The Witch Roads

The Witch Roads, Book 1

By: Kate Elliott

Narrated by: Ella Lynch

Book 1 in the Witch Roads duology, the latest epic novel by fan favorite Kate Elliott . . .

Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen—once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall—is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.

When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn't heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn't the same man who entered.

The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

©2025 Katrina Elliott (P)2025 Tantor Media

Engaging and Atmospheric

I love the cover - it’s gorgeous! The Witch Roads drew me in right away with its rich world-building, eerie setting, and a very likable main character. One early scene in particular hooked me and set high expectations. The narrator is excellent and really brings the atmosphere to life. The second half, however, feels a tiny bit repetitive, and the protagonist’s backstory reveal at the end isn’t surprising by this point. The ending also leaves most major questions unanswered, making it feel more like half a story than a full installment. Still, this is an engaging start to the series, and I’ll definitely be listening to the next book.

Terrifying Slow Burn

The story seems simple & the stakes rise in interesting & consistent ways.. I’m not sure which feature got me so invested.. but I’m terrified by the conclusion & how will I wait for book 2!!

As always, love Kate Elliott

Such an engaging story about connections. Connections between family, friends, and lost souls. And crying, lol. Because Kate always manages to make me cry.

Great story, strong characters, can't wait for the next!

I love Kate Elliott and this book did not disappoint. Fascinating world, characters I cared about, compelling plot, can't wait for the next!

Basically the worse story I have ever listened to

its atleast the worse book I have ever read. The characters are all written like their from Twlight, the setting mimics Game of Thrones, while the story is just Lotr.

Kate spends too much time on explaining details through the most boring way possible. Ee learn about things like the Witch Road, and the emperor, not through meaningful character interactions but instead just massive lore dumps that take up whole chapters.

The book would'nt be so bad if the characters bearable. The haunt is written like a love sick boyfriend, Kem is written like a unreasonable brat, and Elen is written like a horny idiot yet the story treats her like she is smart.

Kem was so annoying as a character I couldn't even finish the book. All in all worse book I have ever read.