Kingfisher
core novel 2016 Kingfisher
Record
| First published | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.74 (1,503 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 346 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780425271766 |
Synopsis
Kingfisher, published by Patricia A. McKillip in 2016, reworks Arthurian legend and the myth of the Fisher King into a setting where ancient gods and enchanted knights coexist with cars, restaurants, and cell phones. Pierce Oliver has spent his life helping run his mother's restaurant on the coast, sheltered from a wider magical world he barely understands, until a chance encounter with three traveling knights unsettles his ordinary existence. Their arrival sets Pierce on the road to Severluna, the distant royal city his mother has always avoided discussing, in search of a father he has never known and a heritage she has kept hidden from him. As Pierce travels toward Severluna, the quests, rivalries, and old magic of a modernized Arthurian court begin to draw him into a world his mother spent his whole life trying to keep him away from.
Where it sits
- Universe: Kingfisher
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Patricia A. McKillip
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Adult Literature), 2017: won
- Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 2017: finalist; 12th place in the Locus poll; registered as finalist per the no-cutoff Locus-poll convention.
Notes
- Standalone modern-day Arthurian grail-quest novel; McKillip's final published novel. No connection to any other McKillip work.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kingfisher (McKillip novel)
- Mythopoeic Society, Awards Winners
- sfadb: Patricia A. McKillip
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