The Nameless Land

Elliott again mingles affairs of the heart with affairs of state in this enchanting sequel to The Witch Roads. The tale opens with deputy courier Elen, her nephew, Kem, Prince Gevulin, and the rest of the prince’s guards at the very edge of the Tranquil Empire facing the Far Boundary Pall, a misty miasma that will steal the life of any human who touches it and that obscures completely the nameless land to the North. When the hostile forces of Lord Duenn approach, the party have no choice but to escape into the Pall, ferried by the gagast Fulmo, a being immune to the mists. It’s a path that Elen has traveled before: she fled the nameless land years ago—but not so long ago that she isn’t still remembered, both for good and ill, when they emerge from the mists. Meanwhile, Gevulin’s political plotting has extended into this northern land, adding to an already tense political situation. As Elen faces difficult memories and Gevulin schemes, their best shot at returning home comes from an unlikely ally. Elliott skillfully expands her series’ fascinating worldbuilding, contrasting the highly structured Tranquil Empire with the squalid and chaotic nameless land and digging into its nonhuman cultures and complex history. Fans will hope that Elen and co. have much more adventuring ahead of them. (Nov.)