It’s here! Kate Elliott’s YA debut novel, COURT OF FIVES, is out TODAY in the USA and Canada!
On the Fives court, everyone is equal. And everyone is dangerous
In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.
Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test Kal’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.
Recent reviews:
“Elliott immediately thrusts the reader into Jes’ head and heart, and the result is a wonderful immersion in both familial love and the tensions at work within these relationships. […] What makes this such an outstanding novel is Elliott’s experienced hand at revelation and building compelling characters. […] the woman knows how to write and tell a damned fine story, and those skills translate seamlessly into this YA tale.” – Robert H. Bedford, Tor.com
“Elliott’s ability to create intricate societies with tangled social, political, and economic realities that generate obstacles for her characters is one of her great strengths, and this book highlights it wonderfully. This is a sharp, gorgeous, brutal story about familial love and the complex nature of trust, and an excellent beginning to a new series.” – Renay Williams, Barnes and Noble
“Jes will remind readers of fearless Katniss with her skill and strategy for games. But it’s the fascinating descriptions of traditions, royal interactions, and, of course, the intensities of the Fives that will enthrall readers most of all. Let the games continue!”―Booklist, starred review