Freya Marske Books In Order

Publication Order of The Last Binding Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Freya Marske is a bestselling fantasy author from Australia best known for her debut novel “A Marvellous Light.” She has made a name for herself writing stories full of blood, magic and a lot of kissing. She is also the co-host of “Be the Serpent,” the podcast that would go on to be nominated for a Hugo Award.
“A Marvellous Light,” her debut novel was first published in 2021. When she is not writing her novels, she can usually be found trying all the gin brands in the world, visiting art galleries and figure skating.

Freya Marske’s award winning podcast “Be the Serpent” was born from the fact that she and two of her very close friends Jennifer Mace and Alexandra Rowland loved discussing the tropes and dissecting the fanfiction and speculative fiction they loved.

They simply started recording every session they had, starting with a close comparison and reading of a piece of fan fiction and a short story by Ursula Le Guin. This would set the tone for much of the following years, and she has asserted that it had been an amazing ride.

To do the research for her novel, Freya Marske had to wander a lot through the National Trust and art galleries filled with William Morris wallpaper to get a full understanding of the aesthetic.

She also read several books that focused on the day to day life of the manor houses of the time such as Downton Abbey and the social history of the era. Still, much of the research she conducted was intended to answer specific questions she had as she was writing.

Some of these included Which London underground stations existed, what motor vehicles were the most popular and what role did the women play in the civil service. She has often referred to her works as fantasy of manners because of how personal the stakes get.

There is also the confining of characters by the rules of their society and the focus on relationships. Moreover, she is a huge sucker for manor house parties filled with furtive after dark liaisons, hijinks, awkward dinner parties, and terrible people.

As for literary influences, Freya Marske has been significantly influenced by the works of PG Wodehouse, Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.

When it comes to sceince and fantasy fiction authors that were most influential, she believes the most significant was “Wonderful Sorcerer to the Crown” by Zen Cho and the “Magpie Lord” and “Spectred Isle” queer historical romances by KJ Charles.

Connie Willis’ novel “To Say Nothing of the Dog” which is set in a late Victorian country manor house is one title she thinks was perfect for the genre.

Freya Marske’s novel “A Marvellous Light” is the story of Robin Blyth, who has too much on his plate. He is struggling to be a responsible employer, a good older brother and is also a harried baronet crippled by the excesses of his deceased parents.

Things get interesting when he is named a liaison in the Civil Service through an administrative mistake. Working as a liaison, he soon finds that there is an out of this world reality just beneath the surface.

He now needs to contend with the danger and beauty of magic, alarming visions of the future that accompany it, an excruciating deadly curse and his prickly and cold counterpart Edwin Courcey.

Blyth’s predecessor had gone missing in mysterious circumstances and investigations revealed unsettling truths he had thought were myths for the longest time. Edwin and Robin have to work together to unearth a conspiracy that threatens the life of every magician in Britain.
It is a secret that has resulted in the death of at least one man.