Reading: A Marvellous Light

Australian author Freya Marske's debut novel is a m/m fantasy romance set in an Edwardian England where magical families have always existed, living a hidden life alongside everyday society. When an administrative error sees the thoroughly non-magical Robin Blyth assigned to the post of civil service liaison to the magical world, he finds that some rather unpleasant people are trying to find something that was hidden by his predecessor, and he has to team up with the cold and unfriendly Edwin Courcey, his counterpart from the magical bureaucracy, to try to find answers and lift a curse that could otherwise kill him.

The basic setup of A Marvellous Light, with a hidden magical society existing in parallel to the normal one, is a familiar enough scenario, but Marske's magic has some interesting aspects (spells in this world are "cradled", brought into existence by hand movements reminiscent of cat's cradle, and there's a strong emphasis on magical connections between land and its owners. Robin and Edwin are likeable characters and I enjoyed the romance element. This was an entertaining, fairly light read; the novel does stand on its own, but is the first of a planned trilogy and I certainly intend to read the other volumes when they're published.