A Marvellous Light

In Marske’s Edwardian England–set fantasy debut, Robin Blyth has just become the baronet of the estate his parents drove into the red. He’s forced to take a civil service job (“Assistant in the Office of Special Domestic Affairs and Complaints”) in a ministry whose purpose is a mystery to him. His new colleague is the Minister’s handsome and intriguing liaison Edwin Coursey, who’s hunting for Robin’s mysteriously disappeared predecessor. From Edwin, Robin learns that they all work for the Magical Assembly and that magic is real and used by many Britons. Robin knows he’s in over his head and hopes that he’ll soon be replaced, yet only trouble arrives. He must face sinister individuals, a curse, family secrets, and a mysterious object that could reveal the origination of magic—and how to control it. As answers are revealed, and romantic feelings bloom between Robin and Edwin, the story moves between emotional arcs and physical action, peppered with thoughtful interaction and charming dialogue. Characters are white, save for an Indian secretary.