Jane Austen's humor meets Dickens, combined with Grimm's fairy tales and Tolkien's scale, with just a touch of the Aubrey/Maturin novels. 
 I am astonished at how Susanna Clarke kept her characters so true to their time, while still spinning an easy to read yarn. The story of fairies, English magic, and two magicians is just complex enough-witty, gripping, and highly entertaining. 5+ stars!