Customer Reviews

First Rider's Call (Green Rider, Book 2)

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you read Green Rider, and were anxiously sitting by your computer waiting for the Daw newsletter to tell you exactly when Kristen's next book was coming out, I can guarantee that First Rider's Call will go so far beyond what you were expecting that it will seem that mere moments have went by rather than years. A good sequel - no, this was a PHENOMENAL sequel. Riviting as a game of intrigue, fast paced, yet subtle - Kristen manages to weave a tale drastically different from Green Rider, but filled with everything a snippet hound could possibly want:

Magic? Plenty - the same fascinating Green Rider Magic from the first book, with a few kinks and bumps along the way (For the Characters that is!), and some completely new and exciting twists to keep you jumping and flipping through the pages with wild abandon :)

Magical Creatures? Eletians, Ghosts, a few.... well, I don't want to spoil it for you!

And as for Karigan, she is a little older, and finally accepting of her role as a green rider, but wait until you see how she gets there! King Zachary, Alton, Captain Mapstone... all are much stonger and more developed in the sequel, and the twisting subplots leave no one alone for long.

First Rider's Call is a more complex novel than Green Rider, but it is more a matter of Sacoridia gaining depth as it grows on you - The scenery is so clear in your mind, it is as if you were the one riding through the woods, or standing at the edge of a lake...the characters have depth, feeling, motivations, humour, and above all, a humanity that links you to their tale and won't let you go until it drops you at the last page...stretching out for the third book which is waiting, just around the corner!

Now, if only I had a time machine and could go forward a year or two to get it!

Kristin Britain came on to the fantasy scene in 2001 with Green Rider. I thought that she was a talented writer that resorted to too many fantasy cliches, and hoped that her second book (which was supposed to come out a year later) would move away from those. 2002 came and went with no book. Finally, in August 2003, First Rider's Call came out. With her first book not being the greatest, would the sophomore jinx kill Britain's writing? Thankfully, no. First Rider's Call is a rich story with vivid characterization and a surprising depth. She still uses a few too many cliches, but it's nothing like Green Rider in that respect.

Kerigan G'ladheon thought she had left the call of the Green Rider behind her after saving the king from an Eletian plot. However, returning to her merchant family's business doesn't provide the rest that she had expected. She is haunted by the ghost of the First Rider, who is endeavoring to convince Kerigan to follow her destiny and resume the King's service. Reluctantly, she does so, and just in time. Danger is threatening the kingdom of Sacoridia once again. Blackveil Forest, sequestered behind the D'Yer wall for thousands of years, is stirring once again. Evil forces from a long ago time are threatening to get through a breach in the wall, with some having already succeeded. Havoc is sweeping the countryside, people turned to stone and crops withered. Refugees from up north are flooding into other provinces, creating internal strife. King Zachary must balance all of these situations together, keeping his people from panicking and trying to find out what's going on.

Other things are going wild as well. The magic of the Green Riders is becoming unpredictable. Captain Mapstone's magical ability attacks her, forcing her to confine herself when she's needed most. Kerigan's ability is sending her wildly into the past and future, as she learns the secret of the First Rider and what happened all those generations ago, when people from across the sea came and tried to colonize the wild land. In doing so, she discovers the haunting truth of her own heritage, as well as the secrets of the Wall. Hopefully, she'll live to tell the tale.

While this isn't the most original plot around, Britain does try to do some new things with the familiar tropes she is using. The story is deep and rich, with the prose working much better than Green Rider. Britain really seems to have honed her craft with this one. She does suffer from a few cliches (Eletians are basically elves with the pointy-ears filed down, for example), but for the most part she avoids the potential landmines in her path. She has an interesting cast of characters as well.

Kerigan makes a vivid viewpoint character. She's matured since Green Rider, but she's still unsure of herself at times. Unfortunately, she's much too passive, with too many events occurring around her rather than her being the main cause of them. Part of this is explained by the unique relationship between Kerigan and the First Rider, but it's still not enough. While Kerigan's involved in the climax of the story, she doesn't actually figure much in the resolution. Still, despite this fault, I did grow to care about what happened to her, especially as things start to deteriorate in the kingdom.

Then there's King Zachary. He's actually very good, but he brings up another problem with the story. There is a lot of romantic tension between Kerigan and him, and it's completely unnecessary to the book. It doesn't add anything to the story, and the consummation of the relationship (and that *doesn't* mean that they sleep together in this case) makes it even more superfluous. At over 600 pages, the book is long enough already. This relationship just drags it out more, making the denouement of the story more tedious than it needs to be. I realize that Britain may be setting up something for the next book, but I think she should have also made it mean something in this one as well. Otherwise, Zachary is extremely well done, being a fair ruler who is not above getting his hands dirty when the situation warrants it.

The plot of First Rider's Call is much more intricate than Green Rider, and Britain handles it deftly. There's so much going on that it would have been easy for her to lose her way. Instead, she is generally able to keep the flow of the story, with only the scenes in the Blackveil Forest slowing it down. The Alton sequences could have had a bit more punch to them, as he isn't that interesting of a character and I kept wanting to get back to Kerigan when he was on screen. Given the business of the plot, though, this is a small problem and I didn't have any trouble getting back into the story. I found the use of diaries from the past led beautifully to the revelation of Kerigan's heritage (though I did see it coming very early, there's no way the characters would have known about it).

All in all, First Rider's Call is a very good sophomore effort, and I look forward to seeing more of Britain's writing. Whether it will be the third book in this series or if she'll try something else, I plan to follow her career and see how she does.

David Roy

Kristen Britain's "First Rider's Call" is a sequel to "Green Rider", her outstanding debut novel. Reading "Green Rider" will certainly help you fully appreciate this wonderful second effort. In FRC, Karigan G'ladheon has finally given in to destiny and joined the Green Riders, a messenger/spy service. While on a delegation to the Eletian kingdom, Karigan and her companions are attacked by a mysterious spirit. With the delegation decimated, Karigan returns to Sacor City to report on the wraith and its peculiar focus on her personally. Magical accidents and attacks are soon occuring all over the kingdom and Green Rider magic itself begins to malfunction. And then things really start to go wrong when Captain Mapstone locks herself in her room. This is a truly enjoyable fantasy adventure, with strong characters and realistic solutions to problems (both magical and personal). Karigan's romantic trials are dealt with more fully in this novel, although readers are left with a cruel cliffhangers on several essential matters. These cliffhangers (including one in particular involving a certain king!) and the absence of the Berry sisters are my only real complaints about the novel, and I'm sure that will be solved in the next book. Buy this!

First Rider's Call is the second novel in the Green Rider series, following Green Rider. In the previous volume, Karigan G'ladheon has forcibly separated Prince Amilton from Shawdell the Eletian, set loose the wild magic, convinced Jendara to change sides, and thus restored King Zachary to his throne. She also breaks the black arrows that killed F'ryan and frees his spirit to pass on. Although offered a position in the messenger service, she decides to return to her family and become a merchant.

In this novel, Karigan is having dreams sent by Lil Ambriodhe, the legendary First Captain of the Green Riders. Other dangers loom and the Green Riders need Karigan back in the saddle. Karigan resists, for she enjoys working with her family and is not eager to return to the terrifying experiences of her past service. One morning, however, Karigan rides out to Sacor City in her nightgown.

A year later, Karigan is scouting for a diplomatic party to the Eletians, those mysterious people to the north. The party encamps in a clearing occupied by a large rock surrounding by wardstones. Ty and Karigan argue against the location, but are overruled. Of course, the party is attacked by groundmites, lead by a walking dead man, and then the large rock emits a storm of energy.

The survivors of the diplomatic party are saved by the Eletians, who single out Karigan for a briefing on the situation. It seems that the unfortunate encampment has released a wraith who was a favored servant of Morhnavon the Black. Other wards are also failing, particularly in the D'Yer Wall. A break therein is allowing various of Morhnavon's monsters to escape their confinement.

Thus begins another story of suspence and sudden dangers. Karigan learns something important about her ancestors that has been forgotten for many centuries. Moreover, she finds her ability to penetrate illusion becoming stronger ... and more necessary.

Highly recommended for Britain fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of ancient and corrupt magic being resisted by young warriors with talents of their own.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Why is it that people decide a book must be bad if it isn't 100% original? Yes, this has a lot of themes that have been done before, but that doesn't make it bad. In fact, this is one of the best incarnations I've read of old themes in a long time.

The Journal entires of Hadriax El Fex do a wonderful job of weaving the story together. That sort of history can be difficult to keep track of; distant, but not so distant that everything in the world would have changed. Ms. Britain does a beautiful job of it, though. The names of the Clans remain similiar to what they were a thousand years ago, changing just enough to represent the passing of time. Even the First Rider's name is slightly different, as though the correct dialect has been lost over time. Such attention to detail shows an author who loves and takes pride in her craft.

Despite some griping about the story being slow, it moves at an incredibly fast pace in actuality. People must remember that even in times of war there are talks for peace, breaks to sleep, to eat, to regroup even. It's unrealistic to think that every moment of life is fast paced action, and it's that level of reality that makes this story what it is. The people do things that are NORMAL, which helps the reader to relate. This is a concept so many authors fail to grasp.

There's also been comparison to the Valdemar series, but actually, those similiarities are surface at best. The Green Riders don't have in born magical ablities...they recieve them from their brooches, and each Rider to inherit that brooch has that talent. The horses are smart, yes, but they can't speak like Companions, they don't choose their Riders, and there is only one small implication that they were past Riders, and not a strong impication at that. Especially when you consider that most of the past Riders are ghosts that appear in this story.
Also, I found Karigan to be so much more realistic than say, Talia or Alberich, on the whole. Talia lives on the border of a country that barely pays attention to what happens to her. Alberich is in the country of the enemy. But suddenly they have an inexplicable willingness to throw themselves in front of an arrow for their country. Karigan's reaction is much more human and much more realistic.

And really...I have no problem with the little love thing going on between Karigan and Zachary. For one thing, nothing has come of it. For another, I thought she was gonna fall in love with one of those damn Eletions. Now THAT would have pissed me off. Nothing has been done to death more than mortals falling in love with immortals and nothing is stupider or makes less sense.

Yes, there are a few small flaws, but those don't take away from the story. It's a sad world we're in, when people can't just relax and enjoy something.

One thing I will say, and I mean no disrespect, but Ms. Britain should NEVER, EVER consider a career as a lyricist. :D

I have waited for this book for years and I am soooo glad it's finally out!!! This is another great work, just like Kristen Britain's first novel. Most of the old friends are back, and some new ones. When I picked this up it seemed like I had never left the world of Sacoridia and its amazing green riders. This book does leave a lot of ends untied, but that will make the next one so much the better. I just sincerely hope it's not another couple of years, I don't know how I'll take the wait! I really enjoyed this book and Karigan was as wonderful as ever. This book delves more into the past and is so incredibly interesting. So in short, this is another great read by Kristen Britain and it will leave you awaiting the next one with great anticipation. So if you loved Green Rider or just love science fiction fantasy books with superb heriones you must read this book!

I do love to read, and in a world where there is so much fantasy, only a select few don't let you put down the book. I started this book around 5 in the evening and at 6:30 am the next morning I was done with it, and I kept wanting there to be more. It's been a while since the first book came out but the second one was surely worth the wait. If you haven't Discovered Kristen Britain yet, then get both of her books and enjoy. This second book sets down a solid foundation for which many more could come.

I enjoyed Green Rider quite a bit, and I have to admit to being a little disappointed that it took First Rider's Call so long to come out. I hope that the third in the series will not keep us waiting for so long.

I thought that Green Rider was a remarkably smooth and well-written book, which drew maybe a little too heavily on the fantasy traditions of other people. The good news about First Rider's Call is that it has much less fantasy cliche and Britain seems to be finding her own voice to work out her own ideas.

The bad news is that the writing is much less smooth, and the structure occasionally feels jumbled and jumpy as though it had been reworked and re-edited a few too many times. I also found myself getting a little irritated with the Karigan in this book-- much more was made of the reluctance and I thought that Britain leaned too heavily on Lil Ambriodhe to provide Karigan with motivation.

Still, given how long the book took to appear and given that this is a sophomore effort, I was happy with the book and find it a good second series entry. I hope that Britain has since hit her stride and that we will be able to keep the originality in the third book and go back to some of the smooth writing of Green Rider.

While this book is an obvious sequel to "Green Rider," the way it ends leaves room to have stopped the series at that point. However, with the issue of Blackveil Forest left unfinished, it was obvious that a third book would be required.

With the breach in the D'Yer wall unsealed and continuing to grow, magics are becoming unstable and unpredictable. Strange events are happening all over Sacoridia and evil creatures not seen for centuries are invading the northern boundaries of the country, forcing the northern-most settlers south in search of sanctuary. The Green Riders also face this problem, as their special abilities react in unexpected ways - for some their powers are increased, for other it fails altogether, and for some it behaves erratically and not in a helpful fashion. When Captain Laren Mapstone suffers a breakdown because of her talent growing out of control, she leaves the running of the Green Riders to Karagin and Mara. However, fell and grim Wraiths have arisen to the call of Blackveil and seek the Galadheon, to bring her to the forest.

Can Karagin resist the call of Blackveil. Will anyone in the D'Yer clan have the ability to fix the wall? And what of the Green Riders? As their ranks are diminished, there are no new Riders called - will they themselves become extinct, like so many races during the Long War?

Not all these questions are answered satisfactorily in this book, but there is hope for the third book in the series in that respect. The writing has definitely solidified in this book and it draws in the reader and keeps you reading. The only complaint I have about the series this far is the lip-licking. I mean, seriously - everyone is licking their lips all over the place for all kinds of reasons. Get these people some Chap-Stick(tm) for crying out loud! There are other sorts of nervous tics that would be just as good - shuffling feet, chewing on nails, straightening one's clothes, scratching oneself (head, arms, whatever), pulling at or running fingers through or twisting or otherwise messing with one's hair - the possibilities are endless!

At any rate, I did enjoy this book and am enjoying the series so far. I look forward to finding out where this is going to go in the third book and - unusually for me - I'm very interested in the romance between Karigan and King Zachary - will it work out, or will he marry Lady Estora whilst he and Karigan suffer the pangs of unrequited love? I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, light sword and sorcery book, a solid fantasy read or adventure-type stories set in alternate realities.

A very enjoyable read. Ms. Britain shows us a glimpse of a world with a complex history and varied cultures. It is peopled mainly in a traditional fantasy manner, a possible drawback for some readers, but the comfort and competence that Ms. Britain has with her characters make it unnecessary for her to reinvent this particular wheel. In this, her second book, we see her main character develop further as a person and as a force in her world. The development of other characters is also handled well and you are left with a cast of well rounded and diverse characters populating her world. Ms. Britain adventures are believable, her characters reactions realistic and her story complex and well paced. She easily keeps the reader involved and interested until the end, and left me, at least, eager for the next installment.