Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

In A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske, the first element that strikes me is the gorgeous prose. Every word is beautiful. Right from the beginning, the world is well developed with exquisite details and interesting characters. 

I love the main characters and the unfolding of their relationship, the sublimely beautiful love scenes and more the way the pair have such an affinity for each other. Robin and Edwin don’t appear alike on the surface but they complement each other so well that it is completely believable that the friendship and love would come about for them. 

I also love the world and in particular Sutton House. The premise and the magic is well written. I also appreciate the development of the intrigue and mystery surrounding the first contract and what it would mean if a group of magicians got their hands on it. While the ending is lovely, I also like that it leaves room for the next book in the series. It leaves the reader wanting more.

If you like fantasy and romance, especially with gorgeous prose and LGBTQ characters, I highly recommend this novel. I love the romance between the two men and I also like the fantasy elements. It is a lovely world and I can’t wait to read more.

5 out of 5 cantrips