different aristocratic, posh magical estates looking for clues, and eventually a begrudging partnership grows into something more substantial.
I was warned or informed, depending on your preference, that as prim and proper as
A Marvellous Light may appear, there’s a heavy ‘steam’ factor (am I saying that right) in the novel as well. But please do not expect this to happen in the first half of the book, they can barely look at each other until you’ve gotten through at least 150 pages. But once the gloves are off,
everything comes off so to speak. Oh god, I’m speaking in entendres—send help.
But yes, there is some light use of magic, though its existence is central to the plot. There are a number of magical orgasms too, and the romance is decidedly not closed door. It’s got a
Downton Abbey feel, but more fantastical and gay! I liked it a lot overall, and I’d be interested to see where this supposed trilogy ends up going.
*Thanks to @scaredstraightreads & Tordotcom for my giveaway win!**For more book talk & reviews, follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks!
Rating: really liked it
Aw, this was lovely! I found the tone and authorial voice on this to have a really delightful light touch. We've got an intriguing fantasy world inspired by Edwardian England and grump/sunshine romance (which I am a sucker for). I'd say the thing that held this back a bit for me was pacing - it felt a little clunky in places, but other than that, this was a lot of fun
Rating: really liked it
i first found freya's writing on ao3 and happily followed her through fandoms because i was so enthralled with her prose; for a long time, she was my favorite ao3 author (an incredibly formative force in my early creative life) and i eagerly awaited my little subscription email updates like a fanatic.
i wasn't sure if i'd mesh well with her debut, since historical fiction is one of my least favorite genres, and i will say, the beginning of
a marvellous light does it no justice, which is surprising because the first pages of a book are often its strongest + most polished. i felt the opposite here; freya gains momentum as we move further and further through the labyrinth of her narrative.
i don't think reggie was ever interesting or fleshed out enough (we didn't know him well at all! and i did not care to know him!) to justify his first chapter. i think this book could have done with either a robin or edwin opening. robin, if freya wanted to set a tone of discovery and newness (of a sudden and incisive life shift), and edwin if she wanted to immediately familiarize readers with her magic system. i maintain that the reggie opening was unnecessary on multiple levels and gave readers too many clues about walt's part in the plot.
once robin and edwin felt like more grounded narrative fixtures, i really grew to like the story unfolding. i think early on, their presence is confused or diluted by plot events we don't really understand yet, which is maybe why the beginning of the book felt so dull and boring to me. what i loved most about
a marvellous light is the slice-of-life fantasy feeling it captured so well while our main couple grew close at penhallick.
that i could have read over 400 pages of.
i'm still starved of edwin/robin mundanity and would have loved to spend much longer watching them ride trains together, explore libraries, and feel out the magic of the british isles. i thought that the choice to place them both in edwin's family home due to external plot forces was genius, as it immediately humanized edwin (an otherwise cold and unknowable character) in robin's eyes and allowed him to see a version of edwin that he'd built fortresses to hide. i loved the contrast of magicians dumb with class and power, who couldn't muster up an ounce of care for edwin, and edwin subverting fantastical genre conventions by working so tirelessly to cultivate what little power he had. it was so refreshing to live with a main character limited by his own abilities, who was so clearly nursing an inferiority complex, and to see that inferiority complex come up against an unmagical person's total and complete awe of him and his abilities.
little details like this made the book what it was! but i wanted more penhallick, more family drama, more early walt x robin interaction, more leisurely magic, more relationship building. there wasn't enough of that for me, which is surprising given that freya has always excelled at character studies set against distantly elaborate plot backdrops, but i suppose writing commercially is a little (or a lot) different than self-indulgence published on a free fanfiction site. that stood out to me the most; the third act conflict between robin and edwin felt vert contrived, like freya knew she had to force these two apart somehow to conform to genre standards, and did it with her eyes closed.
overall, this was a fun little fantasy romp with a lot of heart, but it did feel like i was chasing the high of early penhallick robin/edwin for most of the book. as always, freya's prose is whimsical and enchanting (if prone to near-constant use of simile......i have never known a single writer to employ obscure "as though..." stylistic scenarios with such enthusiasm) and her central characters are full and believable. i will definitely be picking up book 2 in the series to see how things play out. 3.85/5.
omg and also GIVING THEM BOTH NAMES THAT END IN -IN WAS SO CONFUSING TO ME EARLY ON. I MIXED THE LEADS UP EVERY FIVE SECONDS.
Rating: really liked it
On my blog. Rerated 4/12/21Rep: gay mcs, Punjabi side characters
Galley provided by publisherEver since I heard about
A Marvellous Light, it’s been high up on my anticipated reads list. So, obviously, as soon as I had access to the ARC, I put everything else down to read it. And I did enjoy it, I promise, even as this sounds like a set up to say it was disappointing. But it’s one of those books that, the more I think on it, the less I think I loved it.
The story sets itself up as a fantasy mystery but in actual fact, I think it’s better described as a fantasy romance where the vehicle for these characters meeting (and falling in love) is a mystery subplot. I guess that’s just too much of a mouthful in terms of marketing, however, but I would stress that you don’t go into this expecting it to be heavy on the mystery because it’s not. At times, the mystery completely drops by the wayside (along with very much worldbuilding, which is fine. I guess).
Now, this is no bad thing! But if we’re looking for where I perhaps lost my enjoyment of the book. Not saying I don’t like fantasy romance, because I do, but I also like more accurately marketed books, and this… was just enough inaccuracy that I went into it expecting something different. This is entirely a me thing, I realise, and shouldn’t have had bearing on my enjoyment… and yet.
The primary reason for that being the knock-on effects it had on pacing. As I said, at times the mystery was set aside completely. Case in point, they end up at a family house party and the whole murder mystery thing is forgotten about for a good few chapters in favour of developing character relationships (not a bad thing!). I think what I’m trying to get at is that the integration of the romance parts of the book with the mystery parts wasn’t great. At times, it felt like they were flipped between, like the book couldn’t be, at once, mystery and romance.
I say this though, on the whole, as having liked the book. But I think this was a major reason as to why I didn’t
love it.
But moving onto some positives, this was a book where I immediately loved both of the characters. It always helps with dual POV books (and romance in general) that you like both of the characters, and that was definitely the case here. It was the characters that really carried the book for me and they’re the reason I’ll probably end up reading the sequel.
I realise this review has mostly been somewhat meh, if not actually negative, but I did enjoy reading this book. I finished it in a single sitting, having been fully consumed by the world and characters. It’s only afterwards, when I sat to think about it, that I found I was picking holes.
