Score: ⅘

Pros:
Bold, confident world-building;
A unique protagonist perspective uncommon in SFF books;
Cons:
Mid-point exposition dump;
Minimal development of side characters;
Antagonist’s motivation left frustratingly unclear.

I recently had the chance to read and advance copy of The Keeper’s Six, by Kate Elliott, and I can sum up my feelings about it very simply: LOVED this book. It’s extremely rare to see a SFF book that both possesses a world as intricate as this one and deploys it with the confidence of The Keeper’s Six. From the beginning, Kate Elliott moves directly into the meat of the story without hesitation and only deploys information about the world a nugget at a time, trusting the reader to use those to comprehend the world without wasting time on lengthy lore-dumps.

Further, and perhaps more importantly, The Keeper’s Six, boasts a unique and well realized perspective in its main character Esther. While many (or perhaps even most) SFF books focus on a character in early adulthood, The Keeper’s Six finds Esther late in life, a sixty year old mother with four treasured grandchildren and a storied career as a magical mercenary. This serves as more than just set dressing - Esther’s age and experience inform her character on a fundamental level, presenting a compelling picture of a hyper-confident professional who’s seen it all…and is still haunted by it.

As much as I loved Elliott’s work, it’s not without its flaws. At one point about half way through the book, the self-assured world-building that had served as a central strength of the book breaks down temporarily, leading to a section that largely amounts to exposition disguised as a conversation. While this segment is somewhat redeemed by the context it takes place in (one of the characters is new to the treacherous and deadly realm Esther and her team travel through) and the events that follow, it’s hard not to view it as a fault, particularly relative to the resounding lack of such moment prior to this one.

Also, because of the books laser-focus on Esther, many of the supporting characters are left unexplored, despite being extremely interesting in their own right. Perhaps this will change in the future, as the ending of The Keeper’s Six, while satisfying in itself, does leave the door open for expansion in the future. Finally, the motivation of the antagonist is left somewhat vague, making the resolution of the central mystery of the book slightly less than satisfying.

All that being said, The Keeper’s Six is an easy recommendation for a fan of the fantasy genre. Newcomers my find themselves somewhat frustrated by is lack of explanation, but genre fans who are willing to let the world unfold one tidbit at a time will find a fascinating world and the compelling story of a confident woman who will face down any threat to reunite her family.

In my other life as a reviewer, I frequently get to cover brand new books sent to me by publishers. When Tordotcom offered me an early look at Kate Elliott's saga of a mother whose adult child has been kidnapped by dragons, I jumped at the chance to read it. The novel is just as excellent as its hook. Esther, a prickly and headstrong woman with adult children (and young grandchildren), is magically alerted to the danger that her son Daniel has gotten into. In order to save him, she has to bring together her old realm-wandering team, her Hex, who were forced into retirement because of a decision that Esther made. The dynamic in the group is tricky for Esther to navigate; she wouldn't change her choices, but she doesn't like the consequences all of them have had to face. The world that Elliott creates in a very short word count is captivating, but it's really Esther who's the reason to keep reading. She's a fully fleshed out person, not defined by her motherhood, or her career, or even her faith, though all those aspects make her who she is. She's also faced with a budding attraction to a man she just met at a time she really doesn't want to think about romance. That Elliott brought in all those aspects makes Esther utterly relatable, and I'd love to sit down and have coffee with her sometime. This novel just came out in January 2023, so it's likely to still be on the "new" shelves at your local bookstore or library!

Elliott delivers a highly entertaining romp across the multiverse in The Keeper's Six.

Esther leads a Hex, whose combined magical talents allow them to cross space and time in the perilous Beyond.

As the story opens, she awakens to a call for help from her Keeper son Daniel, who's been kidnapped by a dragon lord. Of course, she sets out to rescue him.

This book was a struggle for me. For such a short book, I felt like it was trying to do too much. At times it was focused on philosophy, worker’s rights, humor, never landing on a theme it wanted to fully explore. Often we were told what happened instead of being shown things, and the characters all felt very flat.

Book Summary:

Esther hasn't set foot in the Beyond in years – literally. She and her team have been banned from doing so. Yet that ban won't be enough to stop Esther once this latest bit of news hits her: her son has been kidnapped and dragged into the Beyond. No ransom note, just the cryptic clues he could leave behind before getting snatched.

To save her son, Esther will have to reassemble her team, race against time, and find creative solutions to problems the size of dragons.

My Review:

Okay, it's official. I will love anything Kate Elliot writes. The Keeper's Six is a standalone (for now) novella that depicts a complex world (well, worlds), dynamic family relationships, and dangerous backstories. It's SO MUCH, and it's perfect.

You would think that cramming that much into a novella would make it feel rushed, but it's anything but. I ate up every detail available and honestly wouldn't have minded a whole lot more. The magical system, characters, worlds, and even governments were all fascinating.

Then there's the plot – a bad-ass mom doing everything possible to save her (adult) son from imprisonment or worse. Gotta respect that! The subplots that stem from this core make it all the more fascinating; what I wouldn't give to see more of this world and those within.

Highlights:
Dragons!
Magical Family
Complex Magical System
Traveling Worlds/Dimensions
Bad-ass Mom

Trigger Warnings:
Kidnapping
Slavery

Interesting adventure story of a team that travels between dimensions to rescue a member from the clutches of a dragon mafioso, saving the day and ensuring true love triumphs.

The book is extremely heavy with world building, much of which is presented as an explanation to someone who doesn't know via dialogue. We are told about things over and over, and very little feels shown. The world is cool, but the plot and the characters suffered deeply.

We needed more length for the characters and plot to get their justice.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC.

This was a DNF, and I feel terrible with it being an ARC and all, but I just couldn’t get into it. I found the world building confusing, and the characters unlikable.

I’m not going to harp on it. It’s not that it’s a bad book, as I’ve read and enjoyed other books from Kate Elliot, it just wasn’t the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Kate Elliot for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

The Keeper Six reminded me to a ceritain movie, Everything, Everywhere, All At Once which I trully enjoyed the main story but hated the comedy because it didn't suit me. But, I loved this book. Everything was perfect, also this was such a good start for me to Kate Elliott's books, because this book wasn't so thick

Big fan of novellas but unfortunately this one did not work for me. I thought it was a standalone story but I kept feeling that I was thrown into the middle of a series and was generally confused most of the time. Others may really enjoy this but it was just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this piece book.

Elliot's latest is no Crown of Stars, but a well told tale, none the less.
It takes six to travel the Beyond. The Keeper, the Voice, the Gate, the Fire, the Lantern, and the Ghost.
The Keeper is the anchor and the rest have their necessary role or abilities.
When her son, the Keeper is snatched, Esther, the Lantern sets out to find him. Unfortunately, her Hex is under a travel ban for breaking a contract. A problem but not one that will stop her from setting out to rescue her son.

A few years ago, I read Kate Elliott's Unconquerable Sun. After enjoying the delight that was that novel, I promised I would read more of Elliott's work, and well, I have fallen short. At least until a couple weeks ago, when I read her latest novella. The Keeper's Six is a fun and exciting multi-dimensional romp that has layers that peel back in hindsight giving it a depth beyond its initial emotional satisfaction.

Esther is a member of a freelance hex, a cadre of six mages who can traverse the hostile spaces between worlds. Well, she was, until the Concilium suspended one of the very few Earth hexes for breach of contract. But when her son and Keeper of her hex, Daniel, is kidnapped by a dragon due to a perceived slight, she has to break the rules of her suspension. Zosfadel, a powerful dragon who kidnapped her son, wants her to return something he believes was stolen from his hoard, another dragon. It just so happens that this other dragon, Kai, is Daniel's husband, and Kai does not want to become one of Zosfadel’s things. So Esther, along with her hex, venture into the dark to disprove Zosfadel of his notions of ownership of another being.

The story is nothing if not extremely chaotic and entertaining. The dynamics of the Hex and the various parties they run into are well realized for such a short story. There is a history to the relationships. Sure you can spot some of the tropes, but Elliott doesn't lean on them and knows how to use them against the reader at times. There is the young wild card, the disgruntled close friend who's done with Esther's bullshit, the strong silent rogue with a kind unshakeable heart and a few others. It lets the reader slide in to engage with the emotional dynamics without Elliott having to force the characters on the reader. Sometimes the tension is ramped because you don’t know if someone is just itching for a fight, or exhausted from having to break the Concilium’s suspension.

The world is fun as Elliott displays realms landed within a void made of magic. Commerce between the various safety zones, independent cities and entire planets is regulated by the Concilium. One can only traverse the dangerous void of their own volition, but they can't seek safety from the rogue magic unless they have been certified by the powers that be. Esther's quest to save her son is made more dangerous because her hex is still under its ten year suspension. They have to find ways to trick their way past the guards and systems that seek to punish her hex for their previous crimes. While not necessarily nail biting, it did break up the traveling nicely, adding conflict beyond the interpersonal. Plus Elliott knows how to deliver the rules of her world in a way that doesn’t feel overly in your face. Sure, it can feel that way sometimes, but it’s alleviated by the voice of Esther and her sardonic delivery even though she respects the more natural laws.

The real treat, for me at least, was Esther’s constant disdain for the system she has to operate in. Instead of the usual brooding, with the suck it up and just do it mentality, Esther just goes around telling everyone what’s wrong with the system. She talks about dragons and their hoards as capitalist swine that need to be reigned in. Every conversation is an opportunity for Esther to reframe the narrative of her fantasy world to those around her. Obviously, this is not for everyone, characters and readers alike, but it added some charm. It also ruffles some folks feathers, or in this case scales, and leads to problems for Esther and her hex. Personally, I enjoyed it because it felt like a conversation Elliott was having with herself about the complicity of authors in their worldbuilding, and the industry that publishes those works. It isn’t completely thorough, and ends on a darker note, but that makes it feel more authentic. What can just one person do against a behemoth. Also, there is just something about a dragon who collects original copies of books from across the multiverse only to eat them and enslave the personalities contained within so no one else can experience them.

The Keeper’s Six uses the form of the novella to tell a good story while engaging in some introspection on the nature of the genre, worldbuilding and the industry. It’s a little wonky at times, and may be off putting for some people who don’t want to think about these things, but Elliot’s latest is a welcoming attempt. It features fun characters that feel like they have a history, and a world that feels new and exciting while containing just enough to make it feel relatable. The conclusion is pitch perfect given that some of the novel feels a little breezy in comparison. I, for one, would love to read more stories like this, and it definitely solidifies why I should really read more Kate Elliott.

Rating: The Keeper’s Six - 8/10
-Alex

I picked up this book because the idea of space dragons really drew me in. I mean, come on. SPACE. DRAGONS. I've never read anything by Kate Elliott, but I know that she has a plethora of work from science fiction to fantasy. I thought this might be a good jumping off point and I think that I'm a new fan.

The story follows Esther, a middle-aged woman who freelances with a group of people to travel to other universes. Yes, in this book, they don't travel through space, but they travel to multiverses and between the multiverses is a darkness that's called the Beyond.

This story felt very much like Star Wars meets Doctor Who. You have a group of people who travel across the mulitverse. You have a dragon who reminds me a lot of Jabba the Hutt, and you have a mother who is on a mission to free her adult son from the dragon and reunite him to his family. Along the way, you learn a lot about this world and it is...complex to say the least.

Traveling through the multiverses is something that requires a team of people to do successfully. Esther is part of a hex, a group of five or six people with different jobs and magical powers, that all work together to successfully cross the Beyond (the place between universes). If done right, then they avoid the nasty monsters and live. If done wrong, well, the Beyond has you now. And for a very long time, Esther and her crew have successfully accomplished missions for the universe's government body until recently when they were all suspended.

Going against their suspension, Esther and her hex travel through the Beyond to uncover more secrets behind her son's kidnapping and leads to some big truths behind the world that they exist in.

Much of the world building is info-dumped on you. The story jumps off right from the beginning, but as the reader continues to follow along, more information is shared in large swaths of info-dumping. While I'm not a huge fan of this, I actually appreciated the time to sit down and explain what's going on. I mean, this is also a novella and I feel like Kate Elliott did what she could with the restraints she put herself under. If anything, I think it would have benefited from the explanation before the events rather than after to avoid confusion over what happened.

This is one of those stories where I absolutely loved it and found myself completely confused. The world is huge and using both context clues as well as the info-dumps that she provides, you get a sense that there's way more happening than what you see on the page.

What really drew me in was the way the story unfolds like a flower. It seemed pretty straightforward in the beginning; Esther's on a mission to free her son from a dragon who has kidnapped him. But as the story unfolds, you find out that there's more happening here than what you expected. With themes of human (or in this case, species) trafficking, corrupt governments, dirty dealings, and enslavement, this is not just a book about a mother trying to free her son. It was the best part of the story and what really kept me intrigued. I wanted to find out more and there was so much more to uncover.

Overall, this was a great story wrapped in an enigma of storytelling. It intrigued me and had me reading, but it wasn't perfect. I will definitely check out more from Kate Elliott and this is just the beginning of my adoration for her writing abilities.

The Beyond is ever-shifting, a fluctuating space of deadly light and impassible dark, filled with dangerous creatures. An adventuring party must consist of six members in order to venture across the Beyond. One Gate (to open the way and find the paths in the shifting wilderness), one Ghost (who becomes a silent, intangible scout once in the Beyond), one Shotgun (the party's primary combatant), one Voice (the polyglot communications specialist), one Lantern (to light the way), and one Keeper (who remains behind at the group's Keep, maintaining a stable entry platform that bridges the Beyond and the solid reality of the Realms. These six members make a Hex. Why six? Something about the magic that the dragons use to travel through the Beyond on their own can only be replicated by a group of six. Too many more than that, and the Beyond can destabilize even further. Too few, and you can't be protected from the various monsters that call that nightmare place home.

Esther is a Lantern, but she's semi-retired. Her Hex was suspended from operating a year ago, leaving the rest of her closest friends out of work. One night, a mysterious phone call wakes Esther, a single word from David, her son and the Keeper of the Hex. Immediately, she springs into action to gather the other members of the Hex and rally at the Keep to gather information. David, it seems, has been kidnapped, leaving his spouse Kai and their children behind in the unguarded Keep. Someone has captured him, and Esther must journey across the Beyond to find the party responsible. While Marianne, Gus, Lydia, and Faye all answer Esther's summons, not all of the Hex is happy to see her again, especially since their suspension means that they're not technically supposed to be operating in the Beyond at all.

So begins a covert mission to find David and bring him safely home. After all, what wouldn't a parent do to protect their child?

Kate Elliott has crafted a phenomenal sci-fi novella with group mechanics reminiscent of a Dungeons and Dragons party. I'm fascinated by both the Beyond and the many Realms that it links, and I'm honestly sorry that this is my first time tackling one of her stories. I hope that she revisits this world again soon.

The Keeper's Six is out today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

My utmost thanks to Tordotcom for providing an eARC of this novella in exchange for a fair review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/01/17/the-keepers-six-a-review/

I wasn’t a big fan of Kate Elliott’s last book, The Servant Mage, but I really enjoyed this one. It’s an entertaining light fantasy that packs a lot into a relatively quick read.

The worldbuilding is the star here, and any description I give can only scratch the surface. The basic premise is that a multitude of different Realms, including our Earth, are joined by a perilous liminal space called the Beyond. Only a magical six-person team called a Hex can transport people and goods through this space. Each member of the Hex carries a particular aspect of the spell that binds them together as a functioning unit—Keeper, Gate, Voice, Lantern, Shotgun, and Ghost—and all are necessary to safely traverse the Beyond.

To me, it felt like the underpinnings of the book are essentially those of a role-playing game. A team of members with defined roles undertakes fetch/delivery and escort missions through strange and dangerous places? Sounds like an RPG to me! There’s even a brief mention of the possible existence of an item that enhances or grants skills and abilities.

As far as the plot goes, it’s a “let’s get the band back together” story. Esther’s Hex has been suspended from traveling the Beyond by the Powers That Be for violating the terms of their last contract. When her Hex’s Keeper, who also happens to be her son, is kidnapped from his own Keep, she’s determined to get him back no matter what. So, Esther calls her Hex together to enter the Beyond and rescue Daniel. When they find him, the kidnapper’s demands make it necessary for the Hex to travel on, returning to the scene of a fateful mission from their past.

Far from being a stock fantasy character, Esther is a grandmother who relies on her quick wits even more than her magic when her team is in trouble. Esther also isn’t a fan of the status quo when it involves injustice, and I love that she tends to make good trouble wherever she goes. What else would you call attempting to unionize the beings who serve a dragon in his hoard? 😆

At the conclusion of the story, Elliot hints at the possibility of more books featuring Esther and her Hex. I’m looking forward to it, because this one only scratches the surface of their characters, and I really wanted to know more about them. I’d also love to learn more about all the diverse worlds and beings that only get passing mentions here.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

It was good but it wasn’t my favorite book by the author. I’ve read many to most of her books even though I haven’t gone back through Goodreads at this time to add in 20-30 year old titles.
I felt that in comparison to Servant Mage, the novella the author wrote a year ago that this book had a less well fleshed out setting. Grant you that was mostly due to the more nebulous reality it was set in going between worlds magically versus being set in one defined fantasy world. I did find the main character understandable and sympathetic in this one. You can feel for even an aging parent to be willing to do whatever is needed for their child even if they’re an adult with kids themselves…. So given this a three star it’s ok rating versus a four star this is quite good rating is probably a little bit nitpicking but it’s just not as well balanced between character and setting as the author’s last novella so I’m rating it just slightly lower.
I will say if you want a good doorstop series going back and reading this author’s older books would be worthwhile if you didn’t read them the first time around. They were good and I remember them fondly.

The Keeper Six is a fun tome, filled with adventure, drama, and the awesome power of rugelach and Rules for Radicals.

Esther Green is a non-nonsense badass, part of a group of adventurers who travel the Beyond in search of contracts and cargo. When she gets a 2am call from her son David, saying he is being attacked and needs her help, Esther calls together her Hex, despite the fact that they have been suspended from traveling due to a decision she made without their consent. To get David back, the Hex will have to enter the Beyond and brave its dangers while accepting a job from a dangerous dragon-boss. Thus begins an exciting, engrossing story about love, adventure, and identity.

While Elliott's worldbuilding is phenomenal (see Servant Mage or her other novels for more evidence) and there is something truly special about reading a story about a middle-aged Laura Croft type, there's one scene in particular that sticks with me. Esther has tracked down David's kidnapper, a dragon who runs his own fiefdom in the Beyond, and negotiated with him a deal where the Hex will resolve a business dispute for him in exchange for David's return. Checking to see that David is safe before she heads out into the Beyond again, Esther finds David not in the cage where he was left, but making rugelach in the kitchen with the indentured workers of the dragon-boss. Their dynamic is loving and warm, and while assuring each other that they're ok and planning next steps, they both extend empathy to the people around them, despite their roles in imprisoning David. Esther fishes out a copy of Rules for Radicals and encourages David to organize the workers. The theme of class solidarity in fantastic situations runs through Eilliott's work both here and in Servant Mage, and it changes the dynamic in interesting ways.

The Keeper's Six is the latest novella from author Kate Elliott. Esther discovers that her son has been kidnapped and the only way to protect her family is to reestablish her hex and discover exactly what has happened. Magical characters, dragons, and great vistas follow in this creative story. I love the way that Elliott has developed her world for this book especially the varied and imaginative places that her characters travel. While I would've liked to see some of her characters get that same level of development, the novella moves along at a quick and satisfying pace.

An exciting world with compelling characters, I loved how quickly we dived into this story of a missing person and unique magic. The Keeper's Six is fast-paced with a dynamic, diverse cast of characters. I laughed out loud a couple of times at the playfulness of the story, and I loved that we had suggestions of a union movement for people 'working' for a dragon! I did, however, struggle with the author's tendency to overexplain. There were moments that felt insightful or intriguing, which were then followed up with very explicit and unnecessary explanations that took me out of the story. But if that kind of thing doesn't bother you, and you're looking for a fun, magical heist story with dragons, this might just do the trick!

DNF @ 20%

I've set this down and forced myself to pick it up again several times, but eventually, I just decided to DNF it. I loved the idea of this, but I had a really hard time getting into it and ended up confused the entire time.

The beginning includes a lot of info dumping to build a world that I didn't understand and had a hard time getting into. It's just not a smooth entry, in my opinion, and I was constantly trying to remember or figure out what different things are and how they work. Sometimes just being thrown into a world works fine, but in this case, I just had a hard time keeping up. It felt a lot like a companion novel, where the author expects readers to come in already having some knowledge about the world. As far as I can tell, that's not the case, though.

At 20%, the plot is only just beginning, but I'm not finding any reason to care about these characters or their quest. All of the characters sort of sound/feel the same to me at this point . . . and there are quite a few of them. I really liked the idea of an older protagonist, which is one of my favorite tropes, but I just couldn't convince myself to care about Esther or her missing son.