Set in an alternate England where magic exists but is controlled by the upper classes, Witchmark is the story of Miles Singer, a doctor who has magical ability but is hiding it and himself to avoid being controlled by his upper class family. In this world, those with the witchmark are either enslaved to the magic-wielding upper classes who use their power to control not only their country, but the political workings of the world. Miles wants nothing to do with his family and their machinations, but as one of the witchmarked, his choices are to serve the family or be locked in a witches’ asylum. To avoid both, he enlists in military and serves in war, faking his death and returning under an alias as a doctor in a poor hospital. When one of his patients is poisoned, Miles’ witchmark is revealed and he is pulled into the investigation into the murder. As he delves into the murder, he finds himself needing his family and an attractive stranger to unravel the mystery.
This was an interesting book. Usually, I am not as fond of books where the characters are as distant as this one. Not that they aren’t well done; they are both complex and individual. But it seemed hard to get close to any of them. Maybe that was part of the charm? The world-building is very good. The post-war England set here is similar enough to post-WWI England that is feels familiar, but this is firmly a gaslamp alternate world. The style is quite good, with the prose drawing you into the story. It can get slow at times, but this isn’t a full-on action-adventure tale. It’s more internal and deals with individual struggles and problems, as well as societal and political intrigues. The magic system is unique and how it is used (and who is being used) is very different from most fantasy magic systems, and reflects some of the way terrible things are often explained by “for the good of everyone else.”
I found it a very good read, with some interesting ideas, along with a few minor quibbles. It gets a good 3 stars.
And So On... 