I know, I know. Isn’t this an art blog? Well yes. And it’ll also house my book reviews. :) All tagged “bookcrack”. Y’know, for when you just need a hit? :D Also, I’m not some in depth reviewer and I don’t like to discuss the particulars in the book — jsut want to give an overall impression >:)
Green Rider
By Kristen Britain
[Karigan G'ladheon, running away from school, is traveling through a deep forest when a galloping horse pounds up to her, its rider impaled by two black-shafted arrows. With his dying breath, he tells her he is a Green Rider, one of the magical messengers of the King. Before he dies, he makes Karigan swear to deliver the message he's carrying, and gives her his green coat, with the symbolic brooch of his office. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, Karigan becomes a legendary Green Rider—for when given to the right person, a Rider's brooch awakens the magic inside.... ]
When I picked up this book, I’d been looking for something more traditional EPIC fantasy than paranormal fantasy. I was desperately in need of a good book not related to vampires, werewolves and witches oh my!
Well, I definitely got some good fantasy, though not perhaps epic. Karigan is the type of main character I like—a girl who isn’t simpering. Seriously, I don’t ask for much, just don’t give me a girl who is a whiney baby in a dress and we’ll be fine :) . She’s got balls, to put it bluntly, but she’s got big flaws and isn’t perfect or even on her way to perfection – it’s nice to see a character develop over long periods of time. Her relationships also develop over time, not instantly. All the characters, to me, have a fleshed out feel – I cared about every character, even the ones that appeared only to die a few pages later. That’s really different for me – I typically only care about the main character, maybe one of the others. It reminds me of Anne Bishop’s Tir Alainn series, how while I had favorites, I really enjoyed most of the characters. Also, this author puts together a really nice worldview, with tons of the traditional fantasy settings, except throw in something vaguely resembling the Pony Express a la the Wild West. That particular twist is what makes this not just “another fantasy book”, but a fun, suspenseful read. You can definitely put yourself in Karigan’s shoes and there are tons of little tidbits that make you know there will be more books later. The action waxes and wanes as it should – you never get into 200 pages of non-stop action where everyone gets trashed beyond belief and yet STILL manages to kick ass and take names. Even when they shouldn’t. Through sheer force of WILL and all that jazz. Yeah.
So, I give this a THUMBS UP. Definitely worth the time.
*****
First Rider’s Call
By Kristen Britain
[Once a simple student, Karigan G'ladheon finds herself in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, when she becomes a Green Rider—one of the magical messengers of the king. Forced to accept a fate she never would have chosen, she attempts to return to her life as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, but the magic in her blood is too strong. Pursued by the ghost of the legendary First Rider, she rejoins the Green Riders to confront an ancient evil. ]
This is the 2nd book in the Green Rider series, staring Karigan. I mentioned before that Green Rider wasn’t really EPIC fantasy. Apparently, we’re starting to move towards that direction, though a wee bit less intense than perhaps I’d like? This installment is definitely a good read – I found the details of Karigan’s reluctance to be a Rider intriguing and totally a normal reaction for a normal person. After the last adventure she had, honestly, unless you’re an adrenaline junkie, I can’t see you wanting to be a Green Rider, heh. Life span could be a wee bit too short. The magic aspects get a little more explained here as well as history about the Rider Corps – I love history. There’s some dark foreshadowing about events that will obviously happen in the future and I do find myself annoyed with some of the D’Yer wall stuff – not progressing quickly enough for me. I’m impatient :). I like quick resolution, tee hee. I can’t call this the Empire Strikes back of the series, because it’s not, but it’s no Return of the Jedi either. It’s like….the battle between Darth Maul, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Very sweet and awesome, but GEEZ they shoulda kept Darth Maul around longer? Maybe.
This is also a big character development book – not as much hardcore “journey” action as before, but still. THUMBS UP. Still a great series.
*****
The High King’s Tomb
By Kristen Britain
[A thousand years ago the armies of the Arcosian Empire, led by Mornhavon the Black, crossed the great sea and tried to conquer the land of Sacoridia —and during Karigan G'ladheon's early years as a Green Rider, Mornhavon's spirit, sensing weakness in his prison walls and seeking vengeance, began to wake. With the ghostly help of the First Rider, Karigan had managed to drive off the spirit of Mornhavon—but for how long, no one could know. And now, the descendants of those Arcosians are ready to strike, reaching out to claim the land their forebears had tried to conquer. Worse, these vengeful enemies had spent generations honing their powers of dark magic—a force against which the Sacoridians had no defense.... ]
This is the 3rd installment to the Green Rider series. This is the Empire Strikes Back of the series, certainly. It’s got some great segments – the mythology, particularly The Patron, WOW. Definitely a lot more insight in the magic of the series, lots of character development, more awesome supporting characters. It’s a setup for the EPICness that should be following, something more along the lines of the 1st book, hopefully even more awesome. There was honestly SO MUCH groundwork being laid in this series, dealing with various fallout from the previous books and more.
One thing I really, really have to commend the author for – she ages her characters very gracefully and gives them realistic amounts of time to evolve and grow. I have a few series I greatly enjoy, but the events — all absolutely EPIC LIFE CHANGING WOW events, more so fast that I can’t suspend my disbelief than the characters are still functioning after the torture the authors put them through.
I definitely enjoyed this installment – it made me VERY excited for the next book. THUMBS UP. You need to read it.
