Spore and the Pall are the things most feared in Elen's world. She has a talent for detecting Spore and a hidden secret for dispatching it. Elen and her nephew Kem are on her courier route while Kem decides if he wants to declare as a courier when they find a haunt at a waystation.

A prince of the realm also encounters the haunt – and the haunt possesses him. One problem, the haunt is a much nicer person than the prince and the haunt is on a mission.

I liked this quite a bit. It's very much an high fantasy quest book, but we're not exactly sure what the quest is. Elliott's world building is first rate and I really really want to find out what happens in the next book. (I also really really hope that the haunt comes back!)

Recommended for older teens, some mature themes, but nothing overt or spicy.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Witch Roads is the first book in the eponymous epic fantasy duology written by Kate Ellliott, published by TOR Books. A quest story that shows Elliott's ability at crafting a really complex world, fully fleshed, balanced with a cast of characters whose interactions make this a really rich novel, sprinkled with dashes of mystery and secrets that slowly crawl into the plot.

Elen, our main character, lives in Orledder Halt, a small outpost far from the Empire's capital; she works as a deputy courier, walking the roads and watching for signs of the Pall, a virulent infection that swiftly mutates any animal or plant that enters in contact. Elen has many secrets, especially from her past; but destiny puts her in the role of guiding a Prince's party over an alternative route because of an avalanche. After stopping at an ancient shrine, a haunt starts controlling the Prince; Elen can't be sure of the spirit's motives, but she needs to avoid people discovering it, making the journey even more interesting.

Despite Elliott's ambitious worldbuilding scope, you don't really feel like you are being info dumped; instead, all the lore bits and pieces are naturally introduced as part of the narration, picking your curiosity, giving details that might end being relevant. While I'm not exactly a fan of the whole quest fantasy as a subgenre, the execution on The Witch Roads is simply immaculate; putting a focus on giving us complex characters whose interactions draws our attention into the reading (also the whole El's backstory is captivating to discover).
The pacing is a bit of a slow-burn at the start, introducing you to the complexity of the world and the relative mundanity of what's Elen world, to later break them and use that base as the call for adventure, progressively picking up the pacing.

The Witch Roads is a really well executed novel, perfect starting point for an epic fantasy duology; if you love classic fantasy worldbuilding with some twists, definitely you will enjoy reading Kate Elliott's latest release!

This was really good. It took a while to get going, but I thought that the very slow-burn love story that wasn’t entirely overt was very on-point and that the main character was complex with a lot of backstory. I do, however, wish that certain things about the plot had been better explained, or at least alluded to sooner during the course of the book.

This was so good. The world-building was so well-done, and the characters were compelling and rich. I loved the plot, full of political intrigue and and magic. While this had the great vibes of a classic fantasy adventure, it wasn't tired or overdone. It was novel and the narrative voice was unique. I absolutely cannot wait for the second installment in this duology (I'm going feral, give it to me).

An arrogant prince is stuck at Orledder Hall, and needs the help of Elen to get his party through the hills to his destination.

This is a fantastic start to a duology full of political intrigue. It has really rich world building that we find out about through a treacherous journey. It is wonderful learning about the politics, religion, magic, class system, and lore of the world in such an exciting way. There is great character building focusing on themes of found family, gender, and class. This was a fantastic start to a series, and I highly recommend it for those that love epic fantasy.

The Witch Roads is both a classic epic fantasy quest story and a refreshingly original fantasy story in its own right. You can tell that Kate Elliott is an experienced SFF writer as this story balances detailed worldbuilding (that rarely feels infodumpy), character development, and various mysterious plot elements exceedingly well (cannot wait to delve into her backlist in the future...I can't believe I've never read a novel by her before).

I feel like this book is flying under the radar a bit but I hope epic fantasy fans pick it up! It checks a lot of the boxes that I feel like a lot of readers are looking for—a compelling female protagonist in her 30s, a queer normative world (including excellent trans rep!), unique worldbuilding, and a well-crafted romance subplot (and it's very much a subplot, this is definitely not romantasy...though some moments hit me harder emotionally than a lot of romantasy these days).

This is a story that takes its time to unfold. It's good to be aware going into this that it begins with a slower pace and has a detailed writing style that definitely feels more like "old-school" epic fantasy (it's a style that is significantly more accessible and less dense than Tolkien but at the same time I couldn't help but be reminded of reading The Lord of the Rings). This will work for certain kinds of readers (like me!) but this may not be the book for those who prefer fast-paced/action-packed stories. The mysteries of the worldbuilding, the protagonist's backstory, character relationships and motivations are all slowly revealed over the course of this book's quest making the ending feel extremely rewarding. I also think this will make for a great re-read.

I adored this story's protagonist, Elen. I loved that she's a guarded character with lots of secrets (and trauma) but at the same time she's warm and cheerful. She's got so many layers and I loved learning them all over the course of the story. Her relationships with the other characters were fantastic—her complicated relationship with her nephew, Kem, her clashes (and eventual friendships) with members of the royal household, and the fascinating and subtle romance that develops between her and the haunt.

As this is the first book in a duology, it has a tense ending that will make you want to pick up the next book as soon as possible. Thankfully, the sequel comes out in November!

This is the first book in The Witch Roads duology and my first read from Kate Elliot, her writing style is detailed but fun. I think she excels at keeping the reader immersed in this world. This is a lengthier book but the pacing felt even throughout, you get a ton of lore and world building to set up everything within the story and sequel. The story itself was not fast pace in order to provide time to set up the world and characters. These characters felt real.

We follow Elen (El) who works as a travel courier of a specific, dangerous route, a skill that is required because of an infectious spore on the route that mutates people. Without giving much away, El finds herself in a position where she must traverse the name sake of this book, the Witch Road, which refers to a literal road, which is shrouded in mystery and dangerous monsters. Book one focuses on El's quest along the road and the cliff hanger will have you clawing for the sequel. I am so attached to El and really need to find out what happens next!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for this copy for review.

Kate Elliott puts together a strange and complete fantastic world in The Witch Roads. Deputy Courier Elen and her nephew get swept into imperial intrigue as she guides an imperial prince through the wilderness. Then the prince's body is taken over by a haunt, a dragon spirit. What could go wrong? The prince was set up to fail. The trail is very dangerous. Elen is guiding a party while she is trying to save her nephew a starting warden. Excellent plotting and magic settings. I am sure there will be a sequel.

• when a prince with an attitude problem gets stuck in elen’s town as part of a politically messy situation, elen in her job as deputy courier (who was once a child slave from a far-off land) must lead the prince to his destination. when elen warns him not to enter the haunted spires, he doesn’t listen, and is not the man he was when he returns. elen, the prince, and an entourage of other characters follow a path full of danger, detours, and other misadventures. can elen lead them all to safety, and protect those she loves at the same time?
• nothing brings me more joy than a story of a rag-tag group heading on an adventure, and dealing with whatever comes their way! this was so fun, and it was cool to learn about the world through the journey.
• i particularly liked elen’s relationship to her nephew, kem. this was a really complex part to the story, and helped me understand elen better.
• i need book 2 now!!!

Ahoy there me mateys!  One of Kate Elliott's best skills is world building and here it truly shines.  Her other excellent skill is characterization.  This book is the first in a duology and I loved it!  Plus the bonus is that the second book comes out later this year so there isn't a long wait.

This story follows Elen, "El", a courier on a monthly dangerous route that she has been traveling for 10 years.  This time, her nephew, Kem, is with her.  Soon he must select a career upon his majority.  The society has a class-based structure and once a career is chosen, it is for life.  He wants to see if being a courier is for him.  Besides delivering mail and news, El also checks the route for any deadly Spore of the Pall.  This Spore is deadly to all life, creates monstrosities, and can spread quickly if not located in time.

Things don't go quite as planned when El and Kem get home.  Kem's high status father has tracked him down to the town of Orledder Halt.  El had been hiding Kem for good reason.  Then a high class visiting prince surprises the town by arriving unannounced.  Chaos ensues and El is trying to keep her and Kem safe.  She is assigned to take the prince to his destination.  Only problem is that the prince doesn't listen and is taken over by an ancient spirit.  If anyone finds out then El and Kem are dead.

The majority of this book is in the form of a travelogue.  Usually I am not a fan of that type of quest but this was an exception.  The world the party travels though is fascinating and feels so lived in.  The Spore and the consequences make the journey fraught with peril.  The interpersonal dynamics of the group as well as the hierarchy in status makes for fantastic and compelling reading.  I loved learning the history of the land generally and of El's past specifically.

There were two very small flaws.  Kem's angry attitude towards his aunt about her keeping his father from him was a bit wearying given how much the father sucked.  Also El gets away with a myriad of small and large behaviors that go against the class order and it seemed unrealistic at times.  Some may also not enjoy the cliffhanger ending.  I happened to love the ending and am excited for the next book.  Arrr!

4.5 rounded up

Thank you, TOR and Kate Elliott, for this ARC.

This is classic, old-school high fantasy at its finest. The kind where you’re a little lost at first, but then everything clicks into place in the most satisfying way. Kate Elliott masterfully builds a world that’s immersive, rich, and so well-written you lose track of time while reading.

The slow burn between Elen and the haunt was deliciously restrained: subtle, emotional, and never overtaking the plot. And no spice here, just a deeply compelling connection that simmers beneath the surface.

The characters? Flawless. Each one is fully realized, with motivations and actions that make perfect sense. And shoutout to the mid-30s FMC who actually acts her age: mature, thoughtful, and layered.

Expect:
🌒 Slow-burn, no-spice romance
🗡️ Thoughtful, slow-moving plot with bursts of action
📖 Zero plot holes, high immersion
🧙‍♀️ A high fantasy heroine with real depth

This is the kind of fantasy that rewards your patience. I’m so glad I already have book 2 lined up because I need more.

At the end of this book I felt quite torn: I liked where the story ended up but we took far too long to get there.

First with the good, the world-building here is solid. I got a real sense of the people and the places they lived in. There's some really interesting concepts here, like the Pall, a fog-like entity that can cause "spore" to form. Spore can quickly overtake and mutate whatever it touches, making it a very dangerous thing.

I also liked that the main protagonist is a woman in her 30s. She's very confident in her abilities and is well-respected. The "Haunt" character was charming and intriguing. I also liked that Elen had flaws (as well as her sister Ao) that we learn as the story goes on.

My biggest issues are that the book feels very long. As Elen and the party make their journey, there is so much repetition. Elen's viper stirs. Kem is mad. Xilis and Jirvy snipe at each other. Someone reminds Elen that she's not of the same class as the others. I also just found Elen to be bland. She doesn't have a lot of personality, and while I understand she's supposed to be a salt-of-the-earth type, it didn't translate well. She also does completely out of character things where she says things wildly out of pocket, gets berated for it, and then does it again. I liked the Haunt and her both having something hidden, but the romance that blossomed felt forced, especially his speech at the end.

There also was a lot of world-building that relied on chapters that had history of the world or characters asking questions and getting answers. I much prefer an organic world-building and more mystery. There's a chapter in the end that explains Elen and her sister's origins, but I didn't feel like it was needed. I had already gleaned a lot of it through the story, and the pacing was kneecapped by the long chapter that was inserted.

Overall, I did enjoy it, though it was a bit of a slog at times. I don't think I'll read the second book as the ending didn't compel me all that much. The world and history Elliott has constructed is impressive and I think her writing was quite good.

I had a great time reading The Witch Roads. We follow El and Kem along with the Prince (ew), who turns into the Haunt (yay! I love him), and the prince's Wardens as they travel to a faraway place that only El can navigate them to. I love El, and loved learning about her past and some long-held secrets that she slowly reveals throughout the story. Kem is cool, the Wardens grew on me by the end, and man, the Haunt, I loved him!

The world-building is amazing, and I have a feeling that in the next installment, we will be getting even more, along with even more character development. And we will get an answer to what the Haunt was trying to figure out on this journey. I can't wait to read the next book!! I don't know if this will be a duology or a full series, but I will be reading every one. I NEED to know what is going on and what is going to happen next.

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliot



This is the beginning of a series, and it looks to be a real winner. In a world of Pall and Spore, El is trying to keep Kem alive and well. El is a Courier which means she travels the countryside delivering messages and watching for Spore. She and Kem overnight in a set of Spires. The Spires are towers that can be found elsewhere but the ones El overnights in are the most complete she knows of. These specific Spires have an array of statues that may contain a Haunt and that is where the fun begins.



Elliot is unsurpassed in her world creation. She populates it with interesting and complex characters. The set is carefully staged to draw you into and immerse you in the carefully crafted plot. There is abundant action along with thought provoking scenarios.



I highly recommend the book and can’t wait for the next volume.

The Witch Roads, by Kate Elliot, is the first book in a fantasy duology, and it’s hard for me to imagine anyone not picking up book two; The Witch Roads is that much fun. Filled with strong characters, set in an intriguing world, and rife with vivid detail, it’s one of my most enjoyable reads over the past few months.

In this world, two past events play a major role. One is a bit mysterious due to how long ago it occurred, blurring the line between history and myth and utter bollocks. A basic version, not necessarily wholly correct, is that long ago there was a group of sorcerer kings who wielded great power to ill ends and eventually had to be forcibly stopped at great cost. The second event is more concrete in that its first occurrence occurred within generational memory, and it continues to exist and have an impact. This was the arrival of “The Pall”, a malevolent and dangerous cloud or mist that appeared 130 years ago and tore through the Tranquil Empire. The Pall brings with it the Spore, a fungus-like agent that seeks out any life and rapidly transforms it into monstrous shape. The Pall still pools in areas of the Empire like a lake, runs through other areas like a river, and in some areas has retreated or even disappeared entirely, though the reasons remain a mystery. Spore remains a danger in areas even without the Pall’s presence, and the people are on constant lookout for any signs of it, attempting to eradicate any outbreaks immediately (not always successfully, leading to numerous deaths). Two refuges from the Pall and Spore are “heartstone” and the Imperial Roads (the “Witch Roads” of the title), which seem impervious.

Into this setting comes our main character El, an imperial courier who has walked the same route for years, delivering messages and official dispatches and patrolling for Spore. Her sister died recently, leaving her as guardian to her nephew Kem, a young trans boy who at 17 is facing his Declaration Day, where he decides what role he’ll take on in society. To give him a taste of the courier’s life, El has taken him on her most recent journey, and the book opens with them nearing home. They camp for the night in an ancient structure known as the Spires, and El encounters a “haunt”, a spirit of the past who tells her something has disturbed his dormancy and asks to “borrow” the body of Kem to find out what that is. El refuses, not trusting the spirit. But shortly thereafter, an extremely arrogant High Prince hires her to guide him to an outpost at the Empire’s edge, and when they visit the Spires, the haunt takes possession of the prince’s body (luckily the prince’s route dovetails with the spirit’s own needs). The rest of the journey involves a number of elements: the relationship between the haunt and El, which grows ever closer; the relationship between El and Kem, which thanks to revelations from the past grows ever more fraught; political/court intriguing which throws up obstacles before the prince and endangers his and his retinue’s lives; the mysterious danger that disturbed the spirit, and those revelations of El’s past, and the ripple effect her past actions have.

The characters are well-developed, particularly the haunt and El, and their relationship, if bit insta-quick (long a pet peeve of mine), is engaging and enjoyable and thanks to the ethics of possessing a body, a slow, platonic burn. And throughout it all runs more than a little tension and suspense as El is never really sure how much to trust him. This was probably my favorite aspect of the book. Outside their relationship, both are wonderful character creations on their own. El is a no-BS kind of person, which causes all sorts of issues in the strict hierarchy of the Empire (for instance, she is not even supposed to directly address the prince; he has a person — The Interlocuter — who acts as a buffer between him and the lowlies (pretty much everyone). She also sharp and intelligent. Which makes her a good match for the haunt, who is that as well and shares her wry sense. His attempt to learn how to act add some welcome humor to the story, as well as some built-in tension since the more he strays from cultural norms or the prince’s own personal traits, the more likely it is he gets caught.

The relationship between El and Kem is relatable and feels quite natural in its ups and downs; he feels like a real teenager. And other characters in the retinue are nicely drawn, particularly the interlocutor Luviara (who is also a scholar and a theurgist—their version of a magic user), even if they get less attention.

The world-building is fascinating, and I enjoyed how it is doled out little by little but also how we’re never fully on firm ground with it: which stories, if any, are true about the sorcerer-kings? How much of what the haunt relates of his time period can be trusted? What do these people (and therefore we the readers) really know about the Pall or Spore? We’re given information, but we really don’t yet know how much of that is providing us actual answers. Some readers may find that frustrating; personally I loved it. And it’s also a great way to structure a duology.

Pacing is good throughout. It is a journey book, so if travel-obstacle-travel-obstacle isn’t your cup of tea (to be clear, that description is overly reductive), this may not be the book for you. But I found the character interaction scenes nicely balanced by more action scenes. I read through it in a single sitting and enjoyed it all the way through. The ending, in good book-one fashion, both resolves some elements of the plot and leaves other questions hanging, to be answered in book two. I for one can’t wait for it. Highly recommended.

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott is not your typical fantasy adventure. It’s something far more intimate and unexpected.

At its heart, it’s the story of Elen, a courier who finds herself tasked with guiding a prince and his wardens through dangerous lands. The plot is deceptively simple. We follow the group from village to village, listening in on their conversations and piecing together the world through their interactions.

What sounds like a boring premise is actually a unique way of telling Elen’s story. Kate Elliott doesn’t hold your hand. She throws you into the world and lets you figure things out alongside Elen. Slow reveals are layered throughout the dialogue and Elen’s reminiscences about her life. Those slow reveals make you keep reading. You need to know where it all leads. While we don't see much of the political intrigue or Elen's history on the page, the discoveries hinting at these tropes made through conversation are brilliant.

This is a book to savor, not rush through. I found myself reading just a few pages a day through which I got to know Elen and her life intimately. And by the end, I was so attached that I was crying with her. That ending? How? When is Book 2 coming out? I need it yesterday!

The worldbuilding is surprisingly deep for a story that’s "just" about walking along a road. We only catch a few glimpses of the magic system, but the hints we get are fascinating. I can’t wait to see more of it in the sequel. Epic in nature with lots of eerie and ominous moments followed by light banter and great found-family relationships.

My one major gripe: Why does it always have to be rape? It’s a tired trope, and the story is strong enough without it.

If you’re looking for a fantasy that’s more about people than plot, where every conversation feels like a puzzle piece, you should definitely give The Witch Roads a try. Just maybe wait until Book 2 is out…

5/5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for granting me early access!

I was in a major book slump and this was the book that got me out of it. I do not know of this author and have not heard of the book, but I read the synopsis and was intrigued. I am so glad I took a chance on this book and was pleasantly surprised that it made me tear up in certain parts. I cry with you Elen. I love these characters, even if some of the characters were infuriating.
This world is complex and frankly kind of horrifying with the existence of a fast moving spore infection, which kind of reminds me of The Last of Us so all the more terrifying.
The majority of this book will take place on a journey to someplace that is a secret to us readers and known only to the Prince and the haunt, who inhabits the Prince's body. I loveeeeeeeee the haunt and Elen together. To anyone wondering if there is any romance, I would say yes, but it's kind of sort of complicated. The story ends at a reasonable stopping point, but I am itching for the next installment because I need to know what happens next. I will be keeping the next book on my radar as to when it comes out.

I haven’t liked an epic fantasy so well in a while! It’s a doorstop of a book and I can’t wait for book two. I found Elen quite likable. She’s nobody important but she knows her work, does it well and really just seems to want a peaceful life for herself her orphaned nephew. But epic fantasy books are about people with a steady job and peaceful happy life so it’s time for things to be dumped on her! And she handles them as well as anyone could.

I loved how the worldbuilding was slowly spooled out as the story went along, and how entwined it was with the gradual reveals of Elen’s past. I really liked how grounded this book felt in the life of a relatively ordinary person in a fantasy setting. The Pall and the Spore are intriguing and interesting elements, and the characters were really well-drawn.
I loved Elen’s relationships with both Kem and the haunt, as well as the fact that she was a protagonist in her thirties instead of a teenager. (Nothing wrong with teenage protagonists, it’s just great to see something else for a change!). The casual queer representation and how normal it was in-universe was also amazing. This is a great book for readers looking for a slower fantasy that is engrossing but not too action packed. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the cliffhanger resolves in the sequel, and finding out more about the world as the characters do.

3.5 hearts

A story set in a world where some live in a land floating through the sky, others live on the mortal plane and then some live in darkness, in the underworld. All these worlds collide in The Floating World when, Ren, girl in hiding from those who would kill her in the Float City, uses a power she didn't realize she had to kill a demon. Sunho, a mercenary, has been sent to find her and bring her to the General's son alive. Based on the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens, the first book of The Floating World blends great imagery for world building with RPG type fights and an engaging story of family and new friends.

Ren has lived a relatively sheltered life and in many ways is innocent to the ways of the world. She has trained as an acrobat and storyteller in a traveling trope and has been loved these last ten years after being found wandering and afraid of everyone. When a demon attacks the small village she is performing in and injures her little uncle, a boy barely older that her, she saves him by releasing a power she has been holding inside of her. But his injuries are lingering and Ren is determined to go into the underworld and try and find a cure for her family.

Sunho is a mercenary by trade, hopping from team to team and never getting close to anyone. He doesn't have any memories past two years ago, but he remembers he has a brother and is desperate to find him. Sunho has a secret; there is a demon living inside of him. He keeps it at bay but it has added to his strength and healing, helping him in his current profession. Mercenaries have been sent to kill the girl who produced the light that could be seen from the underworld, the Celestial Maiden in hiding. Sunho has been hired by the son of the General to make sure he finds her and brings her in alive. In an interesting twist of fate, Ren helps Sunho when he is injured and he agrees to help take her to the underworld to find a cure for her uncle.

As they travel together, they build a friendship and bond of trust. Sunho doesn't realize she is the girl he is supposed to find and deliver and Ren knows he is hiding something about himself. They journey to try and find a way to save some of the only family Sunho has left and discover that while the mask Ren wears is real, everyone wears a mask of some kind. Both Ren and Sunho become stronger together and start to remember their pasts and the people in them.

There are some things that really worked for me in this story. I loved the worldbuilding portions of it. The descriptions of the city, the imagery of the floating city, and the underworld are really well done. I like the beginning of the story and how it set up Ren's love of the family who found her and made her their daughter and also gave us a few of the terror and damage a single demon could inflict. I enjoyed the slow build romance between Ren and Sunho as they become close to each other in their travels and slowly peel away the layers of themselves. The action and rollercoaster ride of the last thirty percent of the book with the reveals of both Sunho's and Ren's pasts were done really well.

While most of the story is devoted to Ren and Sunho, there is a small section for the General's son. He was probably the most interesting character to me since he knew Ren when they were children. There is a tie between them, a friendship from the past, but he is torn on how to proceed. His internal conflict and interactions with his cohort were some of the most interesting to me since it is unclear if he will help Ren or deliver her to his father.

The things that didn't work quite as well for me include the third person narration, which made it hard to connect to the characters in the beginning. The use of the term Little Uncle and Big Uncle also just felt weird to me, but that is probably a cultural choice the author went with. I have not read much Korean based lore so I was new to the language for some of the honorifics used in the story. I think the pacing in the middle of the book could have been worked out a little. There is a solid engaging start and then the book slows in pacing until the last thirty percent. These are minor issues to be sure and some are just my reading preferences.

Overall, this is an interesting tale that feels a bit Young Adult but has something in it for mature readers as well. I didn't know the legend of Celestial Maidens but liked the telling of it in this story and was a little surprised by the ending revels. I look forward to the next book of the series to see how our intrepid heroes manage.
He had a thought that if she couldn't control it, she might burn him. But he didn't care. He would burn for her.


Narration:

Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: None

Eden Jun is a new to me narrator and probably a new to everyone narrator as this seems to be her first narration. She fit the age for Ren well and has a solid narration voice. Because this was a third person narration, sometimes it could be a little difficult to tell a few of the voices apart to know who was talking. The timber of her voice or accent was pleasant and overall I think she did a great job, but with a little more time and seasoning she should get even better as a narrator.