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A review by dreamreader
Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a book that rewards patience, especially if you've never read Kate Elliott before. If you are a brand new reader to the fantasy genre, I would not recommend that you start here, as this is a long, somewhat slow opening to a series, one that is mostly character driven and does not fully show the workings of the plot until close to the end of the novel. But if you can stick it out to the end, you'll get some pretty great reveals and excellent payoff, as I have found to often be the case with this author.
There were some areas that I struggled with in this book. Not all of the characters are lovable, or even likable. I hated spending time in some of their heads. But I also love the way Elliott does most of her world-building through her characters, and so you really do need the convergence of their diverse ideologies and beliefs to understand how this world works. The characters are nuanced and often deeply flawed, and felt more realistic because of this. Elliott's female characters continue to stand out as some of the best in fantasy. They are dedicated and compassionate, but also willing to take risks and stand up for themselves and others. Some of them are loud in their strength, while others are quiet. I loved them all.
I had some small issues with the timeline in this book. Around midway through, there is a character who seems to be in several places at once. It took me a bit of calculating to realize that Elliott was giving us a series of events from one perspective, and then skipping back in time to show those same events (or that same period of time) from another perspective. Once I worked that out, I was okay moving forward.
It's baffling to me that Elliott's books have generally such low average ratings. I think she's an amazing fantasy author, and I'm excited to continue on in this series, especially since the ending set up the stakes of the conflict beautifully.
There were some areas that I struggled with in this book. Not all of the characters are lovable, or even likable. I hated spending time in some of their heads. But I also love the way Elliott does most of her world-building through her characters, and so you really do need the convergence of their diverse ideologies and beliefs to understand how this world works. The characters are nuanced and often deeply flawed, and felt more realistic because of this. Elliott's female characters continue to stand out as some of the best in fantasy. They are dedicated and compassionate, but also willing to take risks and stand up for themselves and others. Some of them are loud in their strength, while others are quiet. I loved them all.
I had some small issues with the timeline in this book. Around midway through, there is a character who seems to be in several places at once. It took me a bit of calculating to realize that Elliott was giving us a series of events from one perspective, and then skipping back in time to show those same events (or that same period of time) from another perspective. Once I worked that out, I was okay moving forward.
It's baffling to me that Elliott's books have generally such low average ratings. I think she's an amazing fantasy author, and I'm excited to continue on in this series, especially since the ending set up the stakes of the conflict beautifully.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Slavery