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    Witchmark
    Witchmark
    Witchmark
    Audiobook8 hours

    Witchmark

    Written by C.L. Polk

    Narrated by Samuel Roukin

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    WINNER of the 2019 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and a finalist for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Lammy Award!

    C. L. Polk arrives on the scene with Witchmark, a stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance. The New York Times calls it “thoroughly charming and deftly paced … an accomplished and enjoyable debut.”

    In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.

    Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.

    When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

    “This book has it all: alternate history Edwardian world, magic system worldbuilding, murder mystery, family drama, examination of class systems—did I mention magic?—and a sweet male/male romance.”—Alyssa Cole
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 19, 2018
    ISBN9781980002109
    Witchmark
    Author

    C.L. Polk

    C. L. Polk is the author of the World Fantasy Award winning novel Witchmark, the first novel of the Kingston Cycle, and the Nebula Award winning novella, Even Though I Knew The End. After leaving high school early, they have worked as a film extra, sold vegetables on the street, and identified exotic insect species for a vast collection of lepidoptera before settling down to write fantasy novels. Polk lives near the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, in a tiny apartment with too many books and a yarn stash that could last a decade. They spend too much time on Bluesky.

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    Reviews for Witchmark

    4/5

    506 ratings24 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I liked a lot here, like the tension in the premise, the magic, the murder mystery and the tension between the love interests, especially in the beginning. The story was great, the magical world was described in an interesting way. I wish we got to know the characters a little better, or that they were a little bit more consistent, because I think that would have made it easier to connect to them. Also, the story had a couple of holes or contradictions that confused me, and I believe it would have helped to tighten it up a bit. Still, the story had enough interesting twists and turns to keep me interested, and it was tied up nicely towards the end. All in all, it was a charming steampunk-ish fantasy romance in a cool magical world, and many readers will enjoy it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Wow what a book. Great world building and characters you care about. Really enjoyable. Tremendous ending.
    • 3/5
      Excellent narrator. Confused gender politics. Disastrous disability politics. Mystifying lack of intersectional political awareness for the story it chooses to tell. Cw for abusive sibling relationship with modest redemption arc. Queer romance (yay!) But tangential and underwritten. Likeably plotty and twisty. For those who can just bop along, it was a good story. The politics are *shrug*, but the narrator kept me listening.
    • 5/5
      Amazingly well written book with romance, dry humour, murder mystery and intricate family relationships. This book has it all.
    • 5/5
      I have finished this and run immediately here to scream IT IS SO GOOD, FRIENDS.

      It's the fantasy my fanfic heart wants to see more of in the world. With amazing world building. And bicycles. And magic. And kissing. And a whole lot of apples for some reason.

      READ THIS BOOK, FRIENDS.
    • 3/5
      A refreshing take on fantasy, set in a world of an aristocratic ruling class which holds not only social and economic power, but secretly magic, while all others are outcasts, and should they show any signs of magical abilities, are consigned to asylums to apparently languish.Polk creates some interesting characters caught in both family and political power struggles, while examining morality.Altogether an entertaining read.
    • 5/5
      I loved it LOVED IT. I had been revelling in the afterthought of this book for an hour after finishing it. It is such a well written book and the story was full of suspense and had me on the tip of my seat for the entire book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      A fantasy book following a witch who is also a doctor. When one of his patients die mysteriously, the doctor sets off to find the murder mystery. It is set in a similar 1920s like era, but in a completely different world. Overall it is a good book, but didn't seem to pull me in.
    • 3/5
      This is a tough one to review. Witchmark is a short, innovative, fun fantasy read. However, it could have been so much more. In my opinion, the book would have been better if it had been double the length. Let me explain as there's a lot going on here. Dr. Miles Singer is a psychiatrist working at a Veterans Hospital in a world reminiscent of London in the early twentieth century. A man, Tristan Hunter, brings a dying man to him but the man has been poisoned. Together they decide to find the murderer, so this is a murder mystery? Except Miles has magic, so a fantasy? and is also investigating a miasma in his patients that is causing psychiatric issues, so a story about the effects of war on veterans? Oh, and Miles and Tristan are falling in love, so a romance? And Miles is hiding from his rich family who wants to basically enslave him to his sister, so a tale of class warfare and family turmoil?This is my problem. While I enjoyed the book, I never knew what it was supposed to be. It skips around all over the place and never digs into any of the plot points very deeply. It would have helped if there were some lore dumps to explain some of this. I never really understood what the magic system was except it had something to do with holding wrists and inner stars. The setting was nebulous; there was a lot of bicycle riding and veterans are returning from war, but that could have been the Boer War or WWI (the book is an alternate version of Edwardian England) - I really didn't get much of a feel for the setting. The characters are never fleshed out either. Miles is sympathetic and the POV character but I never really felt I understood what he was doing. He hid from his family for thirteen years but then seemed to accept their interference now without much questioning despite their dubious actions. His sister Grace was just a mess, alternately deceitful, bossy, or apologizing for betraying Miles again and again. Tristan was a cipher; I expected more from him but he basically trucked Miles around, fed him, and provided the love interest.I know it sound like a lot of complaints, but that's because I did like the book a lot and wanted to love it. It's definitely worth reading and I'll continue with the series, but I can't help but wish it was better.
    • 3/5
      Where’s the world building and explanation of the magic system bro??Lots of toxic family relationships in this and a rather bland romance.The hints we got about the different species and magic piqued my interest but nothing is elucidated about them. I was left confused over so many things. The writing was very average.I will not be continuing the series.
    • 5/5
      This is a totally engaging new world -- very WWI reimagined, but definitely fantasy setting. Not full on steampunk, but there are echoes, and I found the magical systems both interesting and satisfying. Really great romance (gay) and mystery (murder) and family dynamics (toxic) and war tie-in that specifically talks about mental illness in veterans. Very absorbing, really loved it.
    • 5/5
      I loved this! Great characters, cool setting, and just the right amount of intrigue and romance. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
    • 5/5
      I found this book very hard to put down. It was an excellent combination of plot, romance, fantasy and character development. I will be reading the sequels.
    • 4/5
      Holy cow, everyone, I’m not even finished yet …I have to stop and gush … been reading straight for four hours, that’s how fascinating this story of magic and enslavement and terrible revenge is! I can’t put it down but I have to go to work! The story is powered by mystery upon mystery, engagingly told. Polk’s version of magic is unique and fascinating, and the way it is entwined with a form of slavery is pure genius. Just buy this book and read it. Good luck getting anything done once you start reading, though!
    • 4/5
      This is a great first novel which benefits from a relatively fresh setting. One note: some of the reviews read like they were expecting the characters to be too modern — I would recommend reading from the perspective of how hereditary aristocrats in a system of immense would act and view the world.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book, it gave me feels. The romance was SO CUTE. I need more books with this kind of gay romance, between adults, between witches, in a world with magic, in an adult fantasy story like this one!

      Also, the romance didn't overtake the plot of the story, the intrigue was great as well! I would like to have more rules for the magic system but it was good anyway. The political system, the morals of the society and overall the word itself was great, it felt immersive without long, boring details about everything.

      Also, I really really liked the characters. Miles was adorable and strong, and we need more gay men like him. Tristan won my heart in the first page he appeared. Grace was a little irritating but I could understand her. Robin, the nurse, she's intriguing and for what I read the third book is about her and I'm really glad for that.

      I "predicted" the problem with the soul, the possession part, but I think is a cool mystery anyway and it bends really well with the word and the magic itself. I also liked that they couldn't resolve the problem convincing all the others mages because that would be the easy solution.

      The thing with the souls at the end, when they bonded with Miles was really cool, how he felt and saw the memories of all those people and everything. Also, the stakes... I thought for a moment he would die lol


      This left me wanting to read the second book right away so I could discover more about this world and the story, so I hope I'm able to read it soon.
    • 5/5
      This is an alternate history novella set around the time of WWI. There is a rich magic user class that protects version of England from bad weather. The Storm Singers link with less powerful magic users known as Secondaries. Miles left home and joined the army to become a doctor and use his healing gift instead of being bonded to his sister as a secondary. When a dying man shows up at the veteran’s hospital he is working as psychiatrist his world is turned upside down. Turns out his family did know he was there and they are bringing him back to the family business. Even as his sister has the best of intentions, things don’t go as planned. Miles is also trying to find out who poisoned the man that found him and figure out who is the bystander that helped the dying man to his door.


      Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
    • 5/5
      I do love it when I land on a new fantasy series to become engrossed in, and the Kingston Cycle is definitely shaping up to be a good one. I'm enthralled with the magic system, wrapped up in the complicated relationships, and eager for the next book to land on my shelves. Definitely a recommendation for fantasy readers!
    • 5/5
      STARS, WHAT A GREAT AND INTERESTING BOOK! I felt sorry for Christopher by having to fake his death in order to be free of his family's control. Posed as doctor Miles Singer, he worked at the hospital as a psychiatrist to help returning soldiers coming from from the war where he could secretly use his powers to help the men. After 13 years of hiding, it only took one outing for his sister to discover that he was alive. THANK GOODNESS BOOK 2 IS COMING!
    • 5/5
      This intriguing fantasy is set in a world powered by magic. Dr. Miles Singer is a psychiatrist who is dealing with the many soldiers who have returned from the war with Laneer with significant mental issues. They are claiming that something in their mind is commanding them to kill. Miles has a magic for healing that he has been successful in hiding. He can see this cloud in the mens's mind but he doesn't know what it is or what can be done about it.One night, when he is outside for a smoke break, a man - Sir Tristan Hunter - comes up to him carrying a dying man. Nick Elliot is dying and claiming that he has been poisoned. To ease his mind, Miles promises to find his murderer and, in return, Nick gives Miles all of his magic when he dies. Tristan sees the secrets that Miles is hiding about his magic and begins by threatening him to expose it if Miles doesn't keep his promise to Nick. Tristan has quite a few secrets of his own and a task to complete in the eight days he has remaining before he must return home. Investigating exposes Miles to the family he ran away from to become a doctor and dumps him right in the middle of the politics of the most powerful Mages in Aeland including his father and his sister Grace. Storm-Singers are the powerful mages who control the weather that keeps Aeland a perfect place to live. Only Storm-singer magic is valued. Miles with his healing ability was slated to be nothing more than a Secondary and act as a magical battery for his powerful sister. I loved the world building in this story. I also loved the relationship that grew between Tristan and Miles. The characters were well-rounded and interesting people with all sorts of problems that they had to solve. The book was fast-paced and filled with mystery and intrigue.
    • 4/5
      In an alt-England powered by aether and in which the nobility are secretly magicians and witches are imprisoned as mad, Miles Singer ran away from his noble family to avoid being bound—enslaved—to his more weather-talented sister. Now a battle-weary psychiatrist treating soldiers home from alt-WWI, he’s trying to investigate the mysterious illness that is driving many of them to murder while hiding his magical status. Then a man dies in his arms, charging him with investigating a secret, and also a stranger who knows he’s a witch approaches him, offering even more danger. There’s a lot going on here, and I would’ve appreciated a bit more on the effects of the torture Singer himself suffered, but it plays very well on the fact that some people will enslave their own family members when it serves their interests—even if some of them feel bad about that—and there’s a nice m/m romance as well.
    • 5/5
      A highly enjoyable read, and fully deserving of its Nebula finalist status. Witchmark creates a fresh secondary world with an Edwardian flavor, wherein a nobleman abandoned the high life to serve as a soldier and practice his healing magic in a way forbidden by society. When a mysterious man drags a poisoned fellow into the beleaguered hospital where he works, his carefully-constructed yet lonely life begins to fall apart. There's a conspiracy afoot that stretches from the tormented veterans in his care to the most powerful people in the land--his family.The world-building is deep and perfectly paced. This is a world both familiar and strange, and that freshness made it a source of constant fascination. Plus, the characters are fantastic. As someone who loves healer characters, and has included them in numerous of my own books, that angle particularly appealed to me. This book incorporates inclusiveness in a gentle, natural way, and the slowly-building romance between the two male leads feels genuine. No insta-love here. The issue of consent and power in the relationship is especially well-handled. I'm glad this is the first book in the series. This a world with people I would love to spend more time with.
    • 4/5
      This was on my want-to-read list for months, and I finally got down to buying it. It was fast paced. The story plunges you into a murder mystery from the very first chapter. The book is about power: both metaphorical and literal. We follow in the footsteps of Miles who is in hiding at the beginning of the story. He is a psychiatrist, and also a witch. There are many mysteries that unfold as you go through the book. This makes the plot complex - too much so and at times I was confused. The social structure was rather difficult to understand and the backstories and explanations were few and far between. However, if you do read until the end all the threads fall into place in a spectacular, explosive finale.
      I did not know it was categorized under LGBT when I started reading it, so the relationship between Miles and Tristan was a surprise.
      There was also very little humour or wit - which I felt was lacking.
      Nevertheless, I must admit this is a gripping tale and I look forward to the next installment.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic first novel from C.L. Polk. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a fantasy book this much. There is magic, danger, a mystery, political intrigue, and romance. I am also pleased to report, that while I would happily read more about these characters and this world, the novel did NOT end on a cliff hanger.