Exile's Return

The Books of Elita #1

by Kate Jacoby

The first book in Kate Jacoby's epic fantasy series, the Books of Elita.

Robert Douglas, Earl of Dunlorn, returns to Lusara after three years of self-imposed exile, to find his country trapped in the tyranny of the Guilde. While the people cry out for a saviour, events are unfolding that will determine the fate not just of Lusara, but of the whole world.

Now Robert, possessed of powers of sorcery greater than any before him, must struggle against his conscience, for though he has sworn never to oppose the usurper King, he can no longer watch his homeland being destroyed.

Genres: Fantasy

419 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Australian born Kate Jacoby has travelled all over the world. She wrote EXILE'S RETURN, the First Book of Elita, while backpacking through the Middle East.

Reviews

[Beth N · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are the books you pick up because they come highly recommended. Then there are the books you find second-hand that you pick up because... I guess you just did? Both come with mixed success but it's always the chance purchases that impress more when they're good.

Exile's Return is a pleasantly slow fantasy. Though there is occasional action and drama, much of the book felt like set-up for the rest of the series. The plot of this first installment barely touched on the Guilde and its contentious relationship with the church, the identity of the Malachi and their enmity with the Enclave, or the history of the Troubles and Selar's conquest of Lusara. Secrets are kept very close to the chest. There are a lot of hints but few revelations. While this might frustrate fans of a faster pace, I enjoyed the feeling that there will be a lot more to uncover in later books.

Jacoby's world-building is competent and evocative: imagine fourteenth-century Scotland I had a lot of fun reading most of the characters with Scottish accents post Norman Conquest, with an overlay of classic fantasy soft magic. We are introduced to a cast of characters well grounded in their various contexts and though some could do with a little more detail to help readers tell them apart ( Is it just me who pictures Wilf and Henry as physically identical, or who keeps forgetting which member of the church hierarchy is which?), our main characters are shaped with care and a good eye for future intrigue. Robert and Jenn are neat foils for each other and Finnlay adds a good third temperament to drive the story forward.

I will note that there were some aspects of the book that could have been better executed. Exposition was sometimes a little too overt, motives are often muddy, and readers who like to see direction in their fantasy will be disappointed that even by the end of the book there is only the vaguest idea of where this is all going. Most frustratingly it felt like several minor plot threads were left dangling. There is a general tendency in this book to drop hints and run, without ever giving answers. I can only hope that this is a delaying tactic for some big reveals later in the series.

Ultimately, though, I enjoyed the slower pace and the setting and yes, the accents helped. I am left with a lot of questions but they are questions to which I will happily read on to find the answers. I can see why Kate Jacoby's name has never made it into fantasy stardom, but it does belong to that category of quietly competent authors that one can find pleasure in reading.

[Sandra Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written, detailed, gripping story with well-rounded characters that succeeds in binding together all its various elements and intrigues. The only thing I didn't like is that the whole book is really only a setup for further books and that nothing much happens.

This was my review of the book in 2002 and in the end it obviously didn't grip me enough as I've never read the rest of the series.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy start to a great series, very quickly absorbed into the world

[Seantheaussie]

1.5 star DNF in sample