Witchmark

March 15, 2018

Taking advantage of wartime chaos, Dr. Miles Singer changed his name and hid from his family to avoid being bound to his sister Grace as a source of magical power. Miles's freedom is in peril; however, when a dying man comes to him for help, how can he refuse to act if others are also in danger and the fate of the realm is at stake? Perhaps an unexpected ally can help. Except that Tristan Hunter is both distractingly attractive and a member of an alien race of magical beings. As if Miles needed more complications in his life! First novelist Polk has created a supernatural realm of magic and privilege set in an alternative Edwardian world in the aftermath of a World War I-like conflict. VERDICT Readers will root for a complex and likable protagonist who struggles against societal pressure to put his family's interest above his own. For fans of V.E. Schwab, Melissa McShane, or Tarun Shanker.--Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2018
The magnetically handsome Tristan brings a dying man to Dr. Miles Singer's doorstep, aware of Miles' secret identity as a witch, though he is well hidden in an unfashionable hospital after returning from the just-concluded war in Laneer. Miles quickly becomes entangled in the hunt for the man's killer, while dealing with an attraction to the mysterious Tristan and a deepening malaise among fellow soldiers returning from war. Then Miles' powerful family threatens to shackle him to his sister to be used as a sort of magical battery, to enhance her storm singing and protect Aeland from the ravages of bad weather. Many disparate elements are expertly woven together to make this debut a crackler, with layers like a nesting doll and just as delightful to discover. There's a will-he-or-won't-he heat to the romance, a Philip Pullmanesque setting full of mages, wizards, and political intrigue, all wrapped up in the feeling of a historical mystery that fans of Maisie Dobbs and other WWI-era novels will dive into. Polk has created an amazing new world with hints of Edwardian glamour, sizzling secrets, and forbidden love that crescendos to a cinematic finish. Witchmark is a can't-miss debut that will enchant readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)