The Very Best of Kate Elliott

by Kate Elliott

Overview

?“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.”
—Book Smugglers

Kickass heroines and riveting storytelling are the calling cards of groundbreaking fantasy author Kate Elliott (Crown of Stars, Crossroads, Court of Fives). In this long-awaited retrospective collection, her bold adventuresses, complex quests, noble sacrifices, and hard-won victories shine in classic, compact, satisfying 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616961794
Publisher:	Tachyon Publications
Publication date:	02/10/2015
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Kate Elliott is the author of the bestselling epic fantasy series Crown of Stars, the Crossroads Trilogy, and the Spiritwalker series, as well as the Court of Fives and Black Wolves young adult series. She writes fantasy, science fiction, and steampunk, and has received the Nebula and Locus awards. Elliott met her future husband during a sword fight, and they now live in Mililani, Hawaii, where she engages in competitive outrigger canoe paddling.

Read an Excerpt

From the original story to this collection, "On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New"

Out on the water, paddling a canoe, the four women could speak without fear of being overheard. It was a windy day, sloppy water instead of steady swells, and their canoe battled an east wind blustering in over the bay. Mai set paddle to water, pulled, and lifted it out and forward to cut back in again, following the rhythm of the woman in the first seat.

“There’s a spy in Bronze Hall,” said the woman in the seat behind Mai.

“What makes you think so, Tesya?” Mai called the question back over her shoulder.

“Yesterday Marshal Orhon’s courier bag went missing. The bag contained his orders for which reeves were to shift station, which to come home to roost, and which to stay where they were and what routes they were to patrol. Good information if you were wanting to trap reeves stationed out in isolated eyries.”

“Orders can be changed,” said the woman in the first seat, Zubaidit.

“Neh, it’s worse than that,” said Tesya. “There are eyries which are well hidden. Observation posts known only to Bronze Hall reeves. Not even fawkners like me know them. Those places have been kept secret for generations. Furthermore, the marshal’s cote is locked and guarded at night. There’s no shoreline to bring up a boat, and no lights anyway. No one could have stolen it except someone who lives on the island.”

Mai blinked eastward into the wind. The barrier islands lay too far away to be seen except for scraps of cloud caught on their low peaks. “So you believe a reeve, a fawkner, or one of the hall-sworn stewards stole it. If that’s so, then who is the spy working for?”

“I think we all know the answer to that, don’t we, Mai?” said Tesya too sharply.

Before Mai could answer, a set of choppy waves rocked the canoe. The long float lashed by wooden arms to the left of the canoe skipped twice on the water’s surface.

In the last seat, steering, old Fohiono spoke brusquely. “Get your minds back in the boat, sisters. Weather’s coming up. Best we turn back to shore.”

The steerswoman angled her paddle against the curve of the hull. The canoe swept a wide half circle. Mai called a change, and they each swung their paddle over to the other side, Mai paddling opposite Zubaidit and Tesya. As the canoe straightened, Zubaidit set them a steady pace for the town of Salya, barely visible as a scar of brown walls and white stone against the vibrant green of the mainland.

They paddled for a while in silence. Sweat and sun and spray glistened on Zubaidit’s brown back. Out on the bay Zubaidit usually stripped down to just her linen kilt. It was easy to see her muscles working as she cut the paddle in and out of the water.

Eventually Mai felt obliged to speak.

Table of Contents

"The Queen's Garden"
"Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine"
"Riding the Shore of the River of Death"
"Sunseeker"
"The Gates of Joriun"
"Making the World Live Again"
"Morlan"
"With God to Guard Her"
"A Simple Act of Kindness"
"To Be a Man"
"The Memory of Peace"
"My Voice is My Sword"

Reading Group Guide

From the original story to this collection, "On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New"

Out on the water, paddling a canoe, the four women could speak without fear of being overheard. It was a windy day, sloppy water instead of steady swells, and their canoe battled an east wind blustering in over the bay. Mai set paddle to water, pulled, and lifted it out and forward to cut back in again, following the rhythm of the woman in the first seat.

?There’s a spy in Bronze Hall,” said the woman in the seat behind Mai.

“What makes you think so, Tesya?” Mai called the question back over her shoulder.

?Yesterday Marshal Orhon’s courier bag went missing. The bag contained his orders for which reeves were to shift station, which to come home to roost, and which to stay where they were and what routes they were to patrol. Good information if you were wanting to trap reeves stationed out in isolated eyries.”

?Orders can be changed,” said the woman in the first seat, Zubaidit.

?Neh, it’s worse than that,” said Tesya. “There are eyries which are well hidden. Observation posts known only to Bronze Hall reeves. Not even fawkners like me know them. Those places have been kept secret for generations. Furthermore, the marshal’s cote is locked and guarded at night. There’s no shoreline to bring up a boat, and no lights anyway. No one could have stolen it except someone who lives on the island.”

Mai blinked eastward into the wind. The barrier islands lay too far away to be seen except for scraps of cloud caught on their low peaks. “So you believe a reeve, a fawkner, or one of the hall-sworn stewards stole it. If that’s so, then who is the spy working for?”

“I think we all know the answer to that, don’t we, Mai?” said Tesya too sharply.

Before Mai could answer, a set of choppy waves rocked the canoe. The long float lashed by wooden arms to the left of the canoe skipped twice on the water’s surface.

In the last seat, steering, old Fohiono spoke brusquely. “Get your minds back in the boat, sisters. Weather’s coming up. Best we turn back to shore.”

The steerswoman angled her paddle against the curve of the hull. The canoe swept a wide half circle. Mai called a change, and they each swung their paddle over to the other side, Mai paddling opposite Zubaidit and Tesya. As the canoe straightened, Zubaidit set them a steady pace for the town of Salya, barely visible as a scar of brown walls and white stone against the vibrant green of the mainland.

They paddled for a while in silence. Sweat and sun and spray glistened on Zubaidit’s brown back. Out on the bay Zubaidit usually stripped down to just her linen kilt. It was easy to see her muscles working as she cut the paddle in and out of the water.

Eventually Mai felt obliged to speak.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/01/2014
Elliott’s delightful first collection contains pieces set in the worlds of her major fantasy series—the Spiritwalker Trilogy, the Crossroads Trilogy, the Crown of Stars series, and the Jaran novels—as well as several standalone works and four essays about writing. No familiarity with any of the novels is required to understand the stories set in those worlds, but the existing settings lend depth, complexity, and intrigue to what might otherwise be simple tales. “Riding the Shore of the River of Death,” a bildungsroman about a young female horse-nomad who wants to be a warrior, benefit greatly from the depth of setting, as does the slapstick comedy “To Be a Man,” about a shape-shifting saber-toothed cat with an eye for the ladies. But the standalones especially shine, and the political intrigue and subtle humor that Elliott brings to the fascinating culture and government system of “The Queen’s Garden” make it perhaps the finest work in the book. This collection serves beautifully both as an introduction to Elliott and as a treat for fans who want more of her marvels. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

A Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Book
A Buzzfeed Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Book to Read
An io9 A Must-Read Science Fiction and Fantasy pick
A Fantasy & Science Fiction Book to Look For
A Barnes & Noble Bookseller’s Pick
Fantasy Literature Favorite Books of the Year
Locus Recommended Reading List: Best Collection

[STARRED REVIEW] “Elliott’s delightful first collection contains pieces set in the worlds of her major fantasy series—the Spiritwalker Trilogy, the Crossroads Trilogy, the Crown of Stars series, and the Jaran novels—as well as several standalone works and four essays about writing. No familiarity with any of the novels is required to understand the stories set in those worlds, but the existing settings lend depth, complexity, and intrigue to what might otherwise be simple tales. “Riding the Shore of the River of Death,” a bildungsroman about a young female horse-nomad who wants to be a warrior, benefit greatly from the depth of setting, as does the slapstick comedy “To Be a Man,” about a shape-shifting saber-toothed cat with an eye for the ladies. But the standalones especially shine, and the political intrigue and subtle humor that Elliott brings to the fascinating culture and government system of “The Queen’s Garden” make it perhaps the finest work in the book. This collection serves beautifully both as an introduction to Elliott and as a treat for fans who want more of her marvels.”
—Publishers Weekly

[STARRED REVIEW] “In this compendium, vibrant details, unusual names and quirky plot twists are evidence of Elliott's active imagination, which sets off on a kaleidoscopic journey into the multilayered realms of these fierce, brave and loyal women, offering new readers and those familiar with Elliott a delightful plunge into fantasy.”
—Shelf Awareness

“Powerful, vivid, masterful“The Very Best of Kate Elliott is a touchstone for the legacy of women in writing and in history.”
—San Francisco Book Review

“Some of the stories are set in the same worlds as her other series, others are completely separate. All are brilliant.”
—Inkspots on My Page

“The Very Best of Kate Elliott does an excellent job of displaying Elliott's multi-faceted creativity, her huge talent for inventing a variety of worlds without ever sacrificing the sparkling little details in each one that make her writing so compelling.”
—Katherine Kerr, author of the Deverry Cycle

“Elliott (Cold Steel; Labyrinth of Stars) has built a career out of creating memorable worlds and populating them with strong, amazing women (and the men who love them). While the longer form gives her a bigger canvas, Elliott proves here she can make those same fantastic worlds and characters in short form. . . . Elliott excels at describing her brilliant worlds, employing a meticulous eye for the significant detail that illuminates a whole landscape.”
—Library Journal

"Intricate and enthralling. This really is the best of Kate Elliott."
—Seanan McGuire, author of Rosemary and Rue

“Kate Elliot fits more rich and complex writing into her short pieces than many authors manage at novel length, tackling the social fabric of SF&F with clarity and grace.”
—Tanya Huff, author of the Keeper’s Chronicles and The Enchantment Emporium

“If you're a fan of Kate Elliott's fantasy novels, then you know she knows how to tell an epic. But remarkably Elliott is one of those rare writers who is also able to distill that sense of an epic fantasy novel into the short form. For fans of epic storytelling, this is a collection not to be missed.”
—John Joseph Adams, series editor of Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy and editor of Lightspeed Magazine

“Collecting stories set in worlds both familiar (including the settings of the Spiritwalker books and her Jaran quartet) and new, as well as non-fiction essays about writing, it makes an excellent introduction to the work of one of epic fantasy’s most reliably fantastic writers.”
—Barnes & Noble

“Elliott is a writer of remarkable talent and sensitivity. . . . This is, truly, a demonstration of the very best of Elliott’s abilities.”
—Fantasy Literature

“[Elliott’s] writing is gorgeously toned and filled with evocative imagery. She’s been a well-respected, prolific fantasy author for decades, and she’s no slouch with science fiction, either. (Also, she used to fight in the SCA in full freaking armor.)”
—Barnes & Noble.com,

“Lyrical prose, wrapping the reader up into each world with every syllable.... an excellent collection of short stories.”
—Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews

“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.”
—Snowflakes & Spider Silk

“A fantastic collection. . . . 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.”
—Fantastical Librarian

“Elliott’s characters dominate the pages, and live on when the stories are over. If this were the best of collection by an author who had published five hundred short stories you wouldn’t expect it to be any better.”
—Interzone

“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.”
—Book Smugglers

“Brilliant . . . a must-read for anyone who likes their women badass and their fantasy epic.”
—There Are Inkspots On My Page

“Fans of her novels should not hesitate to pick up The Very Best of Kate Elliott; readers new to her work can find the themes and style of the author in evidence in this collection....”
—SF Signal

“There is no better time than now to become acquainted with Kate Elliott’s wonderful worlds and I look forward to enjoying the perspective, voice, and talent she brings to epic fantasy for years to come.”
—A Dribble of Ink

“Extraordinary richness...this collection swiftly outpaces detailed discussion.”
—Locus

“[A] delicious collection.... A feminist titan in the fantasy/science fiction industry, Elliott's writing is just like magic!”
—Sufficiently Distracted


“It’s an absorbing read, for anyone who enjoys sci fi, fantasy, blending of the two, excellent characters, Elliot’s previous work, or dang good storytelling. Or all of the above.”
—Nerds in Babeland

From the Publisher

01/01/2015
Elliott (Cold Steel; Labyrinth of Stars) has built a career out of creating memorable worlds and populating them with strong, amazing women (and the men who love them). While the longer form gives her a bigger canvas, Elliott proves here she can make those same fantastic worlds and characters in short form. Some of the 12 stories come from her established universes, such as "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" from the world of "Crown of Stars," which is about a girl who prefers a warrior's life to the traditional role of wife and mother. There are also two slight stories from the author's "Jaran" sf series. But there are some great stand-alones, such as "A Memory of Peace," about a girl who brings a war-torn city to life, as well as four essays originally published online. VERDICT Elliott excels at describing her brilliant worlds, employing a meticulous eye for the significant detail that illuminates a whole landscape. This could be an enjoyable addition for large sf and fantasy collections.

Library Journal