Witchmark is hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year. On the surface a pretty standard historically set fantasy, in practise it’s a sweet M/M romance, a steampunk murder mystery and deep meditation on choice and freedom. I read the book in one sitting and totally didn’t care when it shied a bit too close to obvious tropes because it was just so well done. In fact anyone wanting to learn how to do tropes right should read this book. I loved Miles – he was such a sweetheart. I loved the aesthetic. This was fun as well as cleverly plotted book. I can’t wait for more from the author.

Though not actually set in WWI (or on our earth at all), the setting is very reminiscent of London during that time period. Our hero, Miles, is a witch with healing abilities, but must hide that fact from everyone, and his current location from his family. Witchcraft is illegal and reviled, although, unbeknownst to most of the population, all the members of the nobility are witches, who use their abilities in elaborate ceremonies to control the weather and ensure prosperity for their nation. Unfortunately for Miles, ONLY the ability to control weather is valued, and witches from noble families (like his) use children with other magical abilities only as batteries for their weather-controlling siblings...hence, his escape to the army, and, eventually, a faked death so he can plot his own course, caring for the veterans he once fought beside as a seemingly average psychologist/neurologist.

His careful plans are disrupted, however, by several seemingly unrelated events - a powerful fairy brings another poisoned witch to his hospital, and demands his help in solving the mystery. At the same time, more and more war veterans are being overtaken by a disease of the mind, which only Miles can see, which causes them to suddenly snap and murder everyone around them. And then Miles' family finds him, as well...

The whole story is well-written and compelling, and presents a curiously timely reflection on what sacrifices are acceptable for the good of the many.

I’m always on the lookout for a new Womxn of Color (WOC) author in the fantasy genre. Thanks to NetGalley, I had the opportunity to read Witchmark by C. L. Polk just in time to celebrate #PrideMonth.

Dr. Miles Singer as a protagonist is a mixture of a really brave and a really paranoid person. It is a literary art to create backstories without info dumps in the middle of the narrative or add oddly placed facts in conversations. Polk’s mastery over character-building allows the story to unfold naturally. She creates a full and complex character that the reader will relate to in his attempts to separate from familial pressure and expectations. The voice of the protagonist is strong. I’m not sure it’s intended, but I found him humourous - much more like the friend who’s skeptical of everyone and just wants to live in peace. In spite of his reasonable suspicions, he still feels compelled to journey through a mystery and fulfill a promise made to a dying man.

The handsome secondary protagonist, Tristan Hunter, fits well within the background of the story while highlighting the best parts of Miles. In many ways, I suppose all relationships should exist in this manner. Tristan helps Miles realize inner truths while teaching Miles how to handle his own magic.

The urban environment that surrounds the story line is cozy. I imagine bicycles, warm fires, buttered toast and sweet oranges eaten while planning out the next moves in the adventure. I wanted to be there and intrude upon the electric connection between Miles and Tristan. The romance was sweet, not overly done, or filled with sappy “I love you” scenes; yet, it still maintained a measure of steam worthy of a good summer read.

The magical system was creative and didn’t lean on conventional understandings of fantasy. Polk’s use of innovative analogies to describe serious situations kept the book entertaining and easily digestible. I would like to get additional understanding of the legal or regulatory system of how magicals are “handled”. It’s a little light on that part, but this novel is the first in the series, so I suspect that further explanations will happen as the series unfolds.

“They make slaves of you for the sake of their prosperity.”
-Tristan Hunter

One important discussion is the bad good person. Grace, the protagonist’s sister, realizes the cruelty of her family and exists as both her brother’s supporter and an enabler of her family’s actions. She is a willing participant in a system that gives her privilege and power - even if it comes at the cost of her dear brother’s freedom. This topic is relevant in today’s political climate. There are plenty of us that are silent in the face of the unethical treatment of refugees and immigrants. Silence ensures capitalist success by removing economic competition under the guise of “protecting our borders” or safeguarding the “common good”. We reduce the conversation to a “difference of opinion” which removes the accountability of those silent or in support of outrageous policies. Recently, y’alls president signed an executive order that “ends” family separation, and instead detains them all together ( serious side-eye). I suppose now that this order is signed we’ll see less coverage of crying babies as to not offend lily white hearts. But we can’t stop! We cannot be silent. We must be moved by the wrongdoing of a people and not only by images shared on an Instagram post. Don’t become the bad good guy. Speak up, Speak out!

“My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. ”
― Audre Lorde, The Cancer Journals

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Review submitted to https://www.booksandbrunchbookclub.com/ for future posting. Excerpt posted to goodreads

When I first started this book I thought it was all steampunk-y cliche - just substitute "aether" for "steam" - and was prepared to not like it or enjoy it very much. Imagine my surprise when the bad thing the main character has been fearing actually comes to pass and I find myself with tears on my face and my concerned boyfriend asking me what's wrong ("Nothing, honey; just a book")! The characters in Witchmark snuck in under my defenses when I wasn't looking and grabbed ahold of my heartstrings, and I don't begrudge them for it one bit. Yes, I did get tired of the word "aether" being used every couple of pages and the novel did wrap up a bit too quickly after the climactic last battle, but overall it was a highly pleasurable read that I'll definitely be recommending to others

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

Our protagonist Sir Christopher Hensley goes by the alias Miles Singer, in order to escape his discovery and continue living a mundane life as a psychiatrist in a veteran’s hospital. His country has been at war; one which Miles has seen first-hand. He went to war to escape his destiny as Sir Christopher, but when he returned home, he couldn’t leave his past behind. When his patients start murdering their families, Miles has to quickly discover what is truly hiding within the veterans who have returned from war, and how he can cure it, quickly!

Miles is a witch. As the son of a high-ranking Minister and the brother of the woman running for Voice, Miles is assumed to dedicate his life and his powers to his family. However, Miles has better uses for his affinity of healing and his smarts as a doctor. Instead of binding himself to his sister and becoming a Secondary, Miles changes his name, escapes to the war and then starts working with the veterans who have returned with demons, just like him.

The setting in this novel was very reminiscent of Edwardian England and post-world war. It was a fun steam punk meets Oliver Twist setting, with a dash of political intrigue. Polk describes his characters and the atmosphere magically.

This book was very enjoyable, however, I believe it could have been more enjoyable if the world was further explained to the reader. From the beginning, the reader is aware that there is a war taking place and our protagonist is at the centre of it, however, we don’t know much else about what started it, who’s on each side and why its continuing. I hope that this is explained more in the sequel and can give the readers a more in-depth look at the magical world Polk fabricated.

I genuinely enjoyed this book, but because of the lack of explaining when it came to the ins and outs of the war, I was genuinely confused around the 60% mark. Things became slightly clearer and I was able to understand and thoroughly enjoy the ending of the novel, however, more insight would have made the star rating become much higher than what it is.

This is the first in the Witchmark series and the following books have yet to be announced. I will definitely be continuing on with the series when the books are released.

Witchmark suffers from poor world building. Days of the week and months are named differently, but for no apparent reason. The central conflict is narrated mostly by the main character justifying his decisions. The magic system makes no sense. It's got potential but in my opinion, the writing needed work.

https://lynns-books.com/2018/06/28/witchmark-witchmark-1-by-c-l-polk/
What an unusual and lovely little baggage this book is. An Edwardian style world, set in a time of war with steampunk elements. This book includes a murder mystery that eventually reveals a much deeper plot, there’s a romance woven in along the way and in a world where magic exists you know there are going to be more surprises. I really enjoyed this, it was intriguing, it addresses issues of privilege and power and the plot is much more in depth than I first anticipated.

The story is told by Miles. Miles is a doctor working in a veteran’s hospital, he specialises in treating soldiers suffering from mental illness. Miles is in hiding, the hospital he works in struggles for funding being from a poorer part of the city but this suits him as he’s trying to stay below the radar of the upper echelons. Miles ran away from home a number of years ago in order to avoid a life of servitude and he’s managed to stay in hiding ever since. However, his luck is running out. As the story commences Miles treats a patient who has been poisoned. The patient dies but not before extracting a promise from Miles to hunt for the murderer. And so the mystery begins.

The world here is an unusual place with lots of interesting concepts but in particular the magic. For the most part the unwashed masses seem to remain unaware of the use of magic although there are witches among them and when they’re discovered they’re usually whisked away from society and incarcerated in asylums. However, it seems that there is a powerful cabal of mages, rich and privileged people who can wield strong magic, particularly to control the climate. These mages remain a secret from the general populace, meeting in private. Miles was born to such a family but having a lesser ability (healing magic) means that he would have been bonded to his sister (a powerful mage) in order to contribute to her ability and secure the family position. Basically, witches are treated as inferior and used as little more than batteries to supplement a mage’s power or breeding machines to strengthen the noble families magical ability.

In terms of the characters we have Miles. He makes the acquaintance of Hunter and, for different reasons, the two investigate the circumstances behind the poisoning. Hunter is a character straight out of legend -I can’t tell you anything more without giving away spoilers though. Miles is a likeable character and a good narrator although he seems to have such a lot going on that he makes me dizzy, in fact I think he rushes into things like a headless chicken sometimes but, still very likeable, just – take a breath Miles for goodness sake. We learn quite a lot about Miles and his past as the story unfolds and he feels well rounded. The rest of the characters are not quite as well developed and feel a little thinner somehow. As I mentioned I can’t really discuss Hunter but he becomes the love interest of the story, not being overly fond of romances on the whole I can say this is a subtle part of the story, very well written and it doesn’t overwhelm the plot at all – although there is an element of instalove given the timeframe involved here. Miles sister Grace – well, she annoyed me more often than not but I do think that she eventually came good – and, again, I can’t really go into too much detail about her other than to say her intentions were well meant but she was maybe a little naive.

In terms of criticisms. I think there was a slight feeling of being rushed along somehow, the romantic element was very quick and the plot progressed at a fairly rapid pace – which isn’t really a bad thing and not something that spoiled the read for me. However, it did leave a few things lacking, for example why Aeland and Laneer are at war. In fairness this is a fairly short novel and there’s only so much that you can fit in, especially with a plot of this depth – frankly I wouldn’t have been averse to the page number being increased to provide a bit more detail. but I can understand the desire to keep this a bit more punchy. There’s a fine balance between too much information and too little and I believe that the next book will focus on Grace so perhaps more detail will be forthcoming from her perspective. The father is something of a tyrant and Grace is very ambitious – to such an extent that it’s sometimes difficult to understand why Miles still cares for her – and yet, at the same time she hopes to use her position of power to help witches such as Miles – so swings and roundabouts really and like I mentioned, I hope to find out more about her motivations in the next book.

Regardless of a few little niggles this was a highly readable story with an almost softly spoken demeanour (by which I mean this isn’t grimdark or violently brutal). It concludes well and I would have absolutely no hesitation in reading the next instalment. This story hooked me virtually immediately, the pacing was really good and it tackles some big issues such as exploitation, lifestyles and consequences without resorting to a preachy tone. It has a lovely period feel to it with the inclusion of some surprisingly modern touches and has a style that I simply enjoyed reading.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I loved everything about this fantasy novel! It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.

The story takes place in a fantasy land named Aeland that is modeled vaguely on post-World War I England. Miles is a former soldier and psychologist treating patients with combat fatigue at a hospital for men returning from the war. He also possesses magic, which could lead either to him being condemned as a witch or enslaved by more powerful mages who would use him as the equivalent of a magical battery to power their spells.

When a dying man who claims he has been poisoned outs Miles as a magic user to a handsome stranger named Tristan, Miles is recruited by Tristan to help him figure out who murdered the man, and why. The investigations of the two men uncover a perilous threat from outside Aeland as well as a horrifying rot at the very heart of the country Miles loves.

The worldbuilding here is terrific. Yes, it’s roughly based on England following the Great War, but the author adds enough differences to make her world unique. For example, technology is powered by a mysterious substance called aether rather than electricity. The magical aspect of the story is fascinating, in that some of the great families of Aeland are secretly mages who protect the Queen and the nation while concealing their power from the general population, who have been taught to fear witches. The fact that those mages essentially enslave and manipulate the less powerful among their families makes the situation even more complex and interesting.

Miles is everything you could want in a hero—honorable, brave, and willing to sacrifice himself to save others. Tristan is a good partner for him, plus he’s got his own magical secrets that add an interesting element to his character. (Can’t say more—spoilers!) They are perfect for each other, and the romance that develops between them is very sweet indeed.

The ending makes it clear that there’s more to come for Miles and Tristan and their adventures in Aeland, and I for one can’t wait to find out what’s in store for them. I certainly don’t want to wait a year for the next book!

A copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own. And then I bought my own copy, because I had to add it to my collection.

I have to admit that the stunning cover of this book was what first caught my eye. Then, I read the blurb and my weakness for a world that is like our, but with magic won me over. Just imagine a world that is a reminiscent of Edwardian England, where a war has been going on, between Aeland and Laneer. Miles Singer is a doctor, but he is also born with powers that have destined him to be a slave to his family. A fate he didn't want, so he ran away, to use his skills for healing. He fought in the war, was captured and reported dead. With a new identity is he now working in a veteran hospital trying to figure out why men that are returning is coming back having the same delusion. That someone inside them trying to take over and kill everyone. And, then a man arrives at the hospital, dying, knowing Miles true name and ask for his help...

You know what I wanted more when I read this book, more knowledge about Aeland and Laneer. It did feel like you only got tidbits of information and I wanted to know more, More history about the countries, etc. I felt a bit lost now and then, but I liked the story. I liked the M/M love story that blossomed between Miles and a certain gentleman that shows up with secrets of his own. I liked the writing, the story had great flow. The last part of the book, when the pace stepped up as Miles started to untangle the truth about what is going on is truly great. I hope to read more books set in this world.

This is the same review as I have posted on Goodreads, but without the spoilers!

Would you be surprised if I said I read this book in one go? No, probably not. Damn son, this was a good read.

I think one of the good things about Witchmark is that you are left to wonder along with Miles. You might have suspicions, but you won’t know for sure what’s true until it’s confirmed.

Relationships are a big part of this book. Miles’ relationship with his sister, his father, with Tristan, and Robin, and his patients. They make the characters compelling. Or well, most of them anyway.

The characters were truly amazing on itself too. Let’s break it down a little:
- Miles is a healer in more ways than just being a doctor and he loves his patients so goddamn much. He’s dedicated to his job and honestly? I aspire to be like that.
- Tristan is the ever so handsome love interest. He has his own reasons for investigating Nick’s death and I liked that he had an ulterior motive without exactly having an ulterior motive. I think you know what I mean.
- Grace is hard to describe. I don’t have any particular love for her, but that happens with 99% of all the characters I encounter, so that doesn’t say much. I get that she’s a strong female character, but it didn’t necessarily make her likable to me.
- Daddy Hensley is… well… not a nice man.
- All the different female characters! Bless them. Especially Robin. Bless her some more.

I do like to say Witchmark really reminded me of The Last Sun. Maybe because both work magic of some kind and both protagonists are gay men trying to solve a murder with a potential love interest. HMMMM. Not that I’m complaining though, I’d totally love to read more of those stories.

One thing that did kind of bothered me is the time span of this book. Another thing is that the writing sometimes sounded a bit repetitive? At times the book would give an (almost exactly the same) description of things it had done just pages before (or longer, I can’t really tell anymore). I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into that though.

Still, this was definitely worth spending my whole day on! I probably want to read the sequel, even though I heard it’s centered around Grace. I would see it as an opportunity to hopefully meet with Miles and Tristan again.

Witchmark is a fantasy novel about Miles, a young man who has run away from his wealthy family to avoid his expected role as Secondary – a magical slave to his sister, who will inherit their father’s position as Voice upon his death. To escape the magical binding that happens to Secondaries, Miles runs away to join the army, and is sucked into a horrific war with the Laneer that leaves soldiers mentally scarred with battle fatigue, coming home to slaughter their own families. Home from war, Miles dedicates his career to work as a psychologist at the veteran’s hospital, trying to find a cause for his patients’ illness before more lives are lost.

There were so many wonderful things about Witchmark, but most come down to the stellar world building done by the author. The novel is set in a fictional world that feels similar to post-WWI England, but there is a whole culture developed in Witchmark with bike riding. There is language for the movements of the bike swarms as they move throughout the city, and complicated cultural standards for behavior inside one of these bicycle “drifts” – how to move in and out, how to switch from one side to the other, how to turn, etc. The magic in the world was equally detailed – there are different types of magic that different characters have, and certain expectations based on indivual wealth. Among the wealthy, the mages that can bend the weather are “Storm-Singers”, and the mages that can’t are only referred to as “Secondaries” – and while the author makes it clear that there is little difference between these two, the character still does not realize this until it is pointed out to him by another character. The author just did so much with language and details while still making the world feel realistic and understandable, and that really contributed to the realism of Witchmark.

It’s pretty rare for me to talk about pacing unless there is something wrong with it, but the pacing on Witchmark felt so perfect for this book. The author did a fantastic job of keeping things moving quickly without rushing through the character-building moments. I am not a person with a whole lot of time to sit down and read (most of my reading is done via audiobooks, or squeezing reading into 15-20 minute spurts throughout my day) but I devoured this novel in about 3 days because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. That does say a lot for the world building and the plot, but moreso for the pacing, because when a book slows too much I am less likely to jump in as soon as I find the time.

The characters in Witchmark were quite well done as well. Much of the novel depends on the reader being suspicious of most of the characters, so that did make it hard to relate to some of the secondary characters, but Miles and Tristan were complex characters with developed back stories who interacted with each other in realistic ways. Even Grace, who the author holds at arm’s length for most of the novel, still was sympathetic and well-developed, and if nothing else is a strong female character with a goal and a mind of her own.

In all, I will give Witchmark a 9 out of 10. There is so much to love – the setting, the plot, the characters – with a good fast pacing that held my attention until the very end. Fantasy readers will love this book, and readers who are interested in trying fantasy should like it too.

A really lovely, lyrical romantic fantasy novel with an Edwardian feel and a really distinctive magical system. I was lucky enough to get an ARC, and I enjoyed it so much! It isn't fast-moving, but it's really lush, gorgeously written and full of emotion.

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/06/19/witchmark-with-cl-polk/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I'm not often influenced by the cover of a book but I loved this cover. <strong>Witchmark</strong> is also the first in the <em><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/215006-witchmark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Witchmark series</a></strong></em> and has magic.

I enjoyed the  world-building of a unique time and place. It had enough details for realism but not to be overwhelming.  The feel is historical, sort of steampunk.  Each kingdom has its own sorts of magics and there is fighting between kingdoms. There is also definitely a class system. smh.  There always some greedy bastards who not only have to be in charge of a kingdom and take everything for themselves while making others work hard but then they also want to take over more land and workers.

Miles is a likeable character. He is a doctor and compassionate for the all classes, those with magic and those who don't have it. He fought in the war as a healer and now treats soldiers at a hospital with mental issues after a war. He has some great friends and some serious family issues. I loved Miles and wanted him to succeed.

The end of the war and the family issues come to a head, along with a new friendship. There is a bit of romance.  A suspected murder and a mysterious PTSD of his patients lead him on a wild ride at great personal risk.  A great start to a new series - I will be reading.  The sequel is <strong>Stormsong</strong>.

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Witchmark is the first book in a fantasy series set in a world inspired by Edwardian England during WWI.

Witchmark is a novel I find very difficult to sum up, because it’s one of the few books which are many different things at the same time – a sweet m/m romance, a paranormal, a murder mystery, an exploration of class privilege, a novel about the consequences of war – and manage to develop all those aspects.

I have to say that the first few chapters weren’t exactly easy to get into. I was a bit confused by the world at first, I didn’t understand what aether was supposed to be or what was the difference between mages and witches, but everything had a point, and the rest of the book was totally worth my initial confusion. The worldbuilding was wonderful. We have a city with vaguely steampunk technology (=great aesthetic), a lot of carriages and bicycles, and we have magical people hiding their magic in their everyday life – the main character is an army doctor – and even Amaranthines, beings I can only describe as the mix between an angel and a faery, and it doesn’t even feel weird.
I love weird, but I also loved how these aspects didn’t clash with each other at all.

I loved the romance. If you look at it as a paranormal romance, Witchmark is somewhat tropey, but I didn’t care – most paranormal romances aren’t a m/m story between a witch and a angel-like faery, and very few of them are as well-written as this one. It’s a cute, tropey romance done well, the kind where you really want the characters to end up together, and you feel for them, and the fact that you totally know how the story is going to end doesn’t detract anything from your enjoyment of the journey.
This isn’t true only for the romance, but also for the murder mystery aspect: there are many reveals and I guessed almost all of them, but it wasn’t a problem for me. It’s a gay magical murder mystery, and I loved every moment of it even if I knew what was going to happen.

Also, “cute” and “tropey” don’t mean “lacking in depth”, because another thing I loved about Witchmark were the themes. It’s told from the point of view of an army doctor who is now working with veterans who have delusions and PTSD – and this book looks at the way the people in power don’t even try to help those who won the war for them and made them richer. And, once one gets to know the truth about the magic system, Witchmark becomes also an exploration of class privilege: something rich people do every day (magic) is considered dangerous and morally corrupt when poor people do it. And is technological progress worth the exploitation of less privileged people?
There’s also a focus on agency I really appreciated. Miles has run away from his family, who only saw him as a tool, someone who only had to be useful to his sister, who has the right power – a storm-singer instead of a healer like Miles. But if Miles will help his sister, it will be his own decision.

The character themselves were well-rounded. I usually prefer selfish narrators because I find them more interesting, but it was refreshing to read about someone who wasn’t and still felt very real. I really liked Miles as a protagonist and his romantic relationship with Hunter. Miles’ relationship with his family is more complicated and often toxic, and he has conflicting feelings about his sister; I liked how the situation developed.
The next book will be in Grace’s PoV and I can’t wait to see what will happen to her.

Due for release on 1st July 2018, I had this review copy from Netgalley. The book is already available to pre-order from that large company named after a South American River – and it's well worth getting. The setting is Edwardian in feel with an ongoing war about to draw to a close. Id say it's steampunky, but instead of steam it has magic and bicycles. Magicpunk? Anyhow, the main character in Miles Singer, a young doctor who has survived his part in the war, discharged after a spell in an enemy prison camp. He's left his wealthy and influential family behind to work as a psychiatrist in a veterans' hospital where his can (with all appropriate caution) use his magical talent for healing. If he's caught he'll be confined to a witches' asylum or enslaved by his own family. He puts his own freedom at risk to solve a problem with his patients, which turns out to be a wider problem and intersects with the concerns of a handsome stranger from another world. This certainly kept me reading and while not perfect it's an excellent debut

Miles is a good man. He’s eminently likeable, an honorable person and it’s easy to see why he’s trusted by his patients at the Veteran’s hospital where he has been working since his return from The War. He hoped to help others while the nation of Aeland rebuilds itself, but is instead thrust into a mystery. Why are the returning soldiers suffering abrupt personality changes and heightened rage? What is behind the message he receives from a dying man? Who is the incredibly handsome man who insists on helping Miles find out the answers to these questions?

Miles could use his powers as a witch to heal his patients, but has to hide who he really is. He faked his death to avoid a system where witches like him are enslaved. He has hard choices to make if he’s going to help others.

I must admit I picked this book for it’s cover, which as you all know is a decision that can turn out oh so bad! In this case I was in for a happy surprise. I mean, look at that cover. It’s all misty & Edwardian & magic & stuff. Right up my alley! I was even more pleased to find that Witchmark is also LGBT inclusive! Miles and his love interest share some excellent chemistry. The book is full of these two handsome, dashing gentlemen flirting endlessly with each other. It takes me back to Downton Abbey. I mean, if Thomas were a nicer guy and had better luck in love he could be Miles. Well, and if he had magic. Ok, so it’s not Downton after all, but you know what I mean.

I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next installment. I think this author is one to watch.

Song for this book: Recomposed by Max Richter – Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 1. Winter

Once I got used to the setting (Edwardian mixed with post World War I) and that rules of witches (mages if you're of the upper class) are discriminatory, this was a hard book to put down. Miles just wants a normal life taking care of soldiers. But he's scared that if he uses too much magic, he'll either end up in the asylum or into forced servitude to his sister. With this tension all around him, he trying to find out who killed a patient. And try not to fall in love with a handsome newcomer.
Warning: This book desperately needs a second book.

Early Industrial Fantasy is my jam, doubly so when the characters are this good. Polk hooked me swiftly with the first-person narrator, a doctor, dealing with realistic issues, then kept me reading with the steady increase in difficulties he had to face and the multiple unexpected twists. I loved how what at first seemed like a straightforward medical/magical mystery opened up in several directions, deepening my knowledge of the protagonist and his fascinating world. I would very happily read more books in this series; I want to know what happened with the situation at the end! If you like Lois McMaster Bujold's characterization, you will probably like this book. It also reminded me a bit of Zen Cho's SORCERER TO THE CROWN with the royal wizards and their shenanigans.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

Witchmark is so refreshingly different from everything else I’ve read lately. It pulls elements from all sorts of familiar story types in fantasy and yet it feels like something completely new. Fans of urban fantasy might like the murder mystery plot and all the investigating that goes along with it. There’s also a strong romantic side-plot which I adored. Fans of historical fantasy might like the feel of the world as it’s an analog of post-WWI England, while fans of the fae may enjoy this fresh take on the immortals here. I could go on, there are so many things to love about this book.

The descriptions and the prose were great and very much inserted me into the setting of the book. I felt like I walking the hospital with Miles, or hanging out in his cramped little closet of an office. There was a bit of a vague feeling to the prose too, especially when Miles was using his magic to help his patients. The thoughts conveyed could sometimes be dreamlike in quality, that they weren’t fully fleshed out and something seemed missing, but in a good way. I think this worked great for setting the atmosphere just a bit off kilter. This is one of my favorite things writers do and not everyone pulls it off so well as it is done here.

I loved the world-building in Witchmark. It’s not our world but it’s a mirror so it feels familiar enough that one can fill in the blanks. And yet it’s different enough that you wanted to know more about it. The magic in the world and how it’s utilized is one the most thought-provoking aspects of the book. I found it interesting how this system existed, or how it was even allowed to exist as it did where one kind of magical affinity took precedence over every other kind of power to the point where those with ‘secondary’ abilities are being utilized as human batteries for a class of elite magic users. There is some explanation behind this, but I feel like I still want more answers on how this happened and why it was able to persist for so long. Then again, horrible things happen all of the time and are able to persist for centuries in real life so it does make sense in that context.

The pacing is a bit slower at times. There were a lot of meetings with various people and less action, but that’s to be expected with investigation plots. That being said, while I don’t need action all of the time, some of the interactions between characters (like some of the stuff at the hospital) dragged on just a bit for me. Really, a very minor complaint. The only other thing that bugged me a bit was Miles’ relationship with his sister and father, how he so willingly went along to help even though he’d been hiding for so long. And even though Grace comes around in the end, some of the stuff she does to him feels irredeemable to me. His father is definitely a mustache twirly villain, but that’s ok! I don’t mind those so much when they’re a good balance for the rest of the story.

I think most of the characters were really well done. This isn’t the type of story, I think, where you get as close to the characters as you may want. They’re always just a bit at a distance. Usually I’m all about the characters and if they feel at a distance I’m not as much into the story, but for the most part that wasn’t an issue here because it worked with the overall atmosphere of the book. Miles was great and felt very realistic (this is also probably why he irked me when he made a stupid decision), but Tristan completely stole the show for me. I pretty much love everything about him. Like, is there a Team Tristan I can sign up for? Anyway, I loved the relationships between the characters too. Grace and Miles had a curious sibling relationship that had layers of complexity built into it. I’m still not quite sure how to feel about some of it. But Tristan and Miles…woooh. I could read about them quietly seducing each other with nothing more than glances and loosening of neckties all day.

Overall, I really loved Witchmark. I think all the elements brought together here worked well to create something new and refreshing. The murder mystery plot had a few surprises and I absolutely adored the romantic aspect. 4.5/5 stars.

I must say that when I saw the cover and when I saw that this novel was staging witches, I did not look for more and I plunged into it.

The world in which Miles lives is not easy, especially when someone has powers. He has been running away from his family for a long time because he is hungry for freedom and he hopes to be able to exercise quietly as a doctor. However, his life will change radically when he crosses Hunter’s road when one of his patients is poisoned. Teaming up together, they will have to understand what happened and perhaps even expose much bigger conspiracies than they thought. This research will bring Miles back to the fore and he will finally have to face his family and his destiny, but above all to make choices!

I had a little trouble getting into the novel at the beginning of the story, but finally, after a few chapters, I was easily carried away. The universe and characters are very interesting and although I still have several questions about the management of this society, I had a great time! I am not necessarily a very large reader of M / M novels, not even at all, even if I read some. However, I must say that here I liked this aspect and I found that it was touching, especially with such an end.

Full of surprises during the chapters and although I was surprised by Miles’s understanding of the situation, I sometimes really wanted to put Grace (his sister) back in her place.

It was a very interesting first volume and I am curious to see what the following book will propose!