Kate Elliott

Book 1 in the Witch Roads duology, the latest epic novel by fan favorite Kate Elliott. Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned. When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen--once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall--is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination. When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn't heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn't the same man who entered. The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

Surprising betrayals, surprising alliances, and surprising discoveries of heritage abound in this energetic sequel to The Witch Roads. When the royal party finds themselves in a land they never believed they could access, it will take all of Prince Gevulin's (admittedly impressive) diplomatic skills to forge a coalition with an unlikely group of would-be allies. Meanwhile, as Erin mourns her lost love, an unwelcome visit to the land of her birth brings back the traumatic memories of the childhood she shared with her sister. And a surprise visit from an unwelcome family member threatens to derail the plans of multiple opposing factions. Loyalty cannot be demanded, only won

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen - once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall - is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination. When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered. The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide? The Witch Roads is the latest epic novel by fan favourite, Kate Elliott.

Non-stop action, space battles and intrigue abound in the third in a galactic-scale, gender-swapped space opera trilogy inspired by the life of Alexander The Great.

​Enter the Post-Roman Afro-Celtic icepunk regency fantasy world of the Spiritwalker Trilogy (Cold Magic, Cold Fire, Cold Steel)-starring Phoenician spies, well-dressed men, revolutionary women, and lawyer dinosaurs-with eleven vivid stories gathered in one place by RT Reviewers' Choice winner and Nebula, World Fantasy, Norton, and Locus Awards finalist Kate Elliott.When the emperor of Rome needs a rare book stolen from a well-guarded woman, he hires a rogue with his own dangerous secrets . . . An elderly man retires at last, seeking peace to write his final masterwork on architecture . . . until that peace is disturbed by an outbreak of magic.Everyone knows the story of Dido and Aeneas. But only Beatrice knows the correct version.A shapeshifting sabertooth cat falls into the arms of two beautiful palace attendants . . . all too eager to pet him.A powerful mage and his wife travel into enemy territory on an urgent mission . . . Surely the expedition will go exactly as planned. . . right?These standalone stories and six others are accompanied by wonderful illustrations from fourteen featured artists. Eleven short essays that delve into the whys and wherefores of the setting and characters round out the volume.

2024 LOCUS AWARD FINALIST, BEST SF NOVELThe second book in The Sun Chronicles trilogy, a galactic-scale, gender-swapped space opera series inspired by the life of Alexander the Great. Shrewd, brutal, relentless and patient, Queen-Marshal Eirene has led the Republic of Chaonia from the brink of annihilation to the edge of victory. One by one, her enemies have fallen in defeat, and now she is ready to push her battle-hardened fleets into territories long controlled by the mighty Phene Empire. But her victories are not without cost. The Republic has endured decades of conflict, with factions simmering beneath the surface, waiting for their chance to boil. The Phene know this. While they might not be able to defeat the Queen-Marshal in open battle, there are other ways to strike back. And on the eve of Eirene’s attack on the rich and populous Karnos System, they will. In the aftermath, Eirene’s daughter, Princess Sun, will face her greatest challenge yet. Can she escape her mother’s shadow and forge her own legend, despite all that’s arrayed against her?Reviews for the Sun Chronicles: 'Epic starship battles, court intrigue and Machiavellian betrayals' Guardian 'Enthralling, edge-of-your-seat stuff hurtling along at warp speed' Kirkus 'Not only is this action-packed with fascinating women characters, there is very inventive world-building and twisty turny political scheming' Book Riot 'Non-stop action! Space battles! Intrigue! This is the kind of space opera that I love best – but Elliott does it even better' Ann Leckie 'Breathtaking and mindblowingly good' Aliette de Bodard

Furious Heaven is Kate Elliott's highly anticipated sequel to the thrilling space adventure Unconquerable Sun The Republic of Chaonia fleets, under the joint command of Princess Sun and her formidable mother, Queen-Marshal Eirene, have defeated and driven out an invading fleet of the Phene Empire, though not without heavy losses. But the Empire remains undeterred. While Chaonia scrambles to rebuild its military, the Empire's rulers are determined to squash Chaonia once and for all. They believe their military might is strong enough to defeat the enemy, but they also secure a secret alliance with a deadly religious sect skilled in the use of assassination and covert ops, to destabilize the republic. On the eve of Eirene's bold attack on the rich and populous Karnos System, an unexpected tragedy strikes the republic. Sun must take charge or lose the throne. Will Sun be content with the pragmatic path laid out by her mother for Chaonia's future? Or will she choose to forge her own legend? Can she succeed despite all the forces arrayed against her? Also by Kate ElliottThe Sun ChroniclesUnconquerable SunFurious Heaven Young Adult Novels by Kate Elliott Court of FivesCourt of FivesPoisoned BladeBuried Heart

Furious Heaven is the action-packed sequel to bestselling author Kate Elliott's thrilling space adventure The Unconquerable Sun, a genderspun Alexander the Great The Republic of Chaonia fleets, under the joint command of Princess Sun and her formidable mother, Queen-Marshal Eirene, have defeated and driven out an invading fleet of the Phene Empire, though not without heavy losses. But the Empire remains undeterred. While Chaonia scrambles to rebuild its military, the Empire's rulers are determined to squash Chaonia once and for all. They believe their military might is strong enough to defeat the enemy, but they also secure a secret alliance with a deadly religious sect skilled in the use of assassination and covert ops, to destabilize the republic. On the eve of Eirene's bold attack on the rich and populous Karnos System, an unexpected tragedy strikes the republic. Sun must take charge or lose the throne. Will Sun be content with the pragmatic path laid out by her mother for Chaonia's future? Or will she choose to forge her own legend? Can she succeed despite all the forces arrayed against her?

It’s been a year since Esther set foot in the Beyond, the alien landscape stretching between worlds, crossing boundaries of space and time. She and her magical traveling party - her Hex - haven’t spoken since the Concilium banned them from the Beyond for a decade. But when she wakes in the middle of the night to her grown son’s cry for help, the members of her Hex are the only ones she can trust to help her bring him back from wherever he has been taken. Esther will have to risk everything to find him. Undercover and hidden from the Concilium, she and her Hex will be tested by false dragon lords, a darkness so dense it can suffocate, and the bones of an old crime come back to haunt her. There are terrors that dwell in the space between worlds.

"An absolute gem of a story... I loved it." --S. A. Chakraborty In Kate Elliott's Servant Mage, a lowly fire mage finds herself entangled in an empire-spanning conspiracy on her way to discovering her true power. They choose their laws to secure their power. Fellian is a Lamplighter, able to provide illumination through magic. A group of rebel Monarchists free her from indentured servitude and take her on a journey to rescue trapped compatriots from an underground complex of mines. Along the way they get caught up in a conspiracy to kill the latest royal child and wipe out the Monarchist movement for good. But Fellian has more than just her Lamplighting skills up her sleeve...

"Non-stop action Space battles Intrigue This is the kind of space opera that I love best--but Elliott does it even better."--New York Times bestselling author Ann Leckie New York Times bestselling author Kate Elliott brings us a thrilling new science fiction adventure set in a rich universe full of political intrigue with Unconquerable Sun. Bookpage's Best Books of the YearAutostraddle's Best Queer Books of 2020 GENDER-SPUN ALEXANDER THE GREAT ON AN INTERSTELLAR SCALE Princess Sun has finally come of age. Growing up in the shadow of her mother, Eirene, has been no easy task. The legendary queen-marshal did what everyone thought impossible: expel the invaders and build Chaonia into a magnificent republic, one to be respected--and feared. But the cutthroat ambassador corps and conniving noble houses have never ceased to scheme--and they have plans that need Sun to be removed as heir, or better yet, dead. To survive, the princess must rely on her wits and companions: her biggest rival, her secret lover, and a dangerous prisoner of war. Take the brilliance and cunning courage of Princess Leia--add in a dazzling futuristic setting where pop culture and propaganda are one and the same--and hold on tight: This is the space opera you've been waiting for.

'An entertaining shoot-'em-up, replete with epic starship battles, court intrigue and Machiavellian betrayals' Guardian It has been eight centuries since the beacon system failed, sundering the heavens. Rising from the ashes of the collapse, cultures have fought, system-by-system, for control of the few remaining beacons. The Republic of Chaonia is one such polity. Surrounded by the Yele League and the vast Phene Empire, they have had to fight for their existence. After decades of conflict, Queen-Marshal Eirene has brought the Yele to heel. Now it is time to deal with the Empire. Princess Sun, daughter and heir, has come of age.In her first command, she drove a Phene garrison from the beacons of Na Iri – an impressive feat. But growing up in the shadow of her mother – a ruler both revered and feared – has been no easy task. While Sun may imagine that her victorious command will bring further opportunity to prove herself, it will in fact place her on the wrong side of court politics. There are those who would like to see Sun removed as heir, or better yet, dead. To survive, the princess must rely on her wits and companions: her biggest rival, her secret lover, and a dangerous prisoner of war.

Representations of first contact - the first meetings of European explorers and Native Americans - have always had a central place in our nation's historical and visual record. They have also had a key role in shaping and interpreting that record. In Framing First Contact author Kate Elliott looks at paintings by artists from George Catlin to Charles M. Russell and explores what first contact images tell us about the process of constructing national myths - and how those myths acquired different meanings at different points in our nation's history. First contact images, with their focus on beginnings rather than conclusive action or determined outcomes, might depict historical events in a variety of ways. Elliott argues that nineteenth century artists, responding to the ambiguity and indeterminacy of the subject, used the visualized space between cultures meeting for the first time to address critical contemporary questions and anxieties. Taking works from the 1840s through the 1910s as case studies - paintings by Robert W. Weir, Thomas Moran, and Albert Bierstadt, along with Catlin and Russell - Elliott shows how many first contact representations, especially those commissioned and conceived as official history, speak blatantly of conquest, racial superiority, and imperialism. And yet, others communicate more nuanced messages that might surprise contemporary viewers. Elliott suggests it was the very openness of the subject of first contact that allowed artists, consciously or not, to speak of contemporary issues beyond imperialism and conquest. Uncovering those issues, Framing First Contact forces us to think about why we tell the stories we do, and why those stories matter.

Set in an alternate Europe where bloody conflicts rage, the third book of the Crown of Stars epic fantasy series continues the world-shaking conflict for the survival of humanity It is a crucial time in the war-torn kingdoms of Wendar and Varre, a moment when even one wrong decision can tilt the balance of events into total disaster. For Sanglant--King Henry's son--and Liath--the woman he loves--the offer of both a haven from their enemies and the chance for Liath to study the ancient lore with those who claim her as their own, seems like the answer they have been seeking. But no place can truly be safe for them. Both their lives and their love will be at risk when they are forced to choose which pathway each will follow--lured by the equally strong demands of politics, forbidden knowledge, and family. Liath, born with a dangerous power beyond her control, is torn between her longing for Sanglant and the child they are about to have and the call of sorcery, which can open the way into the land of the Aoi, the Lost Ones. And even as Liath struggles with magic's seductive spell, Sanglant's Aoi mother returns to the mortal world, seeking the son she abandoned as a babe. As the fates of kingdoms shift with the changing fortunes of those caught up in the dangers of both civil war and continuing attacks by the nonhuman Eika and the Quman invaders, time is running out for Liath, Sanglant, King Henry, and the people of Wendar and Varre. For the time of cataclysm is fast approaching--and no one can foretell who will survive--or rule--when it is over....

Set in an alternate Europe where bloody conflicts rage, the first book of the Crown of Stars epic fantasy series chronicles a world-shaking conflict for the survival of humanity It begins with civil war.... For though King Henry still holds the crown of Wendar, his reign has long been contested by his sister Sabella. There are many eager to flock to her banner, and there are ways to make even the most unwilling lord into a weapon pointed at the heart of Henry's realm. Torn by internal strife, Wendar also faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long-vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight. And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the middle of the conflict. Liath, who has spent her early years fleeing from unknown enemies, is a young woman with the power to change the course of history if she can only learn to master her fear and seize what is rightfully hers. While Alain, a young man who may find his future in a vision granted by the Lady of Battles, must first unravel the mystery of who he is--whether the bastard son of a noble father, the half-breed child of an elfin lord, the unwanted get of a whore, or the heir to a proud and ancient lineage. For only when he discovers the truth can he accept the destiny for which he was born. Liath and Alain, each trapped in a personal struggle for survival, both helplessly being drawn into a far greater battle, a war in which sorcery not swords will determine the final outcome, and the land itself may be irrevocably reshaped by the forces unleashed....

Set in an alternate Europe where bloody conflicts rage, the second book of the Crown of Stars epic fantasy series chronicles a world-shaking conflict for the survival of humanity Sanglant--the Prince of Dogs, King Henry's bastard son; though believed dead by all who could succor him, he is being held captive in the city of Gent by Bloodheart, the Eika warlord. Cursed by his mother's blood with an inability to die, he struggles to maintain the last shreds of his sanity in the hope rescue may yet come.... Liath--now a King's Eagle, and still grieving over Sanglant, she strives to unlock the secrets of the past while seeking to evade the traps set for her by an obsessively ambitious man. But even a post in King Henry's court offers her little protection from those determined to claim the forbidden knowledge she has hidden.... Alain--raised in humble surroundings but now proclaimed a Count's heir, he is increasingly troubled by visions of the enemy he befriended and the Lady of Battles who he's sworn to serve. A man who desires nothing more than peace, he is about to be thrust into the heart of war with the Eika.... Fifth Son--least favored child of Bloodheart, he has returned to the lands of his own people to build an army to do his father's bidding. If he survives this mission, he will become a force to be reckoned with.... And even as King Henry continues his progress through his troubled realm, defeating rebellious lords and gathering their promises of troops to use at Gent, Sanglant, Liath, Alain, and Fifth Son are fighting their own battles against almost overwhelming odds. Only time will tell who will prove triumphant as all are caught up in the dangers and turmoil of a world at war.