But the position Robin fills is one that was recently vacated due to his predecessor being murdered. 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. 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?Ī Marvellous Light follows two men, Robin and Edwin, in an Edwardian London with magicians. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Messing About In Boats ( classically english homoerotic trope there)Īll in all, what a wonderful book this looks set to be bound by sexy magical restraints ( lol) overthinking under-powered spiteful librarian/genial jock with surprising layers Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a review copy!Īpplicable A03 tags, as according to the publisher: Also very much appreciated all the William Morris wallpaper and the mentions to Tiffany lamps. 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. 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. 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 □ 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! The frenemies-to-lovers theme is always one I enjoy. could it possibly be romance? I enjoyed the pacing and the world-building. And while running for their lives, the two young men also go from antagonists to unwillingly allies to. 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. 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 Edwardian England, circa 1908, part of the English upper classes are secretly magicians, their powers tied to the land and to their family lineage. 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.
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