“An absorbing read, for anyone who enjoys sci fi, fantasy, blending of the two, excellent characters, Elliot’s previous work, or dang good storytelling. Or all of the above.” —Nerds in Babeland “This is a great collection, a fun collection, an important collection, a highly recommended collection. The Very Best of Kate Elliott is the very best that genre fiction can offer.” —Book Smugglers Kickass heroines and riveting storytelling are the calling cards of groundbreaking author Kate Elliott (Crown of Stars, Crossroads, Court of Fives). Her long-awaited first collection showcases twenty years of her finest stories. Captured here are many of Elliott’s previously out-of-print tales, four previously unpublished essays, and a brand new Crossroads offering, “On the Dying Winds of the Old Year and the Birthing Winds of the New.” Elliott's bold adventuresses, complex quests, noble sacrifices, and hard-won victories shine in classic, compact legends. In “The Memory of Peace,” a girl’s powerful emotions rouse the magic of a city devastated by war. Meeting in “The Queen’s Garden,” two princesses unite to protect their kingdom from the blind ambition of their corrupted father. While “Riding the Shore of the River of Death” a chieftain’s daughter finds an unlikely ally on her path to self-determination.