A Fable Reading Guide for Witchmark by C.L Polk
Cameron Capello
Join Johnee’s Queer Reads Book Club to read Witchmark by C.L Polk today!
“Witchmark” is a critically acclaimed fantasy novel that blends mystery, romance, and magic in an alternate Edwardian England.Who founded Johnee’s Queer Reads Book Club?
Johnee is a social media creator who began making videos on Youtube and has expanded to other platforms like TikTok to share his love for queer book content. Originally born in Australia, Johnee now resides in Canada, where he makes bookish content. Johnee rediscovered his passion for reading when the BookTok community inspired him to read “The Song of Achilles.”"It was an instant love and really got me back into wanting to discover and read more books, and I soon realized that queer literature had expanded and grown in the last decade, which was very exciting for me since I didn't have a lot of that to read when I was growing up.”
Since then, Johnee’s reading has doubled, and he always shares reviews and hilarious bookish content with his followers!Watch Johnee introduce the book on Instagram!
What is Witchmark about?
In a world bristling with steampunk fantasy and dark magic, C.L Polk’s novel explores the dangerous ways that noble families use their magic to control nations in the aftermath of a world war. But when Miles Singer is cursed with magic, he is fated to either endure his family’s enslavement and abuse of his power or be committed to a witches’ asylum. His choice? Join the war between Aeland and Laneer and hide his magic from everyone. When the war ends, and Miles must return home, the horrors he witnessed remain with him and change him into someone he cannot recognize. To avoid the people he tried so hard to escape from, Miles fakes his own death and reinvents himself as a doctor for the Veteran’s hospital. But he soon learns that changing who you are does not change what you can do. And when a patient at the hospital is fatally poisoned and Miles’ healing powers and witchmark are exposed, he must let go of his hidden identity to investigate the murder of one of his patients. Enlisting the help of a devastatingly handsome man and the family he once tried to escape, Miles steps out of the shadows and releases the magic he has suppressed for too long.Does Witchmark have a sequel?
Yes! Witchmark is the first book of the three-volume Kingston Cycle. “Stormsong” was published in 2020. “Soulstar” was published in 2021. You can find all these books on Fable!type: embedded-entry-inline id: 5akBSjruBGpis8FKzpERdw
Reviews for Witchmark
Reviewers have raved about the book for years. Alex Brown wrote about the novel at Tor.com:"what pushes Witchmark from very good to great are the deep undercurrents. This isn’t just a story about cool magic and those who abuse it. Under the surface is a painful discussion of slavery, exploitation, and colonialism."
Elle wrote this review:"You know when you read a really good romance, or your nostalgic favorite childhood series (and yes I'm using these both as positives), and yes, you know that there might be a few tropes, but you are just so invested in everything within the story, and you want to praise it forever and send it to all your friends? That’s how I feel about this book ... I would die for this book."
Check out this New York Times review:“'Witchmark' is thoroughly charming and deftly paced; I appreciated how well the world-building meshed with the plot’s development, like a map’s surface being revealed in time with one’s progress along it ... This is an accomplished and enjoyable debut."
Esquire recently listed Witchmark as one of the top fantasy books of all time!Quotes from Witchmark
Readers have highlighted many quotes inside the book, but we've collected a few of fans' favorite passages...“He laughed, and I caught my breath at the sound. I wished I was funny, just to hear him laugh again.” -C.L. Polk, Witchmark
“Floating. High in the sky with the stars all around, only we two and our secrets.” -C. L. Polk, Witchmark
“I understand what it’s like.”“You don’t. You imagine. You sympathize. But you can’t understand.” -C. L. Polk, Witchmark
“When things decide to fall apart, they crumble on all sides.” - C. L. Polk, Witchmark
“People speak to fill a silence, to seek a connection.” -C. L. Polk, Witchmark
“Desperate people commit terrible acts.” - C. L. Polk, Witchmark
Join Fantasy Book Clubs on Fable!
"As a self-proclaimed mood reader who is also distracted by other hobbies, I was inspired to start this book club to keep me in check and follow-through," Johnee told us. He also explained how Fable keeps him motivated:"I decided that even if I were the sole member, I'd follow through, stick with the milestones and use the discussion tabs as diary entries for my thoughts! I also know many of my TikTok followers are in my queer book content - so I thought, 'Why not invite people to join me on in this journey to read more diverse queer books?'"
You can read great books by LGBTQ+ authors in every genre on Fable!Our platform makes it easy for fantasy fiction fans to share their thoughts and connect with others through our Book Clubs. With our platform, you can host every aspect of an online discussion at a single destination, to reach readers and build safe online communities regardless of location or time zone. BookTokker Caitsbooks hosts her Bookington Book Club on Fable as well, opening with the fantasy epic Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim.Feel free to start your own fantasy club with any of the above books, or join a free public book club, like the Shadow and Bone Book Club, moderated by the hosts of the Grishacast podcast.Discover more Fantasy novels on our Fantasy genre page.
Cameron Capello