The Kingston Cycle Explained

The Kingston Cycle
Author:C. L. Polk
Country:United States
Language:English
Genre:fantasy
Publisher:Tor Books
Pub Date:June 19, 2018
Number Of Books:3

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, rave reviews, and the 2019 World Fantasy Award—Novel.[1] 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.

Reception

Awards

YearAwardCategoryBookResultRef
2018Nebula AwardBest NovelWitchmark[2]
2018Lambda Literary AwardScience Fiction, Fantasy and HorrorWitchmark[3]
2018Goodreads Choice AwardsDebut AuthorWitchmark[4]
2019Locus AwardBest First NovelWitchmark[5]
2019World Fantasy AwardNovelWitchmark[6]
2019Prix Aurora AwardBest Novel (English)Witchmark[7]
2022Prix Aurora AwardBest Novel (English)SoulstarSoulstar[8]
2022Hugo AwardHugo Award for Best SeriesThe Kingston Cycle[9]

Accolades

!Year!Publication!Work!Category!Ref
2022Reader's DigestThe Kingston CycleTop 25 Best Fantasy Series Ever Written[10]
2020Time MagazineWitchmarkThe 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time[11]
2018Publishers WeeklyWitchmarkOne of the best books of 2018[12]
2018BuzzfeedWitchmark[13]
2018Chicago ReviewWitchmark
2018BookPageWitchmark

Adaptations

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.[14]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.worldfantasy.org/world-fantasy-awards%E2%84%A0-2019/ World Fantasy Awards 2019
  2. Web site: Witchmark . 2024-06-19 . Science Fiction Writers of America .
  3. Web site: Glyer . Mike . 2019-03-07 . 2019 Lambda Literary Awards Nominees . 2024-06-19 . File 770 . en-US.
  4. Web site: Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Debut Author! . 2024-06-19 . Goodreads.
  5. Web site: 2019-05-08 . 2019 Locus Award Finalists - Macmillan Library . 2024-06-19 . macmillanlibrary.com . en-US.
  6. Web site: World Fantasy Awards℠ 2019 World Fantasy Convention . 2024-06-19 . www.worldfantasy.org . en-US.
  7. Web site: Glyer . Mike . 2019-06-01 . 2019 Aurora Award Ballot . 2024-06-19 . File 770 . en-US.
  8. Web site: sfadb: Aurora Awards 2022 . 2024-06-19 . www.sfadb.com.
  9. Web site: 11 April 2022 . Canadians C.L. Polk & Fonda Lee nominated for 2022 Hugo Award for best series . 19 June 2024 . CBC.
  10. Web site: C.L. Polk Book List - FictionDB . 2024-06-19 . www.fictiondb.com.
  11. The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time . 2024-06-19 . Time . en.
  12. Web site: Best Books 2018 Publishers Weekly . 2024-06-19 . PublishersWeekly.com.
  13. Web site: 2020-10-26 . ONLINE: C.L. Polk, Amal El-Mohtar . 2024-06-19 . Isthmus Madison, Wisconsin . en-us.
  14. Web site: Liptak . Andrew . 2021-08-31 . A TV Adaptation of C.L. Polk's Kingston Cycle Is on the Way . 2024-06-19 . Reactor . en-US.