Customer Reviews

Green Rider (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Mage Wars)

5 star:		(186)
4 star:		(78)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Let's say you (or a Young Person of your acquaintance) have finished all the Harry Potter books.

After which you read "Half Magic" and its sequels.

And then you did all five of Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain" books.

And now, though those were very good indeed, you want something aimed at a just slightly older audience, though not necessarily with graphic bloody violence and panting sex scenes.

Well, you've come to the right place -- i have just the thing, my friend. Step right up and cast your eyes on this little beauty.

While somewhat derivative in detail (but what modern fantasy isn't at least a little derivative somewhere?), the elements are stirred nicely into a fairly original story line that avoids the pitfalls of following your examples too closely with nothing new to say that we see all too often in first novels, while still telling a briskly-moving story that the casual reader will have no trouble following but that will not insult the intelligence of a somewhat more analytical reader.

Familiar elements:

(1) The elite messenger/diplomatic/spy cadre, the King's Riders, who wear distinctively-coloured outfits (green in this case).

(2) The young person of Good Family who has, thru impetuosity and rash disregard of consequence, gotten into some minor scrape that seems to loom huge in her life.

(3)The scheming nobleman with the Pretender to the Throne in hand who plots against the Crown.

(4) The mysterious grey-cloaked figure who appears to aid the Villains, but actually has Plans Of His Own.

And So On.

Subversions of Familiar Elements:

(1) & (2) The young person of Good Family encounters a dying Rider in the wood; he passes on his horse, sword, Rider brooch and his message to her, makes her swear to carry out the mission, then dies, leaving her stuck.

(3) He's not as smart as he thinks.

(4) By some clever footwork early in the story (at least, i *hope* it was intentional) the author diverts attention longer than i might have thought possible.

Oddly enough, while i certainly caught echoes of Lackey's Heralds in the Green Riders, Tolkien's (and most everyone else's) elves in the Eletians and so on, the author i most found myself thinking of a lot of the time was vintage Andre Norton -- the plucky young (wo)man who suddenly finds herself the focus of Great Events, gradually discovering in himself abilities (s)he never knew (s)he posessed, generally involving some innocent seeming but puissant object or device that comes into her posession apparently innocently...

I must say that my favourite part of the book is fairly early on, when Karigan finds herself taken in and succored by the Misses Berry at their family home, Seven Chimneys (which has nine). Misses Bay and Bunch look and sound like slightly dotty old ladies like your favourite old-maid aunt, but i strongly suspect that future volumes (which i hope to see) may well reveal that they're something a bit more.

An excellent light fantasy read; i'd give it about a PG rating -- there are two brief sequences in which rape is obviously intended, but both are short and non-specific; and while violence (including some rather nasty but not too detailed magical violence) is an essential part of such a story, it is handled well and is not lovingly dwelt-upon in detail.

If you like Tolkien, Lackey, Eddings or Dave Duncan (particularly his "Man of His Word" series; though Karigan is nothing like Rap, there is some of the same sense of see-it-through because it's the Right Thing To Do about her adventures), you need to at least give thei ons a look.

On the front cover of my edition of this book, there's a quote from Terry Goodkind: "(...) a truly enjoyable read."

That sums it up nicely. There's a certain warmth, perhaps almost an engaging simplicity, to this debut. And as far as I'm concerned, it's very welcome. Britain might well tackle the same subjects as just about everyone else in modern day fantasy, but she does so - for the moment at least! - in a refreshingly unpretentious style. And she does it with undeniable charm.

The best example of the latter comes early in the book, when the protagonist, Karigan, finds herself in a house inhabited by a couple of sisters, Bayberry and Bunchberry (along with a few servants invisible due to the unfortunate dablings in magic by the sisters' father). This is whimsical stuff, more reminiscent of 19th century pastiche than medieval fantasy. Incongruous, perhaps, when compared to the rest of the story - but very welcome nevertheless. And perhaps Britain will be confident enough in the future to add upon such embelishments. (Frankly, she doesn't seem entirely comfortable within the restrictions medieval fantasy imposes anyway: her castles have glass windows, she has cities with plumbing, and people sometimes wear spectacles...)

And with regard to the lack of pretention: Britain shirks the all too common shifting between too many lead characters, the dozens of plots and subplots thrown at you every which way and, in general, the "here's my bigger than big new epic fantasy" approach adopted by a great number of Jordan wannabees. She tells a good (not a very original, as yet, but good) story without clutter.

Bottom line: you could far worse than buying this book. And: this is certainly a writer to watch.

Definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fun and fast read. Yes, there are quite a few predictable elements, but Britain's style is enjoyable, descriptive, and leads you from one page to the next - no dragger here! It reminds me of some of the best fantasy I've read with a Tolkienesqe quality - plenty of behind the scenes history that could be explored with a heroine of some quality. I hope that Ms. Britain is up to the task of doing it. I look forward to a sequel. The typos complained of in the hard cover I did not notice in the paperback. If you're a critic, you'll probably not like this book - it is somewhat formulaic (ie, good does triumph over the bad, and truly new fantasy character types are hard to come up with), and the descriptive overkill that some critics seem to like is absent. I recommend this to any reader over 13; it has some violence, none of the obligatory sex scenes, some romance, and colorful but tasteful dialogue. This is Entertainment!

If you read to be entertained and to escape the daily routine of life, then this is an excellent book to read! Yes, it is fairly predictable and classic in the good-vs-evil department, but, for me, this is the beauty of it. No unwanted surprises in language or overtones. Uncomplicated pure fantasy! I was caught up in the story very quickly and found it enjoyable reading all the way though. I look forward to more from Ms. Britain! I have passed this book on to my 12 year old daughter without any worries over any inappropriate content.

Once again it has been proved to me that an attractive cover IS a good judge of a book. I picked this one off the library shelf in a hurry, inside flap unread, because the cover art caught my eye and I was in a rush because my sis is not known for her great patience. I am happy to say that judging the book by the cover, in this case, did me no harm but a lot of good. It was fun reading! The beginning is harmless and light fantasy stuff, entertaining but hardly gripping, yet as the story progresses it picks up pace, and by the second half I was glued to the pages. That tantalizing hint of romance-to-come in the ending makes me very curious to read the sequel. I am also so glad that unlike a lot of other new fantasies, there was no obligatory excessive gore, no droning on and on about the scenery, but still giving you a fine sense of setting, and even better: decency! Thank God! There has been such a prolific amount of sex rampaging through fantasies these days that I've been despairing of ever finding a "nice", slightly romantic fantasy devoid of all that. But enough of my requirements, let me simply say without further ado, that this was a good book with the key word being "promising" and that I was SO disappointed to find that this is the first-and-only book by author Kirsten Britain. Hope she changes that soon!

I loved this book!! I agree that it needs a sequel, and it's finally coming. The sequel is called "First Rider's Call" and it will be published in August 2003. The publisher has also agreed for two more books in this series.

This is my absolute favorite book. I even bought and sent a copy to my best friend in Florida and she is addicted to the series. We are both on pins and needles waiting for the third book. I just recently bought a copy for my little sister to read and hopefully she'll like it too. I always recommend this books to others as well. This series is the only one that I bought a hardback book and actually read it without buying a paperback to finish it. I just hate lugging around a big heavy book but I did not mind this one at all because it is soooo GOOD!

Green Rider is the first novel in the Green Rider series. Karigan G'ladheon is the daughter of a merchant of Corsa who only wants to travel widely like her father. She has been sent to Selium for schooling, but she just didn't fit in with most of the staff and students. When the dean suspended her for an indefinite period after she thoroughly defeated a bully in the practice ring, Karigan walked out and headed home by herself.

In this novel, Karigan encounters a dying Green Rider, F'ryan Coblebay, who persuades her to deliver the King's messages in his place and then swears her to the service on his sword. Coblebay has been shot in the back with two black arrows. When Karigan takes over his task, she quickly finds that his murderers are now pursuing her.

Karigan has taken Coblebay's sword and cloak as well as his horse. When she is confronted by the mercenary leader of the men following her, she finds that the cloak brooch can make her, and the horse, invisible to the pursuers. Later, she learns from the Berry sisters, who were kind enough to invite her to brunch, that she is being accompanied and protected by Coblebay's ghost and that the brooch is an arcane relic. Moreover, the brooch has accepted her as a Green Rider.

In this story, Karigan soon regrets her oath, but perseveres anyway, despite monsters, mercenaries and the Wild Ride. She continually has reasons to rue her lack of scholarship, for she learns too many things the hard way as she tries to evade her pursuers and reach Sacor City. Meanwhile, her enemies are expending time and resources attempting to intercept her and the messages. Moreover, the Green Riders are also searching for her with considerable puzzlement.

This story almost has too much excitement. Karigan is repeatedly found by her pursuers and then escapes with the assistance of her friends or her ghostly guardian. Nonetheless, the story remains interesting without ever quite reaching the level of melodrama.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys tales of plucky heroines reluctantly involved in high adventure.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A friend pressed this book on me...

Ms. Britain's first book hooked me from the start. I followed Karigan's adventures eagerly, each turn of the page bringing new action to hold my breath. I read the book in one day (putting off lunch for 4 hours), not wanting to miss a heartbeat.

When I put the book down, I instantly knew that I would follow Ms. Britain's writing career as one of her biggest fans.

Karigan G'ladheon is a character not typically found in fantasy: Ms. Britain herself describes her as "an everywoman". Kari is an everywoman--until F'ryan Coblebay, a Green Rider for the king...P>This is an excellent first book, and I heartily recommend it. The only bad thing about this novel is the end: several of the story's threads are tied up in (from the viewpoint of a fan) most unsatisfying knots, leaving us readers with a semi-cliffhanger. Aah, we want MORE, Ms. Britain! And fortunately, there's going to be more: Green Rider's sequel is tentatively scheduled for August 2003, with two more books on the way. Well, I'm buying THOSE in hardcover!

Kristen Britain has lots of talent, and I expect great things from her in the future. That said, I cannot recommend her book to anyone who's read more than one other fantasy novel. While her writing style is great, the plot is just a long string of fantasy genre cliches. The setting is a land where magic was once powerful, but now the knowledge is lost. Naturally there's an Old Language no one can read. The protagonist, of course, rediscovers long lost magic and spends most of the book trekking down a road slaying monsters and trying to deny her destiny and go back to her old life. In amidst all the trekking and slaying she runs into the Ancient Powerful Evil antagonist and, exactly as one would expect, somehow manages to defeat him with her raw talent despite his 1000 years of experience with Ancient Powerful Evil Magic. Etc, etc, you get the point.