To all the writers who came before me and created the stories that were my building blocks, the books that held me together and made me strive to do better. A fond and grateful toast to the memories of Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones, Georgette Heyer, Joan Aiken, P. G. Wodehouse, Dorothy Dunnett, and Dorothy L. Sayers. And to my contemporaries in SFF, who are making the genre wider and deeper and richer and weirder and queerer: I’m thrilled and honoured to be working at the same time as you, in the same spaces as you.
To Cosmas, who I hope reads this one day: you were the warp to my weft at a time when the fabric of me was forming, and I know I wouldn’t have made it to this point without our friendship.
To my siblings, for growing up wrapped in fantasy books along with me and sharing my exact sense of humour, and to my parents for being wonderful, loving, supportive people who are nothing whatsoever like any of the parents in this book. （And a special shout-out to my mother, who was the first person to tell me that she couldn’t put this book down, and who forgave me for making her read the sexy bits.）
And finally, I owe thanks to everyone who watched me learn to write, live and in technicolour on the internet, and whose comments and fellowship kept me going through the long years while I built my toolkit. Fandom, this one’s for you. Keep talking about the things that interest you; don’t let anyone teach you otherwise.
PRAISE FOR
A MARVELLOUS LIGHT
‘A magical world of exquisite refinement, where peril skims beneath manners, interiors bespeak both faultless taste and deadly secrets, and the sexual tension crescendos until it literally makes sparks fly. A dazzling debut’
Shelley Parker-Chan
‘Mystery! Magic! Murder! Long looks full of yearning! This book is a confection, both marvellous and light’
Alix E. Harrow
‘An absolute delight . . . If you ever wished Downton Abbey was sharper-edged and full of magic, this is the book for you’
Kat Howard
‘The prose is sublime, the world-building top-notch and the magic system is fascinating and unique. But what made me the happiest is how delightfully queer this story is’
TJ Klune
‘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
‘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
‘A completely enchanting story that sweeps you into a world of art and romance. Marske is an extraordinary talent’
Everina Maxwell
‘Everything you could ever want from a book – beautiful descriptions, expertly woven world-building, queer kissing, sexual tension in a library, quite a lot of William Morris wallpaper . . . Brilliant on every level’
Alexandra Rowland
‘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
A MARVELLOUS LIGHT
Freya Marske lives in Australia, where she is yet to be killed by any form of wildlife. She writes stories full of magic, blood, and as much kissing as she can get away with, and she co-hosts the Hugo Award-nominated podcast Be the Serpent. Her hobbies include figure skating and discovering new art galleries, and she is on a quest to try all the gin in the world. A Marvellous Light is her debut novel.