Book Review: Green Rider (Green Rider, #1) by Kristen Britain

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Green Rider
Series: Green Rider, #1
Author: Kristen Britain
Publisher: DAW
Publication date: 1998
Length: 481 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Magic, danger, and adventure abound for messenger Karigan G’ladheon in the first book of the New York Times-bestselling Green Rider fantasy series

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.

With memorable characters, unique magic, and a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, this action-packed, feminist fantasy is a must-read for lovers of the genre.

Where has Green Rider been all my (reading) life? I only became aware of this series in 2023, after stumbling across a promo for a soon-to-be released novella set in the world of the larger series. I don’t know why I wasn’t aware of Green Rider sooner… but I suppose this falls into the category of “better late than never” books!

Green Rider is a high fantasy series involving magic, legacies of ancient battles, rivalry for the throne, struggles between the nobility, merchant, and lower classes, and so much more. Our main character is Karigan G’ladheon, teenaged daughter of a successful shipping merchant. Karigan has just been suspended from school after humiliating a nobleman’s son at swordplay. On her trek home, Karigan encounters a Green Rider — a member of the King’s elite messenger corps — who’s been mortally wounded. Dying in front of Karigan, he begs her to complete his mission. Although she has no training in such matters, she swears to do so, and takes up his green cloak, his mysterious horse-shaped gold brooch, and his horse (whom Karigan proceeds to name The Horse).

Almost immediately, Karigan discovers that her own life is now in danger. She’s pursued by a variety of bad guys, who are clearly willing to hurt or kill her in order to get their hands on the message she carries. But Karigan is committed to keeping her promise, and has the dead Rider’s ghost to encourage her onward when she falters.

Much of Green Rider focuses on Karigan’s journey along dangerous roads, fighting off threats while also meeting intriguing others who seem to wield magical gifts and are willing to offer her help. Karigan learns that wearing the cloak and brooch of a Green Rider imbues her with certain powers — and while she keeps insisting that she’s not really a Rider herself, her actions seem to prove otherwise.

The stakes and tension escalate further when she finally reaches the kingdom’s capitol and finds her way to the court. Meanwhile, scattered throughout are chapters showing a devious plot to overthrow the king, with nefarious parties willing to allow the blackest magic back into the kingdom in order to promote their own power plays. A dramatic, deadly face-off between the forces of good and evil provides a thrilling climax to the story — and the ripple effects are sure to be felt throughout the next books in the series.

Green Rider is an absorbing, complicated book, with intricate world-building and a wide cast of characters. I think I hesitated to start because of the length and size of the book — my edition is an oversized paperback, and it really looks and feels like a doorstop! Fortunately, it’s fast-moving, and I never felt bogged down or overwhelmed.

Karigan is a terrific character, as are so many of the others we meet. I’m curious to learn more about the king and the other riders, and would love to know more about certain of the unusual people Karigan meets during her journey.

A map of the kingdom and surrounding lands would have been helpful! My edition does not include this, although a quick Google search leads to several fan-made versions, as well as a map drawn by the author when book #6 was released.

As for the series as a whole, it currently consists of eight novels plus two shorter works. The eighth novel was just published this week! The main novels are all pretty massive, well over 500 pages each. No wonder I was hesitant about starting!

Will I continue? Absolutely! I loved Green Rider, and can’t wait to see what’s next for Karigan. There’s clearly so much more to explore about this rich fantasy world. Given the length of the books, I’m not sure when I’ll actually dive into book #2 (596 pages!), but at the very latest, it will be a priority read for me in 2026.

Overall, I highly recommend Green Rider, and I’m delighted that I’ve finally taken the time to start this series. A must-read for fantasy fans!

The Green Rider series:

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25Apr2020

Book Review: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Goblin Emperor
Author: Katherine Addison
Publisher: Tor
Publication date: April 1, 2014
Length: 483 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.
Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.
Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend… and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.
Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor is an exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.

I have seen people RAVING about this book for years. And you know what? They’re all 100% right — The Goblin Emperor is amazing!

Maia, at age 18, has spent the last ten years of his life in exile, raised by his cousin, a cruel man who resents Maia and his role as Maia’s guardian. Maia’s mother was the 4th wife of the emperor, but he didn’t care for her and sent her away almost immediately. Maia has met his father exactly once in his life, at his mother’s funeral.

All this changes when a messenger arrives to inform Maia that his father and his brothers have all died in an airship crash. Maia is now the sole surviving descendant of the emperor… making him the new emperor. And he’s totally unprepared.

What follows is a whirlwind for us as readers as well as for Maia, as his life is turned completely upside down. He’s thrust into the role of emperor and introduced to court life, with its power plays, obsequiousness, and scheming. There are a vast number of people he’s expected to know, rituals to follow, and decisions to make.

What’s more, it means that Maia will never know a moment of solitude ever again. He is constantly accompanied by his personal guards, has a household who dress and feed him, and his every moment is scheduled down to the second, it seems. He is dressed in fine garments, adorned with the crown jewels, and put on display for formal events and ceremonies — and he has to get through it all without letting anyone see how scared and unprepared he is.

I loved, loved, loved this book, although at the beginning, I was afraid it was going to break my brain. This is not an easy book.

Author Katherine Addison has pulled off an incredible feat of world-building, creating a language and political system that are intricate and hard to follow, but which make their own sort of sense once you get the rhythm of it all.

Thankfully, there’s a guide to grammar, people, and places at the back of the book — although I admit that when I first saw this, I felt completely overwhelmed.

There are tons of names and families and relationships to keep track of, plus it helps to understand the forms of address:

Of course, I had to go looking for Goblin Emperor fan art, and fell down the rabbit hole for a while. Here are a few that jumped out at me:

https://twitter.com/AceArt3mis/status/1104470827205083137/photo/1

https://www.deviantart.com/shiftingpath/art/Winternight-582912404

*Found on multiple Pinterest boards – source not identified*

I simply can’t say enough good things about The Goblin Emperor! Be warned — this is not an easy read. Absolute attention is required, or you’re likely to drown in the sea of names and places and titles and concepts that are all completely new. It all makes total sense once you get into it, but at the beginning, I was definitely struggling to stay afloat.

Is The Goblin Emperor worth the effort? Absolutely! It’s a well-crafted high fantasy story, with a world that follows its own internal logic and rules, and a lead character — Maia Drazhar, of the house Drazahada (the ruling house of the Ethuveraz (Elflands)), otherwise known as His Serenity Edrehasivar VII — who is vulnerable, kind, inquisitive, and bold in his own quiet way.

Now that I’ve read this amazing book once, I know I’ll want to read it again. The first read requires a lot of learning, figuring out what this world is about, how the names and titles work, how different people connect. Now that I’ve got it, I’d love to experience it all over again, this time concentrating more on the nuances of the story and the character development. Maybe audiobook for a re-read?

Consider me fully and completely on the Goblin Emperor bandwagon! Now I know why so many people consider it a favorite. If you haven’t had the pleasure yet… well, jump in! It’s glorious.

PS – Added after the fact: I’d love to see a graphic novel adaptation of The Goblin Emperor!