Kate Elliott is a contemporary mistress of fantasy, her Crown of Stars saga is a basic of the style in addition to newer collection corresponding to The Spiritwalker Trilogy and The Crossroads Trilogy. In truth, I believe Black Wolves is likely one of the greatest fantasy novels of the final decade or so. However on to The Witch Roads, the primary in a two-book set aptly named The Witch Roads. A courier – Elen – traverses the roads of Tranquil Empire bringing information to villages whereas additionally being a defensive agent in opposition to the Spore. Tons of of years in the past the devastating Pall first struck, which brings the lethal Spore in its creepy clouds. is tasked with bringing a prince throughout a harmful magical panorama. Elen can be the guardian to Kem, her younger trans nephew whose mom (Elen’s sister) handed away earlier than the beginning of the novel. They’ve been touring for some time, however once they return to Orledder Halt, she’s “employed” by a younger, boastful prince to information her via a really harmful panorama. Shockingly, issues ensue.
When an boastful prince (and his equally boastful entourage) will get caught in Orledder Halt as a part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen―as soon as a toddler slave meant to protect noblemen from the toxic Pall―is assigned to information him via the hills to achieve his vacation spot.
When she warns him to not enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her recommendation, and the person who emerges from the towers isn’t the identical man who entered.
The journey that follows is fraught with hazard. Can a gaggle taught to disregard and despise the decrease courses survive with a mere deputy courier as their information?
Early on within the novel, Elliott does a fantastic job of building the connection between Elen and Kem as they make their means via an historical stronghold. Her descriptions right here pulled me into the world. There’s a powerful bond of affection and belief. Once they accept the night time at a Spire, they encounter a hang-out, a spirit creature that’s fairly unsettling and are recognized to have the ability to take over the our bodies of individuals. Initially, Kem comes throughout as “male” coded, however this can be a selection Kem made once they had been youthful. They’re trans and Elliott’s dealing with of this case comes throughout (to me, a cis-gender male) as real and dealt with fairly effectively.
The prince and his retinue show a demanding aspect in an already demanding world. Due to Elen’s stature among the many individuals (she and her sister had been largely seemed down upon as Lesser Individuals), she isn’t even permitted direct communication with the prince. Because the touring departs and finally approaches the Spire the place Elen and Kem encountered the hang-out, she cautions the princes (via his proxy) in opposition to coming into the Spire, he ignores her as a lot wealthy, snobbish, know-it-alls are inclined to do when “decrease” individuals advise them. He enters the Spire, however who emerges is completely different and solely Elen is ready to see the change, even when the “Prince” acts somewhat in a different way together with starting to talk on to Elen.
As Elen and the “Prince’s” social gathering progress throughout the panorama, Elliott brings to mild extra about Elen and Kem. Unsurprisingly, their previous comes again to them fairly potently resulting in a rift between Elen and Kem. Elen additionally begins to develop some robust relationships with the Prince’s retinue as effectively.
Kate Elliott’s biggest power, within the novels I’ve learn from her, is her capability to steadiness unimaginable world-building with well-drawn, reasonable characters. As a lot as I like Crown of Stars for that superpower, I might posit that power is much more highly effective right here in The Witch Roads. These first few chapters set up these components extraordinarily effectively, I felt a right away connection and empathy to Elen and Kem. As Elliott reveals extra of their previous, that empathy solely will increase. The way in which she introduces them traversing the ruins permits for the world to exude a lived-in, deep historic really feel. Once more, that really feel to the world solely will get stronger the narrative progresses and moreover layers to the world are revealed and are available to the forefront.
Within the curiosity of offering a good/balanced evaluate, my solely slight situation is that the pacing felt barely uneven, some chunks of the narrative felt powerfully immersive (particularly among the deep character interactions) made it tough for me to tug my eyes away from the e-book. Another passages / narrative chunks weren’t fairly as magnetic. These passages had been minimal.
In her introduction, Kate Elliott says that is the novel that “reignited her love of writing.” Rattling does this novel show-off a love of writing. The Witch Roads is a superb fantasy novel, a lot of it evokes what readers of fantasy for the previous few many years have beloved, whereas injecting quite a lot of fashionable sensibilities into the novel dealt with with care and thoughtfulness.
I’d wish to name out the beautiful cowl artwork by Raja Nandepu as effectively. If readers have the slightest little bit of an inclination to learn fantasy, this evocative cowl screams READ ME! with its pictures and wonderful shade palete.
The Witch Roads is a good collection starter and a enjoyable, immersive, touching fantasy novel.
Extremely Really helpful.
© 2025 Rob H. Bedford
Writer: Tor | June 2025
Hardcover 434 pages
https://imakeupworlds.com/
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