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Green Rider #3
The High King's Tomb
Magic, danger, and adventure abound for messenger Karigan G'ladheon in the third book in Kristen Britain's New York Times-bestselling Green Rider fantasy seriesMore than a thousand years ago, the armies of the Arcosian Empire, led by sorcerer Mornhavon the Black, crossed the great sea and tried to conquer the land of Sacoridia using terrible dark magic. Eventually, Mornhavon was captured, and his evil spirit imprisoned in Blackveil Forest. Since that day, the perimeter of Blackveil—now a dark and twisted land—has been protected by the magical D’Yer Wall. But in the centuries since the war’s end, knowledge of the working of magic disappeared from Sacoridia, due to the fear and prejudice of a people traumatized by Mornhavon’s sorceries. Karigan G’ladheon is now a seasoned Green Rider—a member of the magical messenger corps of the king. But during her first year as a Rider, a rogue magician cracked the mighty D’Yer Wall. The spirit of Mornhavon, sensing the weakness, began to wake, seeking vengeance, and causing frightening aberrations throughout the land. Karigan managed to transport the spirit of Mornhavon into the future, buying valuable time for her king and country. But how far in the future is Mornhavon now? A hundred years? Ten? Only one year? There is no way to tell. And though Karigan and her fellow Riders have scoured the land searching for lost magical knowledge, and members of Clan D’Yer are camped at the wall, hoping to uncover its lost secrets, they were unaware of a threat to their kingdom that lay far closer. For there were Arcosian soldiers who survived the Long War, and the descendants of those ancient enemies spent generations honing their powers of dark magic—a force against which the Sacoridians have no defense....
772 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
394 people are currently reading
5938 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Britain
25 books3,169 followersKristen Britain grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, where she started her first novel - an undersea fantasy featuring herself and her friends - at the age of nine. She published her first book, a cartoon collection called Horses and Horsepeople, at the age of thirteen. After completing her degree in film production at Ithaca College in 1987 she made the logical (?!) leap from cinema to the National Park Service. Her many years as a park ranger enabled her to work in a variety of natural and historical settings, from 300 feet below the surface of the Earth to 13,000 feet above sea level on the Continental Divide; and from the textile mills of the American Industrial Revolution to the homes of Americans who changed the course of history.
Currently she lives in a log cabin in Maine where she writes full time and pursues interests reading, guitar playing, and cartoon illustration, supervised by a cat and a dog. She enjoys exploring the magical places around her and can often be found paddling a canoe in stillwater, ambling through the woods to mountain summits, or sitting along the rocky shore listening, watching, and daydreaming. This is her fantasy, at least.
Currently she lives in a log cabin in Maine where she writes full time and pursues interests reading, guitar playing, and cartoon illustration, supervised by a cat and a dog. She enjoys exploring the magical places around her and can often be found paddling a canoe in stillwater, ambling through the woods to mountain summits, or sitting along the rocky shore listening, watching, and daydreaming. This is her fantasy, at least.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 682 reviews
January 15, 2022
4.5 Stars
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
March 31, 2021
Finally a comprehensive review on this book!
Spoiler: I loved this book, the best of the series just yet. And I am afraid and excited to start Blackveil because it has a great book to live up to!
First and foremost, the book was set up by book 2. A call to the (new) Green Riders was made right before the end of the book and Kerigan had her heart broken into a million pieces. The series has a strong Tolkien influence but this book in particular reminded me of the Lord of the Ring, a vivid reminder, including but not limited to the fairly heavy use of songs!
The villain is, again, the Second Empire. And I tend to like this plot better - maybe I can understand it better (my brain is not wired to understand an abstract - yet extremely dangerous - villain) albeit the enemy is, in essence, the same faction.
There are primarily four story lines that intertwine throughout the book: one for Karigan (duh!), one for Amberhill , one for Alton and Dale (focusing on the wall and the story is just incredibly interesting, with a crazy ghost mage!) and one for Beryl which was a brand new best for me!
The Elitians are a strong presence in this book (and I cannot stop drawing connections to the elves in the Tolkien stories); they are quite magical .
In essence, make yourself a favor and give this series a go. The main character is interesting (albeit immature at times which makes her more realistic), the story has an incredible level of detail, the characters, whether main or minor, are depicted with incredible skill. There is character development, there are good times and bad times. It is a satisfying fantasy read.
Spoiler: I loved this book, the best of the series just yet. And I am afraid and excited to start Blackveil because it has a great book to live up to!
First and foremost, the book was set up by book 2. A call to the (new) Green Riders was made right before the end of the book and Kerigan had her heart broken into a million pieces. The series has a strong Tolkien influence but this book in particular reminded me of the Lord of the Ring, a vivid reminder, including but not limited to the fairly heavy use of songs!
The villain is, again, the Second Empire. And I tend to like this plot better - maybe I can understand it better (my brain is not wired to understand an abstract - yet extremely dangerous - villain) albeit the enemy is, in essence, the same faction.
There are primarily four story lines that intertwine throughout the book: one for Karigan (duh!), one for Amberhill , one for Alton and Dale (focusing on the wall and the story is just incredibly interesting, with a crazy ghost mage!) and one for Beryl which was a brand new best for me!
The Elitians are a strong presence in this book (and I cannot stop drawing connections to the elves in the Tolkien stories); they are quite magical .
In essence, make yourself a favor and give this series a go. The main character is interesting (albeit immature at times which makes her more realistic), the story has an incredible level of detail, the characters, whether main or minor, are depicted with incredible skill. There is character development, there are good times and bad times. It is a satisfying fantasy read.
August 28, 2014
An Opinionated Look At:
Kristen Britain's The High King's Tomb
By Eric Allen
This book is a little hard to rate, because the first half is boring and largely irrelevant to the story, where the second half is excellent and exciting. So I guess I'm going with a nice, neutral 3 stars. Not great. Not horrible. Just kind of there.
Before I start, I want to make something clear. There are a few very big things wrong with this book, and they are not the author's fault. The writing itself is excellent, and shows a marked progression in Britain's skills as a writer. However, it is very easy to see in this book how either the editor, or the publisher wanted her to include certain things in the story to cater to a broader audience. Britain fought back, lost, and is clearly bitter about it, and openly contemptuous of these certain things that she was forced to put in. Now, I don't know for sure if this is what happened with this book, as I wasn't there, and Britain is a busy woman who doesn't have time to reply back to everyone who sends her their praise, but it is the impression I get from how things are written, and the general mess that the first half of the book is in. In a perfect world, artists would be able to create what they want without interference and it would always be great. In reality, storytelling, whether it be books, film, television, or a dozen other different mediums, is a business, and those who run that business know that certain things sell well to certain audiences, and they do their best to make sure that those certain things are included in everything that they produce. Many a time a writer, filmmaker, artist, musician, etc, must sacrifice their artistic integrity in the name of the almighty dollar. It is, unfortunately, the way the world works. Sometimes those imposed changes can be beneficial, and improve upon the story being told. The original Star Wars trilogy comes to mind. Read the original script to Star Wars and you'll see exactly what I mean. However, just as often, the interference from the higher ups fails to make an improvement, and it turns everything into a big mess. In short, there are times when the people up top should interfere in order to produce a better story... this was not one of them.
After the near escape of Mornhavon the Black from Blackveil Forest over the summer, the D'yer Wall has become even more unstable, and worse, the Guardians of the wall refuse Alton entry while they go slowly insane and begin to crumble. Meanwhile Karigan meanders pointlessly through several misadventures that don't really have much point or purpose to the plot or the development of characters and by sheer coincidence finds herself in position to save the day in the end. Second Empire has discovered a way to destroy the D'yer Wall once and for all, and have hired thieves to bring them certain items that will show them the way.
The Good? As I said earlier, Britain has improved her skills as a writer since the previous book. There are a lot of problems with relevance in the first half of the book, but that irrelevant fluff is still written well. Even with a first half that really just doesn't have much reason to exist, she still manages to pull things together for a pretty awesome second half, and a suitably epic climax.
I haven't addressed the love triangle in this series yet, so I might as well do so now. Okay, I know that hating love triangles is kind of the popular thing to do right now and all, but this is a really well done love triangle. Why? BECAUSE IT IS HALFWAY REALISTIC AND THE AUTHOR COMES AT IT LIKE AN ADULT RATHER THAN A HORNY TEENAGED GIRL!!! I am sick to death of badly written and constructed love triangles, however, this one is very well put together, and it follows very realistic paths. Karigan is a commoner, both men she likes are noblemen. It can never be, and the story treats it like something that can never be, finding ways to alienate one of the men she is interested in, and having Karigan herself realize how impossible the other one would be, but still unable to stop feeling the feelings she feels. In real life kings don't marry commoners because they fall in love with them, they get dragged into contracted treaty marriages and the like whatever they truly want, and it is SO GOOD to finally find an author that actually realizes this fact. The characters got to know each other through sharing mutual experiences, and generally being around each other long enough to actually feel love toward one another, rather than the cliche and unrealistic love at first sight gimmick that is so over used in fiction. And they actually follow the rules of society in dealing with that love. I mean, this NEVER happens in fiction, and it is so nice to actually see it done so well. When characters actually have reasons to fall in love with each other, and reasons why that love can never be, it brings so much more to the story in emotional and dramatic tension than any poorly tossed together, love at first sight, Twilight-esque love triangle ever could. Anyone looking for an example of a love triangle done right, take a look at Kristen Britain's Green Rider series, because it is one of the best executed love triangles I've ever seen in fiction.
The Bad? Now, I hesitate to use the word "girly" to describe many of the things that go on in the first half of this book, because it has always seemed rather condescending and a perpetuance of the stereotype that women only like things societally considered to be feminine, when there are many who don't care for these sorts of things at all. However, there's just no other word that really describes it. We've got wedding plans being made, a love that can never be, a dashing masked thief, Karigan playing dress up. It really seems out of place for two reasons. Up to this point, Britain has managed to avoid these sorts of things in her writing. And second, she seems highly contemptuous of them, which is what leads me to believe she had some publisher interference. You have the parts Britain obviously wanted to write, Karigan training as a swordmaster, and fighting off thieves and brigands... mixed in with the parts she obviously does not want to write, like dressing up, and marriage plans, and the contrast is really harsh. You can tell just what Britain thinks of "girly" things and stereotypes, and yet, she is clearly being forced to perpetuate said stereotypes in the name of selling more books. Now, I'm not a woman, nor have I ever been or plan to be, but I imagine seeing a very strong female lead I looked up to, who has never followed the girly stereotypes at all, suddenly getting dragged into them kicking and screaming would feel just a little insulting to me, and kind of put me off the rest of what was happening in the book. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it just seems to me that when you take someone who has avoided being the stereotypical teenaged girl with stereotypical teenaged girl problems, likes and desires, and suddenly dump them all on her at once in a big mess of boring, pointless fluff, it sort of feels a little patronizing, doesn't it?
Karigan, the main protagonist, HERO OF THE FREAKING STORY, doesn't really have much to do with the first half of the book. In fact, you can completely remove most of her scenes from it and not really miss much of importance. The message errand she is sent on has the feel of the author simply making something for the character to do, rather than anything important or vital to the story in any way, and this unimportant errand has little relevance until the very end of the book, as it puts Karigan in the right place at the right time purely by coincidence. Britain does use this filler errand to give us some more of her world's lore, but it's really just not enough to justify the fact that the main character of this series is largely irrelevant to this story. Your main protagonist should be the center of the story. You shouldn't have to make busy work for her while important events are going on elsewhere. She should be right in the middle of it all, or connected to it in some way, rather than stumbling upon something of relevance to the main plot near the end in such a way that it could almost be considered Deus Ex Machina.
Divine intervention can work for a story under certain circumstances... this is not one of them. Typically, in my opinion, the ONLY times when it is acceptable to use divine intervention as a plot device are when a character is being rewarded for faith, or being rewarded for working through a crisis of faith. Neither of these things apply to this story. When you pretty much say "god stepped in and fixed everything" it cheapens the characters, their struggles, and any effort they've put into things so far. It's an even worse sin, if you'll pardon the pun, in my opinion, than even using Deus Ex Machina to resolve a problem. If some unknowable, all-powerful being does all the work for the characters what have they learned in the end? How have they grown as people by facing this trial? What new sides of their character did we, the readers, see? The entire point of a story is for the protagonist to learn and grow as a human being until she is able to win in the end on her own merits. Frankly, saying that god stepped in and saved the day in the end was a little lazy, and somewhat insulting as well. I mean, it's cool that Karigan got to ride Death's horse and all, and wield his power... but that wasn't HER doing those things, it was the Death God doing them. There is a difference, and a striking one at that. I felt a little let down by it. Karigan was a strong, smart, and highly capable character at the end of the previous book. Is it so much to ask that she solve the problem at the end of the next book by her own knowledge, skills, and ability, rather than sitting back and letting god fix it all for her?
As I said before, a lot of the things in the first half of this book just really don't have any real reason to be there. They just take up space and seem like obvious pandering toward a particular audience that the author has taken great pains before this point to avoid. You can remove huge chunks of the story without even noticing that they are missing, because it's really just a bunch of fan service for stereotypical teenaged girls who may, or may not, really care that much about it. The fact that the author is openly contemptuous of these sections of the book does not forgive the fact that they still do, in fact, exist. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that little things catering to a more feminine audience do not belong in any story ever. I'm not saying that at all. They have their place in a story, as well as those who enjoy reading about them. What I'm saying is that there has to be something else tying it in with the story in any way. They can't just be irrelevant pieces of fluff that have no impact on anything at all in the rest of the book. There has to be something else going on, even if it's pushed into the background and forgotten about while the pandering commences. There wasn't. And the author's obvious disdain for these things made reading about them, especially when they had nothing to do with the rest of the book at all, rather awkward and somewhat uncomfortable for me. The story doesn't really get started until well over halfway through the page count. There are little tidbits here and there about the efforts at the wall, and the plotting of Second Empire, but they are few and far between. The rest of the page count in the first half of this book are just voids of nothing important to either the plot, or the development of characters, and really should have been removed because they serve no real purpose except to take up space. Back in college, while taking writing classes, I had several teachers tell me this very thing. If you can remove part of a story without changing a single word to the rest of it, you should.
In conclusion, despite the first half of this book not really having much point other than catering to an audience that may not have been much interested in this series before this point, amongst other problems, it was still very well written, and came to a satisfying and exciting conclusion. The first half of the book is, from the standpoint of a thirty-something man, rather boring and pointless, serving not much purpose to the plot or the characters, however, it does pick up in the second half. After the first two books this one was a bit of a disappointment, and I can see how the author was likely coerced into adding things in that she did not want to, and in fact was quite contemptuous of. That is only a matter of opinion upon having read the book, however, and should be taken as such unless confirmed or denied by the author herself. If you enjoyed the first two books, you'll probably get along with this one just fine, but you may, like me, end up wishing it had been a little more substance and a little less fluff.
Check out my other reviews.
Kristen Britain's The High King's Tomb
By Eric Allen
This book is a little hard to rate, because the first half is boring and largely irrelevant to the story, where the second half is excellent and exciting. So I guess I'm going with a nice, neutral 3 stars. Not great. Not horrible. Just kind of there.
Before I start, I want to make something clear. There are a few very big things wrong with this book, and they are not the author's fault. The writing itself is excellent, and shows a marked progression in Britain's skills as a writer. However, it is very easy to see in this book how either the editor, or the publisher wanted her to include certain things in the story to cater to a broader audience. Britain fought back, lost, and is clearly bitter about it, and openly contemptuous of these certain things that she was forced to put in. Now, I don't know for sure if this is what happened with this book, as I wasn't there, and Britain is a busy woman who doesn't have time to reply back to everyone who sends her their praise, but it is the impression I get from how things are written, and the general mess that the first half of the book is in. In a perfect world, artists would be able to create what they want without interference and it would always be great. In reality, storytelling, whether it be books, film, television, or a dozen other different mediums, is a business, and those who run that business know that certain things sell well to certain audiences, and they do their best to make sure that those certain things are included in everything that they produce. Many a time a writer, filmmaker, artist, musician, etc, must sacrifice their artistic integrity in the name of the almighty dollar. It is, unfortunately, the way the world works. Sometimes those imposed changes can be beneficial, and improve upon the story being told. The original Star Wars trilogy comes to mind. Read the original script to Star Wars and you'll see exactly what I mean. However, just as often, the interference from the higher ups fails to make an improvement, and it turns everything into a big mess. In short, there are times when the people up top should interfere in order to produce a better story... this was not one of them.
After the near escape of Mornhavon the Black from Blackveil Forest over the summer, the D'yer Wall has become even more unstable, and worse, the Guardians of the wall refuse Alton entry while they go slowly insane and begin to crumble. Meanwhile Karigan meanders pointlessly through several misadventures that don't really have much point or purpose to the plot or the development of characters and by sheer coincidence finds herself in position to save the day in the end. Second Empire has discovered a way to destroy the D'yer Wall once and for all, and have hired thieves to bring them certain items that will show them the way.
The Good? As I said earlier, Britain has improved her skills as a writer since the previous book. There are a lot of problems with relevance in the first half of the book, but that irrelevant fluff is still written well. Even with a first half that really just doesn't have much reason to exist, she still manages to pull things together for a pretty awesome second half, and a suitably epic climax.
I haven't addressed the love triangle in this series yet, so I might as well do so now. Okay, I know that hating love triangles is kind of the popular thing to do right now and all, but this is a really well done love triangle. Why? BECAUSE IT IS HALFWAY REALISTIC AND THE AUTHOR COMES AT IT LIKE AN ADULT RATHER THAN A HORNY TEENAGED GIRL!!! I am sick to death of badly written and constructed love triangles, however, this one is very well put together, and it follows very realistic paths. Karigan is a commoner, both men she likes are noblemen. It can never be, and the story treats it like something that can never be, finding ways to alienate one of the men she is interested in, and having Karigan herself realize how impossible the other one would be, but still unable to stop feeling the feelings she feels. In real life kings don't marry commoners because they fall in love with them, they get dragged into contracted treaty marriages and the like whatever they truly want, and it is SO GOOD to finally find an author that actually realizes this fact. The characters got to know each other through sharing mutual experiences, and generally being around each other long enough to actually feel love toward one another, rather than the cliche and unrealistic love at first sight gimmick that is so over used in fiction. And they actually follow the rules of society in dealing with that love. I mean, this NEVER happens in fiction, and it is so nice to actually see it done so well. When characters actually have reasons to fall in love with each other, and reasons why that love can never be, it brings so much more to the story in emotional and dramatic tension than any poorly tossed together, love at first sight, Twilight-esque love triangle ever could. Anyone looking for an example of a love triangle done right, take a look at Kristen Britain's Green Rider series, because it is one of the best executed love triangles I've ever seen in fiction.
The Bad? Now, I hesitate to use the word "girly" to describe many of the things that go on in the first half of this book, because it has always seemed rather condescending and a perpetuance of the stereotype that women only like things societally considered to be feminine, when there are many who don't care for these sorts of things at all. However, there's just no other word that really describes it. We've got wedding plans being made, a love that can never be, a dashing masked thief, Karigan playing dress up. It really seems out of place for two reasons. Up to this point, Britain has managed to avoid these sorts of things in her writing. And second, she seems highly contemptuous of them, which is what leads me to believe she had some publisher interference. You have the parts Britain obviously wanted to write, Karigan training as a swordmaster, and fighting off thieves and brigands... mixed in with the parts she obviously does not want to write, like dressing up, and marriage plans, and the contrast is really harsh. You can tell just what Britain thinks of "girly" things and stereotypes, and yet, she is clearly being forced to perpetuate said stereotypes in the name of selling more books. Now, I'm not a woman, nor have I ever been or plan to be, but I imagine seeing a very strong female lead I looked up to, who has never followed the girly stereotypes at all, suddenly getting dragged into them kicking and screaming would feel just a little insulting to me, and kind of put me off the rest of what was happening in the book. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it just seems to me that when you take someone who has avoided being the stereotypical teenaged girl with stereotypical teenaged girl problems, likes and desires, and suddenly dump them all on her at once in a big mess of boring, pointless fluff, it sort of feels a little patronizing, doesn't it?
Karigan, the main protagonist, HERO OF THE FREAKING STORY, doesn't really have much to do with the first half of the book. In fact, you can completely remove most of her scenes from it and not really miss much of importance. The message errand she is sent on has the feel of the author simply making something for the character to do, rather than anything important or vital to the story in any way, and this unimportant errand has little relevance until the very end of the book, as it puts Karigan in the right place at the right time purely by coincidence. Britain does use this filler errand to give us some more of her world's lore, but it's really just not enough to justify the fact that the main character of this series is largely irrelevant to this story. Your main protagonist should be the center of the story. You shouldn't have to make busy work for her while important events are going on elsewhere. She should be right in the middle of it all, or connected to it in some way, rather than stumbling upon something of relevance to the main plot near the end in such a way that it could almost be considered Deus Ex Machina.
Divine intervention can work for a story under certain circumstances... this is not one of them. Typically, in my opinion, the ONLY times when it is acceptable to use divine intervention as a plot device are when a character is being rewarded for faith, or being rewarded for working through a crisis of faith. Neither of these things apply to this story. When you pretty much say "god stepped in and fixed everything" it cheapens the characters, their struggles, and any effort they've put into things so far. It's an even worse sin, if you'll pardon the pun, in my opinion, than even using Deus Ex Machina to resolve a problem. If some unknowable, all-powerful being does all the work for the characters what have they learned in the end? How have they grown as people by facing this trial? What new sides of their character did we, the readers, see? The entire point of a story is for the protagonist to learn and grow as a human being until she is able to win in the end on her own merits. Frankly, saying that god stepped in and saved the day in the end was a little lazy, and somewhat insulting as well. I mean, it's cool that Karigan got to ride Death's horse and all, and wield his power... but that wasn't HER doing those things, it was the Death God doing them. There is a difference, and a striking one at that. I felt a little let down by it. Karigan was a strong, smart, and highly capable character at the end of the previous book. Is it so much to ask that she solve the problem at the end of the next book by her own knowledge, skills, and ability, rather than sitting back and letting god fix it all for her?
As I said before, a lot of the things in the first half of this book just really don't have any real reason to be there. They just take up space and seem like obvious pandering toward a particular audience that the author has taken great pains before this point to avoid. You can remove huge chunks of the story without even noticing that they are missing, because it's really just a bunch of fan service for stereotypical teenaged girls who may, or may not, really care that much about it. The fact that the author is openly contemptuous of these sections of the book does not forgive the fact that they still do, in fact, exist. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that little things catering to a more feminine audience do not belong in any story ever. I'm not saying that at all. They have their place in a story, as well as those who enjoy reading about them. What I'm saying is that there has to be something else tying it in with the story in any way. They can't just be irrelevant pieces of fluff that have no impact on anything at all in the rest of the book. There has to be something else going on, even if it's pushed into the background and forgotten about while the pandering commences. There wasn't. And the author's obvious disdain for these things made reading about them, especially when they had nothing to do with the rest of the book at all, rather awkward and somewhat uncomfortable for me. The story doesn't really get started until well over halfway through the page count. There are little tidbits here and there about the efforts at the wall, and the plotting of Second Empire, but they are few and far between. The rest of the page count in the first half of this book are just voids of nothing important to either the plot, or the development of characters, and really should have been removed because they serve no real purpose except to take up space. Back in college, while taking writing classes, I had several teachers tell me this very thing. If you can remove part of a story without changing a single word to the rest of it, you should.
In conclusion, despite the first half of this book not really having much point other than catering to an audience that may not have been much interested in this series before this point, amongst other problems, it was still very well written, and came to a satisfying and exciting conclusion. The first half of the book is, from the standpoint of a thirty-something man, rather boring and pointless, serving not much purpose to the plot or the characters, however, it does pick up in the second half. After the first two books this one was a bit of a disappointment, and I can see how the author was likely coerced into adding things in that she did not want to, and in fact was quite contemptuous of. That is only a matter of opinion upon having read the book, however, and should be taken as such unless confirmed or denied by the author herself. If you enjoyed the first two books, you'll probably get along with this one just fine, but you may, like me, end up wishing it had been a little more substance and a little less fluff.
Check out my other reviews.
May 30, 2011
I feel like I need to point out up front that this is actually a positive review of this book and series. It’s just that there are some relatively minor things that bug me.
So, my local public library finally picked up the paperback of this third-of-four volumes and put it on the “NEW” shelf. Well, at least that means I found it.
I’ve been patiently following this series since Green Rider was published way back in (checks author’s website) 1998. Patience has been required, because the sequel First Rider’s Call did not appear until 2003, this third volume came out (in hardcover) in 2007, and the fourth volume, Blackveil, was issued in hardcover and ebook formats in February of 2011.
Am I going to say it’s been worth the wait for this third volume? Yes. Am I in raptures over the series? Not quite. It’s good, solid high fantasy, with good, solid writing (language, characterization, plotting, the works). There are good, creative ideas in it, and some derivative ones. I’m not, I have to admit, completely convinced that the basic story really needed four volumes to tell, but that’s more in the nature of a quibble (and one that I’ve felt more strongly about with regard to some other series).
About the story: The country of Sacoridia has spent centuries recovering from a devastating war. In that time, the use of magic has been abandoned by everyone except the elite corps of “Green Riders,” the monarch’s messenger service (their uniforms are green), and even they don’t “use” magic as such; they think they have “talents” granted by the magical brooches they wear. Oh, and they’re “called” by magic.
Sound vaguely familiar yet? They also have unusually intelligent horses; the secret of these is finally revealed in High King’s Tomb, and I have to admit it wasn’t anything I was expecting. That’s the way the whole series has been for me: various vaguely familiar elements that usually turn out to be new models. I know it’s asking a lot to suggest that any high fantasy be composed of all new ideas, but there’s enough of this in the series that it keeps me from enjoying it without reservation.
At any rate, despite its rejection of magic in a world where it actually does work, Sacoridia has not been ravaged by foreign magic-users … because the remnants of the Arcosian invaders who might be using it were locked in the Blackveil Forest behind a physical/magical wall (called the D’Yer Wall). Garth Nix’s Sabriel, whose Old Kingdom is hemmed in by a magical wall, was published in 1995. These two walls are in no way identical, except for being walls that keep evil at bay. (I’m not clear, in either case, on why the evil doesn’t just go around, but oceans may have something to do with it.)
So. Our main protagonist is Karigan, a merchant’s daughter who is drafted into the Green Riders. By Volume 3, she’s settled into the life (which is not at all what she had in mind), helped to prevent the overthrow of the rightful monarch by his brother (and fallen in love with him), and managed to keep a breach in the D’Yer Wall from leading to the total destruction of Sacoridia. Alton Deyer, descendant of the D’Yers who have forgotten their ancient magical building skills, is trying to figure out how to repair the breach and, as the book goes on, how to keep the wall from failing entirely. Also, the book tracks the activities of the survivors of Sacoridia’s fifth column, descendants of the Arcosians who call themselves Second Empire and expect to take over Sacoridia any day now. Their leader has magic – and she, by the way, seems to be a completely original (and chilling) character.
So, seriously, the historical background mostly makes sense, especially with the various reveals that finally turn up in this volume. The plot actually zooms right along, making these elements I’m complaining about recede into the background most of the time (though the way horsemaster Damian Frost and his wife Lady reminded me of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry was a bit painful). Did I mention the Eletians? Tolkienish elves, with variations. They and some of the other characters can traverse another dimension, which looks like an endless plain, which I think I recall from the early volumes of the Wheel of Time series (I only read the first two or three).
I think, as with the Wheel of Time series, that it’s not the presence of these familiar elements that bugs me; it’s the number of them (there are a few others that I haven’t mentioned). I bet if the series were shorter, there would be fewer and I’d notice them less. And I do have to say, the burial customs of the Sacoridian kings were a most unexpected and interesting touch. I’m not sure they make sense in the larger cultural context, but they’re definitely different – and the tombs are the setting of the book’s climax, which features a revelation that I was definitely not expecting.
So, the story is sweeping, political, magical, sometimes military, and in this volume it’s clear that at least one god is getting involved. There are vanishingly few instances of characters being stupid for the sake of the plot; in a couple of cases there are characters being more intelligent than I expected, which is a very nice thing. There is only one thing that actually bugs me enough to nearly make me put the books down: Karigan’s main character quirk seems to be getting into embarrassing – even humiliating – minor scrapes. In this volume, for example, she’s talked into going out with a young merchant’s son and winds up trying to fight in a fancy, restricting dress (humiliating) and later gets knocked off her horse by a porch roof (don’t ask). I can easily see Karigan being played by Anne Hathaway in the movie. But it undercuts her overall competence and, frankly, I personally hate embarrassment and hate seeing it repeatedly in a book (or a movie, for that matter).
Still. The books are enjoyable reads, despite these things that bug me, and I hope my library gets the fourth volume soon, so I can read it.
So, my local public library finally picked up the paperback of this third-of-four volumes and put it on the “NEW” shelf. Well, at least that means I found it.
I’ve been patiently following this series since Green Rider was published way back in (checks author’s website) 1998. Patience has been required, because the sequel First Rider’s Call did not appear until 2003, this third volume came out (in hardcover) in 2007, and the fourth volume, Blackveil, was issued in hardcover and ebook formats in February of 2011.
Am I going to say it’s been worth the wait for this third volume? Yes. Am I in raptures over the series? Not quite. It’s good, solid high fantasy, with good, solid writing (language, characterization, plotting, the works). There are good, creative ideas in it, and some derivative ones. I’m not, I have to admit, completely convinced that the basic story really needed four volumes to tell, but that’s more in the nature of a quibble (and one that I’ve felt more strongly about with regard to some other series).
About the story: The country of Sacoridia has spent centuries recovering from a devastating war. In that time, the use of magic has been abandoned by everyone except the elite corps of “Green Riders,” the monarch’s messenger service (their uniforms are green), and even they don’t “use” magic as such; they think they have “talents” granted by the magical brooches they wear. Oh, and they’re “called” by magic.
Sound vaguely familiar yet? They also have unusually intelligent horses; the secret of these is finally revealed in High King’s Tomb, and I have to admit it wasn’t anything I was expecting. That’s the way the whole series has been for me: various vaguely familiar elements that usually turn out to be new models. I know it’s asking a lot to suggest that any high fantasy be composed of all new ideas, but there’s enough of this in the series that it keeps me from enjoying it without reservation.
At any rate, despite its rejection of magic in a world where it actually does work, Sacoridia has not been ravaged by foreign magic-users … because the remnants of the Arcosian invaders who might be using it were locked in the Blackveil Forest behind a physical/magical wall (called the D’Yer Wall). Garth Nix’s Sabriel, whose Old Kingdom is hemmed in by a magical wall, was published in 1995. These two walls are in no way identical, except for being walls that keep evil at bay. (I’m not clear, in either case, on why the evil doesn’t just go around, but oceans may have something to do with it.)
So. Our main protagonist is Karigan, a merchant’s daughter who is drafted into the Green Riders. By Volume 3, she’s settled into the life (which is not at all what she had in mind), helped to prevent the overthrow of the rightful monarch by his brother (and fallen in love with him), and managed to keep a breach in the D’Yer Wall from leading to the total destruction of Sacoridia. Alton Deyer, descendant of the D’Yers who have forgotten their ancient magical building skills, is trying to figure out how to repair the breach and, as the book goes on, how to keep the wall from failing entirely. Also, the book tracks the activities of the survivors of Sacoridia’s fifth column, descendants of the Arcosians who call themselves Second Empire and expect to take over Sacoridia any day now. Their leader has magic – and she, by the way, seems to be a completely original (and chilling) character.
So, seriously, the historical background mostly makes sense, especially with the various reveals that finally turn up in this volume. The plot actually zooms right along, making these elements I’m complaining about recede into the background most of the time (though the way horsemaster Damian Frost and his wife Lady reminded me of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry was a bit painful). Did I mention the Eletians? Tolkienish elves, with variations. They and some of the other characters can traverse another dimension, which looks like an endless plain, which I think I recall from the early volumes of the Wheel of Time series (I only read the first two or three).
I think, as with the Wheel of Time series, that it’s not the presence of these familiar elements that bugs me; it’s the number of them (there are a few others that I haven’t mentioned). I bet if the series were shorter, there would be fewer and I’d notice them less. And I do have to say, the burial customs of the Sacoridian kings were a most unexpected and interesting touch. I’m not sure they make sense in the larger cultural context, but they’re definitely different – and the tombs are the setting of the book’s climax, which features a revelation that I was definitely not expecting.
So, the story is sweeping, political, magical, sometimes military, and in this volume it’s clear that at least one god is getting involved. There are vanishingly few instances of characters being stupid for the sake of the plot; in a couple of cases there are characters being more intelligent than I expected, which is a very nice thing. There is only one thing that actually bugs me enough to nearly make me put the books down: Karigan’s main character quirk seems to be getting into embarrassing – even humiliating – minor scrapes. In this volume, for example, she’s talked into going out with a young merchant’s son and winds up trying to fight in a fancy, restricting dress (humiliating) and later gets knocked off her horse by a porch roof (don’t ask). I can easily see Karigan being played by Anne Hathaway in the movie. But it undercuts her overall competence and, frankly, I personally hate embarrassment and hate seeing it repeatedly in a book (or a movie, for that matter).
Still. The books are enjoyable reads, despite these things that bug me, and I hope my library gets the fourth volume soon, so I can read it.
March 1, 2016
Even though some scenes were really great, this book felt too long. I probably won't read the entire series, even though I have enjoyed it so far. Beyond the length, pacing needs work. Characterization and plot development, too.
Although not essential to the plot, I personally enjoyed the relaxing scenes at the Frost Farm, with Damian, Lady, Fergal, etc. Interesting stuff. However, the whole system for breeding, selecting, and training messenger horses is much more credible in the medieval series by Flanagan (see The Ruins of Gorlan).
Enjoyed the revealing of Fergal's special ability.
Characterization: Karigan is too often unlikable. Unpleasant to Estora and to fellow Riders. When Garth asks her to be patient with Alton because he's had a hard time (indeed he had), she frowns at him and storms off, thinking: "And I haven't? Who had been assaulted, stabbed, and manipulated? Why did Alton get to have excuses?"
Similar unpleasant behavior towards rookie Rider Fergal. "Morning Karigian!" Fergal cried. Though it wasn't terrifically early in the morning, his enthusiasm grated on her...
Captain Mapstone is behaving out of character, too. She's suddenly too political, acting like the king's chancellor or mother, as to his love life.
Amberhill. Hmmm. Are we supposed to like him? I feel ambivalent.
Pacing: Too much time and repeated thoughts/emotions at the brothel. Get on with it. We know how upset you are, girl!
But the big pacing problem was....The Wall! How many chapters? Some of them are nearly identical -- slightly changing songs from inside the Wall. Merdigen the Mage offers hope for the Wall at half-way through the book (48%) but then we never see him until the last chapters. Alton spent too much time in his despairing mind frame, wondering why the Wall guardians rejected him. Impatiently, I reminded him that he betrayed them (albeit unknowingly) in the prequel, and that his cousin Pendric — who hates his guts — is turning the singers against him. All this we already knew from the prequel, and so would Alton, because he was there!! Thank goodness for Dale. She made a difference at the Wall, and to Alton personally, and that felt credible.
Plot contrivance: The scenes in the Tomb of the Kings involved acts of god. Some funny moments, though! And same goes for the scene before that — the shortcut through the white zone involved Deux ex Machina and identity revelations that came out of the blue. By the way...who is the cat?
I have a hard time believing that large numbers of citizens still follow this secret society Second Empire sect, after 1000 years. That would be like the Anglo-Saxons preserving a secret but powerful sect since 1066, to suddenly attack all French-born citizens today. Lunatics only need apply. But okay... I can go with it.
The Berry sisters were left dangling. Are they going to be alright?
Although not essential to the plot, I personally enjoyed the relaxing scenes at the Frost Farm, with Damian, Lady, Fergal, etc. Interesting stuff. However, the whole system for breeding, selecting, and training messenger horses is much more credible in the medieval series by Flanagan (see The Ruins of Gorlan).
Enjoyed the revealing of Fergal's special ability.
Characterization: Karigan is too often unlikable. Unpleasant to Estora and to fellow Riders. When Garth asks her to be patient with Alton because he's had a hard time (indeed he had), she frowns at him and storms off, thinking: "And I haven't? Who had been assaulted, stabbed, and manipulated? Why did Alton get to have excuses?"
Similar unpleasant behavior towards rookie Rider Fergal. "Morning Karigian!" Fergal cried. Though it wasn't terrifically early in the morning, his enthusiasm grated on her...
Captain Mapstone is behaving out of character, too. She's suddenly too political, acting like the king's chancellor or mother, as to his love life.
Amberhill. Hmmm. Are we supposed to like him? I feel ambivalent.
Pacing: Too much time and repeated thoughts/emotions at the brothel. Get on with it. We know how upset you are, girl!
But the big pacing problem was....The Wall! How many chapters? Some of them are nearly identical -- slightly changing songs from inside the Wall. Merdigen the Mage offers hope for the Wall at half-way through the book (48%) but then we never see him until the last chapters. Alton spent too much time in his despairing mind frame, wondering why the Wall guardians rejected him. Impatiently, I reminded him that he betrayed them (albeit unknowingly) in the prequel, and that his cousin Pendric — who hates his guts — is turning the singers against him. All this we already knew from the prequel, and so would Alton, because he was there!! Thank goodness for Dale. She made a difference at the Wall, and to Alton personally, and that felt credible.
Plot contrivance: The scenes in the Tomb of the Kings involved acts of god. Some funny moments, though! And same goes for the scene before that — the shortcut through the white zone involved Deux ex Machina and identity revelations that came out of the blue. By the way...who is the cat?
I have a hard time believing that large numbers of citizens still follow this secret society Second Empire sect, after 1000 years. That would be like the Anglo-Saxons preserving a secret but powerful sect since 1066, to suddenly attack all French-born citizens today. Lunatics only need apply. But okay... I can go with it.
The Berry sisters were left dangling. Are they going to be alright?
October 6, 2014
With great sorrow I must say that this, the third novel in the Green Rider series is not quite...that's "not quite" as good as the first 2. I give it 4 stars which is the same rating as the others because I don't want to drop it to 3 stars as that's in my rating system moving to "good" but not outstanding. This book is still outstanding...but long, oh so very long for the story it tells.
From what I've read publishers are now asking that fantasy/science fiction novels be about 90,000 words. I've seen evidence that in some cases lately that may have caused...stretching.
This is a good book. The characters are still here, the plot is still here and my interest held, mostly. The point of view changes were for me sometimes a bit annoying and the story telling itself often bogged down. The conversations that take place around the book's action usually start out germane to plot and character but then wander off to superfluous information and topics. There were times I got hardily tired of it... there came a point of sighing over the side roads we were running down.
So, a bit long, maybe the book would have done better to tell they same story in 2/3 the space but not a huge problem. Of course I have the next book ( Blackveil ) on my shelf and it looks even longer...oh well, we'll see.
I like these books and the story is still holding up well. The plot is deepening and while there may be some false notes all in all this is an excellent series of books, I can recommend it.
From what I've read publishers are now asking that fantasy/science fiction novels be about 90,000 words. I've seen evidence that in some cases lately that may have caused...stretching.
This is a good book. The characters are still here, the plot is still here and my interest held, mostly. The point of view changes were for me sometimes a bit annoying and the story telling itself often bogged down. The conversations that take place around the book's action usually start out germane to plot and character but then wander off to superfluous information and topics. There were times I got hardily tired of it... there came a point of sighing over the side roads we were running down.
So, a bit long, maybe the book would have done better to tell they same story in 2/3 the space but not a huge problem. Of course I have the next book ( Blackveil ) on my shelf and it looks even longer...oh well, we'll see.
I like these books and the story is still holding up well. The plot is deepening and while there may be some false notes all in all this is an excellent series of books, I can recommend it.
April 9, 2022
WHAT A COMEBACK!
To bring you up to speed: The High King's Tomb is the third book in Kristen Britain's Green Rider series. I loved the first book, DID NOT LIKE the second book at all - but boy howdy did Britain come back strong in the third one! I'm so glad I kept going for one more book!
A lot of the characters (good and bad) from the first book that were absent in the second, returned packing some punches! Britain didn't dally in the past or history in this one - she pushed the narrative forward with that same pacing, adventure, intrigue and danger I loved from the first book.
I cannot wait to get to the next one!
To bring you up to speed: The High King's Tomb is the third book in Kristen Britain's Green Rider series. I loved the first book, DID NOT LIKE the second book at all - but boy howdy did Britain come back strong in the third one! I'm so glad I kept going for one more book!
A lot of the characters (good and bad) from the first book that were absent in the second, returned packing some punches! Britain didn't dally in the past or history in this one - she pushed the narrative forward with that same pacing, adventure, intrigue and danger I loved from the first book.
I cannot wait to get to the next one!
January 9, 2025
The book's ratings were through the roof, but after finishing it, I’m left wondering if everyone else was reading a different version. Let’s be clear: I came here for high fantasy—like epic journeys, magical creatures, tavern brawls, and maybe a dragon or two. But what did I get? A detailed masterclass on proper horse etiquette. The middle third of the book is essentially a Horse Care Manual, complete with tips on grooming and saddle placement..
The plot does eventually deliver on the whole “journey on the road” thing, and there are a few tankards of ale involved, which—thankfully—helped restore my sense of high fantasy. But by the time I slogged through pages of saddle adjustments, I was less “adventuring hero” and more “I’d rather be in a tavern myself.”
The plot does eventually deliver on the whole “journey on the road” thing, and there are a few tankards of ale involved, which—thankfully—helped restore my sense of high fantasy. But by the time I slogged through pages of saddle adjustments, I was less “adventuring hero” and more “I’d rather be in a tavern myself.”
July 25, 2008
A fun read, and I enjoyed seeing what happened next to all the characters. The interaction with Amberhill near the end was great, too! Like other readers, I was also disappointed to be left hanging for a couple more years to find out how it all ends. Oh, well.
I was surprised by how much I like Estora now, and I think she'll make a good queen...unlike Karigan. I think Karigan is great, but she's simply not queen material (the etiquette, the clothes, the court politics, the lack of adventure and magic, the whole role just wouldn't fit her, and she'd be very unhappy).
Although Zachary is a good king, I think he is excruciatingly inconsiderate of Karigan's feelings. As a love interest for her, Zachary's main attractions seem to be that 1) he is in love with her (or at least the freedom she represents to him) and 2) he's the king (whom she's forced to serve anyway because of the compulsion of the rider call). Karigan is no Cinderella, and she doesn't need to marry the prince--what would she do with a life of balls, anyway? At the end of the second book, Zachary was willing to destroy her respectability for the rest of her life by having her become his mistress. She, the only daughter and heir of a very wealthy merchant. What would her life have been like as his mistress--scorned by all the court and likely parts of her own family? A disappointment to her father and herself in that she couldn't marry and bear legitimate children? Hardly a happy ending for such a worthy heroine. It's time for Zachary to grow up and be thoughtful of the women in his life and start paying attention to Estora in earnest; they're similar enough that they can easily develop a mature, lifelong love.
And if I can express my hopes for the now "Sir Karigan", after her time as a Green Rider ends, I would like to see her marry Alton. She's a knight now, thus a good match for noble Alton. They're both Green Riders who will inherit relatively high positions in life. To quote Mr. O'Hara, "Like must marry like, or there can be no happiness." Alton loves her, she has a deep affection for him that could blossom into strong romantic love if Zachary would stop taking "special notice" of her, and Alton's only unkindness to her has been taking a long time to overcome the effects of the impersonation of Karigan by a malicious spirit--rather understandable, considering the consequences to the D'yer wall and his own poisoned state and confusion as to whether Karigan really was involved.
I was surprised by how much I like Estora now, and I think she'll make a good queen...unlike Karigan. I think Karigan is great, but she's simply not queen material (the etiquette, the clothes, the court politics, the lack of adventure and magic, the whole role just wouldn't fit her, and she'd be very unhappy).
Although Zachary is a good king, I think he is excruciatingly inconsiderate of Karigan's feelings. As a love interest for her, Zachary's main attractions seem to be that 1) he is in love with her (or at least the freedom she represents to him) and 2) he's the king (whom she's forced to serve anyway because of the compulsion of the rider call). Karigan is no Cinderella, and she doesn't need to marry the prince--what would she do with a life of balls, anyway? At the end of the second book, Zachary was willing to destroy her respectability for the rest of her life by having her become his mistress. She, the only daughter and heir of a very wealthy merchant. What would her life have been like as his mistress--scorned by all the court and likely parts of her own family? A disappointment to her father and herself in that she couldn't marry and bear legitimate children? Hardly a happy ending for such a worthy heroine. It's time for Zachary to grow up and be thoughtful of the women in his life and start paying attention to Estora in earnest; they're similar enough that they can easily develop a mature, lifelong love.
And if I can express my hopes for the now "Sir Karigan", after her time as a Green Rider ends, I would like to see her marry Alton. She's a knight now, thus a good match for noble Alton. They're both Green Riders who will inherit relatively high positions in life. To quote Mr. O'Hara, "Like must marry like, or there can be no happiness." Alton loves her, she has a deep affection for him that could blossom into strong romantic love if Zachary would stop taking "special notice" of her, and Alton's only unkindness to her has been taking a long time to overcome the effects of the impersonation of Karigan by a malicious spirit--rather understandable, considering the consequences to the D'yer wall and his own poisoned state and confusion as to whether Karigan really was involved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2024
I waffled between three and four stars on this one. The story I enjoyed enough for a four, but there are some cultural issues I can't get past.
First and foremost being the Huradeshians. A darker-colored people who engage in ritualistic dancing, go easy on clothing, and are generally more liberal in their attitudes being portrayed as somehow less than? Ew.
On a similar vein is Trudy. I love Trudy as a character, but her sexuality is shoved in as a tool to demonstrate that Karigan is definitely not gay! Er, I mean, to demonstrate that Karigan is cool (in much the same way the Huradeshians are there to prove that Zachary is cool). She even has gay not-uncles, you see, who she is perfectly fine with.
It's unfortunate also that the bit of story defying gender stereotypes also feels the need to use it as a point of humor.
In criticisms closer to the actual narrative, I don't care for the trend of "gore proves evil." It's unnecessary. There are still some lingering tropes and cliches that are a bit tiresome (the overeager rookie, for one). Lady Estora's plotline (seemingly pampered noble with hidden depths, i.e., her own kind of strength) deserves better from such a gifted author. And I'm also not a fan of memory erasure, in much the same way as I don't like "it was all a dream" endings. If only the reader truly experiences and remembers it, what impact does it have on the plot and character development?
All that said, I still want to read more of Karigan's story, so it's on to the next!
First and foremost being the Huradeshians. A darker-colored people who engage in ritualistic dancing, go easy on clothing, and are generally more liberal in their attitudes being portrayed as somehow less than? Ew.
On a similar vein is Trudy. I love Trudy as a character, but her sexuality is shoved in as a tool to demonstrate that Karigan is definitely not gay! Er, I mean, to demonstrate that Karigan is cool (in much the same way the Huradeshians are there to prove that Zachary is cool). She even has gay not-uncles, you see, who she is perfectly fine with.
It's unfortunate also that the bit of story defying gender stereotypes also feels the need to use it as a point of humor.
In criticisms closer to the actual narrative, I don't care for the trend of "gore proves evil." It's unnecessary. There are still some lingering tropes and cliches that are a bit tiresome (the overeager rookie, for one). Lady Estora's plotline (seemingly pampered noble with hidden depths, i.e., her own kind of strength) deserves better from such a gifted author. And I'm also not a fan of memory erasure, in much the same way as I don't like "it was all a dream" endings. If only the reader truly experiences and remembers it, what impact does it have on the plot and character development?
All that said, I still want to read more of Karigan's story, so it's on to the next!
September 23, 2020
A big step down for this series; it very much feels like a "jump the shark" moment.
December 3, 2024
Great third instalment! Growing into her role as a protector of the realm. Sinister magic surrounds. Series is darker than one would expect. Which is fine with me ;)
October 13, 2022
Avis Lecture 🧐📖 "Le Tombeau du Roi Suprême", Cavalier Vert tome 3, Kristen Britain 🐎
@bragelonnefr @lesladiesdeledition
"Jour et nuit, nous sommes les sentinelles, sous l'orage comme l'hiver, et le gel et la fonte."
Et voilà un nouveau volume de terminé et bien que j'y ai trouvé quelques longueurs et quelques résolutions un peu rapides et simplistes, je dois dire que le charme agit toujours.🤩
Avec la fin des vacances et la reprise du travail, c'était parfaitement le type de lecture dont j'avais besoin.
Mais, malgré ces quelques raccourcis, l'autrice approfondi son univers et le passé du Royaume. Tout se tient, tout est lié.
De nouveaux personnages font leur apparition, j'ai notamment adoré "Grand Mère" qui donne le ton d'entrée de jeu, dès les premières pages.🧐
Le personnage de Karigan prend plus de profondeur (comme à chaque tome) et l'autrice nous soulève le voile qui entoure la jeune fille. Là encore, tout est lié, du petit détail du tome 1 aux resolutions de fin de récit. Et pour le coup ça me plait bien 😁
Alors oui, Cavalier Vert n'est pas, à mon sens, LA série de l'année, elle manque un peu de tension, mais elle a un côté doudou, cocooning, très old school que l'on retrouve dans nos anciennes Fantasy (que j'adore vous le savez 😅🥰).
Avec l'automne et le Pumpkin Autumn Challenge 🎃 vous êtes d'office dans le bon mood 😉
@bragelonnefr @lesladiesdeledition
"Jour et nuit, nous sommes les sentinelles, sous l'orage comme l'hiver, et le gel et la fonte."
Et voilà un nouveau volume de terminé et bien que j'y ai trouvé quelques longueurs et quelques résolutions un peu rapides et simplistes, je dois dire que le charme agit toujours.🤩
Avec la fin des vacances et la reprise du travail, c'était parfaitement le type de lecture dont j'avais besoin.
Mais, malgré ces quelques raccourcis, l'autrice approfondi son univers et le passé du Royaume. Tout se tient, tout est lié.
De nouveaux personnages font leur apparition, j'ai notamment adoré "Grand Mère" qui donne le ton d'entrée de jeu, dès les premières pages.🧐
Le personnage de Karigan prend plus de profondeur (comme à chaque tome) et l'autrice nous soulève le voile qui entoure la jeune fille. Là encore, tout est lié, du petit détail du tome 1 aux resolutions de fin de récit. Et pour le coup ça me plait bien 😁
Alors oui, Cavalier Vert n'est pas, à mon sens, LA série de l'année, elle manque un peu de tension, mais elle a un côté doudou, cocooning, très old school que l'on retrouve dans nos anciennes Fantasy (que j'adore vous le savez 😅🥰).
Avec l'automne et le Pumpkin Autumn Challenge 🎃 vous êtes d'office dans le bon mood 😉
December 6, 2016
It has taken me 56 days to finish this book . . . BUT IT IS FINALLY DONE!!!
Thank God for the existence of holidays!
I first intended to finish this book during the Tome Topple Readathon . . . as you can see, this did not happen, but the readathon motivated me to continue reading this book, so I am grateful to have been able to participate.
The amount of pages in this series is intimidating, especially as the books grow exponentially larger by 50 pages every book. That being said, it allows for a large amount of world building to take place. I am growing fond of the world being created through these pages as well as the characters old and new being introduced. I must say my favourite character is by far Fastion.
There were parts in the book which I thought dragged out a little too long and the first 400 pages were a little dull at times. In comparison I absolutely loved the last 300 pages of this high fantasy novel. The pace quickened and there was a lot of action . . . Fastion also made a prominent appearance which was much appreciated.
I am curious to see how these characters will develop during the course of the next book and I am happy to conclude that I am officially half way through this series and will continue to power through (or so I hope)!
Thank God for the existence of holidays!
I first intended to finish this book during the Tome Topple Readathon . . . as you can see, this did not happen, but the readathon motivated me to continue reading this book, so I am grateful to have been able to participate.
The amount of pages in this series is intimidating, especially as the books grow exponentially larger by 50 pages every book. That being said, it allows for a large amount of world building to take place. I am growing fond of the world being created through these pages as well as the characters old and new being introduced. I must say my favourite character is by far Fastion.
There were parts in the book which I thought dragged out a little too long and the first 400 pages were a little dull at times. In comparison I absolutely loved the last 300 pages of this high fantasy novel. The pace quickened and there was a lot of action . . . Fastion also made a prominent appearance which was much appreciated.
I am curious to see how these characters will develop during the course of the next book and I am happy to conclude that I am officially half way through this series and will continue to power through (or so I hope)!
April 7, 2018
Of course, Karigan must be the center of the story, but the entire first 60% of the book was like a cameo for characters from the first to books. If you really love the world and books I guess that is nice and it makes the world more deep in some ways, but for a casual reader the (really) slow pace and no action made it quite boring at times.
Rider horses
A little more background on the special horses were well told but still left a lot of questions.
White World
Avatar
Grandmother
It's a nice idea to make a 'loving' grandmother and I like the yarn details . It's quite clever.
While I get annoyed with the pace, I would like to see plan with the characters unfold.
Rider horses
A little more background on the special horses were well told but still left a lot of questions.
White World
Avatar
Grandmother
It's a nice idea to make a 'loving' grandmother and I like the yarn details . It's quite clever.
While I get annoyed with the pace, I would like to see plan with the characters unfold.
January 31, 2023
If I could live in any fictional world, as any fictional character, it would either be Karigan G'ladheon of the Green Rider series, or Maxwell of The Chronicles of St. Mary's; both of whom are badass heroines who aren't blonde and stunning Mary Sue assassins (*cough* too many YA books).
July 12, 2025
This just keeps getting better. I hope it continues.
August 8, 2019
The third installment in Kristen Britain's Green Rider series, left me disappointed.
It seemed all the momentum she had coming out of the second book was completely lost here. Instead of jumping from the great climax of the last book into a memorable and fast paced third novel, she slammed on the brakes and brought the entire story to a near halt.
This book offered a mopey Protagonist, a mopey King, a mopey queen in waiting, a mopey rider at the wall, a mopey green rider in training...It was exhausting how dull and downtrodden all the characters seemed to be. It's one thing if you're writing a darker, more bleak book, but the style of story telling and writing didn't flow with the characters lack of luster or drive.
I thought for sure based on the events of the second book, and the climax of it, this book would move at a faster pace, with much more action or intrigue. I thought we would be pushed into the story more, with the characters eager to work towards a solution having bought some slim time for themselves. Instead it seems the King and indeed the rest of characters have only a little concern towards the earth ending threat and are content to send two mildly unqualified riders to investigate.
There also was just a lot of sloppy writing that felt more on par with the first book then the second. A shame, as I had felt the second book was a stronger showing in storytelling, plot, and overall writing talent. All of that gain, was thrown to the wayside however, in this third book. There is only so many times writing about how a character's mouth drops open because they are shocked before you realize the author doesn't know any other way to describe shock. There was far too much telling, and no showing.
I truly wanted to like this book, and really continue to dive into the series, but it fell so short for me. Sub-par writing, tedious and frustrating characters with no development, and all at a snails pace. There was near to none action in this book, and even the action that finally happened near the end was extremely lackluster. I don't see myself continuing the series, or at least not anytime soon, not with so many other great fantasy series out there just waiting to be read.
It seemed all the momentum she had coming out of the second book was completely lost here. Instead of jumping from the great climax of the last book into a memorable and fast paced third novel, she slammed on the brakes and brought the entire story to a near halt.
This book offered a mopey Protagonist, a mopey King, a mopey queen in waiting, a mopey rider at the wall, a mopey green rider in training...It was exhausting how dull and downtrodden all the characters seemed to be. It's one thing if you're writing a darker, more bleak book, but the style of story telling and writing didn't flow with the characters lack of luster or drive.
I thought for sure based on the events of the second book, and the climax of it, this book would move at a faster pace, with much more action or intrigue. I thought we would be pushed into the story more, with the characters eager to work towards a solution having bought some slim time for themselves. Instead it seems the King and indeed the rest of characters have only a little concern towards the earth ending threat and are content to send two mildly unqualified riders to investigate.
There also was just a lot of sloppy writing that felt more on par with the first book then the second. A shame, as I had felt the second book was a stronger showing in storytelling, plot, and overall writing talent. All of that gain, was thrown to the wayside however, in this third book. There is only so many times writing about how a character's mouth drops open because they are shocked before you realize the author doesn't know any other way to describe shock. There was far too much telling, and no showing.
I truly wanted to like this book, and really continue to dive into the series, but it fell so short for me. Sub-par writing, tedious and frustrating characters with no development, and all at a snails pace. There was near to none action in this book, and even the action that finally happened near the end was extremely lackluster. I don't see myself continuing the series, or at least not anytime soon, not with so many other great fantasy series out there just waiting to be read.
February 3, 2019
This was a reread, and it was a struggle.
I really liked this series when I first read it, but after beginning to read the most recent in the series (“Firebrand”) I realised how little I actually remembered of the preceding titles. So I thought I would undertake a reread from the 3rd in the series. I’d forgotten how reliant it is on certain fantasy tropes. It felt like I was reading a young kids idea of what a fantasy novel should be, rather than an original work.
The first half of the novel is painfully slow, with very little actually happening. It does pick up in the second half, but not enough to make it truly redeemable. I cannot stand the character Lord Amberhill, and I also find Alton insufferable which seriously decreases my interest in the troubles at the wall. Grandmother is the most interesting character by far, but I don’t think enough time is spent establishing her and her people’s motives for their actions. However, I really enjoy how she “crafts” her magic.
A strength of this book (and the series as a whole) is that the author does not allow for unbelievable relationships between the characters. There is no ridiculous love-at-first-sight storylines. Instead the characters fall in love and develop friendships over a realistic timeline.
I still want to read the most recent one, so I will continue my reread. I’m just hoping the next one is as good as I remember.
I really liked this series when I first read it, but after beginning to read the most recent in the series (“Firebrand”) I realised how little I actually remembered of the preceding titles. So I thought I would undertake a reread from the 3rd in the series. I’d forgotten how reliant it is on certain fantasy tropes. It felt like I was reading a young kids idea of what a fantasy novel should be, rather than an original work.
The first half of the novel is painfully slow, with very little actually happening. It does pick up in the second half, but not enough to make it truly redeemable. I cannot stand the character Lord Amberhill, and I also find Alton insufferable which seriously decreases my interest in the troubles at the wall. Grandmother is the most interesting character by far, but I don’t think enough time is spent establishing her and her people’s motives for their actions. However, I really enjoy how she “crafts” her magic.
A strength of this book (and the series as a whole) is that the author does not allow for unbelievable relationships between the characters. There is no ridiculous love-at-first-sight storylines. Instead the characters fall in love and develop friendships over a realistic timeline.
I still want to read the most recent one, so I will continue my reread. I’m just hoping the next one is as good as I remember.
May 5, 2025
2,5/5 ⭐️
Malheureusement, je trouve que le rythme s’essouffle dans ce troisième tome… Peu de surprises, beaucoup de facilités et de tours en ronds…! C’est dommage car j’avais beaucoup aimé le début de cette série !
Malheureusement, je trouve que le rythme s’essouffle dans ce troisième tome… Peu de surprises, beaucoup de facilités et de tours en ronds…! C’est dommage car j’avais beaucoup aimé le début de cette série !
January 21, 2025
Best one yet!
April 5, 2024
I can't believe that I forgot to mark this as currently reading 🤣
This was a bit slower than First Rider's Call but it was, in a sense, more intense and a bit angsty even, just the slightest bit
I loved it so much! I can't wait to see what would be the characters' next adventure and I'm so excited 🥹
This was a bit slower than First Rider's Call but it was, in a sense, more intense and a bit angsty even, just the slightest bit
I loved it so much! I can't wait to see what would be the characters' next adventure and I'm so excited 🥹
December 30, 2010
In this book Karigan is struggling with the King's wedding to Lady Estora and, when the Captain Mapstone askes her to go on a seemingly boring mission, Karigan is thrilled to leave the castle. The only downer is that she has to bring along a new Green Rider (Fergal) and train him in on the mission. The D'Yer wall continues to crumble and Alton struggles to find a way to repair it. Of course all is not what it seems to be and Karigan's simple mission goes awry.
The beginning of this book was slow and meandering. The only excitement was Karigan's duel with Amberhill in the museum before she left on her mission. I thought Karigan was strangely morose and immature in the beginning of the book; especially with how she treated Lady Estora.
I don't think that Fergal really added much to the book; I started getting flashbacks to Mercedes Lackey's Valedmar series when I read about Fergal. The introduction of Amberhill as the destitute noble/rogue was fun. Amberhill is an entertaining character but I struggled to get him to fit into the story. His role in the story seemed forced and a bit unnatural; althought I think this character has promise for the future. Unfortunately I was getting the feeling that Amberhill's only purpose in this novel is to set him up as a future love interest for Karigan (I guess time will tell).
Damien and Lady Frost were very interesting characters that didn't get enough page space. It was also nice to see the Berry sisters again; although the role they played was tiny.
The story overall was disappointing. Both Karigan and Alton did a lot of hemming and hawing. There were a lot of issues brought up in the book that were left unresolved (Karigan's problem with her father trying to foist her off for marriage, etc). I think people who have previously reviewed this book and described it as a transition novel are right. There was a lot of shuffling people around and setting up stuff but not a lot of meaningful action taking place.
At the end of this book I had more questions than answers. I also started to despair that this is going to be a long un-ending series. I think it would have been good as a trilogy; I am worried that it will drag itself down if too many books are slapped onto this series.
So in summary, it was okay. I read it at a pretty good clip for a while and then had trouble finishing it. Hopefully the next book is more meaningful and hopefully it concludes this series!
The beginning of this book was slow and meandering. The only excitement was Karigan's duel with Amberhill in the museum before she left on her mission. I thought Karigan was strangely morose and immature in the beginning of the book; especially with how she treated Lady Estora.
I don't think that Fergal really added much to the book; I started getting flashbacks to Mercedes Lackey's Valedmar series when I read about Fergal. The introduction of Amberhill as the destitute noble/rogue was fun. Amberhill is an entertaining character but I struggled to get him to fit into the story. His role in the story seemed forced and a bit unnatural; althought I think this character has promise for the future. Unfortunately I was getting the feeling that Amberhill's only purpose in this novel is to set him up as a future love interest for Karigan (I guess time will tell).
Damien and Lady Frost were very interesting characters that didn't get enough page space. It was also nice to see the Berry sisters again; although the role they played was tiny.
The story overall was disappointing. Both Karigan and Alton did a lot of hemming and hawing. There were a lot of issues brought up in the book that were left unresolved (Karigan's problem with her father trying to foist her off for marriage, etc). I think people who have previously reviewed this book and described it as a transition novel are right. There was a lot of shuffling people around and setting up stuff but not a lot of meaningful action taking place.
At the end of this book I had more questions than answers. I also started to despair that this is going to be a long un-ending series. I think it would have been good as a trilogy; I am worried that it will drag itself down if too many books are slapped onto this series.
So in summary, it was okay. I read it at a pretty good clip for a while and then had trouble finishing it. Hopefully the next book is more meaningful and hopefully it concludes this series!
May 26, 2021
This book took the ending of First Rider's Call and built on it. By this stage, the whole reading journey felt rewarding and just great. Whilst I enjoyed almonst all aspects of this book, I enjoyed the drama aspects the most, if I'm honest. Not that there are many! You'd need to know what to look for to find them, the drama is very much implied in a way that for anyone who isn't interested in it, they can just move on. I'm not one of those people sadly, so I'm bursting with feelings over the developments that happen in this and the previous books. It's also hard to talk about without going into spoilers, which I'm very much itching to do so. I'm hopeful going forward, that Britain takes pity on us and throws us some bones. If not, that's cool, I'll just suffer.
On a serious note though, I enjoyed reading this book a lot, and can't wait to continue on with the series. As mentioned above, I am hopeful but also excited for more plot developments. I wouldn't say that I'm only going along for the ride because of Karigan and King Zachary, but I'm also not going to say I'm not, so, take that as you will. Traditional fantasy is very much comforting to me, so I'm becoming a tad biased towards the series for that reason. And whilst my reading enjoyment is very high, I think the story, plot and pacing are still up to par too. This series is definitely slower, one can sense it's gradually building up to bigger things - but despite this, there is still plenty of action in each book! Plenty of characters to love and hate or love to hate and vice versa.
On a serious note though, I enjoyed reading this book a lot, and can't wait to continue on with the series. As mentioned above, I am hopeful but also excited for more plot developments. I wouldn't say that I'm only going along for the ride because of Karigan and King Zachary, but I'm also not going to say I'm not, so, take that as you will. Traditional fantasy is very much comforting to me, so I'm becoming a tad biased towards the series for that reason. And whilst my reading enjoyment is very high, I think the story, plot and pacing are still up to par too. This series is definitely slower, one can sense it's gradually building up to bigger things - but despite this, there is still plenty of action in each book! Plenty of characters to love and hate or love to hate and vice versa.
May 4, 2009
This book is definitely not as good as the first two.
I really felt that this book was slow and uninteresting for the beginning, and parts of the middle as well. Karigan is stuck doing trivial things with a boring companion. And I felt like I was being preached at for parts of the book - for example, the dissertation on whorehouses and love, the random mention of same-sex couples, arranged marriages, etc. It just felt like the author just *had* to put her view of societal issues in the book and then put it under the thin guise of plot advancement.
Not to mention that there are so many characters sharing their POV now. It just seems like the telling of the story is diluted with all of the seperate third person narratives - Karigan, Estora, Amberhill, Grandmother, and even more that I can't place right now.
And, pirates? Seriously, pirates? Just, out of nowhere, pirates plopped in my fantasy book. Uh, what?
And now that I think about it, this book has a total deus ex machina ending. The god-stallion appears in the middle of the tomb and Karigan becomes his avatar to pen up all the zombies and spirits again.
The more I think about it, the more I dislike this book. The other two seemed very fresh - a different story. This one seems to be incorporating far too much to try and make the plot different.
Really, this book is two-and-a-half stars, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and put it at three.
I really felt that this book was slow and uninteresting for the beginning, and parts of the middle as well. Karigan is stuck doing trivial things with a boring companion. And I felt like I was being preached at for parts of the book - for example, the dissertation on whorehouses and love, the random mention of same-sex couples, arranged marriages, etc. It just felt like the author just *had* to put her view of societal issues in the book and then put it under the thin guise of plot advancement.
Not to mention that there are so many characters sharing their POV now. It just seems like the telling of the story is diluted with all of the seperate third person narratives - Karigan, Estora, Amberhill, Grandmother, and even more that I can't place right now.
And, pirates? Seriously, pirates? Just, out of nowhere, pirates plopped in my fantasy book. Uh, what?
And now that I think about it, this book has a total deus ex machina ending. The god-stallion appears in the middle of the tomb and Karigan becomes his avatar to pen up all the zombies and spirits again.
The more I think about it, the more I dislike this book. The other two seemed very fresh - a different story. This one seems to be incorporating far too much to try and make the plot different.
Really, this book is two-and-a-half stars, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and put it at three.
June 14, 2025
I now have a YouTube channel for Bookreviews and am talking about the Green Rider series here (spoiler-free): https://youtu.be/tXNJTVDH1a8
This is my... I don't know which reread... at least number four. I am rereading the entire series in anticipation of the next book coming out in September. Although, this is the first time I read it in English.
What I love about the series, in general, is how Kristen Britain set it up. I love when long fantasy series start with one character, an adventure, and a slow introduction into the world (slow in the sense of not the entire world is explained in book one). Green Rider, the first book, does exactly that. It introduces the main character, Karigan, and shows her journey on how she becomes a Green Rider. Book two, First Rider's Call, sets up the issue at hand. It shows the upcoming trouble, introduces a few more characters, and sets the stage for the overarching story of the series. Book three, The High King's Tomb, is the world building book. Not much happens here, but all those little strings are relevant for the bigger story. We learn more about the different countries. The cultures are so interesting! Every country has its own heritage and I love how Kristen Britain weaves the information into the story.
I love seeing Karigan grow up. I just can't get enough of her, the Green Riders, King Zachary, etc....
This is my... I don't know which reread... at least number four. I am rereading the entire series in anticipation of the next book coming out in September. Although, this is the first time I read it in English.
What I love about the series, in general, is how Kristen Britain set it up. I love when long fantasy series start with one character, an adventure, and a slow introduction into the world (slow in the sense of not the entire world is explained in book one). Green Rider, the first book, does exactly that. It introduces the main character, Karigan, and shows her journey on how she becomes a Green Rider. Book two, First Rider's Call, sets up the issue at hand. It shows the upcoming trouble, introduces a few more characters, and sets the stage for the overarching story of the series. Book three, The High King's Tomb, is the world building book. Not much happens here, but all those little strings are relevant for the bigger story. We learn more about the different countries. The cultures are so interesting! Every country has its own heritage and I love how Kristen Britain weaves the information into the story.
I love seeing Karigan grow up. I just can't get enough of her, the Green Riders, King Zachary, etc....
February 27, 2011
I certainly loved reading the parts that concerned Kari... while hating the parts that didn't. I couldn't skip through the other POVs so I found myself speed reading through it. Sigh... I know I shouldn't but I just want to know what's happening with Kari!
There is definitely a lack of development in Kari's romance department, but on her duties and uniqueness, a lot has happened. I want more of Kari and less of everyone else... unless it has something to do with Kari. Hahaha!
There is definitely a lack of development in Kari's romance department, but on her duties and uniqueness, a lot has happened. I want more of Kari and less of everyone else... unless it has something to do with Kari. Hahaha!
August 5, 2025
4.5 Stars
High King's Tomb was a great continuation of the Green Rider series and I really enjoyed my time reading it for the most part!
I really enjoyed the directions that the plot went into in this book and am so curious at where the story goes from here with everything that has been hinted at or introduced! I can sense a reckoning coming in the 4th book and I'm here for it! It was also enjoyable to see all the subtle character growth in this installment.
What I didn't love as much in this installment, is the inclusion of soft magic that allowed for some conveniences or new plot threads. I didn't take anywhere near as much issue with it in this installment as I did in book 1 but it did seem a bit more frustrating for me given that it wasn't as present in book 2. I was hopeful that the author had grown out of that a bit more by now! Instead, it seemed like she included something in the last chunk that was a bit more fan service-y to book 1 which basically caused a bit of an ughh reaction from me!
Overall, the book was fantastic though and I'm really looking forward to continuing on with the series!
High King's Tomb was a great continuation of the Green Rider series and I really enjoyed my time reading it for the most part!
I really enjoyed the directions that the plot went into in this book and am so curious at where the story goes from here with everything that has been hinted at or introduced! I can sense a reckoning coming in the 4th book and I'm here for it! It was also enjoyable to see all the subtle character growth in this installment.
What I didn't love as much in this installment, is the inclusion of soft magic that allowed for some conveniences or new plot threads. I didn't take anywhere near as much issue with it in this installment as I did in book 1 but it did seem a bit more frustrating for me given that it wasn't as present in book 2. I was hopeful that the author had grown out of that a bit more by now! Instead, it seemed like she included something in the last chunk that was a bit more fan service-y to book 1 which basically caused a bit of an ughh reaction from me!
Overall, the book was fantastic though and I'm really looking forward to continuing on with the series!
January 15, 2022
The High king’s Tomb was another great addition to the series that I had a hard time putting down. The new character Amberhill was interesting and I'm wondering how he will factor into the story later on. I also loved revisiting Miss Bunch and Miss Bay. They make me giggle. I also found Damian Frost and his wife, Lady fun and interesting characters.
My only complaints were that I really wanted to read more things from King Zachary's point of view. I was dying to know what he was thinking through some of it. Unfortunately that didn't happen until the end of the book. And the forbidden love aspect of this series is rather torturous. I keep telling myself to get over it because it doesn't look like anything will come of it, which is disappointing. I've also become very annoyed with Captain Mapstone and her meddling.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
My only complaints were that I really wanted to read more things from King Zachary's point of view. I was dying to know what he was thinking through some of it. Unfortunately that didn't happen until the end of the book. And the forbidden love aspect of this series is rather torturous. I keep telling myself to get over it because it doesn't look like anything will come of it, which is disappointing. I've also become very annoyed with Captain Mapstone and her meddling.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
August 4, 2023
At first I didn't really know what to think of this series - Karigan, the main character, felt like a bit of a 'Mary Sue' and I disliked that every chapter seemed to be full of ~~drama~~. But as the series has gone on, the author's writing has improved, and the characters have been fleshed out and become more realistic and likeable. Karigan has become a really interesting and believable character. The world now feels like more of the author's own, rather than bits borrowed from other books, too, which is really good - especially as I have read the first three back-to-back, it's been particularly noticeable.
I am really enjoying the series, I can't wait til I get paid so I can buy the 4th book and find out what happens next!
I think these books would appeal to fans of Trudi Canavan or Maria V. Snyder, as the books and the writing have the same 'feel' to me. They still aren't the most well-written books, but they are good fun and enjoyable, and a good introduction into fantasy.
I am really enjoying the series, I can't wait til I get paid so I can buy the 4th book and find out what happens next!
I think these books would appeal to fans of Trudi Canavan or Maria V. Snyder, as the books and the writing have the same 'feel' to me. They still aren't the most well-written books, but they are good fun and enjoyable, and a good introduction into fantasy.
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