A review by sarahesterman
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I will admit that there was a moment while reading A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske that I wondered if it could very well be draco/ron fanfic. That moment passed quickly as the plot progressed… but I can’t deny it was there. 

The tl;dr in this historical romantasy is that our delightfully himbo Robin (who has never known magic in his life) has just gotten a new job as, it turns out, a liaison to magic stuff. After meeting Edwin, his magical counterpart, they both decide it was clearly a mistake that they’ll rectify. And, of course, they plan to, but then Robin goes ahead and gets himself cursed on his way home from the boxing club that night. The baddies are looking for something they think Robin’s got, Robin’s got no clue what’s going on, and Edwin is the only one who can help him. Thus, an adventure to Edwin’s countryside home and mild chaos (and romance) ensues. 

Anyway, I loved this. As always, gay is in, gay is hot, I want some gay, gay it’s gonna be (a la Laszlo Cravensworth). And also extra because I love love love the golden retriever/black cat pairing in any capacity, and Robin and Edwin fit it perfectly. And gay romance set when it was illegal always hits extra hard, stakes-wise. 

I will say this story isn’t technically a standalone, though it seems later books in the trilogy follow different characters. The connecting story is not finished by the end of the book, but you do have a larger piece of the puzzle. And I want more pieces so I will likely continue reading. 

I did have one minor complaint (and it’s a spoiler):

If the three magical pieces were so dangerous that the original women keeping track of them decided they could never be brought together… then why didn’t they just drop in them in the ocean or something??? Why hold onto them where they could be found???? Feels like a plot hole to me.

 

Anyway, this was a delightfully cozy book that honestly felt perfect for the summer to fall transition. 

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