With richly detailed world-building and excellent descriptive writing, this book pulled me in and didn't let me go. It's not a fast-moving fantasy book, truly moves at the speed of a walking party, but I couldn't put it down. The setting and cast of characters were woven together so wonderfully, in that I could easily understand the social dynamics of the world through how characters spoke to one another. The slow-build of the friendship/romance between the haunt and our main character really pulled at my heartstrings as well. I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for part 2!! Thank you so much to the folks at TOR who reached out to me about this book!

I absolutely loved this story. Elen, the main character, gets swept up into a journey with one of the royal princes. The prince gets changed after an encounter at the Spires and is no longer the same man who started out on the journey. Elen and her nephew Kem lead the prince to his destination after many days journey. After reaching the destination there is a major upset in the situation and it leaves the perfect stepping point into the next book. The 'magic' system in the book is well thought out but there is still plenty of information to be learned, as Elen is finding out. Excellent book!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I read “The Keeper’s Six” and am familiar with Elliot’s writing. I felt like it aligned, so fans will be pleased. It’s heavy on the telling narrative style, heavy on the world, light on the plot, which seems to be Elliot's MO. Great worldbuilding, thoughtful character development. It doesn’t feel like it works as a stand-alone so isn’t quite right for our libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

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

Wow. I loved this. LOVED THIS. The Witch Roads is the best fantasy by an author new to me that I’ve read in years.

“Life is so brief, the wind murmured. Let your heart swell to fill the moments you have.” (ch 55 of the advance reader copy)

Elen is a courier who has walked the same route each month for ten years. She survived a terrible childhood and young adulthood, escaping from danger more than once with her beloved sister. Her sister has since died in a terrible accident, and Elen’s only family is her teenaged nephew Kem. It is time for Kem to Declare for a profession, and Elen takes him on her route so he can see what being a courier is like. They stop overnight at a place with a mysterious reputation, and a haunt reveals itself to Elen while Kem is asleep. Soon after she finds herself escorting a prince and his entourage on a dangerous journey – but the prince is now controlled by the haunt.

Refreshingly, the main character is an adult woman (in her 30s) and the teenagers are treated as young adults who still have things to learn. This a thoughtful, slow-moving fantasy that carefully spins out the tale. The world building is good without being overly detailed. There are a lot of intriguing characters that are distinct enough that I had no trouble telling them apart. They have depth. I felt like any one of them could have been the main character.

“Hope was a liar, so she’d trained herself to love what was present around her and let the rest go. To live where her feet were placed.” (ch 65 of the ARC)

Although the story is slow moving, there is plenty of believable action. I relished every page. The covers are gorgeous, and I loved the chapter lengths. They seemed just about perfect if I needed to find a good place to stop. I frequently don't even notice chapter headings but enjoyed the ones in this book (e.g., Of Course He Was Handsome, Should They Live That Long, Don’t Look Down, Intrusive and Rude). The humor in this story was just right for me. Not crude, but often deliciously subtle.

The Witch Roads was also a timely read for me, right now in what seems like terrible times.
“There were people who used their wicked power to rule. Well, not even to rule, but to take and trample, to blight and to bleed life out of living things in order to extend and expand their own. As long as they shone brightly in their own eyes, in their own fastnesses, they cared not if they cast the world into darkness and despair and disorder.”
“And then what happened?”
“The usual story. Those who opposed them, fought them, even though it must have seemed a futile war. Still, honorable people will stand up when they must. In the end, the honorable people won, although at a terrible cost.”
(ch 55 of the advance reader copy)

I’ve read only one other book by Elliott, the novella The Keeper’s Six, which I enjoyed. I’m excited that I now have a bunch of other books by her to read. The Witch Roads reminded me of two books I’ve read recently by Martha Wells, Witch King and Wheel of the Infinite (both of which I loved).

I read an advance reader copy of The Witch Roads from Netgalley. My biggest complaint is that is scheduled to be published on June 10, and then how long will I have to wait for the sequel? (It very much ends in the middle of the story.) I will reread it right before the sequel is published! The Witch Roads will be available for checkout at the Galesburg Public Library.

Kate Elliott triumphantly captures the spirit of epic fantasy in The Witch Roads, with a moving story, compelling characters, and a world full of adventure, mystery, and ancient magic that is just begging to be explored. This is the kind of book that you just want to get lost in, with deputy courier Elen's peril-filled journey across the richly described lands of the Tranquil Empire in service to a haughty (now haunted) prince and company the perfect avenue to get embedded into the fabric of the story. Elliott weaves a tale thick with political intrigue, family secrets, class hierarchy, dangerous escapes, and a deeply strange, surprising, and touching friendship that will keep readers happily turning pages and marking their calendars for the release date of the second installment of this duology once they reach the shocking ending.

An easy recommendation for any fantasy collection.

I thought this was an ok book. It took a while to get started, which I don't mind but I didn't find it to be especially engaging.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I found it slow and hard to connect to the characters or storyline. About 50% in, I did stop reading because it just wasn’t holding my interest. I do appreciate the opportunity to read in advance.

DNF at 10% as I found this to be too slow paced and the story was really slow in picking up with not much happening.

Overall the story and characters were done well. I enjoyed the concept of the story and I am glad I was fortunate enough to read it early.