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A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (The Last Binding: Book 1)
Robin Blyth is NOT qualified for his new position, thus there must have been a mistake. On his first day, he learns that he serves as the British Government’s liaison to a secret magical realm, and to make matters worse, the previous holder of the position has gone missing. Following his unbusheling—which isn’t as filthy as it sounds—he is then cursed. Edwin Courcey, his contact in this unfamiliar realm, is thankfully there to assist him in his search for information… and potentially much more.
Let me first lay all of my cards on the table. This book was fantastic in every way. Everything about it, from the stuffy English to the homosexual romance to the UF-style murder investigation, was just excellent and a blast to read.
It is obvious that we have only seen a small portion of the alternate England, which realistically integrates inventive magic with the real world. The characters, though, are actually what matter. This book puts the reader first. Although I rarely think of a relationship as the main draw of a book, the journey from friends to lovers in this instance is simply lovely. It’s a flawlessly orchestrated dance that starts out tentatively before becoming intensely intimate. It’s fascinating to watch Edwin gradually begin to have faith in Robin and himself. His past trauma still weighs heavily on him, and all one can do is applaud his development. In the meanwhile, Edwin and Robin create an interesting team thanks to their divergent interactions between their scholarly, skittish personalities. The POV changes enable the reader to look through their stilted interactions and into their gradual disclosure of their true selves. The delivery is flawless, with high-action scenes and the very real danger of death interlaced throughout. Minor characters’ development is partly constrained by the needs of the main couple, but this may change in the future. Whatever the case, there is currently more than enough to whet the appetite.
Although the characters seemed to take centre stage, the plot nevertheless maintained its own. Finding solutions to Robin’s ever-worsening curse becomes secondary to a sinister scheme to locate an artefact that could endanger every magician in England. The twist in the plot was more of a timely arrival at a predetermined location than it was any type of surprise, but the author’s method of closure was a deft necessity that wrapped up this book without limiting her options moving forward.
The Review
A Marvellous Light
8.5 Score
There's something delicate about the way Marske spins her words - something that follows the beat of an early 1900s Britain, but something that is simply her own. I fell into this quickly - this story of a regular gentleman thrust into a magical England, and the ornery, sharp man who leads him there and falls for him along the way.
PROS
- Reminiscent of Wilde, but way more fun.
- A beautiful queer romance.
- Hard to find many flaws with this one
- Wow! What storytelling!
CONS
- This is nothing but porn.
- Annoying and pretentious characters.
- Super slow snooze fest
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