Shadow Gate (Crossroads Series #2) »

KATE ELLIOTT is the bestselling author of more than a dozen epic novels. Her novel King’s Dragon was a finalist for the Nebula Award; The Golden Key (co-written with Melanie Rawn and Jennifer Roberson) was a World Fantasy Award finalist. Born in Iowa and raised in Oregon, she lives in Hawaii.

The stunning sequel to Spirit Gate

Publishers Weekly

In this many-layered second installment in the Crossroads fantasy series (after 2007's Spirit Gate), Marit, an eagle-riding reeve, awakens as a spirit three years after her death and slowly realizes she's become one of the nine Guardians, protectors of justice who wield god-given powers. Soon Marit discovers that some of her fellow Guardians lead forces plaguing the land, while others hide or resist. Meanwhile, among the living, war rewrites the social order, and those of different religions and homelands make common cause. Elliott follows Qin soldier Anji and his troubled, lonely wife, Mai; Marit's former lover, reeve marshal Joss; and Kirya, a tribal warrior who sells herself into slavery to protect her brother. Each must balance cultural imperatives with a broader view of justice, and survival with mercy. The cosmology and politics may confuse newcomers, but the human dilemmas grip the reader right through to the abrupt final cliffhanger. (Apr.)