For longtime science fiction and fantasy fans, Kate Elliott is a mainstay of the field. First published in the late 1980s as Alis Rasmussen, she found new success as Kate Elliott in 1992 and has been publishing under that name ever since. It’s no small feat to maintain a writing career that spans over three decades, let alone one in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
Given how long she’s been writing, reading Elliott’s books inadvertently provides insight into what was going on with the genres at the time they were published. Starting with portal fantasy and space opera with her earliest books before moving onto epic fantasy and later young adult, Elliott has written a little bit of everything. When you pick up one of her novels, you can rest assured that it’ll feature strong worldbuilding, interesting and diverse female characters, and romance. Even better, if you read through her catalogue in chronological order, you’ll witness how those themes and elements have evolved over time. Isn’t that fun?
If you’re new to Kate Elliott or weren’t aware of her extensive bibliography, here are a few recommendations to get you started.
The Novels of the Jaran
The first books released under her current pen name, Elliott’s Jaran novels explore themes of conquest from multiple perspectives. They begin with Tess Soerenson, a human woman from Earth. Set in the future, Earth is ruled over by an alien galactic empire. Tess isn’t just another regular woman, though. Her brother, Charles, is the only human duke within the empire. But make no mistake: He isn’t the most loyal cog in the system.
Charles has a rebellious streak and plans to lead a revolt against their alien overlords. Seeking to find her own place in the world, Tess travels to another planet that is less technologically advanced than Earth. There, she meets Ilya, the charismatic leader of the nomadic jaran tribes. He, too, has his own ambitions. He wants to bring the entire world—including the non-jaran peoples who live there—under his rule.
Black Wolves
If you enjoy tales of disgraced men trying to make up for their past deeds and mistakes, this book is for you. While the novel features a large cast of characters, it ultimately revolves around Kellas, the former captain of a legendary military band known as the Black Wolves.
More than twenty years ago, the Black Wolves were disbanded when the king they were charged with protecting was assassinated. Now living in exile, Kellas’s fortune changes when the dead king’s sister seeks him out. The king’s son, now a ruler himself, needs protection from a court that wants nothing more than to ensure he shares his father’s fate.
The Labyrinth Gate
Originally published under the name Alis Rasmussen, The Labyrinth Gate is Kate Elliott’s debut novel. A sort of alternate history Victorian portal fantasy, the novel introduces us to Sanjay and Chryse, a newlywed couple who receive a deck of tarot cards as a wedding gift. But these aren’t your regular tarot cards. They transport the pair to the world of Anglia. Sanjay and Chryse just want to go home, but their attempts to do so bring them to the attention of less-than-friendly parties, including an evil Regent, whose schemes include assassinating the princess under her care.
Most notable about this debut outing is Elliott’s alternate vision of Victorian society—which is more matriarchal than patriarchal, from the rulers to even key figures in the religion.
Court of Fives
Ninja Warrior-style tournaments, cross-cultural romance, and political intrigue take center stage in Elliott’s first young adult novel. Jessamy is the daughter of a commoner mother and a Patron father. Given that most of society would rather her father take a proper Patron wife and have sons instead of daughters, it’s imperative that Jessamy and her sisters keep their heads down and not cause any waves.
Unfortunately, impetuous and headstrong Jes wants nothing more than to participate in the Fives, a competition that promises fame and glory to its winners. Against this backdrop, Jes strikes up an unlikely friendship with Kalliarkos, a privileged Patron boy. But to no one’s surprise, both this relationship and her participation in the games draws the sort of attention that she should be doing her best to avoid.
A Passage of Stars
The first installment of the Highroad trilogy, this novel was also previously written under the name Alis Rasmussen. In fact, the Highroad trilogy overall serves as a prequel to the Jaran series. An early work, A Passage of Stars features several of what would become hallmarks of Elliott’s works. Headstrong female lead who doesn’t want to acquiesce with her family’s wishes. A strong romantic subplot. Layered explorations of cultural differences and politics.
Here, instead of the fantasy we normally associate with Kate Elliott these days, we explore outer space via the classic planetary romance subgenre of science fiction. In a nutshell, Lily doesn’t fit in with her rich family and wants nothing to do with her mother’s dreams of her getting married and having children. Instead, she’d rather practice martial arts. But when she witnesses her beloved mentor’s kidnapping, she embarks on a quest to rescue him. And it’s on this space-faring quest that she crosses paths with freedom fighters and revolutionaries against an enormous alien empire.
The Keeper's Six
Kate Elliott is known among fans for her ability to populate her novels with different types of female characters. No Smurfette Syndrome here! This novella features Esther, a grandmother whose son is kidnapped and who must take up an old mantle she put down a year ago. You see, Esther and her old gang have the ability to travel through the space between worlds but have been prohibited from doing so in the present time due to their previous exploits. But she’s not about to let that get in the way, not when her son’s involved. As we saw in The Black Wolves, many fantasy novels feature older men who return to a life they left behind. Why not women?
