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The Trial of Katterfelto: A Novel
A Globe and Mail Best Book of 2025
“I will grant here at the outset that the Doctor was not who he seemed, but this shall turn out to be of little import in the tale to come. He is, as am I, but a charge in a wire. We were conductors for another force, vassals to a vessel. This vessel I cannot speak of for some pages however central it will become, but I gallop ahead of myself. . . . I believe it is important that you see how I came to meet the good Doctor, and for you to meet us for who we were. Perhaps you will marvel, as have I, at how chance encounters can be charged with the power to alter the course of one’s life, or even history.”
In the late-eighteenth century, the conjurer and amateur scientist Gustavus Katterfelto has made a name for himself travelling across the English countryside with a bag of tricks. For audiences, his astonishing stunts are pure magic. For Katterfelto, each one is carefully engineered and executed with the help of his colleague, confidante and amanuensis, and our narrator, Roger Gossage.
Yet one day in their travels, the two men come across a mystifying object beyond their a metal horn that emits a disembodied woman’s voice. She calls herself Siri of Toronto, and claims to speak from a place plagued by climate catastrophe and social unrest. As they begin to use the horn in their magic shows, Gossage and Katterfelto must work to understand the origin and intent of Siri’s call—a quest that will put them up against the limits of reason and test Roger’s allegiance to the man he calls his friend.
Endlessly inventive, richly imagined, and entirely its own, The Trial of Katterfelto is a consciousness-expanding novel that writes directly into the most urgent questions we face as a who we are, what we have done, and what we might do from here.
“I will grant here at the outset that the Doctor was not who he seemed, but this shall turn out to be of little import in the tale to come. He is, as am I, but a charge in a wire. We were conductors for another force, vassals to a vessel. This vessel I cannot speak of for some pages however central it will become, but I gallop ahead of myself. . . . I believe it is important that you see how I came to meet the good Doctor, and for you to meet us for who we were. Perhaps you will marvel, as have I, at how chance encounters can be charged with the power to alter the course of one’s life, or even history.”
In the late-eighteenth century, the conjurer and amateur scientist Gustavus Katterfelto has made a name for himself travelling across the English countryside with a bag of tricks. For audiences, his astonishing stunts are pure magic. For Katterfelto, each one is carefully engineered and executed with the help of his colleague, confidante and amanuensis, and our narrator, Roger Gossage.
Yet one day in their travels, the two men come across a mystifying object beyond their a metal horn that emits a disembodied woman’s voice. She calls herself Siri of Toronto, and claims to speak from a place plagued by climate catastrophe and social unrest. As they begin to use the horn in their magic shows, Gossage and Katterfelto must work to understand the origin and intent of Siri’s call—a quest that will put them up against the limits of reason and test Roger’s allegiance to the man he calls his friend.
Endlessly inventive, richly imagined, and entirely its own, The Trial of Katterfelto is a consciousness-expanding novel that writes directly into the most urgent questions we face as a who we are, what we have done, and what we might do from here.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2025
16 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Michael Redhill
33 books168 followersAka Inger Ash Wolfe.
Michael Redhill is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University and the University of Toronto. He was on the editorial board of Coach House Press from 1993 to 1996, and is currently the publisher and editor of the Canadian literary magazine Brick.
His play, Building Jerusalem, depicts a meeting between Karl Pearson, Augusta Stowe-Gullen, Adelaide Hoodless, and Silas Tertius Rand on New Year's Eve night just prior to the 20th century.
Michael Redhill is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University and the University of Toronto. He was on the editorial board of Coach House Press from 1993 to 1996, and is currently the publisher and editor of the Canadian literary magazine Brick.
His play, Building Jerusalem, depicts a meeting between Karl Pearson, Augusta Stowe-Gullen, Adelaide Hoodless, and Silas Tertius Rand on New Year's Eve night just prior to the 20th century.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 5, 2025
This book is quite the journey! It felt like historical fiction meets fantasy meets biography. I found it entertaining throughout, and was captivated the message that evolves. Absolutely in awe of the creativity that it took to bring the story to such life.
November 11, 2025
Really well-written, though also in the category of ‘sort of a slog until it all comes together and then it is amazing.’
Detailed historical narrative + inventive surreal speculation. At the same time.
Detailed historical narrative + inventive surreal speculation. At the same time.
October 12, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
It was a book that I looked forward to, as the title and description had me hooked right from the beginning.
It is described as a conscience-expanding book. I would agree with that in totality.
This book considered what we know, what we believe and we think we will know in the future. It is well written, easy to follow and interesting.
I loved the way that the book was a commentary of the world we live in now.
I thought the writing was solid, and the book was really unique.
It was a book that I looked forward to, as the title and description had me hooked right from the beginning.
It is described as a conscience-expanding book. I would agree with that in totality.
This book considered what we know, what we believe and we think we will know in the future. It is well written, easy to follow and interesting.
I loved the way that the book was a commentary of the world we live in now.
I thought the writing was solid, and the book was really unique.
October 9, 2025
This is speculative fiction, which I enjoy. The plot and characters pull you into the story, and if you can accept that there has been a break in the space-time continuum (a stretch for me, but I did go there) this is a compelling book. A feeling of mystery and wonder comes through. The past era the novel is set in comes alive as does the near and very frightening future. I hope the future depicted is not 'the' future. This novel is full of ideas and yet very human. Lengthy, worth reading.
October 27, 2025
A cross-genre work with a a rather serious theme. Serious or not, both the characters and the tone of the work are delightful.
November 2, 2025
DNF, which is rare for me. I found it difficult to remain in the story, and even once I'd put in the time to get to the time bending portion, found it lacking to sufficiently keep my interest.
November 17, 2025
Enjoyable read
Want to read
December 10, 2025could not finish this one. I usually will persevere with a book, but just couldn't.
December 23, 2025
Loved it.
December 23, 2025
“They will think it a yarn in fashion of the cautionary tale. But cautionary of what? This is what I mean! We don’t know!”
An interesting tribute to Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
An interesting tribute to Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
January 10, 2026
Interesting world. Well written and good pacing. Well developed characters.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews