Spirit Gate
Book One of Crossroads
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- ¥1,200
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- ¥1,200
Publisher Description
World Fantasy and Nebula Award finalist Kate Elliott breaks new ground in a brilliantly original new fantasy set in a unique world of fabled cities, mysterious gods, and terrible dangers. From the first page readers will be swept up in the story of Mai and Captain Anji, as they become unwitting players in a conflict that began many years earlier, and which will shake the foundations of their land.
For hundreds of years the Guardians have ruled the world of the Hundred, but these powerful gods no longer exert their will on the world. Only the reeves, who patrol on enormous eagles, still represent the Guardians' power. And the reeves are losing their authority; for there is a dark shadow across the land that not even the reeves can stop.
A group of fanatics has risen to devour villages, towns, and cities in their drive to annihilate all who oppose them. No one knows who leads them; they seem inhumanly cruel and powerful. Mai and Anji, riding with a company of dedicated warriors and a single reeve who may hold a key to stopping the deadly advance of the devouring horde, must try, or the world will be lost to the carnage. But a young woman sworn to the Goddess may prove more important than them all . . . if they are not too late.
A haunting tale of people swept up by the chaos of war, this is superlative fantasy adventure, rich in texture, filled with color and excitement, masterfully crafted by a brilliantly gifted storyteller.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The first book in Kate Elliott’s Crossroads trilogy gives us exactly what we want from an epic fantasy: vivid world-building, characters whose lives we care about, and fast-paced action. An ominous shadow is overtaking a land called the Hundreds, where the eagle-riding reeves patrol the skies on behalf of the all-powerful Guardians. Meanwhile, a refugee caravan embarks on a life-threatening desert crossing. With its subtle parallels to Middle East conflicts, Spirit Gate offers a compelling mixture of thrilling action and thought-provoking ideas about human nature, political corruption, and cultural clashes.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Elliott's elaborate first entry in a projected seven-book fantasy series introduces a once prosperous but now lawless land called the Hundred. Its godlike Guardians, who dispense justice, have disappeared; the eagle-riding Reeves, who have kept the peace, have lost authority; and a mysterious, ruthless new force preys on the towns and inhabitants of the Hundred and neighboring empires. But after years of dissolute behavior, a Reeve named Joss is regaining his will to defend his land. Meanwhile, Outlanders Captain Anji; his resourceful bride, Mai; and his well-trained band of Qin soldiers come to the Hundred by necessity. Elliott (Crown of Stars) crafts complex if not wholly original characters, including strong women who persevere in repressive, nonegalitarian societies. She is equally adept at outlining intricate religions and myths. This promises to be a truly epic fantasy.
