Court of Fives trilogy (Court of Fives, The Poisoned Blade, The Buried Heart) by Kate Elliott (audiobook)
I’ve been a fan of Kate Elliott for a long time, admiring
her thoughtfulness and nuanced presentation of relatable characters wrestling
with complex social issues. Plus great action sequences and world-building. I
found this trilogy in audiobook format through my public library (hooray for
libraries!). It had been around for awhile, the first volume (Court of Fives)
having been published in 2015.
After the patriarchal kingdom of Saro invades and conquers
the land of Efea, a colonial-style caste system perpetuates the resulting conquerer/conquered
elite/slave dichotomies. The fact that the aristocratic Saroese are light-skinned
and have straight hair and the Efeans are dark with “coiled” hair evokes echoes
of British imperialism in Africa or the post-Civil War America. Here, as in
Elliott’s ficticious realm, people from different castes will inevitably meet,
fall in love, and have children. Jessamy and her sisters have grown up in such
a family; their father is a common, untitled Saroese who has risen to military prominence
due to his extraordinary skill. His wife in all but name is a perceptive,
generous Efean who excels at caring for everyone in her orbit.
Jessamy has a secret: she has been training to compete in
the Court of Fives, a sort of Olympic trial combinng strength, agility,
quick-thinking, and speed—and she does so anonymously, against her father’s
wishes. He does his best to protect his mixed-race girl in the larger world of Saroese
dominance. Jessamy’s secret rebellion and a chance encounter with Kalliarkos, (a
Saroese prince in line for the throne) ignite vicious political infighting, simmering
Efean rebellion, betrayals within her own family, and a discovery that will
transform forever the relationship between the two peoples.
The result is a coming of age story fueled by Jessamy’s
burgeoning insight, courage, and maturity, and the her (and the reader’s) step-by-step
discovery of the history of this world, the power of rebellion, and the
emergence of the leadership this world needs so desperately to survive. The
resulting tale is neither a quick nor superficial, but rich, detailed, and
ultimately satisfying.
Highly recommended.
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