Tag: Fantasy

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

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Title: A Marvellous Light
Author: Freya Marske
Genre(s): Romance, Historical, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆

I loved this story — on its surface, a historical fantasy romance involving the affable baronet Robin Blythe being shoved into a ministry position that introduces him to the magical world, via the stand-offish magician Edwin Courcey and a magical curse.

Robin and Edwin are captivating characters, both struggling with other people’s expectations for them as well as their desire for each other. But the story goes beyond that, including blatant examples of sexism and racism (hat tip to the fabulous Adelaide Morrissey and Kitty Kaur — all I can say is “woe.”) that cloud the judgment of not only the non-magical Edwardian society but the magical community as well. I enjoyed how these themes were woven together with the plot, how the main characters grew through the story, and the delightful (albeit a bit hand-wavy, pun intended) magical system based on Cat’s Cradle.

I’m definitely looking forward to the upcoming sequel focused on Robin’s sister Maud, A Restless Truth.

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

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Title: Gallant
Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre(s): Gothic fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆

This was a beautiful, dark, compelling tale about an orphan girl searching for home and family. It took me a little time to get into it — getting used to the slow pace and Olivia’s internal world — but once I did I was all in. I loved the way Olivia kept returning to her mother’s journal, revealing something new about her story each time. The fantasy aspects of the story were a bit simplistic, but I found I didn’t really mind that since my focus was on Olivia’s experience and the creepy yet captivating setting. I loved seeing the shift in her perspective and her relationship with the people and places (and ghouls) surrounding her.