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A Marvellous Light

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What to expect

Set in an alternative Edwardian England, this is a comedy of manners, manor houses, and hedge mazes: including a magic-infused murder mystery and a delightful queer romance.

'Lush historical fantasy . . . A delightful book, with richly developed characters' – New York Times

‘Mystery! Magic! Murder! . . . This book is a confection, both marvellous and light’ – Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January

For fans of Georgette Heyer or Julia Quinn's Bridgerton, who'd like to welcome magic into their lives . . .

Young baronet Robin Blyth thought he was taking up a minor governmental post. However, he's actually been appointed parliamentary liaison to a secret magical society. If it weren’t for this administrative error, he’d never have discovered the incredible magic underlying his world.

Cursed by mysterious attackers and plagued by visions, Robin becomes determined to drag answers from his missing predecessor – but he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey, his hostile magical-society counterpart. Unwillingly thrown together, Robin and Edwin will discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles.

The Binding meets Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light. Continue the thrilling series with A Restless Truth.

‘A dazzling debut’ – Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun

‘Prepare to fall in love with the gorgeous Edwardian setting, the sizzling character dynamics, and the murderous enchanted hedge maze’ – Emily Tesh, author of Silver in the Wood

‘An absolute delight . . . If you ever wished Downton Abbey was sharper-edged and full of magic, this is the book for you’ – Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians

Critics Review

Mystery! Magic! Murder! Long looks full of yearning! This book is a confection, both marvellous and light
Alix E. Harrow
That sublime prose! Her astonishing gift for imagery! And, of course, her bountiful and endless talent for writing some extremely sexy scenes. A Marvellous Light is all that and more. Perfect
Jenn Lyons
A magical world of exquisite refinement, where peril skims beneath manners, interiors bespeak both faultless taste and deadly secrets, and the sexual tension crescendos until it literally makes sparks fly. A dazzling debut
Shelley Parker-Chan
Romantic in the best way, funny, sharp, sexy, fantastical. Prepare to fall in love with the gorgeous Edwardian setting, the sizzling character dynamics, and the murderous enchanted hedge maze
Emily Tesh
Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light is an absolute delight. I was caught from the very beginning by the compellingly realized characters, the gorgeous and deadly magical world, and the fascinating mystery. If you ever wished Downton Abbey was sharper-edged and full of magic, this is the book for you
Kat Howard
Freya's prose is so splendid that merely reading it makes me feel like I've been filled to the brim with champagne bubbles. A Marvellous Light has everything you could ever want from a book – beautiful descriptions, expertly woven world-building, queer kissing, sexual tension in a library, quite a lot of William Morris wallpaper . . . This book is brilliant on every level. It is wondrous. It is, if you will excuse a small joke, marvellous
Alexandra Rowland
A charming, lovingly crafted adventure full of peril, romance and wit, illuminated by sparkling turns of phrase and a pervasive sense of humour
A. K. Larkwood
Equal parts fantasy, mystery and romance – with bonus murderous garden features – A Marvellous Light heralds a strong new voice in science fiction and fantasy
Sam Hawke
This romantic fantasy is full of fascinating world-building, layers upon layers of delicious magic, and characters I adored. I want to spend so much more time in this alternate England's enchanted libraries and sinister hedge mazes! The whole experience was a delight
Stephanie Burgis
A gripping story, told in precise and sensual language, with the kind of characters that make you want a spin-off book for even the ones you've barely met. Magic, romance and mayhem in a beautifully decorated – and occasionally actively dangerous – Edwardian setting
Malka Older
A completely enchanting story that sweeps you into a world of art and romance. Marske is an extraordinary talent who writes compelling characters, entertainingly awful families, and love stories like nobody else
Everina Maxwell
A breathtaking queer romantic fantasy . . . Sensual erotic scenes, an intriguing magic system, and a puzzling mystery combine to make this novel a wonder
Publishers Weekly, starred review
An enchanting, gripping and dazzling debut
Daily Mail
Compelling, sumptuously written, clever and brimming with intrigue and sexual tension (and its release) . . . The definition of reading for pure pleasure; we are ready for the next instalment, immediately
Attitude Magazine

Lush historical fantasy . . . a delightful book, with richly developed characters

New York Times

User Reviews

Book 4.0
Narration 4.0
4.0
4.0
A strong start thanks to an intrigue immediately tense and a charming romance with a true alchemy. However, as the chapters go by the plotline diminishes in terms of logic and quality to leave the room for a romance that unfortunately looses its salt once the characters kiss and thus stop chasing, challenging, playing with one another. The pace sometimes slows so much that it becomes hard to get back to the story onces it picks up again.
The narrator did overall a good job BUT often uses the same voice intonation for the male characters, resulting in confusion as to who is saying what when two men are talking.
!!!! Also please note: this is a SPICY book with EXPLICIT scenes, a lot of other readers like me were unaware of that fact before buying...
Renard 07/04/2024

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