Tag: regency

Mini-Reviews: Miles, Plot, Country

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Jenny Colgan, 500 Miles from You

Lissa and Cormac are both home care nurses, she in London and he in the tiny town of Kirrinfief, Scotland. When Lissa is traumatized by an on-the-job tragedy, her boss forces her into a swap: She’ll go to Kirrinfief for three months, where she’ll theoretically have enough peace and quiet to begin healing, and Cormac will take her place in London. At first, both Lissa and Cormac have trouble adjusting to their new surroundings, but gradually they grow and change in unexpected ways. I’ve read a few books by Colgan and found them sweet, uplifting comfort reads. This book definitely has more darkness in it: Lissa’s trauma is described in detail, and many of the patients she and Cormac treat suffer horribly. But the novel retains a gentle feel and warm sense of community, especially in Kirrinfief. Scottish life is a bit too idealized, and the novel seemed to end rather abruptly, but I did enjoy it overall and will continue to read more by Colgan.

Genevieve Cogman, The Lost Plot

In this fourth installment of the Invisible Library series, Irene and Kai are unwillingly roped into political intrigue among the dragons, which puts the Library’s careful neutrality between dragons and Fae in jeopardy. To protect the Library, Irene and Kai travel to an alternate version of Prohibition-era New York City, where they have to evade mobsters and police as well as dragons. This fourth installment of the Invisible Library series is a fun read, consistent with previous books in the series. I enjoyed the new setting with its gangsters and speakeasies, and Irene continues to subtly grow and change as she realizes the Library isn’t always her highest priority. I missed Vale in this book, but it looks like he’ll be more prominent in book 5, which I plan to read next month.

Fiona Hill, The Country Gentleman

Anne Guilfoyle is celebrated as one of the cleverest ladies in London, and she relishes her position and status. But when her fortune is lost due to a bad investment, she’s forced to move to a country manor she’s inherited from a distant relative—and by the terms of the will, she must reside there for 10 months every year. Anne resents the change in her circumstances and views her country neighbors—especially the owner of the closest estate, Henry Highet—as ignorant bumpkins. But as she acclimates to her new life, she grows to appreciate country living, and Highet, more. I’m always on the hunt for well-written, steamless historical romances, and this one definitely fits the bill! Anne is somewhat hard to like at first, as she’s very condescending, but she grows sufficiently throughout the book. I also really liked Anne’s companion and the secondary love story featuring her. Overall, this was a very pleasant surprise, and I’m eager to try more by Fiona Hill.

Mini-Reviews: Blackveil, Scales, Claws

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Kristen Britain, Blackveil

For centuries, a magical wall has protected Sacoridia from the forest of Blackveil, which was originally an Eletian kingdom but was tainted long ago by the evil sorcerer Mornhavon the Black. Now the wall has been breached, and a group of combined Eletians and Sacoridians, including Karigan, is sent inside the forest to discover whether anything good remains. But there are tensions among this group, and they are not the only ones who’ve entered Blackveil. I’m continuing to enjoy this series, though the books are very long and slow-moving – the group going to Blackveil doesn’t actually get there until more than halfway through! But I like that the series doesn’t forget about any plot threads, following up with many characters as they deal with magical destinies, court intrigues, and so on. Things are left very much unresolved at the end of this book (as in, there’s a bona fide cliffhanger), so I will certainly be continuing with the next one!

Stephanie Burgis, Scales and Sensibility

Elinor Tregarth is a “poor relation,” used to being despised and tormented by her spoiled cousin Penelope. But after one particularly awful day, Elinor has had enough and decides to leave her cousin’s home for good—taking Penelope’s dragon with her. (In this world, dragons are fashionable pets, small enough to perch on a lady’s shoulder.) As she decides owhat to do next, Elinor wishes she were as confident and poised as Mrs. De Lacey, one of society’s leading ladies. To her surprise, the dragon has the magical ability to make her look like Mrs. De Lacey—which gives Elinor the confidence to right some wrongs and even find romance. I love a good “magical Regency” novel, and this one is charming. It’s essentially a (steamless) Regency romance, with the fun addition of some dragon lore. I’m not sure the plot would stand up to rigorous scrutiny, but if you’re happy to go along for the ride, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

Stephanie Burgis, Claws and Contrivances

This sequel to Scales and Sensibility features Elinor’s sister, Rose, who has been living with a ramshackle but loving set of distant relations. When Rose discovers a dragon in the buttery, she assumes it must belong to her relatives’ neighbor, Sir Gareth. On her way to return the dragon, she encounters Cornelius Aubrey, an absentminded scholar hoping to consult with Rose’s uncle on some aspects of dragon lore. He convinces Rose not to surrender the dragon to Sir Gareth, and for plot reasons they must pretend to be betrothed. As they uncover a dastardly scheme involving the mistreatment of dragons, Rose finds herself increasingly attracted to her fake fiancé. This is another charming Regency romance with magical elements. I really enjoyed the interplay between Rose’s well-meaning bossiness and Aubrey’s obliviousness. The romance is sweet, the secondary characters are fun, and justice is served in the end. I believe there will be another book in this series at some point, featuring the third Tregarth sister, and I definitely plan to pick it up!

Mini-Reviews: Christmas, Paupers, Garden

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Rupert Latimer, Murder after Christmas

A Christmas house party turns deadly when the guest of honor, Sir Willoughby Keene-Cotton, is found dead on Boxing Day. Uncle Willie was very rich, so plenty of people had a motive to kill him—except that, based on the specific legal circumstances surrounding his demise, it was unclear who would inherit his fortune. Similarly, he died by poisoning—but apparently nothing he ate in the hours before his death could have contained the poison. The increasingly bewildered police must sift through piles of red herrings before they can even verify that a murder has been committed, let alone by whom. This breezy vintage mystery multiplies motives and clues so that it’s nearly impossible to separate the important information from the surrounding camouflage. And that’s what makes it such a fun read—that, and the whimsical characters who needlessly obstruct the investigation. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it as a good vintage holiday read.

Sheri Cobb South, Of Paupers and Peers

James Weatherly, a poor village curate, is shocked when a London solicitor informs him that he’s the new Duke of Montford. He travels to Montford immediately to claim his title, only to be attacked by thieves and lose his memory in the process. Miss Margaret Darrington finds him at the side of the road and assumes he’s Mr. Fanshawe, the tutor she hired for her teenage brother. James has no reason to doubt her identification and takes up his new tutorial position. But complications ensue when James seems smitten by Margaret’s beautiful sister, Amanda, who must marry a wealthy man — and when Margaret begins to fall for James herself. This is a sweet and steamless Regency romance that I very much enjoyed, despite the fact that it’s not particularly original. I liked that, while there are various moments of mistaken identity, they’re not drawn out too long and are solved promptly with intelligent communication. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of traditional Regencies, and I’ll seek out more by Sheri Cobb South.

Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells

In the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, magic is an understood and largely unspoken fact of life. Everyone knows, for instance, that the Waverley family’s garden produces plants that can influence your mood, and that if you eat the apples from their tree, you’ll have a vision of the biggest event in your life. Claire Waverley has embraced her family’s legacy and uses the magic plants in her catering business, while her estranged sister, Sydney, never liked being a Waverley and couldn’t wait to leave town. But when Sydney unexpectedly returns with a five-year-old daughter in tow, Claire’s carefully cultivated life begins to change. I really enjoy Allen’s books, which are tales of family, romance, and female friendship overlaid with a patina of magic. Claire and Sydney’s relationship is the heart of this novel, and I loved how they slowly grew closer despite years of misunderstandings. Recommended if you like books about small towns and the bonds between women.

Mini-Reviews: Bookishly, Arabella, Goodbye

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Mia Page, Bookishly Ever After

Lexi Austen loves her job as the owner of Pemberley Books in Washington, DC. But lately it’s been harder and harder to make ends meet, thanks in part to a rival bookstore that’s begun encroaching on her turf. She concocts a scheme to distract the other bookstore’s owner, Sam Dickens, by making him fall in love with her, using techniques inspired by Jane Austen novels. But as Lexi gets closer to Sam, she soon finds it’s her own heart that’s in danger. I’ve been on kind of a disappointing streak with contemporary romances lately; this one was just okay. Lexi’s plan is obviously ridiculous, but I almost wish she’d gone a bit farther with it; that would have at least made the story a bit more unique. I did enjoy the DC setting, as I live pretty close, and the book mentions several real businesses and neighborhoods. But overall, I was underwhelmed by this one.

Georgette Heyer, Arabella

Arabella, a vicar’s daughter of no fortune, is eager to embark on her first London Season and hopefully marry a well-to-do man. En route, a carriage accident forces her to beg the help of Robert Beaumaris, one of the ton’s most eligible bachelors. When Arabella overhears Beaumaris complaining that she’s undoubtedly trying to trap him into marriage, she indignantly tells him she’s an heiress and has no need to marry for money. But when the rumor of her alleged fortune reaches London society, Arabella finds she needs Beaumaris’s help after all. This was one of my first Heyers, and it was a pleasure to revisit, although I found myself irritated that Beaumaris had so much more power and knowledge of the situation than Arabella did. But the romance is sweet nonetheless, and a mutt named Ulysses provides some fun comedy. Not a top-tier Heyer for me, but still a very good read!

Betty Neels, No Need to Say Goodbye

Louise Payne is a 26-year-old hospital nurse with three younger siblings to care for, and her salary barely allows them to make ends meet. A lucky inheritance from a distant relative provides the family with a country cottage to live in, where Louise finds that her near neighbor is Dr. Arlo van der Linden, with whom she worked in the London hospital. They were never particularly close before, but now Arlo is being friendly and helpful, even giving Louise a new job. Could he be interested in Louise’s pretty sister, Zoë? And if so, can Louise hide the fact that she’s fallen for Arlo herself? This was a quick read with a soothing, timeless atmosphere – I think it was published in the late ’80s or early ’90s but could have taken place much earlier. It’s a sweet though somewhat one-sided romance; Arlo is pretty high-handed, and we don’ know what’s going on in his mind till the very end of the book. I’ve got one more Neels novel on my shelves, and I’ll save it for the next time I want a quick read that doesn’t require any mental energy.

Mini-Reviews: Viscount’s, Christmas, Deerskin

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Louise Allen, The Viscount’s Betrothal

Decima Ross, a spinster at age 27, is sure no man could ever fall in love with her because of her exceptional height. After her brother’s latest insensitive attempt to push her into the arms of an unwilling bachelor, Decima flees, but a snowstorm forces her to seek shelter with Adam, Viscount Grantham. Snowed in with only two servants, Decima and Adam soon grow close; but when they meet again in London, Adam is betrothed to another (beautiful and petite) lady. I’ve really enjoyed some of Allen’s other Regency historicals, but this one was disappointing: anachronistic behavior and dialogue, and characters behaving stupidly for the sake of the plot. I’ll continue to read more by Allen, but this is not one of her best.

Julianna Keyes, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Eve and Will are rival writers at the same travel blog, and they’ve both been assigned to cover Noelville, Vermont, during the run-up to Christmas. The problem is, neither one of them is a fan of the holiday season. But as they experience the marvels of the Christmas-themed town—including a nutcracker museum, cookie decorating classes, a moonlit sleigh ride, and more—they’re slowly won over despite themselves, and they also discover a surprising mutual attraction. I enjoyed this little Christmas novella, which feels like a self-aware Hallmark movie. Eve and Will’s snarking about the over-the-top Noelville traditions is the best part of the book, and they have a lot of fun banter. I felt like the romance was missing a scene or two; there’s never really a point at which they express their feelings for each other. But I’d recommend this one if you’re looking for a fun, bite-sized holiday treat.

Robin McKinley, Deerskin

Lissar, the daughter of a beloved king and queen of a prosperous kingdom, has a seemingly charmed life. But apart from her fleethound, Ash, she doesn’t have many friends and tends to be isolated and overlooked. When Lissar is 17, a traumatic event forces her to run away from home, and after a long period of healing, she finds herself in a new kingdom with a job in the royal kennels. As she slowly wins respect and love from those around her, she starts to hope for a better life—until the ghosts of her past trauma come back to haunt her. This book is a retelling of the Perrault fairytale “Donkeyskin,” which I’m not familiar with. But the dark thing that happens to Lissar is truly dark, so proceed with caution. Otherwise, McKinley’s books always seem to have weird pacing—lots of setup and a very short climax—but I don’t mind because she’s such a great writer that she just carries you along. This isn’t one of my top favorites by her, but it’s still well worth reading.

Mini-Reviews: Bride, Beau, Tomb

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Mary Balogh, A Christmas Bride / Christmas Beau

In A Christmas Bride, Edgar Downes (brother of Cora from The Famous Heroine) is seeking a wife, but instead of proposing to one of society’s eligible young debutantes, he’s attracted to the scandalous widow Lady Helena Stapleton. Helena is drawn to Edgar as well, but because of certain events in her past (described in A Precious Jewel), she’s full of self-loathing and believes herself unworthy of love. Can Edgar change her mind? Then, in Christmas Beau, Max, the Marquess of Denbigh, is pursuing revenge against Judith Easton, the woman who jilted him eight years ago. He plans to seduce her, then break her heart as she broke his. But as he woos her, he begins to have second thoughts about his scheme.

One thing I admire about Balogh is her willingness to write unusual or unlikable protagonists. Helena and Max both do some objectively terrible things, and while I didn’t fully buy into their redemption arcs (especially Helena’s), I did appreciate their moral complexity. Christmas Beau is the more enjoyable book, in my opinion – A Christmas Bride has too many callbacks to previous novels – but both are pretty good reads. Be warned, both books are also overflowing with sappy depictions of a picture-perfect English country Christmas, complete with adorable children and unreasonably kind and accepting secondary characters. But ’tis the season for that sort of thing, and if you have a high sugar tolerance, you’ll probably enjoy these novels.

Kristen Britain, The High King’s Tomb

After the events of First Rider’s Call, the magical wall that protects the kingdom of Sacoridia from the dark magic of Blackveil is beginning to crumble. To fix it, King Zachary needs an ancient book that will explain the magic necessary to repair the wall, so he sends Karigan along with a rookie Rider to find it. But the acolytes of the evil sorcerer Mornhavon the Black are also after the book, hoping to destroy the wall for good. This continuation of the Green Rider series is, like its predecessors, a solid “classic” fantasy novel. I found it a bit too sprawling—there are a lot of POV characters and at least four different plots going at any one time, and it takes a while for everything to come together. That said, I appreciate the continuity between books and the realism of these characters having lives and problems in addition to the main “defeat the evil sorcerer” plot. My library has the rest of this series, so I’ll most likely continue with it in the new year.

Mini-Reviews: Perilous, Retreat, Never

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Elizabeth Marie Pope, The Perilous Gard

Plain and practical Kate Sutton, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth Tudor, is banished (after a misunderstanding) to a remote estate known as the Perilous Gard. There are strange rumors about the estate, and locals whisper that it’s a sacred place for the Fairy Folk, who grant pilgrims relief from their suffering but also kidnap the occasional human to be a slave in their realm. At first Kate scoffs at these superstitions, but as she spends more time with the “young lord,” Christopher Heron, and hears the tragic tale at the heart of the estate, she becomes a believer. But will she be able to stop the Fairy Folk from claiming Christopher as their own? I adore this Tam Lin retelling, which I’ve only read a couple times before, so I’m still surprised by just how good it is! It’s dark, meaty historical fantasy with a wonderful heroine, and while it’s marketed as children’s/YA, I think it’s an excellent book to read at any age. Highly recommended!

Nancy Butler, The Rake’s Retreat

When beautiful young actress Lovelace Wellesley witnesses a murder, she needs protection. Fortunately, she encounters local landowner Beecham Bryce, who invites her to stay at his estate until the investigation is concluded. Less fortunately, Bryce is a notorious rake and libertine, so Lovelace may not be safe in his house. Fortunately again, they meet Lady Jemima Vale, a “spinster” nearing 30 who is available to act as Lovelace’s chaperone. But when sparks start to fly between Bryce and Jemima, it’s the latter’s reputation that may be in danger. I read a positive review of this book somewhere and picked up a used copy, but I found it pretty disappointing. Yes, there’s some fun banter between Bryce and Jemima, but there’s also a lot of inconsistent character behavior and anachronistic dialogue. The murder mystery felt undercooked as well, so all in all, it’s not a book I’d recommend.

Mhairi McFarlane, If I Never Met You

Laurie and Dan have been together since their freshman year at university. Now they’re in their late 30s, living together and working at the same prestigious law firm. So when Dan dumps Laurie out of the blue, she’s shocked, angry, and grief-stricken – especially because she still sees him all the time at the office. Meanwhile, Jamie Carter is an ambitious new attorney at their firm whose reputation as a womanizer may harm his chances of making partner. He proposes a fake relationship to Laurie: He’ll appear to be “settling down,” which will help his career prospects, and Laurie will be able to demonstrate she’s moved on – and perhaps make Dan jealous. I’m a big fan of McFarlane’s but have read most of her books only once. Upon rereading, I devoured this one in a day and absolutely loved it! Though the novel doesn’t shy away from some heavy emotions and hard situations, watching Laurie and Jamie slowly discover each other is a delight. If you like your romance/chick lit with some emotional weight to it, I highly recommend this book and author!

Mini-Reviews: Promised, Stab, Bonnet

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Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice, Promised Land

Delanna’s mother has just died, so she’s returned from her fancy education in the big city to her home planet to claim her inheritance. To her dismay, she learns that under the planet’s laws, she has to live on her property for one year before she’s allowed to sell. Moreover, she’s legally married to Sonny Tanner, the man who owns the neighboring property. Delanna is furious to be stuck in what she considers a backwater full of ignorant yokels, but the longer she remains on this planet, the more she grows to like her surroundings—and Sonny. Though there are some sci-fi trappings, this novel reads more like a Western, as the main characters rough it on a frontier planet with few luxuries. Delanna is quite a spoiled brat initially but changes for the better as she gets to know Sonny and the other locals better. This book isn’t as unique or interesting as Willis’s solo work, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fans of the premise.

Jill Bearup, Just Stab Me Now

Caroline is writing a novel, which she imagines as a tropey, enemies-to-lovers romantasy complete with smoldering glances and flirty banter. Unfortunately, her characters have other ideas. The heroine, Rosamund, is a widow still grieving for her dead husband, and she’s laser-focused on the diplomatic mission she’s supposed to carry out. The hero, Leo, is quiet and kind, not the cocky charmer Caroline had envisioned. As Rosamund and Leo navigate the complicated politics of their world together, Caroline occasionally pops in with questions and advice—all while navigating her own real-life romance with her persnickety editor.

This book apparently started as a YouTube series called The Fantasy Heroine, and I’m glad I didn’t know that beforehand, because I might never have read this book, which would have been a real shame. The fantasy book-within-a-book is genuinely entertaining, and I liked how the narrative gleefully skewers a lot of romance tropes (“Only one bed? No problem, I’ll sleep on the floor!”). The contemporary story is pretty thin—I didn’t care about Caroline’s work woes at all—but otherwise, I really liked this one! I may even go back and watch the web series now…

Mary Balogh, The Plumed Bonnet

Alistair Munro, the duke of Bridgwater, is handsome, rich, and bored out of his mind. So when he spots a bedraggled young woman while traveling, he impulsively offers her a ride. She’s dressed in gaudy attire that leads him to believe she’s a prostitute. But Stephanie Gray is actually a respectable young woman who worked as a governess until inheriting an unexpected fortune, which she’s on her way to claim. Alistair doesn’t believe her farfetched story, but when he learns the truth, he realizes he’s compromised a lady and promptly offers to marry her. Stephanie accepts, but she’s horrified to discover that he’s a duke and she’ll need to learn how to act like a duchess. Can they build a workable marriage, and perhaps even find love, after such a bad beginning? I was in the mood for a Balogh novel and decided to revisit this one, which I first read about five years ago. It’s not a top-tier Balogh for me, but I liked that both of the characters truly grow and change throughout the story. Overall, a pleasant read that I finished in a single day.

Mini-Reviews: Love, None, Hedges

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Sheila Simonson, Love and Folly

Twins Jean and Maggie Conway are about to start their first London Season, but the death of King George III and the subsequent political unrest delay their come-out. However, the girls don’t need a Season to find romance: Jean is smitten with Owen Davies, a radical poet, while Maggie falls for Johnny Dyott, her cousin’s private secretary. But when Owen’s poetry runs afoul of the sedition laws, the whole Conway family must band together to protect both him and themselves. This book is a sequel to Lady Elizabeth’s Comet, which I loved, but it also features characters from The Bar Sinister, which I haven’t read. And while Simonson gives enough background that readers won’t be totally confused, I don’t think they will care much about these characters unless they’ve read the previous two books. Also, if you’re expecting a romance, you’ll be disappointed; the love story between Maggie and Johnny is brief and barely developed. This novel is well written and well researched, but for me it was disappointing, especially compared with Lady Elizabeth’s Comet.

Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None

Ten people of different ages, genders, and walks of life are summoned to an island off the coast of Devon. They’ve been invited under various pretexts, but the real reason becomes clear after dinner on their first night, when a recorded voice accuses them all of murder. Then the guests start dying one by one, in ways that echo a sinister nursery rhyme displayed in each of their bedrooms. Who is behind these deaths, and will anyone make it off the island alive? This is one of Christie’s most famous mysteries, and also in my opinion one of her creepiest! The setup—a mysterious murderer on the rampage in an isolated location—is straight out of a horror novel, and the tension builds wonderfully as the guests each face their inevitable fate. To be honest, it’s so dark that it isn’t one of my favorites by Christie, but it’s masterfully done and I admire the way she pulled it off!

Side note: Newer versions of this book have understandably used this title rather than the far more problematic Ten Little Indians (and, before that, Ten Little N—–s). I don’t fault the publisher for that, but I do wish this edition had acknowledged that changes were made, not only to the title but to the rhyme itself and several lines of dialogue. If I’m reading something different from the originally published version, I want to know about it!

Lish McBride, Rough around the Hedges

Will and Vanessa have been best friends for years, and he’s been in love with her the entire time. Van has only ever seen him as a friend—until their mutual friend group unintentionally spills the beans. Now she’s seeing him in a whole new light, but because of her cold, manipulative father and horrible upbringing, she’s scared to take a chance on love. Meanwhile, Van wants to enroll in courses to become a hedge witch, but her father, an esteemed professor, may throw a wrench in her plans. This book is a sequel to A Little Too Familiar, which I remember liking, but this one didn’t work as well for me. The world is so black and white—the good characters are all perfectly understanding and emotionally fluent, while the bad characters are irredeemably awful. Will in particular is flawless (unless you count the fact that he’s been lying to his supposed best friend for their entire relationship) and just doesn’t feel believable as a person to me. Overall, a very “meh” read.

Mini-Reviews: Howling, Charity, Rider

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Maryrose Wood, The Mysterious Howling

Miss Penelope Lumley has just graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and is about to take up her first position as a governess. When she arrives at the vast estate of Ashton Place, she soon learns that the three children under her care aren’t the biological children of Lord and Lady Ashton. Rather, they were found in the forest surrounding the estate, apparently having been raised by wolves. As Penelope teaches Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia how to speak and behave like human children, she notices several sinister aspects of her new life, such as Lord Frederick’s obsession with hunting and an apparently deliberate plot to make the children regress into wolflike behavior. This is a fun, cheeky read with more than a few nods to Victorian gothic novels. I liked Penelope and the children and enjoyed reading about their shenanigans. My only complaint is that the larger questions about the children’s identity and background are unanswered; I may just have to continue with the series to find out more!

Georgette Heyer, Charity Girl

The young, rich, and handsome Viscount Desford gets into a scrape when he meets Charity “Cherry” Steane, the poor relation of a family he happens to be visiting. The day after their meeting, he discovers her running away from her family’s cruel treatment, and he feels honor-bound to help her reach her grandfather in London. But of course, when they reach London, her grandfather is nowhere to be found; so Desford leaves Cherry with his old friend, Lady Henrietta, and sets off to discover the grandfather’s whereabouts. In the midst of these events, romance blooms in an unexpected place. Much as I adore Heyer, this novel isn’t one I frequently revisit, and now I remember why. Too much of the book is spent on Desford’s solo adventures and on introducing characters who appear in just one or two scenes. As a result, the romance gets short shrift and almost feels like an afterthought. The book is still a pleasant read with a lot of funny moments, but it’s not one of Heyer’s best, in my opinion.

Kristen Britain, Green Rider

Karigan G’ladheon is a university student who’s on her way home after being unfairly suspended. She unexpectedly crosses paths with a Green Rider, one of the king’s messengers, who is dying with two black arrows in his back. He urges her to complete his mission and take the message he’s carrying to the king. Karigan somewhat reluctantly agrees and is immediately plunged into a series of dangerous adventures. Meanwhile, King Zachary faces many threats, including the ambition of his disgruntled brother and the dark powers of a supernatural being known only as the Gray One. I first read this book back in 2010 and liked it enough to pick up the next two in the series. Rereading it now, I still enjoyed it, though it’s pretty standard sword and sorcery. Karigan definitely seems to be some kind of “chosen one,” though I liked that she wasn’t amazing at everything and often needed help to complete her mission. All in all, I’m interested in continuing with the series to see what’s next for Karigan and her new friends and allies.