New Releases: Blackveil by Kristen Britain
Monday, April 16, 2012
Blackveil (2011) is the fourth book in Kristen Britain's Green Rider series. Initially intended as a trilogy, the popular series has now extended to four books, with a fifth on the way.
The lead is Karigan G'ladheon, one of the kingdom's "Green Riders". Ostensibly a messenger service, they're much closer to Tolkien rangers - hooded badasses armed with magical abilities and moral certainty. Karigan, a young woman, has already proven herself an exceptional figure. Blackveil alludes to her earlier adventures in which she's quashed a rebellion, saved the king, saved the queen, saved the world and travelled through time. Many of the world's factions - good and evil - think that Karigan is really important. She's even earned the respect of the mysterious Eletians (immortal wood-dwelling poets with special bows, magic armor, unequaled grace and names like "Graelalea" and "Laurelyn").
Karigan's narrative is joined by a half dozen characters on equally innovative quests. Amberhill, a charming dilette nobleman-stroke-cat burger-stroke-vigilante is under some sort of magical compulsion, probably down to a ring he stole from enchanted pirates. Piecing together the backstory, it seems that a group of pirates have sailed the world for centuries, cursed by the same magical loot that gives them immortality. A good idea - Disney should make a film of it.
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