Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 
 The Magpie Lord has everything I could possibly want from a m/m romance. It has a historical Victorian setting, it involves magic, one of the two heroes is short, skinny, and booksmart, and above all the main characters are presented as real, multi-layered people in a real relationship. 
 I would have adored this book even without the romance. It reminded me a bit of Jonathon Strange and Mister Norell, only with a fast pace (Strange and Norell is a great book that I highly recommend, but it is also 782 pages long in the original hardcover version). While the atmosphere is pure Gothic, complete with a mansion that is always dark and cold, Lucien has a totally matter-of-fact sensibility and dry wit. The contrast is delightful and keeps the story from being too oppressive despite a considerable amount of pure horror. The imagery is stunning, and the plot brings in many different aspects of responsibility versus innocence, and the ways in which various levels of society can screw each other up or bolster one another. 
 This book is fine as a stand-alone. It has a nicely wrapped up ending. However, there are several sequels in both novella and novel form (the series is called "A Charm of Magpies"). The other two novels do a nice job of developing the romance. For instance, the second novel, A Case of Possession, talks a little bit more about the whys and wherefores of their sex lives, and addresses the fact that Lucien is rather naive about the effect that their love affair could have on Stephen given that Stephen does not have Lucien's resources and that homosexuality is illegal in England during the time period of the books. The third book talks about the difficulty the men have committing to each other and the difficulty they have getting their lives to match (Stephen has a deadly and physically and emotionally overwhelming job, and Lucien is often at loose ends). Be warned that while all the books contain body horror, the third is incredibly disturbing. Great series, great romance, great horror, and great Victorian ambiance - what's not to love? 
 - Carrie S.