Paperback, 318 pages
English language
Published Jan. 13, 2018 by Tom Doherty Associates.
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 …
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.
Miserable class conflict, grisly murder scenes, but beautifully crafted relationships & characters.
Slightly edited version of the review I posted on Mastodon a while back @ octodon.social/@kg6gfq/109491337149140152
Bicycle representation
I rate this a Platinum-Level Bicycle Friendly Book!
I so enjoy reading something where the main character and the general populace all travel by bike. There was even a bike chase scene! The book did end with the frustratingly common "Oh no, we need to get somewhere fast, better use one of those new automobiles to get there in time" trope... but it turns out the power source for the cars (and other new tech) is horrifically unethical, so at least cars are acknowledged as problematic.
Occasionally I encounter a book with cyclist characters who just "ride their bike" and it feels one-dimensional. The characters in Witchmark, on the other hand, get winded climbing hills, carry stuff in bike baskets, use bike locks, notice - in detail - the quality of other …
Slightly edited version of the review I posted on Mastodon a while back @ octodon.social/@kg6gfq/109491337149140152
Bicycle representation
I rate this a Platinum-Level Bicycle Friendly Book!
I so enjoy reading something where the main character and the general populace all travel by bike. There was even a bike chase scene! The book did end with the frustratingly common "Oh no, we need to get somewhere fast, better use one of those new automobiles to get there in time" trope... but it turns out the power source for the cars (and other new tech) is horrifically unethical, so at least cars are acknowledged as problematic.
Occasionally I encounter a book with cyclist characters who just "ride their bike" and it feels one-dimensional. The characters in Witchmark, on the other hand, get winded climbing hills, carry stuff in bike baskets, use bike locks, notice - in detail - the quality of other characters' bikes, and have to be cognizant of road rules & conventions for riding with crowds of other cyclists. It felt real, and like Polk put some serious thought into it. (Update: They did put serious thought into it, see www.tor.com/2019/05/10/the-city-of-bicycles-get-to-know-the-world-of-witchmark/ for a glimpse at the history of cycling in Aeland.)
Collective nouns
Brilliant! I kept highlighting these as I read. I love entertainingly appropriate collective nouns.
Baker Thief & Witchmark: Our new batteries are made from...
(I am really trying to be vague about spoilers, but it might become obvious now.)
Ok, so within a few chapters I was saying to myself "Is aether power really...?" Partly because foreshadowing, but I think also because I read Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault a few weeks before and the premise is similar.
If this is becoming a trope, I think I like it. We need more people saying that high-energy-density technologies are problematic. Electrification and "green power" cannot save us if we do not also reduce our power consumption. Plenty of folks are saying this directly, which is good. But stories shape the way we think, so putting the idea out there metaphorically in fiction is just as important.
