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Court of Fives Kate Elliott Books

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Court of Fives Kate Elliott Books

I didn't know much (or anything, really) about Court of Fives before picking it up, other than that it was a YA Fantasy with a biracial heroine. I'm so glad that I decided to give it a try, because it kept me hooked from the very beginning! Jes lives with her mother and three sisters, and their father is always away at war. This gives Jes plenty of opportunity to sneak out and run the Fives, which is basically like a dangerous obstacle course. However, she can never win a real competition for fear of dishonoring her family. At least until someone comes to break them apart.

I wasn't sure where the plot was going at first, but soon Court of Fives became a race against the clock type of tale, which I adore! Jes has been separated from her mother and sisters, her father has been sent away to marry another before heading back to the war, and she's caught the attention of the handsome prince who also runs the Fives. This is not the story of a Commoner moving up in society and living her dream despite the odds. It's about a girl using her passion to save her family from certain death! I was shocked at what was done to Jes' mother and sisters, and the rescue was quite exciting and interesting. This city has a lot of secrets waiting to be unearthed (literally!).

Of course, there is a bit of romance in Court of Fives, but it's not the focus. There's no love triangle, but it is a pretty standard forbidden romance. Jes and Kal can't really be together since he's expected to inherit the crown, and she's just a "mule." But the two of them come together because of their passion for the Fives, and he's quite impressed with her since she's so much better than him. Jes also pushes Kal to not be such a pushover and stand up for himself! I did get a bit worried toward the end because of certain things going on, but I'm happy that Jes did not fall into that trap! You go, girl! And now I'm very interesting in seeing what comes next for her.

Court of Fives was a really great read. I found this world interesting, and all of the secrets and hidden things are intriguing. I loved Jes' relationship with her family. It's complicated and messy, but they love each other and are just trying to do the best they can with what the law allows. Clearly this is going to turn into an overthrowing the current power structure and making change and all that good stuff type of plot, but I'm looking forward to more!


Tags : Amazon.com: Court of Fives (9780316364195): Kate Elliott: Books,Kate Elliott,Court of Fives,Little, Brown Books for Young Readers,0316364193,Fantasy - General,Girls & Women,Contests,Contests;Fiction.,Fantasy,Friendship,Friendship in adolescence,Racially-mixed people,Sisters,Sisters;Fiction.,Social classes,Social classes;Fiction.,Action & Adventure - Survival Stories,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fantasy & Magic,Fantasy & magical realism (Children's Teenage),Fiction-ActionAdventure,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Love & Romance,Monograph Series, any,TEEN'S FICTION - ACTION & ADVENTURE,TEEN'S FICTION - SURVIVAL STORIES,TEEN'S FICTION FANTASY,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,Young Adult Fiction,Young Adult Fiction Action & Adventure Survival Stories,Young Adult Fiction Fantasy Epic,Young Adult Fiction Girls & Women,Young Adult Fiction Romance General,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes Prejudice & Racism,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance,Young Adult Fiction Sports & Recreation General,Young Adult FictionAction & Adventure - Survival Stories,Young Adult FictionFantasy - Epic,Young Adult FictionGirls & Women,Young Adult FictionRomance - General,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Prejudice & Racism,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance,Action & Adventure - Survival Stories,Fantasy & Magic,Love & Romance,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,Young Adult Fiction Action & Adventure Survival Stories,Young Adult Fiction Fantasy Epic,Young Adult Fiction Girls & Women,Young Adult Fiction Romance General,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes Prejudice & Racism,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance,Young Adult Fiction Sports & Recreation General,Young Adult FictionAction & Adventure - Survival Stories,Young Adult FictionFantasy - Epic,Young Adult FictionGirls & Women,Young Adult FictionRomance - General,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Prejudice & Racism,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance,Young Adult Fiction,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fantasy & magical realism (Children's Teenage)

Court of Fives Kate Elliott Books Reviews

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott is a YA fantasy book and one that I found myself being sucked into even in the middle of a reading slump. I found the protagonists engaging and loved the world. I found it had a bit more substance than some YA fantasy novels.

What I liked

Cultural tensions. This is very much a tale of being caught between two cultures. Our protagonist, Jessamy, is the child of a Saroese father and Efean mother and struggles to fit in with either culture. Her father’s people, who are the conquerers of the Efeans, do not fully accept Jes as one of their own due to her mixed heritage yet her genteel upbringing closes her off from acceptance in her mother’s society. Jes herself also struggles to find her place in her world. The only time she can truly be herself is when she is training for the game the Court of Fives. Although we do not live in a magical society, this theme may still strike a chord with many readers.

The Games. I really enjoyed how the game of Court of Fives permeated the story to a great extent. We see the games themselves a couple of times in the books, but it’s made clear that the skills Jes uses to become a successful Fives player are the same skills she and Kalliarkos will need to get out of certain situations and also to navigate Saroese politics. I really loved that politics was hinted to be just a different version of the Court of Fives.

The magic and Jes’s journey. The magic is very subtle in this book and is tied to the Efean culture. At this point in her story Jes still struggles to accept her Efean heritage, so she has difficulty understanding the magic. I expect that Jes’s journey in future books will be to embrace her cultural background, at which point the magic will become more and more prominent. That I am excited to see.

Little Women. I read in the author’s notes that the characters of Jes and her sisters were based on those of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. I didn’t notice that at first, but once you do see it, it is very clear. It was fun seeing those personality types in a completely different setting. I am curious about what it means for the sisters’ character arcs in upcoming books and whether they will mirror those of Alcott’s.

Moral dilemmas. Certain of the characters, including Jes, face moral dilemmas at certain points in the book. I felt these were very well written and engaged my sympathy for the characters. I am very interested to see how the decisions made will impact future character development and relationships. I’d like to think Jes will have more understanding for her father in future.

What I didn’t like

The romance. I wouldn’t say I disliked the Kalliarkos/Jes romance; it’s more a case of I’m waiting to see how it plays out in future books. I was concerned that it felt a little too much Instalovey, which I don’t like. If the parallels with Little Women hold true, the future for the couple doesn’t look too rosy.

In the end I really enjoyed Court of Fives and gave it four stars out of five. I have an Advanced Reader Copy of the sequel, The Poisoned Blade, and I’m very excited to read it.
I zoomed through reading this book but I'm an adult reader. It lost a star from me for two main reasons - I felt the pacing and balance of events unfolding was a bit uneven but more importantly, if this is supposed to be a young adult novel, for me it didn't hit the mark.

I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult reader. I loved the variety of female characters we saw and the world building was really interesting.

However, I also felt it was overpopulated with (some very underutilised, to the point of being unnecessary) characters, and the language used, particularly in the early chapters, was very stilted, which was a bit off-putting. And one little niggle that may not bother others - why give the sisters odd nicknames? Their own names were lovely and could be nicely shortened if necessary - it seemed odd to also use "Merry" and (of all things) "Amiable" - in a book I already felt had too many names, this didn't help!

It's a solid four stars, despite my complaints, and I would a) recommend it and b) definitely read the next installment because oh my, the ENDING!
I didn't know much (or anything, really) about Court of Fives before picking it up, other than that it was a YA Fantasy with a biracial heroine. I'm so glad that I decided to give it a try, because it kept me hooked from the very beginning! Jes lives with her mother and three sisters, and their father is always away at war. This gives Jes plenty of opportunity to sneak out and run the Fives, which is basically like a dangerous obstacle course. However, she can never win a real competition for fear of dishonoring her family. At least until someone comes to break them apart.

I wasn't sure where the plot was going at first, but soon Court of Fives became a race against the clock type of tale, which I adore! Jes has been separated from her mother and sisters, her father has been sent away to marry another before heading back to the war, and she's caught the attention of the handsome prince who also runs the Fives. This is not the story of a Commoner moving up in society and living her dream despite the odds. It's about a girl using her passion to save her family from certain death! I was shocked at what was done to Jes' mother and sisters, and the rescue was quite exciting and interesting. This city has a lot of secrets waiting to be unearthed (literally!).

Of course, there is a bit of romance in Court of Fives, but it's not the focus. There's no love triangle, but it is a pretty standard forbidden romance. Jes and Kal can't really be together since he's expected to inherit the crown, and she's just a "mule." But the two of them come together because of their passion for the Fives, and he's quite impressed with her since she's so much better than him. Jes also pushes Kal to not be such a pushover and stand up for himself! I did get a bit worried toward the end because of certain things going on, but I'm happy that Jes did not fall into that trap! You go, girl! And now I'm very interesting in seeing what comes next for her.

Court of Fives was a really great read. I found this world interesting, and all of the secrets and hidden things are intriguing. I loved Jes' relationship with her family. It's complicated and messy, but they love each other and are just trying to do the best they can with what the law allows. Clearly this is going to turn into an overthrowing the current power structure and making change and all that good stuff type of plot, but I'm looking forward to more!