Book review: A Marvellous Light, by Freya Marske

Okay, so I don't normally do book reviews, actually I don't do them at all. I just sometimes think about what I would say if someone asked about what I'm reading. No one ever asks.

This book almost demands a review, or something. I have read it three times in the last four days, which I never do.

With most books I enjoy, I read it, savour it, analyze it, and then stick it on a shelf for the next time I'm in the mood for it. I think I can name ever book I have read and reread, and held onto for the precious story it is. This is one of those books, only moreso.

A Marvellous Light, is a dark academia, gay (MLM) love story set in 1908. It starts off with a murder, and turns into a mystery involving a curse, a secret sect of magicians, and a race against time. It is the first book in the Last Binding trilogy.

In my first read (which I did in 1 day) I thought I picked up on some plot holes, that didn't actually exist upon the second read. It's just that staying up to 11:30 at night will play tricks on a tired mind, and important pieces of information get lost to fatigue.

If asked to pick a favourite character, I would say the two leads. The first protagonist, Robin, is unmagical. He is warm, brave and reckless. The second, Edwin, has a small level of magical power, and is considered weak among his magical peers, and often mocked for it. He is reserved, cautious, highly intelligent, and tries to keep a large emotional distance between himself and other people. His character arc is also the most pronounced.

The support characters are also fully formed and both compliment and contrast with the leads seemlessly.

The story line wasn't predictable, I'm not a mystery buff, so I perhaps wouldn't have seen the clues other might have picked up on, but the entirety of the book left me guessing and wanting more.

The characters have so much depth, are relatable, and I felt like they could be real. As far as suspension of reality goes, the story and the characters where completely immersive, and at no point did I stop and think, "well that wouldn't really happen" despite it being a fantasy narrative.

The progression of the love story, from prickly acquaintances, to cautious friends, to lovers was organic and natural, and an excellent example of how opposites attract, and wouldn't have been possible without one of the main plotlines, the curse laid on Robin, in a case of wrong place, wrong time.

A Marvellous Light kept me coming back for more, it's pacing near perfect, and the tension between the characters palpable, whether facing an enemy, a puzzle, or the two leads staring down each other in the bedroom.

Highly recommend.