Green Rider - Softcover

Britain, Kristin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0886778581 ISBN 13: 9780886778583

Publisher: Penguin, 2000

Synopsis

Magic, danger, and adventure abound for messenger Karigan G'ladheon in author Kristen Britain's New York Times-bestselling Green Rider fantasy series - "First-rate fantasy." --Library Journal

On her long journey home from school after a fight that will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her uncertain future. As she trudges through the immense Green Cloak forest, her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves, as a galloping horse bursts from the woods.

The rider is slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king of Sacoridia.

Before he dies, he begs Karigan to deliver the "life and death" message he bears to King Zachary. When she reluctantly he agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission, whispering with his dying breath, "Beware the shadow man...".

Taking on the golden-winged horse brooch that is the symbol of the Green Riders, Karigan is swept into a world of deadly danger and complex magic, her life forever changed. Compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is accompanied by the silent specter of the fallen messenger and hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

About this title

Review:

This fat fantasy is the author's first published novel. Although the typical back cover quotes from Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley overly praise it somewhat--"stunning", "terrific", "classic"--it's a good, highly readable debut. Kristen Britain tells her story at a headlong pace and with considerable charm. Young heroine Karigan hardly has time to regret being expelled from school (for duelling) before finding herself committed to the desperate errand of a murdered Green Rider. The Riders are an elite messenger corps using both horses and magic; the message is a terrible warning. Bad things from bad places are invading this fantasyland, their presence being only part of a devious, sorcery-aided human struggle for the throne. Karigan's wild ride is beset with a variety of enemies but aided by her own developing talents plus certain strange allies; these include the tormented ghost of the dead Green Rider himself--still pierced by and trying to resist the chief villain's black arrows that ensnare the soul. Delivering the message to a suspicious court is only half Karigan's job: can it be interpreted in time? The pages turn fast, the heroine is likeable and the villains hissable, and all ends as it should. --David Langford

Review:

Praise for the Green Rider series:

"Green Rider is a wonderfully captivating heroic fantasy adventure.... Kristen Britain's likable heroine and fast-paced plot kept me eagerly turning pages. This is the rarest of finds: a truly enjoyable read." --Terry Goodkind, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Sword of Truth series

"Kristen Britain is one of the most astonishing fantasy writers working today. She has created a richly imagined world where magic is as real as courage, and where a young woman's heroism can change the course of history." ―Tess Gerritsen, author of The Apprentice

"Britain keeps the excitement high from beginning to end, balancing epic magical battles with the humor and camaraderie of Karigan and her fellow riders." ―Publishers Weekly

"Readers of epic fantasy and series followers will want this finely honed, skillfully crafted tale."―Library Journal

"The intermittent sense of foreboding is offset by a healthy dose of old-fashioned adventure--kidnappings, a noble thief, near drowning, divine visitations, ghosts, a visit to an upscale brothel, and some very bad knife throwing--that provides a satisfying temporary conclusion despite this being very much a middle novel with serious nastiness still looming." --Locus

"The gifted Ms. Britain writes with ease and grace as she creates a mesmerizing fantasy ambiance and an appealing heroine quite free of normal clichés." --RT Reviews

"This captivating fantasy is filled with adventure, action, and heroes. Karigan grows tremendously as a person and in the end finds her own place in this world. The characters, including minor ones, are well-developed and the plot is complex enough to get the reader thinking. This is a real page-turner." --VOYA

"Kristen Britain writes so beautifully that I never want to have to put her books down." ―Fantasy Book Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0886778581
• ISBN 13: 9780886778583
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 480