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Green Rider

Green Rider

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Two and a half star debut novel
Review: "Green Rider" is a fun book, but it's unevenly paced, draws too much on typical fantasy conventions, and lacks something.

I'm not sure what; I liked Karigan, the heroine. She's not perfect; she'd rather not be undertaking this quest, thank you very much, and doesn't understand what she's doing. I like that part just fine.

But I'll tell you something. I read about two hundred, two hundred fifty pages in, and stopped dead for two weeks. I started up again, and called every plot twist from there on in.

Granted, that's not necessarily a failing. I'm a writer myself, and a decent editor, and am well versed with fantasy convention. But I was hoping that one thing -- just one -- would surprise me. And it didn't.

Even the ending, where Karigan refuses to become a Green Rider, isn't all that surprising; she ran from being the heroine most of the way through, why change there? Besides, it was just an unconventional way to get into a sequel; more power to Ms. Britain for thinking of it, but I don't find it amazingly original.

Basically, this is a readable fantasy with some mightily cliched elements. Because it's a first novel, many people have given it more stars than it perhaps deserves. But based on the modern classics in the field (Lackey, Edghill, Donaldson, Bujold, Jordan, Goodkind), it isn't worth that. It's a solid effort which shows enough for another novel.

I'll try the second book once it gets into paperback (or if I can find the hardcover at the library); granted, I buy very, very few hardcovers. If I like that better, Ms. Britain's third novel might be something I highly anticipate.

But right now, I can take or leave this series.

Two and a half stars.

Barb Caffrey

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great book
Review: A great fantasy/adveture story about a group of people who are messangers for the king. You follow the story of a girl who is pulled into their conflict...and how she handles it. A great read for any fantasy fan. Also check out the sequel "First Rider's Call" which is even better than this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is the best book ever!
Review: This is defentialy the best book in the world. If I was trapped in a dessart island for the rest of my life and could only bring one thing, I would bring this book! Although this book may lasp in some area's and seem dull for those who are reluctant to undergo such a huge undertaking, this book is very worth your while.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: This book is a really great read. I was really skeptical when my friend told me I should read this. I thought it would be a dull, confusing story. But after a few pages, I could wait to see what happened next. It's a great mix of magic, danger, suspense and some great battle scenes.

Running away from her school after a fight that could have her expelled, Karigan sets off for a long journey back to her home. On her way, she meets a dying F'ryan Coblebay, a Green Rider, messegers to the king. He convinces her to carry his important message to the king. This leads to a dangerous, exciting journey to make sure the message is delivered

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Poor
Review: I am utterly amazed that a book this poor could get such rave reviews from everyone.

The plot is so unbelievable that you don't know what to do with yourself. This is the second time that I have tried to read this book because they said that her second book is the sequel to the blockbuster debut. So, hey, maybe I was wrong in my first impression, maybe there really is something worth while. Boy was I wrong.

First, where are the editors? Her haphazard usage of commas makes the read so stilted that you don't even know what you just read. When the English teacher taught the class that it is better to leave commas out then to use them too much she must have been gone.

Generic names never work in fantasy, yet she uses them without regard. Her horse is called "The Horse," the enemy is called "The Gray One." Come on, can we be any more unoriginal?

The characters have no development and whenever the main character gets in trouble something happens to save her. An eagle shows up to eat little baby spiders that are attacking her (this is such a horrible scene, nothing worth reading), or a voice in her head tells her what to do, or a ghost takes over her body to fight for her, or the Berry Sisters magically appear, or a waystation for Green Riders appears out of nowhere for her to rest in.

It seems that Britain had no clue what she wanted to write on and so just started throwing things in, thinking that it would make sense. Can we use any more of the cliched images? Dirty man wants to rape woman as tobaco drips from his mouth onto her clothes. Let's try and focus on originality or, at the least, re-write it so that it is interesting!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must for all Fantasy Books lovers
Review: I've owned this book since 1999 but I hadn't gotten around to reading it, thinking that as it was a first effort it couldn't be such a great thing. How wrong I was!! I started on it last week and couldn't put it down. The story is intriguing and very well told. Kari is a really lovely person and you grow to like her right away, and the rest of the characters are very well defined; you really love the nice ones and hate the evil ones. And a delicious hint of things to come on the next books is given at the end, so you're eager for them right after finishing the first one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Green With Envy
Review: I bought this book believing that it would take me a while to read,. but this wasn't the case. I am not a very quick reader, but it took me only a few days short of a week to get through the wopping 504 pages. There are a lot of books that take a while to get into... The Green Rider however, absorbs you into the strange world right away. With its wonderful characters, beautiful descriptions of the various regions, political intrigue and the addition of not so cliche magic 'n mysticism.
The novel shows the evolution into womanhood of a nobleman's daughter who has been suspended from school after humiliating a bully in a swordfight. Karigan decides to run off before her merchant father is able to pick her up and comes upon the mortally wounded Fry'an Coblebay, a green rider who asks her to take a message to the king. The story doesn't explain everything right away, but draws you in with the depth and majesty.
Finely written, The Green Rider has inspired me to start writing again. The ending left things up in the air for the continuation of Kari's advevtures, for which I am happily anticipating Kristin to write. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy as well as anyone who loves cloak and dagger, swordfighting, magic and chase sequences. A must read!

Dianne

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I wish I could be a Green Rider!
Review: I was recently browsing in the book store when I decided to try this book. I was very lucky I didn't buy it sooner because I can't wait much longer for the sequel! It's hard for a teenager to find a good fantasy book. Most are now written as either too complex or too juvenile. This one was excellent in that it was neither! If you are a teenager out there craving a good adventure, I would suggest giving this book a try. Even if you aren't, it's a fascinating story for both boys and girls, young and old. Britain is an amazing new author, and I am dying to read the sequel! She truly deserves 5 stars...that's saying something.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Book, [bad] ending
Review: I loved the book, I really did, and I'm still really looking forward to the long overdue sequel, but the ending was one of the worst I've ever read. It was as if she had more to write, but her publisher said 'I'll give you a chapter, it needs to go to press.' Maybe I just didn't want it to end, but when the main character essentially saves the kingdom, and realizes her true purpose in life I expected a little more than, 'oh, ok, I'm going to go home with my father now, bye everybody.' Regardless I'll buy the second in a heartbeat.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: In a word? BORING.
Review: Don't read this if you are above the age of 12. I went in expecting lots of adventure, suspense and action. Instead, all I got were a bunch of non-threatening villains who periodically broke into insane maniacal laughter (i.e. the shadow guy). I went in expecting an intelligent, ballsy heroine. Instead, all I got was Karigan, who spent way too much time talking to creepy old ladies and idiotic giants when she was supposedly being chased by the aforementioned insane maniacal laughter guys. I quit reading once the horse became more intelligent than the girl.


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