The Keeper's Six

THE KEEPER'S SIX BY KATE ELLIOT3-3.5/5 Stars Medium Spoilers A cozy quest/adventure tale as much about the fantastical world as it is about a mother's undying love for her son_________________The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliot is a rather cozy quest/adventure style fantasy novel with a quick pace, which my slow, focus-losing self managed to read in more or less one sitting (notwithstanding a single break for coffee and a walk during a phonecall) that lasted about 5.5 hours–although it probably took me closer to 4.5-5 hours to read, due to the length of the break. I wouldn't call this story particularly gripping or thrilling, but it reads smoothly and swiftly (more on that later) and has a strong, well-balanced pace that did not drag nor rush, instead flowing steadily onwards. This book has many strong points, mostly rooted in its worldbuilding and plot, but the weaker links do not detract from the story and are, in some ways, necessary to keep the pace as good as it is. WORLDBUILDINGThe world of The Keeper's Six is something of a cross between fantasy and Sci-Fi. Set not in the olden days like I had originally expected, we are thrust instead into an undisclosed but relatively modern age with a fantastical twist. There are phones and TVs and aliens, but also magic, interdimensional travel (of sorts), and many mysteries and unknowns.I think the world is one of the strongest aspects of the story. It is what kept my interest and helped me stay focused on the book. The Beyond is an ever-shifting, treacherous space between the Realms–more solid, more material, more understandable places much like our Earth. There are many different species, none of which are particularly important (except the dragons) or deeply explored, but which add to the fantasy and the grandness of this universe. This diversity is reflected in the writing, as not all alien person-classified species go by human pronouns or human genders–I truly loved the way some surrounding characters would get clocked as people first, then described later, and it was very interesting to see neopronouns/xenopronouns be used so unabashedly. The attention to gender and language used by humans towards and about other species was a highlight for me, made the world so much richer, so much more real, so much more put-together and well-thought-out.There is, unfortunately, some worldbuilding avenues that the story presents but does not explore in more depth, and that I think is a shame; both because I have fallen in love with the setting and am curious, but also because I feel it did at times make the world just a little bit superficial. Those moments are few and far between however, and I am certain most readers will not be particularly bothered by what is left in the shallow waters. PLOTThe plot is simple and straight-forward; the main character's son is abducted, and he must be rescued by any means necessary. The stakes are personal, but they never felt particularly high. I not for once thought that the quest would be failed, nor did I think there would be negative consequences, nor did I worry about anybody's safety. This is mostly due to the way humor has been used in the story, and the fact that the there was much more time spent focusing on other groups, institutions, and dynamics within the setting (developing the themes rather than the premise). This may detract from the story for some.The main distractions from the plot are some of the themes, in particular that of power and control in the workplace and various institutions, as well as servitude and slavery. These are important topics and themes, but it is the way they are dealt with that give the impression that the stakes are more or less nonexistent. The main character's son, Daniel, appears on the page for the first time in person whilst making merry in the kitchen with servants and workers. He is teaching them about unions and workers' rights. Immediately, any stakes that the chapters leading up to this point may have promised have vanished. It wasn't necessarily a disappointment, but it was a turning point in how I engaged with the story–caring slightly less about the goings-on, instead preparing for a smooth drive where the journey is far more important than the end.The way the themes are presented and explored is... borderline hamfisted, some might say. I didn't particularly hate it, seeing as I agree with the politics presented here, but it did feel like I was getting bonked on the head with messaging. It wasn't annoying so much as somewhat exasperating? But it did add a lot to the characterization, the mood, the world, and while it did elicit a sigh from me, I was also endeared by it. This can be a boon or a detriment depending on one's preferences for a story; a thrilling, action-packed tale this is not, and if you are somebody who prefers wild adventures and bold heists, then I warn that you will not find that here. I at no point felt like there was a true struggle or any true setback, even if there were ups and downs in the main team's fortune.For me, the plot was not the main drive or appeal of the story; it was the world and the characters and the topics and themes explored therein. However, a trigger warning for those that may need it: there is mention and discussion of sexual/reproductive slavery. There is no depiction of it (though we see plenty of indentured servants and slaves and horrible work contracts), but due to the ‘cozy' and somewhat humorous atmosphere I feel the sting of that fact is not as harsh as it would be otherwise. CHARACTERSI find most of the characters to be appealing, even if most are explored only on the most surface level. Esther is a good protagonist for this type of story, aged and mature and good and skilled, through whom the world is presented to us (though the story is written in third person). She isn't particularly interesting, but she is sympathetic and kind, and thus likeable enough for my tasted. That isn't to say she doesn't fuck up or make mistake or have flaws, but she is quite a simple person to understand and get. Which is a perfect protagonist for a simple and cozy story.Marianne was a particular highlight for me. I liked when she called out Esther on her bullshit, I liked when she was bitter and angry and vengeful and didn't let the past die, because she was screwed over! Esther did her dirty! And she has a right to be pissed! I will be honest in that Esther being frustrated with Marianne's (quite valid if untimely) criticism of her choices frustrated me in turn, as I was quite defensive of Mar. It was quite fun to be invested in a character that, in any other story, might have been presented as unsympathetic or vilified. Not here! While I wish that Esther's acquiescence to Marianne's points and criticisms was a bit more... satisfying (a bit bigger, a bit more cathartic, more emotional) I did like that Esther did see and empathise with Marianne's feelings. Marianne might be my favorite character here, even if there wasn't much of her.And that is perhaps the worst part of the story. Because there are so many characters and only so many pages, none are explored in-depth, and some almost disappear, or have nothing to add to the story besides performing a function within the professional Hex dynamic. Gus, for example, what something of a non-character to me. I was aware of his existence, I was aware he was important (even if the role of Ghost in the Hex dynamic felt like the weakest link to me), but I saw him as someone that had to be there because the Hex structure demanded he be there; he did nothing for the story and little to nothing for the characters. Characters like Daniel were also rarely on the page, but because of their strong personalities and memorable introductions/scenes, I feel I have a much stronger understanding of Daniel than Gus, even though Gus is part of Esther's group with whom we are traveling, whilst Daniel is gone for most of the story.I would be remiss not to mention Shahin, who plays a somewhat major role, especially when it comes to explaining the world and exploring the themes of power and identity. He is an enigmatic, tight-lipped man, but to me he is more a narrative vehicle than a character. That isn't to say he is a chore or detriment to the story, but I simply have little to say about him; it is clear that he is... somewhat sheltered, for he knows little of the world in practicality, but he is inquisitive and more rebellious than one might at first expect of him. However, what did detract from the story for me here was the attraction Esther feels towards him. It just feels extremely out of place, and hearing about how attractive he was, how pulled towards him Esther felt, it did not strike me as poignant or important, and annoyed me. I also didn't feel like it added to Esther's character or personality. She constantly thinks to herself that this is not the time nor the place to be catching feelings, and she's right, and because Shahin is a narrative device more than a person, all of the words allotted to this attraction feels to me like a waste. Some might find this spark cute, but it was not for me.Another pivotal character is Kai, who is more or less a walking spoiler. Kwo (Kai's pronoun) is not present for most of the story, and kwo is unremarkable as an individual in the few scenes we see kwo. This isn't anything bad necessarily. This is a cozy, simple story, and thus it has cozy, simple characters. That doesn't mean they are bland, but because they are not featured much, I have little to say other than they exist. It is the Hex and Hex-opposed characters who add the most interest and depth to the story thanks to their dynamics. PROSEThe prose is the weakest link to me. It is not bad, but it is middling. The book is less than 200 pages long, and to achieve that length whilst still being easy and quick to read, and wlel-paced, the prose makes a concession; it lacks description and depth. That isn't to say that there is no description, but it is weak in most places, and doesn't paint the most vivid picture. Some descriptions, especially at the beginning whilst meeting some Hex members, breathe life into the characters. Others are... well, at some point, a dragon's crest is described as ‘neither showy nor modesst' (paraphrasing here, as I do not have the book with me), and I remember being pulled right out of the moment just to ask ‘but what DOES it look like then?!'. Some descriptions were frustratingly vague and borderline nonexistent, and there were some that would have been better left out; not because they were gory or gross, but because they simply were useless.There is a simplicity to the prose that I think is often found in YA. However, it is far from juvenile–usually. There are some unfortunate sections where the word choices just... made me frown and roll my eyes and want to put the book away, because they felt so out of place. At some point, a character is described as wearing a “sexy jumpsuit”, and Esther uses the phrase “boss bitch” (or similar) to describe that character. It is very unimaginative (what makes the jumpsuit sexy, for one?) and the word choice is very different to the mood and word choice in the rest of the prose. There were multiple instances where I would read a sentence or paragraph and think to myself that it could have been worded better. While I still don't think the writing is juvenile, it has immature moments, and these were not fun for me. In addition, there is a lot of literary references, especially to poetic works. This may be frustrating for those who hate to be left out of the joke, but can be a boon for those who are well-read in literature. I am not–but I also did not care. If I missed anything because of that, I do not feel its loss.The bareness and simplicity of the prose is somewhat necessitated to keep the flow and pace and shortness of the work overall. Whether the readability is a boon (quick to read even with attention-issues, at least for me, and the constant onward progress does keep things smooth) or a detriment (especially for those who love lush, vivid descriptions that set the mood and the scene) depends entirely on the individual reader. ADDITIONAL NOTES (Extra Spoilery)I cannot for the life of me recall if there was an explanation as to why the main antagonist abducted Daniel instead of kwos target, Kai, despite the fact that Kai and Daniel live together. If Daniel had to leave the safety of the Keep to be abducted, how come he knew to leave his mother the clues to come and find him (and call her?)? But if he had to let the kidnappers into the Keep under the guise of helping a wandering Hex to safety, why the hell did the kidnappers grab hima nd leave immediately when Kai was Right There? This didn't really take away from the story for me (I remembered to ask this question only after I was 85% done with the book), but it does call the premise into question for me, just a little. Where did Daniel even get the dragon scale that would help his mother track him down? This wasn't and still isn't that big a point of contention for me, but it does nag me a little bit. Perhaps there was an explanation in the book, but I only remember Esther wondering about the circumstances of the kidnapping herself, not the answer to these questions.I also find that some parts of the story were a little underwhelming. I think the book wanted me to be surprised by the fact that Kai and Daniel had children, and that Kai could have been the antagonist's spawn. But it is not uncommon in fantasy for hybrid children to exist, and as such it did not cross my mind to be surprised or not accept hybrid children at face value; and whenever Esther or anyone else expressed incredulity at the idea of dragons or different dragon kindreds being able to interbreed with each other, I kept thinking to myself “Kai has kids with a human! How is this weird?! You all know this!” This might be in part because the information that dragons and dragon kindreds are very, very different, to the point of beign seperate species that should not be able to interbreed, comes during a discussion of said interbreeding being (im)possible. Because there was no buildup, and because of fantasy tropes where hybrid children are normal and expected, it was honestly just weird for the book to act like I should be surprised, and I was frustrated with the characters being surprised themselves. The reveal of what a nexus is was thus neither surprising nor particularly interesting to me. I could not have cared less. CONCLUSIONA short and sweet book with a straight-forward plot, enjoyable character dynamics, and a lot of commentary delivered with as much subtlety as a jackhammer to the face (affectionate). There are cons, mostly in the simpleness of the prose and some superficial elements, as well as reveals I think will not be very surprising to experienced fantasy and Sci-Fi enjoyers. I strongly recommend checking it out.