THE KEEPER’S SIX by Kate Elliott – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott
Published by Tordotcom on January 17 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 208
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Intricate world-building and sparkling dialog make The Keeper’s Six a must read for fans looking for a fantasy adventure on the lighter side.

“A Keep knows its Keeper, and a Keeper knows their Keep. The two are bound by threads of unbreakable magic, a connection to the unnamable Source, one of the strongest bonds known in all creation. Maybe only love is stronger.”

Well, this was a lot of fun! This is my first book by Kate Elliott, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work. The Keeper’s Six is a fantasy novella with some science fiction elements added for good measure, and although it’s not listed as a series, I believe Elliott’s Servant Mage might be set in the same universe. In any case, this felt like a self contained story, so don’t worry if you haven’t read Servant Mage first (I haven’t). If you’re looking for a story that isn’t too “high stakes,” this could be the book for you. Is “medium stakes” a thing? Because if so, this fits the bill perfectly.

Esther is part of a six-crew group of individuals called a Hex, or at least she was until she made a bad decision that got the Hex suspended. But one day she gets a strange call from her son Daniel. When she goes to his house to investigate, she finds a clue suggesting that he was kidnapped. The clue—a dragon’s scale hidden at the bottom of a pot of roux—leads her to the realm of a dragon named Zosfadal. Zosfadal has indeed kidnapped Daniel, holding him as ransom until Esther can deliver the dragon’s “spawn” Kai, who just happens to be Daniel’s spouse.

But Esther isn’t about to lose two beloved family members to a vengeful dragon, and so she devises a plan to free Daniel. In order to do so, though, she needs the rest of her crew, even if some of them are still mad at her for what happened a year ago. Making their way through the treacherous Beyond, Esther and her gang, along with the dragon’s lieutenant Shahin, must try to reverse the deal Zosfadal made in order to bring Daniel home safely.

If you think the plot sounds a bit chaotic, then you would be right. The worldbuilding in this story is simply amazing, but there is a lot to keep track of. Let’s start with the world itself. Daniel is a Keeper and his Keep is located in Oahu, Hawaii. Keeps are set partially on Earth and partially in the Beyond and act as safe havens for travelers. Each Keep has a Hex, five individuals with special powers who help protect the Keep (the sixth member of the team is the Keeper himself). Then you have realms where dragons rule, each dragon with its own hoard. In order to get to a hoard, you must travel through the Beyond, an in-between dimension that is extremely dangerous to traverse. Three stages of daylight exist in the beyond—Gloam, Pitch and Bright. Bright will fry you to death, so you must take shelter whenever Bright appears. Are you still with me?

I loved the idea of the Hex. Esther and her cohorts are akin to superheroes. Esther is called Lantern, since she can basically turn herself into a big flashlight. Marianne is Gate, and she’s in charge of ripping tears between dimensions while they travel. Gus is Ghost, and he is almost like a scout, making sure there isn’t trouble ahead. Lydia is Voice, and she can speak in many languages and help them communicate. Finally, Faye is Shotgun, the muscle of the team. One of my favorite scenes in the book takes place in the Beyond. Not only do they have to be careful of Bright, but there are hoards of huge wasps called antics to watch out for!

And while all this worldbuilding is fascinating and unique, it’s the characters who really make this story special. Esther just happens to be a sixty-year-old grandmother with four grandchildren. She’s smart and loves her family fiercely, and will do anything to protect them. My other favorite character in the story is Shahin, the dragon’s lieutenant. Shahin joins Esther and the others on their quest to rescue Daniel, and there was a nice, unexpected spark between him and Esther that was really sweet. Elliott’s dialog is so funny and warm, it was such a pleasure to read.

But it’s not all sunshine and roses. Marianne is furious with Esther’s past behavior and is looking to join a new Hex. She tells Esther that she’ll help get Daniel back, but it’s going to be her last job with Esther. I loved their bickering, and I love that the author doesn’t easily resolve their conflict. I did want to learn more about Kai, who is part dragon and has quite a few surprises in store for the reader.

There’s also some political commentary surrounding “flesh trafficking,” and we learn about the horrific circumstances under which Esther and Kai met. Truly, this world is so rich with possibility, that I’m hoping Kate Elliott writes a follow-up to The Keeper’s Six. My only complaint is that sometimes the world-building was confusing, and I’m not even sure I got everything right in this review, but it’s interesting enough for me to want to learn more. For me, this was just the right combination of tension, humor and engaging characters, and I can’t wait to read more of this author.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.