A Marvellous Light

by Freya Marske
A Marvellous Light cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Fantasy
Technical:
  • ID: 1535
  • Added: 2025-10-07
  • Updated: 2025-10-11
  • ISBN: 9781760988937
  • Publisher: Tor UK
  • Published: 2021-10-26
  • Formats: 4
  • Reviews: 3
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £9.99 Hardback • £16.99

Robin Blyth, a young baronet, is unexpectedly appointed as the parliamentary liaison to a secret magical society due to an administrative error. This mistake leads him to discover a hidden world of magic beneath his own. Plagued by visions and cursed by mysterious attackers, Robin seeks answers from his missing predecessor, but he must rely on the help of Edwin Courcey, his reluctant magical-society counterpart. Together, they uncover a sinister plot that endangers every magician in the British Isles, forcing them to work together to prevent catastrophe. Freya Marske's debut novel blends the intrigue of The Binding with the magical atmosphere of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, creating a captivating tale of magic, mystery, and unlikely alliances. The story is rich with historical detail and magical intrigue, making it a compelling read for fans of historical fantasy.

Reviews
Fantasy Hive · 2022-11-11
delightful 4.50

The book is a beautiful story of self-discovery with sumptuous prose that is highly engaging. It blends elements of romance, mystery, and magic seamlessly.

Fantasy Hive absolutely loved this book, describing it as a beautiful story of self-discovery with sumptuous prose. They found it so engaging that they burned through it in just five days. The reviewer highlights how the book blends romance, mystery, and magic in a way that feels both delightful and cohesive. They particularly appreciate the emotional depth and the way the story unfolds, making it a standout read.

Quick quotes

    It's a beautiful story of self-discovery, featuring sumptuous prose, that I burned through in five days.

    The combination of romance elements, mystery and magic is delightful and makes A Marvellous Light a book that should be on your TBR.

    The writing is evocative and the characters are well-developed, making for a deeply satisfying read.

BookReporter · 2022-10-18
fantastic 5.00

The book is described as tons of fun, extremely sexy, and exquisitely written, making it one of the reviewer's favorite books of the year.

BookReporter found A Marvellous Light to be tons of fun and extremely sexy, with exquisitely written prose. They were so impressed that they ranked it among their favorite books of the year. The reviewer praises the good-natured athlete protagonist and the heart of the story, which they found to be both engaging and heartwarming. The blend of romance and magic in a historical setting is particularly highlighted as a standout feature.

Quick quotes

    It's tons of fun and also extremely sexy, exquisitely written and one of my favorite books of the year.

    A good-natured athlete with a heart of gold makes for a compelling protagonist.

    The blend of romance and magic in a historical setting is particularly highlighted as a standout feature.

Righter of Words · 2021-12-11
good 3.00

The book is decent with good banter between the main characters, though they are not particularly innovative.

Righter of Words found A Marvellous Light to be a decent read, noting that the main characters have very good banter with one another. However, they felt that the characters themselves are not particularly innovative. The reviewer appreciated the banter and the overall enjoyment of the story, but did not find the characters to be groundbreaking. Despite this, they acknowledged that the book was enjoyable and worth the read.

Quick quotes

    I didn't dislike this book; it was decent!

    The main characters aren't particularly innovative, but they have very good banter with one another.

    The book was enjoyable and worth the read.

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