Green Rider

Rating:
Summary: Great Movement
Review: This is a beautifully written fantasy novel. The first time I read this, I wondered who the writer really was because I had never heard of her before. The story line is unique and has great speed and movement. Britain describes the characters in the book so they are believeable. This is a must read! I'm looking forward to the second edition as I just ordered it today.

Rating:
Summary: Very poorly written... ok for killing time.
Review: I am very surprised that this book is getting so many good reviews. I advise the prospective reader to heed those reviewers that are less enthusiastic. A sophisticated reader will find very few, if any, original thoughts in this book. The story is shallow, underdeveloped, and has many irrelevant parts. The language frequently uses cliches and your standard fantasy characters. I suppose the use of cliches and stereotypes is efficient, because the author does not need to explain much--you know what she is talking about from Tolkien or Robert Jordan.

The book's saving grace is a germ of a good idea. I wish that the author put a little more "sweat equity" into working out the idea into a well thought-out book. Otherwise, it is just a poorly written "me too" addition to the growing fantasy book market. If you are looking for another fantasy book to kill time or to learn how NOT TO write books, this book will work fine. If you'd like to read something really good, look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!
Review: Green Rider is one of my favorite books. It is full of excitement and is a quick read, espically for fantasy fans. Karigan is from a merchant clan and runs away from her school after getting in trouble for "starting a fight" so on her way home she runs into one of the King's Green Riders (a group of messengers) impaled with two black arrows in his back. She then promises that she will take the message the green rider was killed over and take it to the King. Karigan is faced with many dangers and helps uncover the ploy that would take the king from his thrown. This is a fast paced book and everyone I recomended it to loved it. I highly recommend this book everyone, but due to the fact that the main character is female I would recommend it to female readers more.

Rating:
Summary: Slow beginning, but gets better fast
Review: The first about 3/4 of the book, while good, were not captivating. (As another reviewer pointed out, I kept thinking of M. Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series.) Then all of a suddent the real action started and I couldn't put the book down.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Laughable and it's not a comedy
Review: If you must buy another fanatasy book I would not suggest this one. Despite the praising reviews I thought it was a very uncreative book. Many of her ideas are a slightly changed version of those in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For example, a brooch vs. a ring that turns the wearer invisible, horses with other wordly qualities, a race of beautiful people that are not human and who are known for their spellbinding singing, wounds that will never heal, a dark lord, and the list goes on. The author does have some original ideas, but they are clouded over by the many changed from Tolkien's trilogy. All in all I would not waste my money on this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but...
Review: Hmm. Originally, I was inclined to give this a good review. It is a good book; the plot is solid and the characters are well fleshed out. As a debut in the fantasy genre, it was quite impressive.
Karigan is a girl in her early twenties who stumbled across a Green Rider while fleeing from a school she doesnt like. Green Riders are messangers of the King who ride legendary horses and have pins that are rumored to possess magical powers. When the dying Green Rider gived her his emblem (the pin), she embarks on a desperte journey to get a maessage to the King before the strange Shadow Man that killed the Rider can get to her, too.
The story was interesting. Karigan's experiences, both on the road and in the city, are both exciting and humorous. I have one big problem with the book, though, that seriously detracts from its rating. Has anyone read Mercedes Lackey's Heralds series? This book is a dead ringer for one of those. Of course, a few things are different--the Riders wear green, not white, and the horses can't mind-speak and are definitely horses--but the basic premise is the same. The Heralds are special agents of the King (or Queen, actually) who have magical powers and a mystical past. I confess myself to be disappointed in Ms. Britain for committing such an error. I hope that in her next books she comes up with something a little more original.