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The Very Best of Kate Elliott
Strong heroines and riveting storytelling are the hallmark of groundbreaking fantasy author Kate Elliott ("Crown of Stars," "Crossroads"). Elliott is a highly-compelling voice in genre fiction, an innovative author of historically-based narratives set in imaginary worlds. This first, retrospective collection of her short fiction is the essential guide to Elliott's shorter works. Here her bold adventuresses, complex quests, noble sacrifices, and hard-won victories shine in classic, compact legends.
In "The Memory of Peace," a girl's powerful emotions rouse the magic of a city devastated by war. Meeting in "The Queen's Garden," two princesses unite to protect their kingdom from the blind ambition of their corrupted father. While "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" a chieftain's daughter finds an unlikely ally on her path to self-determination.
Elliott's many readers, as well as fantasy fans in search of powerful stories featuring well-drawn female characters, will revel in this unique gathering of truly memorable tales.
In "The Memory of Peace," a girl's powerful emotions rouse the magic of a city devastated by war. Meeting in "The Queen's Garden," two princesses unite to protect their kingdom from the blind ambition of their corrupted father. While "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" a chieftain's daughter finds an unlikely ally on her path to self-determination.
Elliott's many readers, as well as fantasy fans in search of powerful stories featuring well-drawn female characters, will revel in this unique gathering of truly memorable tales.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2014
About the author
Kate Elliott
112 books2,947 followersAs a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 13, 2015
This is an intriguing collection of twelve fantasy short stories and four non-fiction essays written by Kate Elliott, a fine fantasy author. Many of these stories are adventures set in the worlds of some of Elliott's multi-volume fantasy series. Thes stories range in tone from a serious take on a young woman who lives in a brutal warrior culture but yearns for something more ("Riding the Shore of the River of Death"), to a humorous sexy romp (switch-hitting and threesomes, anyone?) ("To Be a Man"), to a poignant tale of a young girl who runs into unexpected trouble on a trip with the jet set ("Sunseekers"), to a rather odd story about a young girl trying to avoid the clutches of a rapacious duke who wants her to be his latest wife, told by a moralizing priest ("With God to Guard Her"). My favorite stories were "Sunseekers" and "The Queen's Garden," a gripping tale of court intrigue in a matriarchal country where a king begins to assert his powers in questionable ways, and at the expense of his daughters, the heirs to the throne.
Some of the stories would, I think, appeal most to readers who are already familiar with the fantasy worlds in which those tales are set. I thought that a fair number of the stories suffered from being a bit too "slice of life"--I felt like I was left hanging, with too much of the story left untold.
Most of the stories in this collection share an element of challenging normal gender roles for women. Readers who appreciate fiction that include characters who aren't satisfied with accepting the typical rules and their standard roles in society, or that have a setting where different rules apply, will especially enjoy this collection.
I thought I would be bored by the essays at the end of this collection and was planning to just plow through them for the sake of being able to say that I read the whole book, but they're short, only 5 or 6 pages each, and I found them quite thought-provoking. These also challenge our standard assumptions, not just about gender but also other types of prejudice.
3.5 stars.
Free ebook received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
Some of the stories would, I think, appeal most to readers who are already familiar with the fantasy worlds in which those tales are set. I thought that a fair number of the stories suffered from being a bit too "slice of life"--I felt like I was left hanging, with too much of the story left untold.
Most of the stories in this collection share an element of challenging normal gender roles for women. Readers who appreciate fiction that include characters who aren't satisfied with accepting the typical rules and their standard roles in society, or that have a setting where different rules apply, will especially enjoy this collection.
I thought I would be bored by the essays at the end of this collection and was planning to just plow through them for the sake of being able to say that I read the whole book, but they're short, only 5 or 6 pages each, and I found them quite thought-provoking. These also challenge our standard assumptions, not just about gender but also other types of prejudice.
3.5 stars.
Free ebook received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
February 6, 2015
Original review
Last year I went to Fantasy Con in England where Kate Elliott was a Guest of Honour. Actually, scrap that, I attended Fantasy Con because Kate Elliott was a GoH. Over the course of that weekend, I attended several of her panels as well as an incredible In Conversation With Kari Sperring event. In those, the author talked the many themes explored in her fiction; how much thought goes into creating the worlds in her novels especially how every single decision affects worldbuilding in a domino effect – everything has consequences, everything is choice. One of the most important themes in those panels and presentations was the depiction of women in her fiction, the importance of featuring a variety of portrayals, settings and arcs as a means to represent the varied, rich lives of women. I don’t write fiction but as a reader, editor and budding publisher, I was able to take away a lot of useful, thought-provoking information from simply being there.
Now, many months later, I could see how all of those were put in practice in her fiction when reading The Very Best of Kate Elliott. The collection is the first from an author who has published over 20 novels in the course of a successful career that spans almost 30 years and it assembles twelve short stories and four essays. All stories read well as standalone although a few of them are connected to her novels.
From horror to comedy and from science fiction to fantasy, from young protagonists to more mature ones, from girls in positions of power to women whose power and choice have been stripped from their hands, the stories presented here cover multiple genres and narrative voices.
The most delightful light story is the comedic “To Be A Man”, set in the Spiritwalker world in which a secondary character of that trilogy has a sexual encounter with a couple of ladies. The most harrowing, heart-wrenching one that basically destroyed my soul (then put it back together) is “The Gates of Joriun”, where a woman is serving a horrible, unfair sentence, trapped in a cage hung from outside the gates of a city that hates her and doesn’t even know how long has it been – this is a story where it’s possible to think about agency even if the character stands from a constricting point of view. It makes me think of all those times one criticises the lack of agency of female characters in stories only to then be confronted with the excuses of this is how the world is – well, in “The Gates of Joriun” this is how the world is and yet, look at the character, and the many ways the story remains about her and her choices. It is possible to have the entire world against a character and still make it all about them – the internal lives of women can still be rich and varied even if external forces restrict them. But I digress.
“Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine”, an older woman goes on a quest to save her town and uses nothing but her wits whenever difficult situations arise during her journey. In “The Queen’s Garden”, sisters faced with their father’s patriarchal tendencies in a matriarchal society take the matter in their own hands to a deliciously twisted conclusion. “Riding the Shore of the River of Death”, a Crown of Stars story, opens the collection with a bang: a young protagonist from a society with strict gender roles learns of a possible, different, other future and goes after it. There is even one story – “My Voice is in My Sword“ – that is all about the dynamics within a theatre group as they prepare to enact Macbeth to empathic aliens. It’s fantastic, because that fraught dynamics becomes the focus of the narrative in an unexpected way.
And then we have the essays. There are four, previously published online (one of them was included in Speculative Fiction 2013) and they ponder the themes present in the story: from problematic male gaze to questioning the status quo, the essays are a treat and the perfect way to end the collection.
The framing of The Very Best of Kate Elliott is clear: feminist stories featuring a diverse group of female characters presented in a variety of roles and journeys. The most obvious extrapolation here for me given my personal interests is how topical and important this collection is as it fits into an ongoing conversation about places for women – as writers, readers and characters – in SFF. The fact that I absolutely loved every single story and every single essay is just the cherry on top of Mount Awesome.
There is a little bit of everything here and something for everybody. This is a great collection, a fun collection, an important collection, a highly recommended collection. The Very Best of Kate Elliott is the very best that genre fiction can offer.
Last year I went to Fantasy Con in England where Kate Elliott was a Guest of Honour. Actually, scrap that, I attended Fantasy Con because Kate Elliott was a GoH. Over the course of that weekend, I attended several of her panels as well as an incredible In Conversation With Kari Sperring event. In those, the author talked the many themes explored in her fiction; how much thought goes into creating the worlds in her novels especially how every single decision affects worldbuilding in a domino effect – everything has consequences, everything is choice. One of the most important themes in those panels and presentations was the depiction of women in her fiction, the importance of featuring a variety of portrayals, settings and arcs as a means to represent the varied, rich lives of women. I don’t write fiction but as a reader, editor and budding publisher, I was able to take away a lot of useful, thought-provoking information from simply being there.
Now, many months later, I could see how all of those were put in practice in her fiction when reading The Very Best of Kate Elliott. The collection is the first from an author who has published over 20 novels in the course of a successful career that spans almost 30 years and it assembles twelve short stories and four essays. All stories read well as standalone although a few of them are connected to her novels.
From horror to comedy and from science fiction to fantasy, from young protagonists to more mature ones, from girls in positions of power to women whose power and choice have been stripped from their hands, the stories presented here cover multiple genres and narrative voices.
The most delightful light story is the comedic “To Be A Man”, set in the Spiritwalker world in which a secondary character of that trilogy has a sexual encounter with a couple of ladies. The most harrowing, heart-wrenching one that basically destroyed my soul (then put it back together) is “The Gates of Joriun”, where a woman is serving a horrible, unfair sentence, trapped in a cage hung from outside the gates of a city that hates her and doesn’t even know how long has it been – this is a story where it’s possible to think about agency even if the character stands from a constricting point of view. It makes me think of all those times one criticises the lack of agency of female characters in stories only to then be confronted with the excuses of this is how the world is – well, in “The Gates of Joriun” this is how the world is and yet, look at the character, and the many ways the story remains about her and her choices. It is possible to have the entire world against a character and still make it all about them – the internal lives of women can still be rich and varied even if external forces restrict them. But I digress.
“Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine”, an older woman goes on a quest to save her town and uses nothing but her wits whenever difficult situations arise during her journey. In “The Queen’s Garden”, sisters faced with their father’s patriarchal tendencies in a matriarchal society take the matter in their own hands to a deliciously twisted conclusion. “Riding the Shore of the River of Death”, a Crown of Stars story, opens the collection with a bang: a young protagonist from a society with strict gender roles learns of a possible, different, other future and goes after it. There is even one story – “My Voice is in My Sword“ – that is all about the dynamics within a theatre group as they prepare to enact Macbeth to empathic aliens. It’s fantastic, because that fraught dynamics becomes the focus of the narrative in an unexpected way.
And then we have the essays. There are four, previously published online (one of them was included in Speculative Fiction 2013) and they ponder the themes present in the story: from problematic male gaze to questioning the status quo, the essays are a treat and the perfect way to end the collection.
The framing of The Very Best of Kate Elliott is clear: feminist stories featuring a diverse group of female characters presented in a variety of roles and journeys. The most obvious extrapolation here for me given my personal interests is how topical and important this collection is as it fits into an ongoing conversation about places for women – as writers, readers and characters – in SFF. The fact that I absolutely loved every single story and every single essay is just the cherry on top of Mount Awesome.
There is a little bit of everything here and something for everybody. This is a great collection, a fun collection, an important collection, a highly recommended collection. The Very Best of Kate Elliott is the very best that genre fiction can offer.
February 13, 2015
Introduction
Kate Elliott is around 15 years older than me. It's rather interesting to see the difference in perspective that makes. I definitely grew up with the perspective that fantasy, as a genre, was woman-dominated, frequently (if not usually) feminist, and was all about challenging social conventions and traditional ways of thinking.
Elliott grew up feeling the exact opposite, as she explains in this introduction. However, the intro doesn't seem to acknowledge that things have changed. Yes, they've changed in part due to Elliott, and her large output of writings featuring bad-ass women. But I really think a larger concern these days is that fantasy is dismissed as a genre due to it being perceived as 'feminine' - not that female protagonists (and authors) who challenge social conventions are hard to find.
*** Riding the Shore of the River of Death
Sword-and-sorceress fantasy with a classic feel. Our protagonist is a young woman from a tribe which enforces strict gender roles. Uninterested in the role of a woman, her goal is to participate in a man's coming-of-age ritual: killing a random person and bringing their head back to the tribe's leader.
But when her small group meets a witch in the wilderness, for the first time, she glimpses that the two options she felt forced to choose between may not actually be the only possibilities in the world.
*** Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine
In a kingdom torn by violence, an elderly peasant woman discovers a sorely wounded man: the General that her family members have fought and died for. In order to expose the treacherous violence of the men who have been terrorizing her village, she embarks upon a journey to bring a token to the King's sister - a quest which will take her far from her comfort zone.
*** The Queen's Garden
When a king gets too uppity, and his actions threaten to bring the kingdom to ruin, his twin daughters must take matters into their own hands. A bloody tale of court intrigue with a satisfying outcome.
*** On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New
Well, that title's a mouthful!
Here we meet a woman who lives under strange restrictions, which we don't at first understand. Her community suspects that there is a spy - or a thief - in their midst, which could lead to terrible political disaster. She wants to help uncover the traitor. The main suspect (an eagle-rider) is a man she finds distractingly attractive - something which seems to be forbidden to her. Will that attraction be her undoing?
*** The Gates of Joriun
A woman is punished, hung in a cage from the gates of the city. She no longer even remembers how long she's been there; the cruel treatment has left her half-mad. But her hate gives her strength, and we gradually learn her story, as she hopes against hope for vengeance.
*** The Memory of Peace
In a city torn by the curse of civil war, a young boy finds an unusual escape.
** With God to Guard Her
I think Elliott was going for an updated twist on tales of martyrdom here. Told in an affectedly medieval-Christian style, a pious young woman must deal with her lord's untoward lusts, and the danger of his family's revenge. However, the conclusion felt very anti-climactic.
** My Voice is in My Sword
A theatrical group is hired as 'artistic ambassadors.' They're planning to put on 'Macbeth' for an alien audience. What could be a fascinating trip is unfortunately, in large part, spoiled by the fact that their star performer is a total ass.
I felt like this story had a lot of potential. If Connie Willis had written it, it would've been hilarious. As it is, it didn't really live up to its potential.
*** Sunseeker
The disaffected child of a celebrity runs off to join a famous group of world-circumnavigating partiers. But after a political attack, her disillusionment increases to previously-unattained levels. A nice commentary on attention-seeking, 'high' society and PR at the upper levels.
*** A Simple Act of Kindness
Seems like an origin story for a character who may be further developed elsewhere. A young village girl's brave act saves a mysterious woman and child and earns her a priceless gift - but also brings the attention of some strange demons to her and her village.
** To Be a Man
Paranormal romance. Two servants, minions of a cruel mistress, encounter a shapeshifter, and sexytimes (non-explicit) and come-uppances ensue. Not one for the dog lovers.
It had its charming and amusing moments, but I thought it had a bit of a dashed-off feeling to it (like it could've been written for an themed genre anthology titled,'Shapeshifters!' or something...)
*** Making the World Live Again
A young village girl comes of age, and insists on her chosen life's road: learning and knowledge as a priestess, rather than marriage. An inspiring fantasy tale, and another one that feels like it could be an origin story for a interesting character.
** 4 Essays
These essays on fantasy writing and politics were... ok. It's not that I particularly agreed or disagreed with the viewpoints (although I have to say I've never encountered anyone using 'detailed worldbuilding' as a criticism of a book; I frequently see it as a plaudit), I just didn't find any of them life-changing, and they veered into the currently-trendy tropes of pop-psych a bit too much.
Overall, I'd say that this book is a must for Kate Elliott fans - but so far, I've found her long, epic novels to be where her talent shines brightest.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the opportunity to read the collection. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
Kate Elliott is around 15 years older than me. It's rather interesting to see the difference in perspective that makes. I definitely grew up with the perspective that fantasy, as a genre, was woman-dominated, frequently (if not usually) feminist, and was all about challenging social conventions and traditional ways of thinking.
Elliott grew up feeling the exact opposite, as she explains in this introduction. However, the intro doesn't seem to acknowledge that things have changed. Yes, they've changed in part due to Elliott, and her large output of writings featuring bad-ass women. But I really think a larger concern these days is that fantasy is dismissed as a genre due to it being perceived as 'feminine' - not that female protagonists (and authors) who challenge social conventions are hard to find.
*** Riding the Shore of the River of Death
Sword-and-sorceress fantasy with a classic feel. Our protagonist is a young woman from a tribe which enforces strict gender roles. Uninterested in the role of a woman, her goal is to participate in a man's coming-of-age ritual: killing a random person and bringing their head back to the tribe's leader.
But when her small group meets a witch in the wilderness, for the first time, she glimpses that the two options she felt forced to choose between may not actually be the only possibilities in the world.
*** Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine
In a kingdom torn by violence, an elderly peasant woman discovers a sorely wounded man: the General that her family members have fought and died for. In order to expose the treacherous violence of the men who have been terrorizing her village, she embarks upon a journey to bring a token to the King's sister - a quest which will take her far from her comfort zone.
*** The Queen's Garden
When a king gets too uppity, and his actions threaten to bring the kingdom to ruin, his twin daughters must take matters into their own hands. A bloody tale of court intrigue with a satisfying outcome.
*** On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New
Well, that title's a mouthful!
Here we meet a woman who lives under strange restrictions, which we don't at first understand. Her community suspects that there is a spy - or a thief - in their midst, which could lead to terrible political disaster. She wants to help uncover the traitor. The main suspect (an eagle-rider) is a man she finds distractingly attractive - something which seems to be forbidden to her. Will that attraction be her undoing?
*** The Gates of Joriun
A woman is punished, hung in a cage from the gates of the city. She no longer even remembers how long she's been there; the cruel treatment has left her half-mad. But her hate gives her strength, and we gradually learn her story, as she hopes against hope for vengeance.
*** The Memory of Peace
In a city torn by the curse of civil war, a young boy finds an unusual escape.
** With God to Guard Her
I think Elliott was going for an updated twist on tales of martyrdom here. Told in an affectedly medieval-Christian style, a pious young woman must deal with her lord's untoward lusts, and the danger of his family's revenge. However, the conclusion felt very anti-climactic.
** My Voice is in My Sword
A theatrical group is hired as 'artistic ambassadors.' They're planning to put on 'Macbeth' for an alien audience. What could be a fascinating trip is unfortunately, in large part, spoiled by the fact that their star performer is a total ass.
I felt like this story had a lot of potential. If Connie Willis had written it, it would've been hilarious. As it is, it didn't really live up to its potential.
*** Sunseeker
The disaffected child of a celebrity runs off to join a famous group of world-circumnavigating partiers. But after a political attack, her disillusionment increases to previously-unattained levels. A nice commentary on attention-seeking, 'high' society and PR at the upper levels.
*** A Simple Act of Kindness
Seems like an origin story for a character who may be further developed elsewhere. A young village girl's brave act saves a mysterious woman and child and earns her a priceless gift - but also brings the attention of some strange demons to her and her village.
** To Be a Man
Paranormal romance. Two servants, minions of a cruel mistress, encounter a shapeshifter, and sexytimes (non-explicit) and come-uppances ensue. Not one for the dog lovers.
It had its charming and amusing moments, but I thought it had a bit of a dashed-off feeling to it (like it could've been written for an themed genre anthology titled,'Shapeshifters!' or something...)
*** Making the World Live Again
A young village girl comes of age, and insists on her chosen life's road: learning and knowledge as a priestess, rather than marriage. An inspiring fantasy tale, and another one that feels like it could be an origin story for a interesting character.
** 4 Essays
These essays on fantasy writing and politics were... ok. It's not that I particularly agreed or disagreed with the viewpoints (although I have to say I've never encountered anyone using 'detailed worldbuilding' as a criticism of a book; I frequently see it as a plaudit), I just didn't find any of them life-changing, and they veered into the currently-trendy tropes of pop-psych a bit too much.
Overall, I'd say that this book is a must for Kate Elliott fans - but so far, I've found her long, epic novels to be where her talent shines brightest.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the opportunity to read the collection. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
March 16, 2015
I should’ve got round to this sooner; my apologies to the author and Tachyon Publications. My ARCs have piled up rather, but I requested this one anyway because I’ve been meaning to try Elliott’s work for a long time. I keep picking up her books in the library, eyeing her post about where to start, eyeing the books on Kobo… So I decided to start here: she mentions in her post that short stories are not her favourite form, her usual thing, but this collection does introduce you to some of her worlds, and to her ways of thinking.
I’m still a little bit on the fence, to be honest. I enjoyed these stories, but some of them felt a little too long — which may just be that Kate Elliott is more of a novel writer, and I’m very sensitive to the natural end for a story, the degree of baggage it can carry. I enjoyed the detail, the world-building, and especially the perspectives she writes from (the essay included at the end about writing with a female gaze rang very true), but… I’m still not convinced, or something.
I think it does make a great taster for what Kate Elliott’s work is like, but I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy her novels more.
I’m still a little bit on the fence, to be honest. I enjoyed these stories, but some of them felt a little too long — which may just be that Kate Elliott is more of a novel writer, and I’m very sensitive to the natural end for a story, the degree of baggage it can carry. I enjoyed the detail, the world-building, and especially the perspectives she writes from (the essay included at the end about writing with a female gaze rang very true), but… I’m still not convinced, or something.
I think it does make a great taster for what Kate Elliott’s work is like, but I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy her novels more.
November 2, 2025
If you are already a fan of Kate Elliot and her strong female characters then this collection of short stories would be a great interlude before her next novel.
I found the introduction rather long so I kind of skimmed through it. Let's face it I'm here for the stories not for the the intro.
The stories provided a quick, easy and entertaining read but with all shorts...well they are too short. I wanted a little more to become invested in each tale. Even though they weren't long enough, they did provide a great mix of some old characters and some new.
If you are looking for a good shot of different works by Kate Elliot's work, check out The Very Best of Kate Elliot. Enjoyable and Entertaining 3.5 Stars
I received this ARC copy of The Very Best of Kate Elliot from Tachyon Publications in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication February 10, 2015.
I found the introduction rather long so I kind of skimmed through it. Let's face it I'm here for the stories not for the the intro.
The stories provided a quick, easy and entertaining read but with all shorts...well they are too short. I wanted a little more to become invested in each tale. Even though they weren't long enough, they did provide a great mix of some old characters and some new.
If you are looking for a good shot of different works by Kate Elliot's work, check out The Very Best of Kate Elliot. Enjoyable and Entertaining 3.5 Stars
I received this ARC copy of The Very Best of Kate Elliot from Tachyon Publications in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication February 10, 2015.
November 24, 2014
Bookended by essays, this collection of short stories shows Kate Elliott's incredible flexibility. The opening essay sets the expectations for the rest of the book: strong female characters, who are brave, intelligent, and not satisfied with the usual feminine role for their specific culture, but the framework for each character is unique. Unlike many female characters, they're not tied to a husband or father or brother, even though the relationship may exist; they're independent people in their own right, and don't need to wait to be liberated.
There are investigations into various forms of matriarchal power; women in war; women as warriors or healers; women as sisters; women with power, and women without.
I'd be hard-pressed to say which I enjoyed most, because of the remarkable variety. Some were standalone, others set in more familiar universes (Crown of Stars, the Jaran, Spiritwalker), and all true to the same theme. I'll admit that I do love Rory's escapades and the light humor they inspire. A warning for those - like me - who loved the Jaran books: the Jaran stories are set in the Jaran universe, but don't return to our beloved Jaran characters.
I had read one of the essays before, when it was posted on Kate Elliott's blog, but The Omniscient Breast is always worth a reread. As she explains, "The problem lies in not being aware that the male gaze is a gaze."
Recommended to anyone who loves Kate Elliott's work, whether her fiction or the very thoughtful essays on world-building, characterization or the craft of writing.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There are investigations into various forms of matriarchal power; women in war; women as warriors or healers; women as sisters; women with power, and women without.
I'd be hard-pressed to say which I enjoyed most, because of the remarkable variety. Some were standalone, others set in more familiar universes (Crown of Stars, the Jaran, Spiritwalker), and all true to the same theme. I'll admit that I do love Rory's escapades and the light humor they inspire. A warning for those - like me - who loved the Jaran books: the Jaran stories are set in the Jaran universe, but don't return to our beloved Jaran characters.
I had read one of the essays before, when it was posted on Kate Elliott's blog, but The Omniscient Breast is always worth a reread. As she explains, "The problem lies in not being aware that the male gaze is a gaze."
Recommended to anyone who loves Kate Elliott's work, whether her fiction or the very thoughtful essays on world-building, characterization or the craft of writing.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2015
DNF at 40%
Arc provided by Tachyon Publications through Netgalley
Release Date: February 10 th
Having never read anything by author Kate Elliott I thought this would be a good occasion to "sample" the author's writing style.
Unfortunately the lengthy and most of the times _what comes as _ dull prose, that accompanies the author's descriptions wasn't able to fuel my interest.
Maybe if I had already read a full novel, things would have been different?
But as it was, I felt lost within these worlds and characters stories.
I read the first four stories, and all that I can say is that there's an obvious feminist perspective going on. Something that only "per se" should have left me more interested in it.
First story - River of Death, in which a character tries to be judged by what she can do, and not by her gender.
I honestly had a hard time with this story due to the long and detailed descriptions.
From the four stories I read, this was the one I enjoyed the least.
Leaf and Branch, Focus on the connection between nature and the Feminine.
3 stars
The Queen's Garden, Describes what happens when a King starts getting too attached to his power ignoring the old ways..
3 Stars
On The Dying Winds Of The Old Year, A story of politics and treachery
A obvious case of: It's not you book, itsmostly me.
If you like Epic Fantasy you should give this one a try. Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than I did.
Arc provided by Tachyon Publications through Netgalley
Release Date: February 10 th
Having never read anything by author Kate Elliott I thought this would be a good occasion to "sample" the author's writing style.
Unfortunately the lengthy and most of the times _what comes as _ dull prose, that accompanies the author's descriptions wasn't able to fuel my interest.
Maybe if I had already read a full novel, things would have been different?
But as it was, I felt lost within these worlds and characters stories.
I read the first four stories, and all that I can say is that there's an obvious feminist perspective going on. Something that only "per se" should have left me more interested in it.
First story - River of Death, in which a character tries to be judged by what she can do, and not by her gender.
I honestly had a hard time with this story due to the long and detailed descriptions.
From the four stories I read, this was the one I enjoyed the least.
Leaf and Branch, Focus on the connection between nature and the Feminine.
3 stars
The Queen's Garden, Describes what happens when a King starts getting too attached to his power ignoring the old ways..
3 Stars
On The Dying Winds Of The Old Year, A story of politics and treachery
A obvious case of: It's not you book, its
If you like Epic Fantasy you should give this one a try. Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than I did.
February 2, 2016
The intro to the book was incredibly powerful, as were most of the stories (which had an overwhelming majority of female POV characters). Kate isn't shy about addressing the gender and other minority issues in spec fic, and almost everything in this collection looks at those issues through one lense or another. Some very overtly, like the essays at the end of the book, some slightly more subtly, like "The Queen's Garden." About half of the stories take place in her already established worlds, but you don't need to have read anything else by her to enjoy the stories in this collection. I liked every story, and quite a few of them I loved.
April 24, 2019
What is is about Kate Elliott's fiction that brings me such joy? To be sure, there is the breathtaking creativity and sophistication of the world building, though this is, not surprisingly, less on display in her short fiction—most of the stories here seem to take place in the usual medieval Euro fantasylandia (two notable exceptions take place in the Jaran universe and are especially fun if you are familiar with those books, which I highly recommend). There are the feminist gender dynamics and the refreshing displays of female sexuality and actual female friendships. Best of all, there is a lovely bigheartedness and sense of yearning that I just adore. I found each of these stories thoroughly absorbing and will be seeking out more Elliott in the near future (probably
Court of Fives.)
A would-be warrior woman from a rigidly patriarchal society is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is taken prisoner. Though she can't understand their language, she's intrigued to witness a totally different set of gender dynamics among her captors.
An older woman, a healer, risks life and limb to deliver a message from a fallen general to the king.
Two young queens in a matriarchal society must maneuver against their father, who is overstepping his role as regent.
A woman whose brother, the rightful heir, challenges a usurper is captured and imprisoned in a cage above a town's gates. After more years than she can remember, it seems that events between her brother and the usurper are finally about to come to a head.
A young woman resists a duke's advances and puts her life and her family's welfare at risk. Must she martyr herself to avoid the duke?
There are two stories from the Crown of Stars universe (with which I'm unfamiliar, but the stories were perfectly comprehensible), two from the Jaran universe, one from the Crossroads universe, and one from the Spiritwalker universe (particularly fun if you liked Cat's brother Rory).
A would-be warrior woman from a rigidly patriarchal society is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is taken prisoner. Though she can't understand their language, she's intrigued to witness a totally different set of gender dynamics among her captors.
An older woman, a healer, risks life and limb to deliver a message from a fallen general to the king.
Two young queens in a matriarchal society must maneuver against their father, who is overstepping his role as regent.
A woman whose brother, the rightful heir, challenges a usurper is captured and imprisoned in a cage above a town's gates. After more years than she can remember, it seems that events between her brother and the usurper are finally about to come to a head.
A young woman resists a duke's advances and puts her life and her family's welfare at risk. Must she martyr herself to avoid the duke?
There are two stories from the Crown of Stars universe (with which I'm unfamiliar, but the stories were perfectly comprehensible), two from the Jaran universe, one from the Crossroads universe, and one from the Spiritwalker universe (particularly fun if you liked Cat's brother Rory).
January 2, 2021
“Gold is not harder than granite.”
A better-than-average collection of short stories. Admittedly a low bar. Nice cover art, unrelated to any story.
“A woman could live her life tending the fire of such a man’s life. Its heat was seductive, but in the end its glory belonged only to him.”
Eclectic, apparently some connected to novels she published elsewhere. Strong female characterizations.
“See, it’ll be the last burial in this house—we’ve got no more sheets to spare!”
For those who her message, the closing essays clarifies.
“Sometimes stubbornness was the only thing that kept you going.”
A better-than-average collection of short stories. Admittedly a low bar. Nice cover art, unrelated to any story.
“A woman could live her life tending the fire of such a man’s life. Its heat was seductive, but in the end its glory belonged only to him.”
Eclectic, apparently some connected to novels she published elsewhere. Strong female characterizations.
“See, it’ll be the last burial in this house—we’ve got no more sheets to spare!”
For those who her message, the closing essays clarifies.
“Sometimes stubbornness was the only thing that kept you going.”
January 10, 2015
Before I read this, I'd read Kate Elliott's novel Jaran, which portrays a society where both men and women have power, but in the end it is the women who have the most autonomy and respect. Having read her short stories and essays in this anthology, I can say that this theme of turning gender and racial roles on their head is typical for Elliott. She is such a role model for me, and her essays and stories have really opened my eyes to how people perceive each other and the implicit prejudices we often unknowingly subscribe to.
One of the essays that really struck me was on male gaze (which you can read here). I hadn't ever made a distinction between male gaze and a male narrator; it turns out you can be using male gaze even with a female point of view. Elliott discusses the problems with male gaze in relation to how women are perceived in the real world, but also discusses the portrayal of transgender and other LGBTQ individuals in fiction and how this can be damaging or offensive. Elliott is also conscious of the issue of race; colorblind stories are all well and good, but in our world, at the present time, we certainly aren't living in a color-blind world and Elliott addresses this.
Not only does Elliott point out why we need more diverse portrayals of characters in fiction, she writes stories that do just that. In almost all of her stories, there were important characters who were independent women, somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum, or of a marked race. It wasn't just the one token character either; the entire world of the story enveloped a wide range of characters. I love this about her writing, and it made for some very intriguing reading. I felt like all of her stories were original and exciting because I'd never read anything like them. Once you step away from the usual heterosexual male gaze, you find that there are possibilities for thousands more stories than the ones that have already been told and retold a thousand times.
I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy and science fiction, but also people who want to expand their social consciousness. This is an excellent, enjoyable, thought-provoking book.
One of the essays that really struck me was on male gaze (which you can read here). I hadn't ever made a distinction between male gaze and a male narrator; it turns out you can be using male gaze even with a female point of view. Elliott discusses the problems with male gaze in relation to how women are perceived in the real world, but also discusses the portrayal of transgender and other LGBTQ individuals in fiction and how this can be damaging or offensive. Elliott is also conscious of the issue of race; colorblind stories are all well and good, but in our world, at the present time, we certainly aren't living in a color-blind world and Elliott addresses this.
Not only does Elliott point out why we need more diverse portrayals of characters in fiction, she writes stories that do just that. In almost all of her stories, there were important characters who were independent women, somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum, or of a marked race. It wasn't just the one token character either; the entire world of the story enveloped a wide range of characters. I love this about her writing, and it made for some very intriguing reading. I felt like all of her stories were original and exciting because I'd never read anything like them. Once you step away from the usual heterosexual male gaze, you find that there are possibilities for thousands more stories than the ones that have already been told and retold a thousand times.
I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy and science fiction, but also people who want to expand their social consciousness. This is an excellent, enjoyable, thought-provoking book.
July 3, 2016
The completist I am at heart was overjoyed when this was a Kindle daily deal, because before it, the price unfortunately was too much of an obstacle. But even for a non-completist Kate Elliott reader, this is a collection to enjoy. Elliott is slightly uneven across the stories - to me, the forays into more sf or horror-like settings worked worse than fantasy, and stand-alones slightly better than stories set in her established universes - but overall, a solid read with a few particular highlights. What I found particularly amusing was the abundance of L&T(-ish?) characters in the first few stories; a way to make things even after my slightly discouraging experience with The Crown of Stars and its lesbian&trans* problem.
Where Elliott shines is as usual, worldbuilding and familial relationships. There is some nice humour as well (Rory's story, for instance), but poignancy comes more frequently and perhaps easier (A Simple Act of Kindness comes to mind). Elliott explores women, age and power in a variety of ways (older women and their power / disempowerment; girls and coming into adulthood; characters finding agency in unexpected places) and on the whole, the stories create a mostly cohesive whole (with "The Memory of Peace" and "My Voice Is In My Sword" - my least favourite stories - standing out a little to me). I loved "The Gates of Joriun", "The Queen's Garden" and, to my surprise, "To Be a Man".
Where Elliott shines is as usual, worldbuilding and familial relationships. There is some nice humour as well (Rory's story, for instance), but poignancy comes more frequently and perhaps easier (A Simple Act of Kindness comes to mind). Elliott explores women, age and power in a variety of ways (older women and their power / disempowerment; girls and coming into adulthood; characters finding agency in unexpected places) and on the whole, the stories create a mostly cohesive whole (with "The Memory of Peace" and "My Voice Is In My Sword" - my least favourite stories - standing out a little to me). I loved "The Gates of Joriun", "The Queen's Garden" and, to my surprise, "To Be a Man".
September 26, 2020
I have only read one of Elliott's novels, and that was long ago. I am waiting for her newest.
Meanwhile these.
I suspect I might have liked these more if I had met them one at a time. Together, they feel a bit overwhelming, in the sense that I feel Elliott's goal her is not just to entertain, not just to make us think–though she does those things–but also to adjust the imbalance that has existed in SF/F. This does indeed need to be done, and increasingly is being done. I'm sure more than half of the books I have enjoyed this year were not written by straight white men, and haven't featured straight white men, and aren't set where straight white men live. That's why I, a straight white man, am enjoying them. At my age I need variety and new directions.
I didn't enjoy all the stories, but there's no doubt this is a skilled and experienced writer. Most of the stories get well away from the Plucky Heroine Wades Into Danger and Somehow Wins. They are much subtler than that, and sometimes we have to think what "win" means.
It was good to have some set in a previously-defined setting, even if I'd never read it. These seemed a bit more solid. But that's just me.
Meanwhile these.
I suspect I might have liked these more if I had met them one at a time. Together, they feel a bit overwhelming, in the sense that I feel Elliott's goal her is not just to entertain, not just to make us think–though she does those things–but also to adjust the imbalance that has existed in SF/F. This does indeed need to be done, and increasingly is being done. I'm sure more than half of the books I have enjoyed this year were not written by straight white men, and haven't featured straight white men, and aren't set where straight white men live. That's why I, a straight white man, am enjoying them. At my age I need variety and new directions.
I didn't enjoy all the stories, but there's no doubt this is a skilled and experienced writer. Most of the stories get well away from the Plucky Heroine Wades Into Danger and Somehow Wins. They are much subtler than that, and sometimes we have to think what "win" means.
It was good to have some set in a previously-defined setting, even if I'd never read it. These seemed a bit more solid. But that's just me.
March 12, 2015
Title: The Very Best of Kate Elliott
Author: Kate Elliott
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Literary Collection
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
This book was given to me by the publisher, Tachyon Publications, through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Since this is a collection, I'm going to rate each piece individually.
I'd never heard of Kate Elliott before this delicious collection--I know, I know, shame on me! But I think it's pretty safe to say that she's definitely got my attention; I will most definitely be looking into her other work, especially the forthcoming Court of Fives! But what refreshed me most about this collection was that Kate Elliott is a woman, and writes from the point of view of multiple ones. Women can be titans in the writing industry, and she's part of the proof!
Riding the Shore of the River of Death: 5 out of 5 Stars. A thrilling, yet mysterious and dark tale of female power and independence, this story completely swept me away--a beautiful tale.
Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine: 4 out of 5 Stars. A dangerous journey begins for a young widow, and she must leave her family in order to fight for what she thinks is right, even if it means sacrificing herself. I really enjoyed this one, mostly because of the main character--a badass in her own right!
The Queen's Garden: 5 out of 5 Stars. This was probably my favorite piece of the whole volume; two clever princesses scheme to win the throne out from their clever, ambitious father's fists--I loved the entire story, especially the two main characters!
On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New: 4 out of 5 Stars, Set in the world of the best-selling Crossroads series, this tale was wonderful: a story of female camaraderie and friendship, set amidst the frightening world of the Crossroads, but it was a little hard to follow.
The Gates of Joriun: 5 out of 5 Stars, I really enjoyed this story, mostly because of the magic in it--and the main character. A young woman risks her life for her brother, and his quest to take his rightful place--even as she skids toward the edge of madness.
The Memory of Peace: 4 out of 5 Stars. This tale was heartbreaking and brutal, the account of a war on a poor village family. I really liked this story, a lot because of the family dynamic--it was sad and terrible, but beautiful as well, even though it was hard to follow.
With God to Guard Her: 5 out of 5 Stars. This story is another contender for my favorite of the volume; a young woman, lusted after by a rich duke, is forced to turned to God, and her own strength, to protect herself and her family. I loved the main character: a fighter named Merofled who wrests her independence from her circumstances. Brava!
My Voice Is In My Sword: 5 out of 5 Stars. This one was just hilarious, in a dark, baleful kind of way! Ross and his friends are at the rehearsal for Macbeth, and things go wildly awry when they perform the play for alien creatures that can sense emotions. You're in the dark for most of the story, but then it becomes laughably clear--wonderfully dark humor that I enjoyed!
Sunseeker: 3 out of 5 Stars. I wanted to love this story--I loved Eleanor, and the way she stood up for herself, but it was really hard to follow and I didn't really get it. Disappointed with this one.
A Simple Act of Kindness: 4 out of 5 Stars. Set in the world of A Crown of Stars, the story begins with a storm, and a young woman named Daniella. I really liked this one because it crept up on me, and it was just spooky enough to give me chills, but not terrible nightmares. Wonderful!
To Be a Man: 4 out of 5 Stars. This story was the sexual one, and despite it all, I enjoyed it! A cat--or is he a man--maybe both?--ends up outside a castle. Charmed by two voluptuous maids, he ends up entangled with them--and ends up literally saving their lives. Hilarious, warm, and frank! Wonderful!
Making the World Live Again: 5 out of 5 Stars. Eili doesn't want to marry; she wants to work in the temple. And she gets her wish. What sold this tale to me was Eili; I loved the way she wanted her own path, social mores be damned! Wonderful and engaging!
The Omniscient Breasts: The Male Gaze Through Female Eyes: 5 out of 5 Stars. This essay had my inner feminist roaring out in approval; where has this woman been all my life? Elliott points out that male gazes in literature--that is to say, often too sexual ones--are not accurate, and must be changed, though it isn't necessarily someone's fault.
The Narrative of Women in Fear and Pain: 5 out of 5 Stars. Again, Elliott makes an excellent point in literature; not only are we asked to identify with abuse, it is often unnoticed, and it was scary to me that I never realized this; often, women are in pain, but it is never told from the woman's perspective. Enlightening, eye-opening, and truthful. Amazing.
And Pharaoh's Heart Hardened: 5 out of 5 Stars. Speaking more generally of prejudice, Elliott tells us about a significant moment in her life. In explaining Rosa Parks to her children, she realizes just how predominant prejudice is in society, and it really touched me. Highly personal and poetic, I enjoyed this essay the most!
The Status Quo Does Not Need World Building: 4 out of 5 Stars. Speaking of world-building and its complexities, and namely, the unsaid in it--I really enjoyed this essay as well. Amazing!
The bottom line: Though I'd never heard of Kate Elliott before this, I'm now definitely a fan! A feminist titan in the fantasy/science fiction industry, Elliott's writing is just like magic! Next on deck: The Forgotten Fairy Tales by Angela Parkhurst!
literatureobsessed.blogspot.com
Author: Kate Elliott
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Literary Collection
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
This book was given to me by the publisher, Tachyon Publications, through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Since this is a collection, I'm going to rate each piece individually.
I'd never heard of Kate Elliott before this delicious collection--I know, I know, shame on me! But I think it's pretty safe to say that she's definitely got my attention; I will most definitely be looking into her other work, especially the forthcoming Court of Fives! But what refreshed me most about this collection was that Kate Elliott is a woman, and writes from the point of view of multiple ones. Women can be titans in the writing industry, and she's part of the proof!
Riding the Shore of the River of Death: 5 out of 5 Stars. A thrilling, yet mysterious and dark tale of female power and independence, this story completely swept me away--a beautiful tale.
Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine: 4 out of 5 Stars. A dangerous journey begins for a young widow, and she must leave her family in order to fight for what she thinks is right, even if it means sacrificing herself. I really enjoyed this one, mostly because of the main character--a badass in her own right!
The Queen's Garden: 5 out of 5 Stars. This was probably my favorite piece of the whole volume; two clever princesses scheme to win the throne out from their clever, ambitious father's fists--I loved the entire story, especially the two main characters!
On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New: 4 out of 5 Stars, Set in the world of the best-selling Crossroads series, this tale was wonderful: a story of female camaraderie and friendship, set amidst the frightening world of the Crossroads, but it was a little hard to follow.
The Gates of Joriun: 5 out of 5 Stars, I really enjoyed this story, mostly because of the magic in it--and the main character. A young woman risks her life for her brother, and his quest to take his rightful place--even as she skids toward the edge of madness.
The Memory of Peace: 4 out of 5 Stars. This tale was heartbreaking and brutal, the account of a war on a poor village family. I really liked this story, a lot because of the family dynamic--it was sad and terrible, but beautiful as well, even though it was hard to follow.
With God to Guard Her: 5 out of 5 Stars. This story is another contender for my favorite of the volume; a young woman, lusted after by a rich duke, is forced to turned to God, and her own strength, to protect herself and her family. I loved the main character: a fighter named Merofled who wrests her independence from her circumstances. Brava!
My Voice Is In My Sword: 5 out of 5 Stars. This one was just hilarious, in a dark, baleful kind of way! Ross and his friends are at the rehearsal for Macbeth, and things go wildly awry when they perform the play for alien creatures that can sense emotions. You're in the dark for most of the story, but then it becomes laughably clear--wonderfully dark humor that I enjoyed!
Sunseeker: 3 out of 5 Stars. I wanted to love this story--I loved Eleanor, and the way she stood up for herself, but it was really hard to follow and I didn't really get it. Disappointed with this one.
A Simple Act of Kindness: 4 out of 5 Stars. Set in the world of A Crown of Stars, the story begins with a storm, and a young woman named Daniella. I really liked this one because it crept up on me, and it was just spooky enough to give me chills, but not terrible nightmares. Wonderful!
To Be a Man: 4 out of 5 Stars. This story was the sexual one, and despite it all, I enjoyed it! A cat--or is he a man--maybe both?--ends up outside a castle. Charmed by two voluptuous maids, he ends up entangled with them--and ends up literally saving their lives. Hilarious, warm, and frank! Wonderful!
Making the World Live Again: 5 out of 5 Stars. Eili doesn't want to marry; she wants to work in the temple. And she gets her wish. What sold this tale to me was Eili; I loved the way she wanted her own path, social mores be damned! Wonderful and engaging!
The Omniscient Breasts: The Male Gaze Through Female Eyes: 5 out of 5 Stars. This essay had my inner feminist roaring out in approval; where has this woman been all my life? Elliott points out that male gazes in literature--that is to say, often too sexual ones--are not accurate, and must be changed, though it isn't necessarily someone's fault.
The Narrative of Women in Fear and Pain: 5 out of 5 Stars. Again, Elliott makes an excellent point in literature; not only are we asked to identify with abuse, it is often unnoticed, and it was scary to me that I never realized this; often, women are in pain, but it is never told from the woman's perspective. Enlightening, eye-opening, and truthful. Amazing.
And Pharaoh's Heart Hardened: 5 out of 5 Stars. Speaking more generally of prejudice, Elliott tells us about a significant moment in her life. In explaining Rosa Parks to her children, she realizes just how predominant prejudice is in society, and it really touched me. Highly personal and poetic, I enjoyed this essay the most!
The Status Quo Does Not Need World Building: 4 out of 5 Stars. Speaking of world-building and its complexities, and namely, the unsaid in it--I really enjoyed this essay as well. Amazing!
The bottom line: Though I'd never heard of Kate Elliott before this, I'm now definitely a fan! A feminist titan in the fantasy/science fiction industry, Elliott's writing is just like magic! Next on deck: The Forgotten Fairy Tales by Angela Parkhurst!
literatureobsessed.blogspot.com
February 3, 2015
Kate Elliott’s Crown of Stars series remains one of my favourite series ever. It’s got all the drama and sweepingness you might hope for in an epic fantasy setting, but with more than your average, garden-variety western medieval setting and world-building. It took me a while to start the series – I think Elliott was up to book four at the time – but once I did I couldn’t wait for the next instalment to come out. I’d always wanted to read more by Elliott, but somehow never got around to it. Going into her backlist seemed risky, because availability in the Netherlands was always a gamble – mind you, this was before I started ordering books of the internet – and with her latest completed series there were all the review copies that meant I never got around to buying them. All of this is a rather lengthy way of explaining why there was much rejoicing at Casa Librarian when I was approved for a review copy on Netgalley for Elliott’s short fiction collect The Very Best of Kate Elliott.
The set of tales gathered together in The Very Best of Kate Elliott is a fantastic collection, comprised of standalone stories, but also stories that tie into the worlds of her various series. There are two stories connected to the aforementioned Crown of Stars series, but also stories that were set in the universes of the Jaran, Crossroads, and Spiritwalker series. Surprisingly, while I enjoyed the Crown of Stars stories a lot, the stories that grabbed me most and made me want to read the original series yesterday are the Jaran stories, My Voice is in My Sword and Sunseeker. This is surprising because the Jaran series is straight up science fiction and I still tend to think of myself mostly as a fantasy reader. Yet these those stories, especially Sunseeker, resonated with me and the setting and universe just seemed a very entertaining one.
Two other favourites were Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine and The Queen’s Garden. What I loved about the former is that the protagonist is a mature woman. She has a grown daughter about to become a mother herself, and two more children and one on the way, and is one of the respected elders of the village. It’s not often – and in my opinion not often enough – that you have a woman approaching middle age being the hero of her own story. Anna is wonderful and in addition we get Uwe, whose character and the way Elliott approaches how she talks about him was great. In The Queen’s Garden we have two young women protagonists instead, but their expert politicking, plotting and negotiating and the way their society was structured was fascinating and I would love to learn more about this world.
Some of the recurring themes of Elliott’s work are inclusion, female voices, older voices, and intersectionality. It’s all there in most of the stories and largely goes unremarked upon by the characters themselves. These themes are also reflected in the non-fiction included in the collection. All four essays and the introduction challenge the reader, to do better, to challenge themselves and to do the work to see beyond our default, systematic cultural views. And reading these essays after the stories one can certainly see how Elliott does that in her fiction at every turn. While I enjoyed all four essays, and had in fact read all but one of them when they were published online, the first one, The Omniscient Breast: the Male Gaze Through Female Eyes, remains my favourite. I still think that the phrase omniscient breasts is genius and the essay is such a great explanation of what is meant by the male gaze and the necessity to challenge it in fiction, not to eradicate it, but to not make it the default anymore.
If it isn’t obvious from this review, I really enjoyed The Very Best of Kate Elliott. It shows off Kate Elliott’s strengths and the themes she’s been writing about for the past twenty years. In my opinion though, this collection should come with a warning, because it is like a gateway drug. I knew I loved Elliott’s writing from the Crown of Stars series, but now I want to read ALL. OF. HER. BOOKS. I guess I have some catching up to do! Whether you are familiar with Elliott’s writing or not, this collection comes highly recommended, as it is a great introduction to her writing as well as a great retrospective.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
The set of tales gathered together in The Very Best of Kate Elliott is a fantastic collection, comprised of standalone stories, but also stories that tie into the worlds of her various series. There are two stories connected to the aforementioned Crown of Stars series, but also stories that were set in the universes of the Jaran, Crossroads, and Spiritwalker series. Surprisingly, while I enjoyed the Crown of Stars stories a lot, the stories that grabbed me most and made me want to read the original series yesterday are the Jaran stories, My Voice is in My Sword and Sunseeker. This is surprising because the Jaran series is straight up science fiction and I still tend to think of myself mostly as a fantasy reader. Yet these those stories, especially Sunseeker, resonated with me and the setting and universe just seemed a very entertaining one.
Two other favourites were Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine and The Queen’s Garden. What I loved about the former is that the protagonist is a mature woman. She has a grown daughter about to become a mother herself, and two more children and one on the way, and is one of the respected elders of the village. It’s not often – and in my opinion not often enough – that you have a woman approaching middle age being the hero of her own story. Anna is wonderful and in addition we get Uwe, whose character and the way Elliott approaches how she talks about him was great. In The Queen’s Garden we have two young women protagonists instead, but their expert politicking, plotting and negotiating and the way their society was structured was fascinating and I would love to learn more about this world.
Some of the recurring themes of Elliott’s work are inclusion, female voices, older voices, and intersectionality. It’s all there in most of the stories and largely goes unremarked upon by the characters themselves. These themes are also reflected in the non-fiction included in the collection. All four essays and the introduction challenge the reader, to do better, to challenge themselves and to do the work to see beyond our default, systematic cultural views. And reading these essays after the stories one can certainly see how Elliott does that in her fiction at every turn. While I enjoyed all four essays, and had in fact read all but one of them when they were published online, the first one, The Omniscient Breast: the Male Gaze Through Female Eyes, remains my favourite. I still think that the phrase omniscient breasts is genius and the essay is such a great explanation of what is meant by the male gaze and the necessity to challenge it in fiction, not to eradicate it, but to not make it the default anymore.
If it isn’t obvious from this review, I really enjoyed The Very Best of Kate Elliott. It shows off Kate Elliott’s strengths and the themes she’s been writing about for the past twenty years. In my opinion though, this collection should come with a warning, because it is like a gateway drug. I knew I loved Elliott’s writing from the Crown of Stars series, but now I want to read ALL. OF. HER. BOOKS. I guess I have some catching up to do! Whether you are familiar with Elliott’s writing or not, this collection comes highly recommended, as it is a great introduction to her writing as well as a great retrospective.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
August 26, 2015
An extensive collection of Elliott’s short fiction as well as four illuminating essays, this is utterly wonderful. They’re all very strong stories, focusing on people (mostly women) dealing with war, magic and various other conflicts. The clear highlight for me was “Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine”, which has the best woman protagonist *ever*, and manage to make a number of pointed remarks about the invisibility of older women and working-class people, but they’re all worth a read. The best short fiction collection I read this year.
November 6, 2015
Not sure which were more awesome: Elliott's essays (from her blog) or her stories. They are both vital. I was so pleased to get other glimpses and samples into her previous worlds. I can't wait for her new books.
I know it may seem impossible for Elliott to write brief stories since she is known for her lush descriptions and world building. However, these short stories are perfect and perfectly told. I wanted more.
Fantastic.
I know it may seem impossible for Elliott to write brief stories since she is known for her lush descriptions and world building. However, these short stories are perfect and perfectly told. I wanted more.
Fantastic.
February 13, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyable, particularly if you have read Kate's series, as many link into her established worlds.
September 16, 2017
Kate Elliott’s Crossroads Trilogy is one of the best fantasies ever written and I keep asking when are we going to get some more Mai stories, huh, when? Well, rejoice, eagle riders, because there is a Mai story in this collection: “On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New” which is, yes, a rather cumbersome title, but it’s vintage Mai, and you’ll like it. You will. Even get to see Chief Tuvi again.
The other stories are excellent advertisements for her other series, like the Crown of Stars and Jaran, and Elliott gives enough of a taste from each to convince me she’s not replicating: in other words, Crown of Stars bears no resemblance to Crossroads. Separate universes, separate rules, all good.
All the more reason to read them and, man, I need to get going, but first I gotta finish the forty or fifty other books I’ve got pending which raises the question, fellow readers, how do you prioritize? Generally, I try to finish books in the order they were acquired, so I’m working my way through the books I bought at last year’s Capclave. But that’s cheating because I had a bunch of books pending when I bought those, so there’s no hard and fast rule, especially if I’ve got books queued from the Blue Ridge Download Consortium because they only give you 14 days and my reading speed has plummeted drastically in my old age. And now I’ve got these Elliott’s to read.
So many books, so little time.
My favorite story in this collection is the first one, "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" (what’s with these titles?) which delves into the Crown of Stars. It’s badass. The world it depicts is badass. Be a badass and read it. My least favorite story is "The Queen’s Garden," which is an attempt at a Chinese court tale that could stand a little more clarity.
And then there’s the essays…
They and the Introduction are dense, incomprehensible academy-speak that only someone with an advanced degree in Gender Studies could understand, and then only through an ideological prism. From what I could glean, Elliott is mad because she was called a tomboy growing up, which makes me scratch my head because that was a badge of honor when I was growing up. Any girl who could hold her own with the boys in football or racing or fighting was so christened and was sought after for such games. My sister was a tomboy. Heck, she was better at being a boy than I was.
I guess Elliott objects to the appendage “boy” because it’s sexist or something. Well, before the academics ruined the idea of the different sexes, it was how you differentiated between an inny and an outty: you know, girls, boys, purely in the physiological sense. So I guess if boys consider a girl one of them and use a term that envelops her in the boyness of pre-adolescence, that’s wrong? Would you like to use some other term? How ‘bout, “diesel engine?” So from now on we’ll call any girl that can beat the boys at their boy games a ‘diesel engine;’ that way you uptight academics won’t get offended.
She also seems mad that there weren’t any girl heroines for her to read about. Scratch head again because, best I can figure, we’re contemporaries, and there in deep south Alabama I was going to the library and pulling out Madeline L’Engle and Andre Norton and Joan Aiken and read about Kit Tyler and Nancy Drew and Scout and one of my top three books from childhood is Knee-Deep in Thunder by Sheila Moon ― hey look, a female author! ― with a heroine named Maris. I guess her part of Oregon didn’t have very good libraries.
Anyway, skip those, unless you’re really into turgid polemics. Read the stories, though. They’re good.
The other stories are excellent advertisements for her other series, like the Crown of Stars and Jaran, and Elliott gives enough of a taste from each to convince me she’s not replicating: in other words, Crown of Stars bears no resemblance to Crossroads. Separate universes, separate rules, all good.
All the more reason to read them and, man, I need to get going, but first I gotta finish the forty or fifty other books I’ve got pending which raises the question, fellow readers, how do you prioritize? Generally, I try to finish books in the order they were acquired, so I’m working my way through the books I bought at last year’s Capclave. But that’s cheating because I had a bunch of books pending when I bought those, so there’s no hard and fast rule, especially if I’ve got books queued from the Blue Ridge Download Consortium because they only give you 14 days and my reading speed has plummeted drastically in my old age. And now I’ve got these Elliott’s to read.
So many books, so little time.
My favorite story in this collection is the first one, "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" (what’s with these titles?) which delves into the Crown of Stars. It’s badass. The world it depicts is badass. Be a badass and read it. My least favorite story is "The Queen’s Garden," which is an attempt at a Chinese court tale that could stand a little more clarity.
And then there’s the essays…
They and the Introduction are dense, incomprehensible academy-speak that only someone with an advanced degree in Gender Studies could understand, and then only through an ideological prism. From what I could glean, Elliott is mad because she was called a tomboy growing up, which makes me scratch my head because that was a badge of honor when I was growing up. Any girl who could hold her own with the boys in football or racing or fighting was so christened and was sought after for such games. My sister was a tomboy. Heck, she was better at being a boy than I was.
I guess Elliott objects to the appendage “boy” because it’s sexist or something. Well, before the academics ruined the idea of the different sexes, it was how you differentiated between an inny and an outty: you know, girls, boys, purely in the physiological sense. So I guess if boys consider a girl one of them and use a term that envelops her in the boyness of pre-adolescence, that’s wrong? Would you like to use some other term? How ‘bout, “diesel engine?” So from now on we’ll call any girl that can beat the boys at their boy games a ‘diesel engine;’ that way you uptight academics won’t get offended.
She also seems mad that there weren’t any girl heroines for her to read about. Scratch head again because, best I can figure, we’re contemporaries, and there in deep south Alabama I was going to the library and pulling out Madeline L’Engle and Andre Norton and Joan Aiken and read about Kit Tyler and Nancy Drew and Scout and one of my top three books from childhood is Knee-Deep in Thunder by Sheila Moon ― hey look, a female author! ― with a heroine named Maris. I guess her part of Oregon didn’t have very good libraries.
Anyway, skip those, unless you’re really into turgid polemics. Read the stories, though. They’re good.
April 4, 2019
The Very Best of Kate Elliottis a collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as a handful of Elliot's essays on writing, fantasy, and having compassion. Many of the stories in this book are haunting and tense, with deeply evocative characters. "The Gates of Joriun" is one of the most taut, suspenseful fantasy stories I've read, and it's ambiguous ending leaves the reader yearning for more. Likewise, "A Memory of Peace" is a harrowing tale of growing up in the midst of a brutal war. Yet, Elliot's collection contains a wide variety of genres, settings, and tones, and several stories are lighthearted, even funny. "My Voice Is in my Sword" is breezy science fiction romp that takes place among a company of actors sent to perform "Macbeth" for an alien audience. Elliot creates the most odious narcissist I've ever read, then gives him a well-earned comeuppance.
In stories like "Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine," Elliot skirts the line between tense drama and deeply ironic comedy. What else to say about a story where the main character, Anna, survives a treacherous ordeal because her enemies are so used to ignoring poor, middle-aged women that she can pass right by them unnoticed? The author turns the invisibility that society inflicts on older women and turns it into a powerful weapon.
A few stories fall short. "With God to Guard Her" seems like Elliot is trying to write a modern update on typical Medieval "virtuous female saint" stories. While I appreciate what she's trying to accomplish, the story doesn't quite work--It feels too methodical and predictable. I found the story "Sunseeker" a bit tedious as well.
I enjoyed reading Elliot's stories, and the four essays were a treat as well. Her essay "The Omniscent Breast" was a funny take on a pervasive problem that too many writers and readers don't think about until it's pointed out to them. As a writer myself, I hope to stay aware of the male gaze and its effect on my writing. "And Pharoah's Heart Hardened" is a heart-felt essay on the importance of treating people with kindness and compassion, especially people who've been oppressed. It's an important reminder that oppression like racism and sexism happen because people dehumanize others and harden their hearts against other people's suffering.
This is a book I'd recommend to anyone interested in a fresh take on science fiction or fantasy, and if you're a writer yourself, don't skip the essays!
In stories like "Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine," Elliot skirts the line between tense drama and deeply ironic comedy. What else to say about a story where the main character, Anna, survives a treacherous ordeal because her enemies are so used to ignoring poor, middle-aged women that she can pass right by them unnoticed? The author turns the invisibility that society inflicts on older women and turns it into a powerful weapon.
A few stories fall short. "With God to Guard Her" seems like Elliot is trying to write a modern update on typical Medieval "virtuous female saint" stories. While I appreciate what she's trying to accomplish, the story doesn't quite work--It feels too methodical and predictable. I found the story "Sunseeker" a bit tedious as well.
I enjoyed reading Elliot's stories, and the four essays were a treat as well. Her essay "The Omniscent Breast" was a funny take on a pervasive problem that too many writers and readers don't think about until it's pointed out to them. As a writer myself, I hope to stay aware of the male gaze and its effect on my writing. "And Pharoah's Heart Hardened" is a heart-felt essay on the importance of treating people with kindness and compassion, especially people who've been oppressed. It's an important reminder that oppression like racism and sexism happen because people dehumanize others and harden their hearts against other people's suffering.
This is a book I'd recommend to anyone interested in a fresh take on science fiction or fantasy, and if you're a writer yourself, don't skip the essays!
July 23, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Strong heroines and riveting storytelling are the hallmark of groundbreaking fantasy author Kate Elliott (Crown of Stars, Crossroads). Elliott is a highly-compelling voice in genre fiction, an innovative author of historically-based narratives set in imaginary worlds. This first, retrospective collection of her short fiction is the essential guide to Elliott’s shorter works. Here her bold adventuresses, complex quests, noble sacrifices, and hard-won victories shine in classic, compact legends.
In The Memory of Peace,” a girl’s powerful emotions rouse the magic of a city devastated by war. Meeting in The Queen’s Garden,” two princesses unite to protect their kingdom from the blind ambition of their corrupted father. While Riding the Shore of the River of Death” a chieftain’s daughter finds an unlikely ally on her path to self-determination.
Elliott’s many readers, as well as fantasy fans in search of powerful stories featuring well-drawn female characters, will revel in this unique gathering of truly memorable tales.
*3.5 stars*
Kate Elliott, author of some of the finest fantasy series in modern times - the Spiritwalker Trilogy, the Crossroads Trilogy, the Crown of Stars series, and the Jaran novels. Some of the stories contained in this collection are set in these worlds. Which is awesome. There are also 4 pieces of non-fiction essays to go along with the 12 short stories.
Ultimately, with any collection of short stories, there is always going to be the highs and lows. Every author has it. It is just the danger of short story collections. Some of them are excellent - others I wonder why they were included. As a whole, I think the essays work best as a collective more so than the fiction. And that is okay, too.
Would I recommend this book? For sure - like I said, the author is one of the better fantasy writers of recent times. If you haven't read any of her work, then this could be a good jumping off point. Definitely worth a look.
Paul
ARH
Strong heroines and riveting storytelling are the hallmark of groundbreaking fantasy author Kate Elliott (Crown of Stars, Crossroads). Elliott is a highly-compelling voice in genre fiction, an innovative author of historically-based narratives set in imaginary worlds. This first, retrospective collection of her short fiction is the essential guide to Elliott’s shorter works. Here her bold adventuresses, complex quests, noble sacrifices, and hard-won victories shine in classic, compact legends.
In The Memory of Peace,” a girl’s powerful emotions rouse the magic of a city devastated by war. Meeting in The Queen’s Garden,” two princesses unite to protect their kingdom from the blind ambition of their corrupted father. While Riding the Shore of the River of Death” a chieftain’s daughter finds an unlikely ally on her path to self-determination.
Elliott’s many readers, as well as fantasy fans in search of powerful stories featuring well-drawn female characters, will revel in this unique gathering of truly memorable tales.
*3.5 stars*
Kate Elliott, author of some of the finest fantasy series in modern times - the Spiritwalker Trilogy, the Crossroads Trilogy, the Crown of Stars series, and the Jaran novels. Some of the stories contained in this collection are set in these worlds. Which is awesome. There are also 4 pieces of non-fiction essays to go along with the 12 short stories.
Ultimately, with any collection of short stories, there is always going to be the highs and lows. Every author has it. It is just the danger of short story collections. Some of them are excellent - others I wonder why they were included. As a whole, I think the essays work best as a collective more so than the fiction. And that is okay, too.
Would I recommend this book? For sure - like I said, the author is one of the better fantasy writers of recent times. If you haven't read any of her work, then this could be a good jumping off point. Definitely worth a look.
Paul
ARH
Read
April 8, 2025I'm a relative newcomer to Elliott's work, and what better way to be introduced? I was delighted to learn when reading the introduction that she was raised in the Willamette Valley, though it seems like she's lived all over since then. I'd still like to claim her as an Oregon author, along with Ursula Le Guin and Patricia McKillip.
My brief thoughts on the stories:
Riding the Shores. I'd read this one already in A Fantasy Medley, and found it difficult to get into without the context of the Crown of Stars series.
Leaf and Vine. Hmmm ok yeah old women rule.
Garden. Very radically different culture / structures than Eurocentric fantasy. Elliot has an anthropological eye.
On the Dying Winds of the Old Year. Wdym she’s 26?! She should be at the club!
Fr tho, interesting dynamic between her and her ex—would love to read a full length novel about the characters.
The Gates of Joriun. Damn.
The Memory of Peace. Little match girl vibes
With God to Guard Her. Religious life as an alternative for women who don’t want to marry, I see you!
My Voice is in My Sword. I have no familiarity with the world of Jaran, but the story works with little context. Connie Willis vibes.
Sunseekers. Another Jaran story. After reading it I still don't really know what's up with the Sunseekers...?
Simple Act of Kindness. I vibe with Elliot’s twist on Christianity. Still feel entirely unmoored in the Crown of Stars world/magic system though.
To Be a Man. Very fun and horny. No idea what's going on.
Making the World Live Again. I suspect another crossroads story (same world as On The Dying Winds), though it doesn’t say.
My brief thoughts on the stories:
Riding the Shores. I'd read this one already in A Fantasy Medley, and found it difficult to get into without the context of the Crown of Stars series.
Leaf and Vine. Hmmm ok yeah old women rule.
Garden. Very radically different culture / structures than Eurocentric fantasy. Elliot has an anthropological eye.
On the Dying Winds of the Old Year. Wdym she’s 26?! She should be at the club!
Fr tho, interesting dynamic between her and her ex—would love to read a full length novel about the characters.
The Gates of Joriun. Damn.
The Memory of Peace. Little match girl vibes
With God to Guard Her. Religious life as an alternative for women who don’t want to marry, I see you!
My Voice is in My Sword. I have no familiarity with the world of Jaran, but the story works with little context. Connie Willis vibes.
Sunseekers. Another Jaran story. After reading it I still don't really know what's up with the Sunseekers...?
Simple Act of Kindness. I vibe with Elliot’s twist on Christianity. Still feel entirely unmoored in the Crown of Stars world/magic system though.
To Be a Man. Very fun and horny. No idea what's going on.
Making the World Live Again. I suspect another crossroads story (same world as On The Dying Winds), though it doesn’t say.
October 2, 2022
Kate Elliott has become one of my favourite fantasy writers, however, this collection of short stories, with one or two exceptions, feels more like a mix between the 'maybe I'm onto something' or the 'I have to write at least ten pages of something a day' or the reject drawer.
The one I liked best continued the story (from the Crossroads series) of Mai, the young woman that the Qi King wants desperately, kidnapped etc. but ultimately freed (but still wants her back). The essays were better, especially the first one 'The Omniscient Breast' which is probably from a talk at some sf/fcon or other. The points in the other two were also good, but not things I hadn't quite thought about from that particular angle. Essay Spoiler (is that possible?): that unconsciously/unknowingly many writers shift into the omniscient voice, as opposed to first or third which they use the rest of the time, when describing sexual attributes--mostly--of women. Take the moment to wrap your head around this and you will notice it from now on. The third essay also brings up a similar point re worldbuilding. Publishers inflict this 'let's get another book out while you are so popular' on authors and it does them no favors. ***
The one I liked best continued the story (from the Crossroads series) of Mai, the young woman that the Qi King wants desperately, kidnapped etc. but ultimately freed (but still wants her back). The essays were better, especially the first one 'The Omniscient Breast' which is probably from a talk at some sf/fcon or other. The points in the other two were also good, but not things I hadn't quite thought about from that particular angle. Essay Spoiler (is that possible?): that unconsciously/unknowingly many writers shift into the omniscient voice, as opposed to first or third which they use the rest of the time, when describing sexual attributes--mostly--of women. Take the moment to wrap your head around this and you will notice it from now on. The third essay also brings up a similar point re worldbuilding. Publishers inflict this 'let's get another book out while you are so popular' on authors and it does them no favors. ***
July 31, 2018
I seem to really be struggling with my collection of short story collections. This is the second one in a row that I just cannot get enthusiastic about continuing after 3 stories. So since I found myself avoiding reading at all while this was on my plate, I'm going to button it up and close it out in the hopes that I find something more interesting soon.
The sad part is that the first story (Riding the Shore...) seemed like it might offer real appeal with a transgender angle that ended up falling flat. I still rated that one high, but the other 2 didn't fare so well, I'm afraid:
Riding the Shore of the River of Death - 4.5 stars
Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine - 3.5
The Queen’s Garden - 2
That averages out to 3.33 stars.
The sad part is that the first story (Riding the Shore...) seemed like it might offer real appeal with a transgender angle that ended up falling flat. I still rated that one high, but the other 2 didn't fare so well, I'm afraid:
Riding the Shore of the River of Death - 4.5 stars
Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine - 3.5
The Queen’s Garden - 2
That averages out to 3.33 stars.
April 9, 2018
Short story and essay collection by feminist fantasy extraordinaire Kate Elliott.
I haven't read any novels by Elliott, and thus don't have any prior knowledge of her worlds, but I enjoyed all of her stories. Unexpectedly, I enjoyed best the stories set in worlds of published books. All stories were set in incredibly developed, but not tediously detailed, worlds, featuring interesting, complex characters with agency. I'll definitely be investigating some of her novels now.
I haven't read any novels by Elliott, and thus don't have any prior knowledge of her worlds, but I enjoyed all of her stories. Unexpectedly, I enjoyed best the stories set in worlds of published books. All stories were set in incredibly developed, but not tediously detailed, worlds, featuring interesting, complex characters with agency. I'll definitely be investigating some of her novels now.
September 23, 2019
Wow, so many Good stories, from the goosebumps ending of In the Queens garden to the fashinating tale about the Sunseekers and diffirent settings used and stories told. Allmost all filled with humor, wisdom and a good reminder why Kate is a awesome writer. A lot of stories set in her diffirent worlds was nice as i meet some caracters from before.
August 26, 2017
Now, I really liked this. She is a great author and storyteller, and while some of these stories take place in the worlds of her multi-volume series, each story stands complete in itself. (see review for King's Dragon fro comparison.
July 25, 2018
A collection of mostly Fantasy short stories with some Sci-Fi. A couple were excellent, many were promising, but not enough of them for me to recommend. I'm sure fans of this author would enjoy them very much.
August 22, 2018
Elliott does some weird things with short stories. Sometimes they're successful. One especially disturbing story feels like it came out of a dream. Interesting essay about the 'female gaze,' which is definitely apparent in some of these stories.
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