A Marvellous Light

The Last Binding, Book 1

By: Freya Marske

Narrated by: David Thorpe

"Narrator David Thorpe’s delicious depictions of steamy encounters between Robin and Edwin are intricately woven throughout this magical realm." (Booklist, starred review)

Red White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light unfolds in an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tordotcom

©2021 Freya Marske (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2021, NPR Best Book of the Year

“Romantic in the best way, funny, sharp, sexy, fantastical. 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)

"A charming, lovingly crafted adventure full of peril, romance and wit, illuminated by sparkling turns of phrase and a pervasive sense of humour." (A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken Name)

“That sublime prose! Her astonishing gift for imagery! And, of course, her bountiful and endless talent for writing some extremely sexy scenes. A Marvellous Light is all that and more. Perfect.” (Jenn Lyons, author of The Ruin of Kings)

Wonderful—in both senses of the word.

Marske’s storytelling and world building are very impressive for a debut author. I read/listen to a lot of fantasy and I was drawn in immediately to this new world. Her system of magic is different in many ways to others I’ve read, but it all makes sense (as much as a system of magic *can* make sense). I’m eagerly awaiting the next part.

loved it

Such a fun story! I loved it! romance, magic, mystery this book is great

Wonderful

Great story. Right amount of sexiness and character development. Written to care about the characters.

Entertaining

Anymore, I find it impossible to read anything involving magic without mentally referencing Harry Potter. That being said, this was entertaining. The romance ran the way most do in books these days, regardless of the sex of the participants. I would've enjoyed a broader vocabulary during more intimate scenes but the action was clear enough. The mystery aspect was a little predictable but still enjoyable. Recently, I have been looking at William Morris designs for my own home so the references to them was fun.

Overall, I recommend the listen.

A great book.

I enjoyed this book very much and hope the next one comes put very soon.