The Very Best of Kate Elliott is a great compilation of shorter works written by science-fiction and fantasy author Kate Elliott (of the Crown of Stars and Spiritwalker series) over a 20-year span. Best known for her stories that feature strong female lead characters who often defy the conventions of their particular world, Elliott writes that at an early age, she made a decision to "to populate my stories with whatever characters I wanted, especially ones who represented people like me." There are women who are willing to take extreme risks and endure tortuous personal suffering to protect the ones they love, twin sisters who face a difficult dilemma and endure a dramatic solution to protect their queendom, women who engage in forbidden sexual pleasure and those who just want to experience the full realm of freedom--a concept held only by the men of their tribe.
Elliott draws on a wealth of mythical and magical lore from around the world to flesh out her characters, who dabble in herbal witchcraft or believe in magic, and her settings, in which readers can find essences of Asia and the Middle East, hints of Medieval Europe and far-off futuristic lands. 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. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer