Title: The Witch Roads
Author: Kate Elliott
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Representation: Transgender
An altogether enjoyable read, Kate Elliott's The Witch Roads is a wonderfully imagined epic fantasy that combines stellar worldbuilding, a fantastic concept of magic, and one of the strongest casts of characters I’ve encountered in recent epic fantasy.
The heart of the story is Elen, a courier whose job is to patrol the perilous Witch Roads—ancient pathways with a strange, enduring magic that holds back the deadly Pall, a fog that spreads Spore infections and mutates everything it touches. As loyal to the memory of her dead sister as to her nephew, Kem, she still feels like an outsider in so many ways, but loves the open road of her rounds. Things look rough when her journey intersects with a haughty prince, but enter a mysterious spirit known as a haunt, and suddenly things get very interesting.
The characters are where this book truly shines. Elliott makes every relationship matter—whether it’s the complicated family bond between Elen and Kem (who is quietly transgender), the fraught trust-building with the haunt, or the tense clashes with members of the prince’s retinue. Their conversations, secrets, and shifting loyalties create a sense of intimacy that balances beautifully with the scale of the epic world around them. The characters really come alive, and while some remain enigmatic mysteries (deliberately, I suspect), others grow and evolve throughout the journey.
The mythology and magic are equally compelling. The Witch Roads themselves are steeped in mystery, the Pall and its Spore outbreaks create a subtle sense of dread, and the lingering echoes of sorcerer-kings and long-buried histories add a layer of mystery. Rather than relying on heavy-handed exposition, Elliott reveals her lore in fragments, letting the reader piece it together like a puzzle—which makes the setting feel both ancient and alive.
The narrative momentum flags a bit entering the second half, with travel sequences and repeated interactions beginning to blur together, but not so much that I felt myself growing impatient or dissatisfied—especially not with the big reveals near the end. It's a captivating start to the duology with its vivid characters, fresh take on fantasy mythology, and quietly powerful relationships. If you enjoy character-driven epic fantasy with unique magic and a strong emotional core, this is absolutely worth the read.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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