Welcome to the third episode of The Coode Street Roundtable. The Roundtable is a monthly podcast from Coode Street Productions where panelists James Bradley, Ian Mond, and Jonathan Strahan, joined by occasional special guests, discuss a new or recently released science fiction or fantasy novel.
Patricia A. McKillip’s KingfisherThis month Tiptree Award winning writer Nike Sulway and Coode Street co-host Gary K. Wolfe join Jonathan and Ian to discuss Kingfisher, the latest novel from World Fantasy Award and Mythopoeic Award winner Patricia A. McKillip. It’s a lyrical, funny, and sometimes challenging novel about family and destiny described by its publisher as follows:
In the new fantasy from the award-winning author of the Riddle-Master Trilogy, a young man comes of age amid family secrets and revelations, and transformative magic.
Hidden away from the world by his mother, the powerful sorceress Heloise Oliver, Pierce has grown up working in her restaurant in Desolation Point. One day, unexpectedly, strangers pass through town on the way to the legendary capital city. “Look for us,” they tell Pierce, “if you come to Severluna. You might find a place for yourself in King Arden’s court.”
Lured by a future far away from the bleak northern coast, Pierce makes his choice. Heloise, bereft and furious, tells her son the truth: about his father, a knight in King Arden’s court; about an older brother he never knew existed; about his father’s destructive love for King Arden’s queen, and Heloise’s decision to raise her younger son alone.
As Pierce journeys to Severluna, his path twists and turns through other lives and mysteries: an inn where ancient rites are celebrated, though no one will speak of them; a legendary local chef whose delicacies leave diners slowly withering from hunger; his mysterious wife, who steals Pierce’s heart; a young woman whose need to escape is even greater than Pierce’s; and finally, in Severluna, King Arden's youngest son, who is urged by strange and lovely forces to sacrifice his father’s kingdom.
Things are changing in that kingdom. Oldmagic is on the rise. The immensely powerful artifact of an ancient god has come to light, and the king is gathering his knights to quest for this profound mystery, which may restore the kingdom to its former glory—or destroy it...
If you're keen to avoid spoilers, we recommend reading the book before listening to the episode. If you don't already have a copy, Kingfisher can be ordered from:
We encourage all of our listeners to leave comments here and we will do our best to respond as soon as possible.
Next monthThe Coode Street Roundtable will return at the end of April with a discussion of Paul McAuley's Into Everywhere (his second Jackaroo novel).
Episode 325: World Fantasy Awards, Kate Wilhelm and more
Episode 324: Carmen Maria Machado
Episode 323: Awards season begins...Hugo time!
Episode 322: Theodora Goss, John Kessel and Monstrous Stories
REPOST: Episode 71: Live with Gary K. Wolfe and Ursula K. Le Guin!
Episode 321: Fairy tales, peaches, and so on...
Episode 320: Jane Yolen and a Life in Story
Episode 319: The Books of 2018
Episode 318: The End of the Year
Episode 317: Irene Gallo and the Art of Science Fiction
Episode 316: Nnedi Okorafor, Akata Warrior, Binti, and Beyond
Episode 315: Liz Bourke, Niall Harrison and Debut Novels of 2017
Episode 314: Annalee Newitz and Telling Stories About the Future
Episode 313: Jeffrey Ford and The Twilight Pariah
Episode 312: Fantasy 101, Helsinki and more
Episode 311: Walter Jon Williams, Kelly Robson and Helsinki!
Episode 310: The Years Best Books So Far, the XPrize and more
Episode 309: Epic fantasy, Campbell Awards and more
Episode 308: Paul Kincaid, Ken Macleod, and the works of Iain (M) Banks
Episode 307: Theodora Goss and the Alchemist's Daughter
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Voice of Mushfik
50 Tastes Of Gray
Dear Alice | Interior Design
Frankenstein
Black Beauty
The Magnus Archives
Fresh Air