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The Kingston Cycle

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The Kingston Cycle
AuthorC. L. Polk
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genrefantasy
PublisherTor Books
PublishedJune 19, 2018
No. of books3

The Kingston Cycle is a series of gaslamp fantasy novels by Canadian author C. L. Polk. The series includes three books, and takes place in a fantasy realm based on Edwardian England, in the context of a cruel war reminiscent of World War I. The first book in the series, Witchmark, received numerous accolades and rave reviews, and won a Nebula Award for Best Novel. The series as a whole was positively received and was a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Series.

Each of the novels in the series includes a self-contained romantic plot involving different LGBT couples who must solve a murder mystery, while a larger story arc spans all three novels in the series, which is a feminist, political, revolutionary fantasy tale about the uprising of the underclass and the importance of community and collective political resistance.

Series books[edit]

No.TitlePublication dateCountsISBN
1WitchmarkJune 19, 2018320 pages[1]9781250162687
Miles Singer returned from the war between his native Aeland and the kingdom of Laneer a different man – literally. He has adopted a false identity to work as a doctor in a veteran's hospital and hide from his family, who would either force him to serve their political interests or commit him to a witch asylum. Miles' powers as a healer are exposed, however, when a he investigates a suspicious death of a patient, leading him to discover unimaginable atrocities committed by his country. He's in danger of being pulled back into his family's orbit, or else needing to trust in and rely on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he's ever met.
2StormsongFebruary 11, 2020352 pages[2]9780765398994
Having helped her brother Miles end the horrific practice of draining the strength of witches to power the realm, Dame Grace Hensley now finds herself entangled in the intrigues of a nation in both internal and external crisis. There's no easy replacement for the witches' power, the war is still raging with no end in sight, and court politics are potentially deadly. To make matters worse, the fae-like and powerful Amarithenes have arrived to hold the human realms accountable for their actions. And with the prospect of revolution in the air, Grace must also contend with the tenacious reporter, Avia Jessup, who is capturing her heart but whose interests sometimes conflict with her own.
3SoulstarFebruary 16, 2021304 pages[3]9781250203571
Like many others with powers, Robin Thorpe has lived secretively, hiding her abilities from all but her clan in working-class Riverside. As the witches continue to be freed from enslavement, Robin is reunited with her long-absent spouse, Zelind. Together, they team up with Miles and Grace to end the regime's ravages upon the kingdom. Robin finds herself leading a revolution that will change Aeland forever, ensuring it becomes more free and just. While challenging the sexist, classist, and oppressive realities of the current system in the name of the people, Robin and Zelind must also contend with reintegrating their divergent lives as a couple, an endeavor with challenges of its own.

Reception[edit]

Awards[edit]

Year Award Category Book Result Ref
2018 Nebula Award Best Novel Witchmark Won [4]
2018 Lambda Literary Award Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Witchmark Nominated [5]
2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Debut Author Witchmark Nominated [6]
2019 Locus Award Best First Novel Witchmark Nominated [7]
2019 World Fantasy Award Novel Witchmark Nominated [8]
2019 Prix Aurora Award Best Novel (English) Witchmark Nominated [9]
2022 Prix Aurora Award Best Novel (English) Soulstar Nominated [10]
2022 Hugo Award Hugo Award for Best Series The Kingston Cycle Nominated [11]

Accolades[edit]

Year Publication Work Category Ref
2022 Reader's Digest The Kingston Cycle Top 25 Best Fantasy Series Ever Written [12]
2020 Time Magazine Witchmark The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time [13]
2018 Publishers Weekly Witchmark One of the best books of 2018 [14]
2018 Buzzfeed Witchmark [15]
2018 Chicago Review Witchmark [15]
2018 BookPage Witchmark [15]

Adaptations[edit]

In August 2021 it was announced that the rights to The Kingston Cycle were acquired by 1212 Entertainment, and that the novels would be adapted into a television series by screenwriter Alyssa Clark.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Witchmark". Macmillan Publishing. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "Stormsong". Macmillan Publishing. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Soulstar". Macmillan Publishing. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "Witchmark". Science Fiction Writers of America. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  5. ^ Glyer, Mike (2019-03-07). "2019 Lambda Literary Awards Nominees". File 770. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  6. ^ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Debut Author!". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  7. ^ "2019 Locus Award Finalists - Macmillan Library". macmillanlibrary.com. 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  8. ^ "World Fantasy Awards℠ 2019 | World Fantasy Convention". www.worldfantasy.org. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  9. ^ Glyer, Mike (2019-06-01). "2019 Aurora Award Ballot". File 770. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  10. ^ "sfadb: Aurora Awards 2022". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  11. ^ "Canadians C.L. Polk & Fonda Lee nominated for 2022 Hugo Award for best series". CBC. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  12. ^ "C.L. Polk Book List - FictionDB". www.fictiondb.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  13. ^ "The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time". Time. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  14. ^ "Best Books 2018 Publishers Weekly". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  15. ^ a b c "ONLINE: C.L. Polk, Amal El-Mohtar". Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  16. ^ Liptak, Andrew (2021-08-31). "A TV Adaptation of C.L. Polk's Kingston Cycle Is on the Way". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
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