Green Rider (original 1998; edition 2008)

Maybe I'm jaded, but a lot of it was silly. Too many characters could have been cut or redone. I realized this book wasn't up to par when the little old ladies came into it near the beginning. Oh, magic is something humans forgot about -- cue little old ladies who just happen to know about magic coming in to explain it to the heroine.

A lot of the dialogue goes on too long. The descriptions are good, though -- vivid but not overdone.

I skimmed it more than read it, and I won't be picking up the next book. ( )

The first impression one gets from reading the back cover of Green Rider is the obvious parallels to the Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey. Both involve messengers of the regent, special horses, and magic. And while there are some similarities, Britain's book reads with less magic and more grit and politics. The world is rougher, more dangerous; the land of the story is broken into clans, much as Europe was broken into multiple kingdoms, fiefdoms, etc. several centuries ago; clans who strive by any means necessary for more power, more land, more resources, something we're all familiar with in today's world. The core of the story revolves around a young girl who promises to carry an important message to the king, even though the messenger who passes it on to her is dying, mortally wounded at the hands of an unknown enemy. This girl, now thrust into matters that had never before intruded into her awareness, finds her eyes opened to the dangerous and intricate dance of power played out by the clans and the king and is made aware of the consequences of joining such a dance, even unwittingly. Overall, it's a satisfying read; I look forward to reading the next two books in this series. The pace runs well and the author isn't afraid of terrifying or humiliating her characters, which makes the drama and action all the more heartpounding, and the triumphs all the more cheer-worthy. ( )

In my humble opinion, I like the story, my one concern was the overly narrative writing and observations ~ I like a good weather or nature report but please not all the time! I like the setting to be describe in a way that i've got the picture now give me a story! However I'm into the 2nd book presently and so far its good ~ I'm enjoying the journey ( )

A girl is kicked out of school, and on her way home she encounters a dying messenger. She agrees to deliver his message, not realizing it comes with a whole host of incredible problems including deadly creatures, invisibility, and long-forgotten magic.

The writing is good and it seems this is an epic story in the tradition of Lord of the Rings, where surreal thing after surreal thing happens and the adventure continues with a host of strange characters. I read 120 pages and then stopped, though, because it was not what I wanted. I wanted more character development for our protagonist, and a more orginal plot rather than a series of fantastical events. Some people will adore this story, I'm sure. It just wasn't for me.

Loved this book. It is one I go back to re-read on a semi-regular basis. Karigan is a character who makes me enjoy the story. The world is well-built and actually plausible while still being fantastical.