Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 26/12/2022
Cover:
Although the design conveys little about the story, the bold orange and purple colours are stunning.
Writing:
The rich writing style is filled with clever metaphors and descriptions that seem borderline excessive but help establish an entertaining magical world. In contrast, I found the narrative underwhelming and monotonous even though it seemed fitting for the historical setting. I struggled most with the third-person narrative, which relentlessly repeats the names of the two main characters – even in the graphic sex scenes.
Stories are why anyone does anything
Storyline:
The initial chapters introduce the protagonists, Robin and Edwin, plus a gripping mystery for them to solve. Sadly, progress in solving this mystery was painfully slow as the story focused on the budding romance between Robin and Edwin. While the romance that emerged was endearing, the story dragged as its pace dropped to a crawl. The mystery finally picked up towards the end of the book, but the stakes seemed low, and the ending was unsatisfying.
Main characters:
Robin and Edwin are complex characters with distinct personalities and lovely arcs. Edwin was the first to capture my interest with his adorable nerdiness and how badly he is treated by his family. As the story progressed, it was heart-warming to see his character gain self-confidence with help from Robin. Despite Robin experiencing less character development than Edwin, his character was still fascinating as, like readers, he is new to the hidden, magical society. On top of this, he is a sweet character who eventually gains the strength to face his parent’s death and the responsibilities it brings.
We are man’s marvellous light
Secondary characters:
With the story focused on Robin and Edwin, every other character is given little depth and ends up being one-dimensional. In fact, none of these characters made a strong impression, and I was soon mixing them up.
Romance:
What begins as an awkward attraction soon blooms into a sweet connection as Robin and Edwin work together and are vulnerable with each other. Despite the differences in their personalities, both characters make a great match as they complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Narration & Audio:
The narration by David Thorpe is perfect for the writing style and historical setting. However, I struggled to find the somewhat flat narration engaging.
To sum up, ‘A Marvellous Light‘ is centred on the growth and cute romance between the two main characters. This left the mystery aspect of the story with very little weight, which was disappointing. Still, the blend of historical fiction, romance, mystery and fantasy is appealing, reminding me of These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.
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