Pros: Wonderful epic fantasy in a fantastic world!
Cons: Some of the bad guys were unnecessarily foolish
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.
Also posted on Epinions.com.
When I received a review copy of Kristen Britain’s long-awaited First Rider’s Call, thankfully I realized that I had a copy of her previous Green Rider sitting unread on a shelf, and started with that. It was a wonderful, layered, epic fantasy novel with delightful characters, gripping action, and engaging world-building. In it, Karigan G’ladheon found herself drawn unwillingly into peril and intrigue when she swore to finish delivering a dying messenger’s missive to his king. As much as she believed herself to be a normal girl, destined to become a merchant like her father, circumstances said otherwise: one of the magical brooches of the legendary Green Riders accepted her, and she began developing some unusual abilities. Soon she was hip-deep in dark magic and political intrigue alike.
In First Rider’s Call, Karigan is still resisting the call of the Riders, and has returned to her father’s merchant clan. Until, that is, the ghost of the First Rider, Lil, calls to her so irresistibly that she ends up riding halfway to Sacor City in her nightgown! Finally unable to bear it any longer, she returns to her duties—and just in time. A sentience has awoken in Blackveil forest near the hole in the wall, and it’s testing its boundaries and waking old powers. While it goes after those trying to repair the wall, using them to its own ends, it sends others after Karigan for some unknown reason. Meanwhile, Karigan tries to keep the Green Riders functional as their Captain goes mad, their barracks burn, and their powers fail.
