I have always loved horses. I had my first and only horse as a teenager. Her name was Skeeter and she was a six-year-old, purebred Arabian. She was my mount in our 4-H Horse Club and I loved her. She loved me for brushing her and treats, so she allowed me to ride her. Allowed, because Arabs have strong personalities. If there was one thing Arabs were well known for it was for their stubbornness. I remember the time the farrier and my father were trimming her hooves, which she did not appreciate, She had both of them pinned against a fence when I arrived. I had to hold her head for them to continue. It made me love her more. I was her favorite.
When I was not out hiking, riding Skeeter, or reading, I was watching Young Riders on TV. I fell in love with Kid and his horse Katy. I cried when the horse was shot and celebrated when she was saved. I wanted to be a horse messenger and loved that the show had a female messenger, even if she was pretending to be a boy on the show. Now that I have rewatched the series as an adult, I find it just as impressive🙃 I still would love to be a messenger, but maybe for the slower mail. So I don’t end up shot at so much and in trouble as those horse messengers seem to always be in. Reading Kristen Britain’s Green Rider series takes me back to the dream of the horse messenger service and with an added bonus, theres magic.
Unlike the ruffians on Young Riders, Karigan G’ladheon did not sign up for the horse messenger service for her Kingdom. Instead, she was interrupted on her escape from school by a dying messenger with two black arrows in his back. He begs Karigan to deliver his message to the King, shares it is a matter of life and death.
At her promise, Karigan begins the long and treacherous journey through the country following a path only her horse knew She is pursued by assassins and a silent spectre of the dead messenger. Along the way she learns a little about magic and how it is central to the conflict she has been pulled into.
I swept through the first book so quickly the first time, I regretted it. The story was fast paced with Karigan, along with the Kingdom she grew up in, in danger. The interactions of Karigan and Condor, who she calls Horse, and their growing trust was my favourite relationship. As a previous horse owner, I loved watching their growing trust and support of each other. Karigan learned to trust Horse’s instincts, and Condor learned she was willing to help him fulfill his partners dying request. In a land with magic, it was no surprise to me the horses had a spark as well, but as a previous horse owner, it was something I already believed.
Beyond Karigan, there are many characters introduced and the beginning of many relationships that wane and wan throughout the series. All of them delightful and fell real. Family, coworkers, love-interests, all become a part of Karigan’s life and all put themselves at risk for their Kingdom.
Bottom line, the series is full of adventure, internal and external struggles as Karigan fights for what she holds important. All during a mad dash against evil and time. Take a chance on the series, you won’t regret it.
