The first part of Elliott’s newest fantasy series that hits the power chords of her themes.
Her story, the story of Kem, and of the prince are the heart of The Witch Roads, the newest fantasy novel from Kate Elliott.
The Witch Roads is a novel that I could spend an entire goodly sized review discussing just the plot and setup of the world that Elliott builds here. I am not going to focus so much on the plot on this one and after explaining the world, instead explore the book from a broader, thematic angle If you’ve read Elliott’s previous work, just about any of her previous work, you know that she likes complicated, intricate plots that a reader can sink into. Complicated characters. Intricate worldbuilding. But as much as I could tell you about the characters and plots, I want to tackle this a little differently.
So let me tell you about this world. Elliott has put us in the outer ring of an empire that has seen rises and falls, a stratified realm with strong class and social divisions and expectations of duty. We’re not quite at the borders of the Empire at our starting place of Orledder Halt, but we’re well removed from the center of power (that comes in the form of the prince and his entourage). This is a world that is rightly afraid and is fighting a battle against an incursion of something magical, dreadful and dangerous. It takes two forms--the Pall, which are whole areas covered by a dangerous fog, and the Spore, a magical corrupting power that can corrupt and control plants, animals... and people. The Spore is mostly found in the Pall, but can and does irrupt randomly in places and those irruptions must be dealt with quickly, or else whole communities are at risk from the Spore.
The titular Witch Roads are roads that the empire has built that resist the power of the Pall and the Spore alike. These are what allows the empire to still be an empire, although going off road is dangerous and that’s where people like Elen as deputy courier come in, as well as higher ranked people such as Wardens and Surveyors. This is thus an Empire trying its best to hold together and hold on against an implacable threat, as well as incursions from the aivar, who are non humans who are a threat at the Empire’s borders.
There is a richness to the world and its features that readers of previous Elliott novels will love. There are Griffin riders (a distant call to the Eagle Riders of the Crossroads universe). Strange ancient ruins. Cuisine, drink and food. The layout of officials residences. Heart Temples. Elliott packs a lot of story into her worldbuilding, it’s not only immersive, but it tells a lot about the story she is trying to tell. And there are funny and delightful bits in the worldbuilding too. When you read this book, read carefully how Halts are described in terms of name, setting and location. When you get it... you will get it. I was most amused.
But even more important than this world are the themes that Elliott hits. These are her power chords, you have seen these in other works of hers, but here she is...unleashed in a way few of her other books have really tried to grab. This is a platonic ideal of Elliott laying out themes she cares about on the table, all the while wrapping it up in that aforementioned worldbuilding, complicated characters and intricate plotting. When I think about this world, I think about the worldbuilding, sure but I think, more than in previous Kate Elliott’s books, about the themes she explores here.
Elliott’s first theme is bodily autonomy and choice. She tackles this in all of her main characters and many of the minor ones at all. Elen and Kem’s origins, which are slowly revealed throughout the book (until a Octavia Butler Wild Seed-like part at the end where all is revealed) are shown as a narrative of Elen, Kem and her late partner Ao’s desire to be able to control their destiny and fate and autonomy. Multiple times, it is revealed, they have been on the run in a search for that, fighting against worlds, places, people, who would take it away from them. Elen’s time in Orledder Halt where we meet here has been the longest time of peace for her...a peace disrupted by the arrival of the prince.
Kem fits into this because, and it is a spoiler, we learn that Kem has been seeking choices of their own, and in fact, although born female in body, has chosen to be a man. This choice, although a right, is challenged, and Kem’s seeking of his own path and autonomy is right from the first pages, when Elen is taking him on his rounds, seeking to offer him the path she had as a Courier. What Kem actually wants for himself finally becomes clear, and it is a constant struggle for the young man to find and hold his place and find his own autonomy of body and place in a society that is very much stratified and resists that. Elen’s concerns for Kem and her wardship (you could call it motherhood) and her hopes and fears for Kem run smack into Kem’s own desires and needs and it is a great source of conflict, drama and story.
And then there is the prince. The prince comes from privilege, power and people acceding to his power...except when it seems that others are scheming against him, in quite deadly fashion. But when he encounters a Haunt, and is possessed by the Haunt, we are once again set on questions of autonomy and power. The Haunt claims that he can’t possess someone unwillingly, but his possession of the prince seems like a borderline rule-skirting case at *best*. While the OG prince is an unsympathetic character at best, and the Haunt-prince very much more appealing (there are even sparks between Elen and him), we are always reminded of the autonomy problem--did the prince, who is, according to the Haunt, sleeping while the Haunt possesses him for his own ends, really a consenting party to this arrangement?
And then there are of course questions of loyalty, duty, sacrifice and honor that I’ve noticed in Elliott’s work at least since the Crown of Stars series. With Elen, the Haunted prince and everyone else on the road, the plotting and worldbuilding collide with that duty as the Haunted prince seeks his own end, the Prince’s retinue must be kept from knowing what happened, and Elen and Kem caught in the middle of it all. Intrigues and betrayals and tangled loyalties rise up in the minor characters, as Elliott expertly gives them their own arcs, minor spotlights, and story backgrounds. Like many of her works, the minor characters of Elliott’s work get more character building than some (to remain nameless) authors' primary characters.
There are also minor themes here and there, especially regarding the nature of history and what is recorded, and even a touch of exploring the consequences of colonialism and xenophobia as well.
I have enjoyed the shorter works that Elliott has offered lately (The Keeper’s Six, Servant Mage) and hope for more in those worlds, especially The Keeper’s Six (longtime readers know that I am all about multiverses, thank you very much). The Witch Roads is Elliott in full on fat fantasy (although this is not as long as some of her other fantasy and SF novels) mode. It's the first in a duology, and the ending is a stopping point, not an offramp point. But my nature as a Elliott stan is well known, and so I know what I am signing up for. And there is such richness in this story, that I can commend the book to you even if the story is not yet complete.
One thing, and its not Elliott’s fault, is that the Amazon page for the book gives away what turns out to be a tremendous spoiler that I am glad I did not read before reading the arc of this book. Caveat lector.
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Highlights:
- Big fat Kate Elliott fantasy in the Kate Elliott style.
- Strong and immersive Worldbuilding
- Power chords of classic Elliott themes, unvarnished and in full force
- Beautiful and evocative cover.
Reference: Elliott, Kate, The Witch Roads, [Tor Books, 2025]
POSTED BY: Paul Weimer. Ubiquitous in Shadow, but I’m just this guy, you know? @princejvstin.
