A Marvellous Light
The Last Binding, Book 1
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A Marvellous Light
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Narrated by:
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David Thorpe
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By:
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Freya Marske
About this listen
Set in an alternative Edwardian England, this is a comedy of manners, manor houses and hedge mazes: including a magic-infused murder mystery and a delightful queer romance.
For fans of Georgette Heyer or Julia Quinn's Bridgerton who'd like to welcome magic into their lives....
Young baronet Robin Blyth thought he was taking up a minor governmental post. However, he's actually been appointed parliamentary liaison to a secret magical society. If it weren’t for this administrative error, he’d never have discovered the incredible magic underlying his world.
Cursed by mysterious attackers and plagued by visions, Robin becomes determined to drag answers from his missing predecessor—but he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey, his hostile magical-society counterpart. Unwillingly thrown together, Robin and Edwin will discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles.
The Binding meets Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light. Continue the thrilling series with A Restless Truth.
©2021 Freya Marske (P)2021 Macmillan Publishers International LimitedCritic Reviews
"Mystery! Magic! Murder! Long looks full of yearning! This book is a confection, both marvellous and light." (Alix E. Harrow)
"Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light is an absolute delight. I was caught from the very beginning by the compellingly realized characters, the gorgeous and deadly magical world, and the fascinating mystery. If you ever wished Downton Abbey was sharper-edged and full of magic, this is the book for you." (Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians)
"A dazzling debut." (Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun)
"Prepare to fall in love with the gorgeous Edwardian setting, the sizzling character dynamics, and the murderous enchanted hedge maze." (Emily Tesh, author of Silver in the Wood)
What listeners say about A Marvellous Light
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 21-02-2022
slow to start, but overall an enjoyable storyline
A Marvellous Light was slow to draw me in (which is why it took me longer than normal to get through the audio), but by about the halfway mark I was more invested in the characters & the storyline. Filled with magic and a mystery that slowly unravels.
A satisfactory ending in regards to Robin & Edwin, I look forward to seeing more of these 2, however some details of the mystery have been revealed but not all. I do find it intriguing that the next book in the series, A Restless Truth, moves onto Robin's sister as a main character instead of Robin & Edwin again. Hopefully there will be a lot more of Robin & Edwin to come.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Olivia
- 22-06-2022
Obsessed!
Have read this book twice already! Can't wait for the sequel! The premise was fun and mysterious without being frustrating and I loved the world and the characters! Wonderful!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Phoebe
- 31-07-2022
Enjoyable and Intriguing
A great little mystery and introduction to the magical underbelly of Britain. Passionate romantic scenes. Quaint Victorian setting. Very enjoyable and looking forward to the second book.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anita Graham
- 13-11-2023
Awkward writing, odd narration
The writing seems very awkward and stilted. Whilst the language of the Edwardians was undoubtedly more formal than now, people still spoke it fluently. Just listened again and the first paragraph is a dire example of what is to come. Needs editing to smooth out the mixed up phrasing.
The narration echoes the writing - it is finicky and precise and sounds as though everything is being emphasised carefully in case the listener’s first language is not English. Every single consonant, every single syllable is enunciated. Nothing flows.
On the other hand, whoever narrates “This is audible” did a good job.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 29-10-2024
A well composed romantic urban fantasy
- Magical feel and ideas, british aesthetics, and family dynamics like a post Hogwarts Harry Potter, with some urban fantasy elements similar to Dresden Files
- Some British Beaucracy elements similar to Ian Fleming's Bond books
- Romantic elements drawn from tropes (growth, tension, lovers spat, and reconciliation), with fantasy and mystery/investigation woven in similar to A Crown of Thorns and Roses, and Twilight.
- Modern consciousness elements such as "consent" and "contract", which was highly topical around mid 2010s, similar to "consent" used in Ghost in the Shell film starring Scarlett Johansson, and parodied in South Park episode "Sponsored Content"
- Fish out of water element similar to Harry Potter, but, no broader introduction into main character's story. Jumps straight into the plot and I needed to backtrack a little from time to time at the start as I needed to settle into the world and "lingo"
- Tropes such as foresight, which seems reminiscent of "flashes" in movies, as well as a macguffin moving the plot along.
My favourite sequence had to do with the trip to, during and post the hedge maze, which could have served as a great short story in an anthology series.
Narrator read well, and writing style is very easy to listen to and I was able to get through the book in a couple of days. Credit to the author for keeping a strong pace throughout.
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