The Green Rider series has been one if my favorites from the beginning. A strong, rich and enchanting story line and characters and I'm so happy to say each installment just keeps getting better and better and I'll never understand how an author can do it! but Britain just does! I'm so glad to have some long running storylines be resolved and to have so many other juicy ones crop up to look forward to.
Full review to come on YouTube

Winterlight is 23 years in the making and is the 7th book in the Winterlight series. Winterlight is the next-to-last story in the current arc, but more will be explored in the green rider series. The author finally lays all the cards out for Karigan, Zachary, and Estora. Finally, the emotional entanglement comes to a fantastic twist towards the end, so the result will be forefront as we wait for the next installment.
Karigan spends a good portion of this story fighting with the demon Nissa and her grandmother from the second empire. Lala, the granddaughter, is a captive, but they try to make her feel at home in the camp and are hoping to break the hold of the second empire and have her change her ways.
Estoria is awaiting the arrival of her twins and struggles with being in her position as queen while Zachary is away. She struggles with the relationship she knows is strong between Zachary and Karigan. Britain has an epic way of storytelling and pulling the emotions from now into her stories. Karigan is thwarting with physical and emotional pain. After the few years we have spent and continue to pay in this pandemic, this story makes the characters come to life. I'm sad to know this story, like all stories, will soon come to an end, and I am sure it will be an epic story but also curious to see who will take center stage next in the green rider world.

Hmm. I'm not sure how I'm going to find words for this one. My thoughts are all over the place.

However, on one thing I am absolutely certain: I needed at least 50 more pages of Fastion.

But, if you've enjoyed the first six books of Green Rider, then you will enjoy this one! A ship sails! Limply and slowly, but it SAILSSSSSSS!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Winterlight is the latest and penultimate entry in the Green Rider series. After really enjoying my reread of Firebrand, which I thought showed a substantial improvement in writing, I felt that Winterlight, though enjoyable to the point that I stayed up until 4am reading my ARC, was a step backwards. Winterlight doesn’t feel as well thought out to me as earlier books in the series, and again falls victim to the author’s “telling” style of writing, and suffers from other odd narrative choices. I have trouble picturing how the series is going to wrap up in one more title, and sort of lament that it’s going to attempt to do so.

I thought it an odd choice to have Captain Mapstone kidnapped by people from a country that I don’t recall ever hearing of in the Green Rider universe—it just felt incredibly random and like an unnecessary addition to the already numerous conflicts in the story. I remember the lands of Eletia and Rhovanny, sure, but never this third country, Varosia, which apparently treats their women as objects, with no rights. I feel that Karigan would have at least thought of this or broached a comparison when she was trapped in the dystopian future of Sacoridia. It certainly would have been a natural comparison to make, but this country was never referenced. If it was referenced, it was definitely only in passing, as part of Stevic’s business, and I didn’t remember the country at all until Captain Mapstone was being taken there against her will. This is not the best foundation work.

And to put it quite bluntly, I just thought this storylines with the Darrow Raiders, which have actually been mentioned multiple times in other novels, and this other country, just felt like filler added in at the eleventh hour. There were already more than enough conflicts going on in Winterlight without the old enemies with a grudge again Captain Mapstone reappearing to get revenge. Perhaps the author felt the need to get Captain Mapstone and her meddling out of the way so Karigan and King Zachary could finally be together, or for Karigan to take on more leadership in the Green Riders, but at this point, that remains to be seen—especially with Captain Connoly treating Karigan like a thorn in his side.

Another thing that really bothered me was that what little improvements had been made to get rid of the rampant “telling” writing style in Firebrand seemed to have gone out the window in Winterlight once more. I was pretty disappointed, as many moments that should have rendered a big impact or at the very least, a racketing up of tension, landed flat due to how readers learned of them. For instance, we learn that a major player in the series is "bespelled," out of nowhere with almost no lead up, due to Fergal waking up Karigan and simply telling her that he witnessed it with his magical Green Rider ability. There is narration from Fergal’s perspective when he realizes this potentially extremely damaging information, which I lamented. I could only imagine the tension and drama this would’ve added to Winterlight if we had read of this discovery from Fergal’s point-of-view, and revisited his worrying over how to proceed with the knowledge throughout the large novel.

Unfortunately, these weren’t the only times Winterlight went in directions I didn’t understand and care for. There is a character death that really saddened me, as I felt that that character’s full potential in the series had never been fully realized and that the character’s death happened far too quickly for my liking. In fact, I had to reread the section where it happened because I was quite literally shocked that it had. Likewise, I was disappointed that the novel seemed to struggle to implement the full cast of characters from the series—Estral is barely present at all, Alton, blessedly only has a few chapters from his perspective—and likewise, Captain Mapstone only has a handful of chapters.

There seemed to be very little balance in between these perspectives, and Winterlight fails to include all of its cast of characters, meaning it mainly relies on telling us, mostly through hearsay, what other characters are doing. And when it’s not focusing on Karigan, Winterlight tends to focus on newer characters to the series, like Enver and Anna Ash, instead of many of our old favorites. I was also conflicted about whether or not I liked the inclusion of all these new Green Riders, because I found many of them annoying, but also thrilled at the fact that there were so many new Green Riders being called to the magical organization. It was enjoyable to encounter Melry again, the first friend Karigan made in the Green Riders, but it had been so long since her last appearance that I felt I barely knew the character, and just wasn't as attached to her.

"'After being among your people by the mountains,' he replied, 'I found the eyrie dreary and boring beyond belief, and so I talked Ripaeria into bringing me here.' I am in very big trouble the eagle said. She sounded very pleased with herself."*

Despite this, I really enjoyed the introduction of two new characters in Winterlight— Scorch the Dragon and Ripaeria the Eagle. One thing that Kristen Britain consistently excels at throughout the Green Rider series is giving all of her animals or magical creatures big, vivacious personalities. Whether or not these animals are magically able to talk, their personalities consistently leap off the page, and I really love reading about them. Every time the rebellious Ripaeria appeared, I had a huge smile on my face, and can only hope she and Scorch return in the next novel, and don't get killed, which is something that seems to happen to a lot of animals in the series.

"Don't feel bad for me," Karigan replied...."It would appear I have enough special titles that one less won't hurt."

One of the other things that I really enjoyed about Winterlight was that the novel makes fun of Karigan a lot. It totally recognizes how ridiculous Karigan's Mary Sue-ness is, and just how many titles the girl has at this point in the Green Rider series. I really appreciated the jokes at this girl's expense, as it keeps her human and attempts to drag her down to the level of her ordinary and mortal peers. Though a lot of this effort is undone when Karigan is granted yet another title and made Eletian royalty. I also thought much of the addition of Anna Ash, the only Rider without a magical ability or calling, was undone. The poor girl, who has already proven herself in battle, finds herself publicly questioning her choice to become a Green Rider, after so much was made of her decision to become one in the last novel and what it signified to the organization. I would have gladly given up this whole plot, which felt more like filler than plot, for more chapters from other characters' perspectives, like that of Captain Mapstones, Zachary, Estora, Estral, or Fergal.

Winterlight definitely sets itself apart from other entries in the series in that its mainly focused on a full scale war as it comes to Sacoridia. I was conflicted on whether or not this was an improvement, as I really am not a big fan of reading descriptions of battle, but was also thankful that the focus was generally off of Karigan’s love life. I say generally, because near the end of Winterlight, we are thrown a complete and unbelievable curve ball in Karigan’s romance with Zachary. I say it’s unbelievable, because what happened seemed completely out-of-character for one of the characters involved compared to what his or her perspective in other novels in the series told us. It also seemed inconceivable that this solution would so easily be suggested after seven other books repeatedly and somewhat overdramatically told readers how huge the ramifications would be if Karigan and Zachary were together. This was a pretty big reoccurring conflict in the series, and for it to just be dealt with so simply and so suddenly, was almost insulting to past developments.

"Karigan nodded. Then, because she needed to know, she gathered her courage and said, 'May I ask why you have chosen for me this?'

Estora stood very still, her expression unchanging until she lifted her chin and replied, 'I think we both know why.'"
I also had trouble suspending my disbelief that the Second Empire suddenly had an entire army to fight Sacoridia with. Throughout the entire series, the Second Empire seemed like a small cult of rag-tag followers led mainly by Grandmother, and suddenly there’s an entire army advancing on Sacoridia, led by the despicable Captain Birch. Though in past entries in the series, we did hear about Captain Birch leading raids on villages in Sacoridia, it never seemed like there were anything more than a small number of these Second Empire forces. I just don’t understand how the series went from the Second Empire being dealt a huge blow by the loss of their leader, Grandmother, to having an army numbering in the thousands marching to strike down their enemy at the front gates of their castle.

I was also not thrilled that the final confrontation will have Amberhill at front and center. Throughout the series, I just felt that his character arc has been a mess. Though I initially thought his character would spice things up at Zachary's court, during his appearance in The High King's Tomb, maybe even being a lover for Estora or Karigan, I never imagined him as the main antagonist. Even when he was the emperor of the dystopian future in Mirror Sight, I never really thought it would come down to it, believing that Karigan and the rest of the Green Riders would somehow prevent him from ever getting that far as a villain. As the main villain, I feel that Amberhill lacks emotional impact, as he's never been around enough to form meaningful bonds with the other cast of characters. Instead, he's Zachary's distant cousin who just might destroy the world sometime—his defeat wouldn't make anyone—not the characters or the readers, particularly sad.

With all of this and everything else that is going on in Winterlight, I am a little alarmed at the prospect of the series trying to tie up all these ends in the next release. Winterlight definitely felt like it was hurtling to this conclusion at top speed, and in some cases, throwing its character development and the plot it has built up over the series to the winds, while adding extraneous other plots to tie up on top of it. Despite not being the strongest book in the series by far, I'm still interested to see how the series will manage to wrap up in the final entry of the Green Rider series.

*All quotes taken from an ARC and subject to change at time of publication.

(*EDIT: There was, in fact, an issue with my copy or device when I initially read <em>Winterlight</em>, and I quite literally somehow started reading at about 30% of the way into the book. As such, I have since reread the beginning of the novel and edited my original review.)

There is a lot going on and I found it difficult to keep track of not surprising as this book comes in at almost 900 pages.. I also had a hard time remembering things that were mentioned that happened in former books last book was 2017. However, I do enjoy the story and it is still interesting to see how things progress.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a free e-copy of Winterlight by Kristen Britain (author), DAW (publisher),and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Winterlight is the seventh book in the Green Rider series.

This review will be spoiler free.

I would categorize Winterlight as high fantasy featuring a soft magic system and a pre-industrial European-like setting with nobility and royalty.

One of the strengths of a Green Rider novel is the characters. The characters from the main character through the major secondary characters and including minor characters featured in a couple of scenes are unique, compelling, and three-dimensional I think Ms. Britain is one of the best fantasy authors in creating engaging characters.

The story flowed from the beginning through the end, immersive, and there were not any dead spots. The only quibble that I have with the story is that I would have preferred if the Beryl Spencer and Lauren Mapstone plot lines were featured a bit more.

Winterlight is the type of story that I plan on reading multiple times.

I rate Winterlight 4.5 stars.

I would like to thank Ms. Britain, DAW, and Net Galley for the free ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been prepping for this by rereading the entire series so it would all be fresh in my mind.

What a ride. This book just jumps right into the action from the end of Firebrand. Karigan is still dealing with the aftermath of her torture at the hands of Second Empire and the tension building shows you that the stakes have never been higher.

I found myself struggling between wanting to binge the entire book and wanting to savor it because I didn't want it to end. I will update this review more fully once it has been released to discuss plot points. But for fans of the Green Rider series new and old do not want to miss out on this additional. Kristen Britain will take you along with Karigan on an emotional rollercoaster. I can't wait to get the copy I ordered through Amazon to read it again.

In the 7th book in the Green Rider series, Sir Karigan G'ladheon is making her way back to Sacor City after her eventful mission to the North. Although plagued by nightmares and self-doubt after being tortured, Karigan must continue to risk all for king and country as the Second Empire makes a final bid to attack the kingdom.

Fantasy isn't generally my genre of choice, but I got hooked on the Green Rider series after the birth of my youngest, reading all six (gigantic) books in about a week. I've heard that this is the penultimate book in the series, and I have to admit that I am just as hooked now as I was when I started. In Winterlight, fans of the series will be pleased as Britain keeps up a constant stream of action while diving into the psychological toll of Karigan's many adventures. While the loose threads from the other books are mentioned, the focus is on Karigan and King Zachary taking on the Second Empire.

Winterlight reminds me why I have followed the Green Rider series for over 20 years, even though it's scarcely been that long in the Green Rider universe. Britain makes it easy to slip back into the series and return to Sacoridia as if hardly any time has passed since Firebrand was published in 2017. With so many events spanning six books, multiple moments are scattered throughout the over 800 pages as memories. I found the abundance of references helpful, and they contributed to a sense that the series was coming to an end. Winterlight is, after all, supposed to be the penultimate book in the series.

Events set in motion from prior books, specifically those dealing with Second Empire, make up a significant portion of the novel. Characters from past books make a few appearances. Many things are happening at once in different parts of the world, including the castle, the wall, Eletia, and a newer location, Eagle Crossing. Like prior books, chapters jump from one character to the next to provide a more holistic view of everything happening, but I ultimately wanted more Karigan.

More than the impending conflict with Second Empire, the book centers around Karigan's physical and mental struggles. She is still recovering from the effects of being tortured at the hands of Nyssa, better known to us as Grandmother. While the physical pain is slowly mending, it's the mental trauma along with the presence of Nyssa that continues to impede her healing. Nyssa haunts her, sowing new fears and nurturing old ones. Karigan is vulnerable, battling what's inside her head, and doesn't seek help when it's clear she can use it. This was a missed opportunity to showcase that individuals struggling with mental health do not have to face it alone, that even heroes like Karigan can use a helping hand.

Winterlight is a welcomed addition to the series. The worldbuilding remains tightly woven as with all previous books. At times, the book feels like a return to the first three books--my favorites of the series. There are several subplots and more than a few are left open, likely to be pursued in the next book.

Thank you so much to DAW and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book on exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I've been reading the Green Riders series since the mid-2000s, so I'm absolutely already a fan. And as a fan. I would be lying if I didn't say that the previous two books in the series were just....okay. Winterlight, though? Winterlight has sucked me right back in.

I read the latter 70% of this book in approximately 2 days, if that tells you anything. And in that time I experienced every single emotion possible. Kristen Britain managed to break my heart and repair it so many times in the course of these 800ish pages that it was unreal. Every single character was dealing with all of their fallout from previous books, and the emotional toll it took on them was obvious.

This latest installment made me adore characters I loved already even more, and it tore me to pieces when something newly tragic happened. But her writing also had me laughing in the very next breath, or sighing at a sweet moment. A ship I have been wanting for so long....well, I got some great moments out of it, I'll just say that. Several plot threads are starting to wrap up, but so many questions were left to be answered in the 8th and final book of the series. The stakes for these characters are at an all time high, because no one is truly safe and I'm so scared for what she will do to them next.

And THAT ENDING. I need so much more and I'm going to have to reread the whole series constantly while I wait for the next installment. Five out of five stars, and Kristen Britain has made this Green Rider fan a very happy camper.

I can't begin to tell you how much I look forward to these Green Rider books. It's so hard to wait 3 to 4 years between them, but also so worth it! So of course I was thrilled when I received an ARC of this seventh book in the series. After the events of the last book I was eager to find out what was going to happen next. Honestly it's like that after I finish every one of these books, and I was happy the book pretty much got right into things.

This is supposed to be the second to last book in this story arc that's been going on for 7 books now, and it feels like there is still a lot left to be done in book 8. I'm curious to see how the author wraps things up. And don't worry, book 8 will not be the end of the series, just this story arc. I was very happy that some conflicts got resolved in this book, but we are still waiting for what will happen next with Mornhaven, although some set up was established for how they will deal with that conflict. I really can't wait to see how things will play out, especially now that dragons have been introduced into the world.

This book had me biting my nails a few times wondering what was going to happen to some of these beloved characters. There were several points of view covered in this book and some of them got a lot more attention than others, but that didn't bother me. I did really want to know more of what was happening with Captain Mapstone though! Obviously the next book will be more about that, but it's hard to wait. There are also a couple of points of view that didn't seem too important to the story line in this particular book, but I feel like the author is probably setting up some threads that will have something to do with the next story arc down the road.

There were a couple of nice surprises in this book. I didn't expect the story to go the way it did regarding King Zachary and some of the choices he made involving Karigan, and I'm not talking about relationship stuff exactly, but just certain things he has her do in the book before and during the battle. I really loved seeing them fight together and I looked forward to their interactions throughout the book. I also really enjoyed how some of the relationship stuff played out, but I also have some mixed feelings about how it's being handled.

Overall this was my favorite book I've read this year, probably because I love this series so much. It included heartbreak and sorrow, and love and triumph, just like all the previous books, but this one, I felt ended on a lighter note than most of them. There was no huge cliffhanger, we know where the story is headed, even though there are a threads that are left dangling that involve some important people. But for the first time since I began this series, I didn't feel like Karigan was a complete punching bag. I was thrilled that despite all the trials that she has endured, some good things actually happened for her in this book and that made my heart happy.

This is definitely a book I had to sit on for a while before trying to formulate any kind of coherent thoughts.

My biggest critique of the first four books is that the pacing is slow and not much happens in relation to the length of the book, while Books 5 and 6 were ideally paced for me. Winterlight fell on the opposite end of the spectrum from the beginning of the series because it is non-stop, one thing after the next, for the entire book.

I’m not sure I’ll fully know how I feel about this book until I read the last book. Being book 7 out of 8 (I think), I expected this one to start winding down and wrapping up at least a few plot threads, but if anything, it seemed to end with even more open threads due to how much was packed into this book. There were definitely some answers, but still few enough that I’m not sure how there will be enough time to wrap everything up in the last book. There were definitely a few plot threads introduced in this book that just felt unnecessary when there are already so many other things going on.

In terms of ranking within the series, I’d say this one lands pretty firmly in the middle. There were some great moments in this book that I absolutely loved, and as usual, I love just spending time with Karigan and the Green Riders.

4.5 Stars

As the seventh book in an extremely long yet highly entertaining epic fantasy, this is a very hard book to rate & review for me because I am so emotionally involved with the world and the characters that I don´t even know where to begin. But that in itself tells a lot about how incredible the story is, right?

This is an epic fantasy world were Karigan G’ladheon, our main character is a woman who becomes the part of the elite horse-riding messenger service of the king of Sacoridia called the Green Riders. But not all is as it seems and these riders are not your typical mail: they have a special power thanks to a pin they keep on at all times, and they get into all types of trouble as they work with the King to keep the peace in the realm. Moreover, they have specially bred horses that are just amazing! In comes our main character Karigan, who has had a list of adventures and, shall we say misadventures at times, and she goes from newbie Green Rider to one of the most important people in the realm. Magic & fantasy elements are woven throughout every book, including magic, elves, kingdoms and wars, magical creatures and bad bad magical villains. There are also extremely low - I´d say almost nonexistent - romance elements in some of the books, so if you are looking for romance here, I’d say look elsewhere. This is full on fantasy world to fill your appetite of dangerous gripping adventure. So, if you haven´t yet read these books and love a good fantasy that has a long story, go look for a copy of Green Rider because it will not disappoint.

And Kristen Britain has given us a great addition to the series with Winterlight. I´d even go to say it’s one of the ones I loved the most. We have everything we expect from her books: adventure, peril, danger at every turn, magic and obviously horses. Some of her books have sometimes been side stories to the original plot, but in this we are thrown right into the thick of it.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I´ve felt that we are making more progress towards seeing a possible conclusion with the main villain of the story, Mornhavon the Black, with the final battle between them in sight for the next book. New characters are brought in, and we get to see and hear what a lot of the old ones are up to.
The previous book ended with both Karigan and King Zachary having suffered a lot. As expected, this book deals with Karigan as she comes to terms with her new physical limitations and the mental/psychological aspect of her recovery. The long path to recovery takes up much of the book, and it became at times long and tedious to read. But even as I say this, I can also appreciate the level of detail and depth that Britain has given us: there is no quick and easy way of getting over trauma, and we struggle with Karigan as she tries to overcome what was done to her.

We’ve had hints of a possible relationship blooming between our main characters for years now and we cannot wait to see where it´ll go. Even though the previous book ended with us thinking, this could be it, as always we still haven´t reached a possible conclusion between these two. The relationship between Karigan & Zachary has low simmering tension that could hopefully see a conclusion in the next book, but who knows? Personally, I am just so in love with both of them that I cannot wait to reach the end of Karigan’s journey and what will actually happen between them.

I felt that the middle part of the book dragged a bit, but the last twenty percent of the book was a wild ride! And did it finish with a bang!! In a change of pace compared to her previous endings, I felt that this one has left me itching to read the next book ASAP. Stakes are higher and we must know how this story will finish. I felt we´ve made strides towards reaching the final climax and the end to all of Sacoridia’s troubles.

Hopefully after reading this it´s spiked your interest and you´ll read the books! Overall, Winterlight has been a great addition to the Green Rider series and I cannot wait for the next!

Amazing! Karigan again gets into so many new adventures are all while contending with the chaos of war. I loved how Karigan grew in this book to become a leader and started to find her place within the green riders and the court. A wonderFul next book in the series

Winterlight moves the main storyline of the Green Rider series forward, a lot. Multiple storylines from the other six books are brought back to the forefront and progress rapidly. Since there is one more book in the series (as far as I’m aware), we know that not all of them will resolve here. So, going into this book, I knew I wouldn’t get the resolution I was hoping for, for many of the story arcs.

Winterlight is, in my opinion, the fastest book in the series so far. So much is happening - major and minor arcs - and there is no time to take a break. Especially not for our characters. We move from the emotional time in the North (Firebrand) directly into more our main character has to endure while figuring out everything that happened before. Karigan truly is a remarkable, resilient person.

Pros
- Kristen Britain’s writing is as beautiful as ever. Her descriptions bring the scenery to life. No sentence, no detail is wasted. They all help with setting the stage and getting the reader into the mood she wants them to be in. Characters - even side characters - are so well described that you know instantly what they are about, how they think, etc.
- Her balance of revealing what you need to know vs just enough to make you question what’s happening is incredible. In this book in particular because there is so much going on.
- The world has become so much deeper and detailed. I didn’t think there could be anything added to it, but she did it. And all those pieces fit naturally.

Cons
- That’s one of the cons of this book though. I felt that some of the side stories were unnecessary and got resolved way too easily. Knowing this book was written by Kristen Britain, I wonder if some of them will come back as a relevant item in the last book. But then, some of those didn’t feel relevant. More like they have been added to make the storyline faster. Personally, I would have loved less of the irrelevant side stories and rather more time for some of the main storylines. This also made the book feel rushed at times.

Overall, I loved this book. There is no boring moment, which made putting it aside really difficult (in a good way ;) ). The characters develop nicely. Other characters’ story is elevated. We learn more about Sacoridia’s history and believes, and all of it is simply fascinating. Finally, the book includes all the emotions - from laughing out loud to being devastated. And the scene that you see on the cover? Tears…. I want book 8, now!

"Yes. At this point, I believe we must address the difficulty that is Rider G'ladheon, don't you agree?"

Rating: Really Enjoyed It

First off full disclosure: I requested this eARC from Netgalley when I was on book 2 or 3 and absolutely 100% in love with The Green Rider series. Then I read Mirror Sight and Firebrand. I was devastated because I felt like the books and the storyline were heading a direction that I did not at all enjoy or appreciate. I was so nervous to go into Winterlight, knowing my issues with the previous two books. BUT it regained some of the old glory of the first several books, and I loved it.

It's hard to discuss much of this book without getting into spoilers, but this book picks up soon after the events of Firebrand. Karigan is making her way back to Sacor City on her own when she comes across a merchant who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead. This marks the resurgence of the Darrow Raiders, a group that had terrorized the realm in the time of King Zachary's grandmother. Events of the book unfold from there, unsurprisingly resulting at some point in the story with Karigan being captured and held captive AGAIN.

This was my biggest complaint with the book. I feel like Karigan as a captive at this point is a tired storyline, and there isn't a single book that does not have this event in it (except maybe First Rider's Call?? I can't recall anything with that one specifically at least). I was frustrated and just ready for that storyline to resolve. Apart from this storyline, which doesn't account for to large a percentage of the book, I very much enjoyed this one.

Along with the Darrow Riders, the conflicts between Mornhavon the Black, and Second Empire continue to develop and progress through this book. We also get to meet some old friends, make some new friends, and just generally have a good time.

What I liked:
* The return to the tone/feeling of the books pre-Mirror Sight, was my biggest relief and the thing that I appreciated most about this book.

* We got to check in on some characters throughout that I wasn't expecting to see much of

* Ripaeria the Green Flyer is a gem, and one of my favorite new friends.

* I felt like this story progressed logically and Karigan was finally in her proper role as Rider G'ladheon. I felt like the previous book she was very much acting out of character, even with the trauma that she endured travelling between times in Mirror Sight. Even as she healed and recovered from the trauma and the injuries she had sustained in Firebrand, she felt more like Karigan than I had seen since The High King's Tomb.

* I was nervous to see how Karigan's injuries from Firebrand were handled as debilitating injuries are often magically healed or are made out to be absolutely horrible because the person isn't "whole" anymore and is now seen as "less than". However, I felt that the injuries to both Karigan's body and mind were handled in a respectful manner that didn't raise my ire as happens so often in fantasies. Even though there is magic at work within and around Karigan, she still has to work through the bodily injuries as well as her trauma. The mental trauma was perhaps not focused on quite as much as I would have liked, but I appreciate that it was acknowledged and put on the page.

* Overall, I feel that I can now see the series drawing to a close. In the previous two books, it felt like there was absolutely no end goal in mind, but in this book we see advancement of some plot lines, resolution for some plotlines, resurgence of some old loose ends, and it just overall felt a lot more hopeful. I desperately hope that this continues on to the end.

What I Didn't Like:
- My biggest gripe was the previously mentioned storyline that always occurs for Karigan.

- I'm not sure if I like the way that the ridiculous love triangle was advanced towards the end of this book, but I am choosing to remain hopeful and see what happens in the next book.

- I feel like the author's writing style has not improved or advanced as I would have hoped over the course of 7.5 books. This wasn't as big of an issue for me as it was in the previous two books where my aggravation over the storyline just drew attention to the pieces of the writing that I don't particularly love. We still see telling rather than showing in a lot of places as well as heavy repetition of those things that are told to us.

Overall, I appreciate this book very much. It has resolved the bitter taste that was on my tongue for the way I thought that this series was headed. I am re-placing my pre-order for Winterlight, and I look forward to a reread of the series whenever book 8 comes out.

I would like to thank Negalley and DAW for the eARC copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. Winterlight releases on September 14, 2021. A full review will be posted to Goodreads and Instagram in the week prior to publication per publisher request. All quotations are taken from an advance copy and may differ in the final work.

Now, if you are like me, and have been reading the Green Rider series at least since the publication of First Rider’s Call, then you are going to be happy. Ms. Britain does take many years to write her novels, causing fans to cry in the interim and read FanFiction, but boy howdy, this book was worth the wait. Mirror Sight (book 5) threw me for a loop, so I was happy to get back to “normal” in Firebrand (book 6). But my happiness about book 6 was far surpassed by Winterlight, the upcoming book 7. It was as if Ms. Britain heard all of our cries, and was just patiently waiting to release this book.
We meet up with Karigan on the road, returning from meeting with the Ph’edrose. Unfortunately, on her way back to Saccor City, she is ambushed and kidnapped by a mysterious group who turn out to be in league with the Second Empire. But Karigan was not the only person who was kidnapped, and together, the captives find a way to escape and warn King and Captain. Warning also involves a great scene between the King and Karigan, as well as the King’s Aunt. From there, the plot centers around Sacoridia fighting the Second Empire and their raider allies and Karigan fighting mental battles with her dead torturer. There are several battles in numerous locations, involving old allies, as well as new.
I think one of the reasons this book made me so giddy was that more of our favorite characters are re-united. The trials of the previous books have had Karigan mostly on her own, only contacting other parties as she finds them. In Winterlight, she is around other riders much more. We also finally see progress in the relationship between the King and Karigan, though not in a way I was expecting outside of FanFiction stories *squeals delightedly*.
My one dissapointment was that little happened with the Ph’edrose which were discovered at the end of Firebrand. We get Eletians in Winterlight, so maybe book 8 will have more about Sacoridia’s new allies, the Ph’edrose. I guess we will just have to wait and see. 5 stars. Go order it now.

OVERALL:
A fantastic, if lengthy, addition to the Green Rider series. High-stakes conflict, plenty of character growth, and engaging plot twists will leave readers eager for more.
SUMMARY:
In Winterlight we find Green Rider Karigan G’ladheon recovering from deep physical and mental trauma. On her way back from the North, Karigan is captured by the Darrow Raiders—old enemies of Sacoridia—who are in league with the Second Empire. Karigan must regain her strength and sanity if she is going to escape and help Sacoridia and her beloved, King Zachary, defeat their enemies. Time is of the essence, however, as an even greater threat brews behind the D’Yer Wall in the form of Mornhavon the Black.
CHARACTERS:
Karigan G’ladheon continues to be our main POV character. She is suffering from the effects of torture, both physical and mental, and this has a significant impact on her actions. No longer daring and impetuous, wounded Karigan has been become cautious and fearful. Throughout most of the story she is plagued by the ghost of her torturer, Nyssa, who demeans and undermines Karigan’s confidence at every step. Karigan’s struggle to rid herself of Nyssa and to regain her former strength and self of sense gives her character interesting limitations and increases the feeling of accomplishment when she inevitably makes it through.
Other POV characters include voluntary Green Rider Anna Ash, Colonel Mapstone, Rider Beryl Spencer, and Stevic G’ladheon.
WORLDBUILDING:
Britain’s worldbuilding is top-notch. Seven books into the series and there is still more to discover. In this volume we learn more about the history of the Sealender kings, the Sacoridian pantheon, Eletian culture, and the white in-between world called the Blanding. Each new tidbit is weaved deftly into the plot and leaves the story richer and more intricate.
PLOT/PACING:
There is A LOT that happens in this book, and it feels long. While definitely engaging, there were probably some parts that could have been trimmed (Karigan’s internment by the Darrow Raiders, time spent in the Blanding, the battle at Sacor City, to name a few). I kept finding myself surprised by how much was left of the book after I came to what felt like natural endpoints. Being the penultimate book of this story arc, however, there was a lot that had to be resolved, and a lot that had to be set up for the last volume, so I understand the length. I definitely wasn’t disappointed that it kept going!

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like many people, I’ve been reading and loving the Green Rider series for more than a decade. I feel like I’ve been through the ringer with Karigan and she’s still a beloved character as she grows and changes. She certainly isn’t the “spunky” teenager who ran away from school and straight into trouble anymore. And yet, I almost like her better now that she has experience, scars, and depth. I honestly wanted even more of the chapters to be from her point of view in this book, because while I love the world of Sacoridia and care about a number of the other characters, there are certain other ones introduced in the last book that I just don’t really care for.

However, I ended up devouring this book like many of the previous ones. If you haven’t read anything in the Green Rider series, you definitely want to go back to book one and settle in for an enjoyable ride. Winterlight continues to chronicle the troubles that seem to be unending for Sacoridia with Karigan at the heart of them. She always somehow finds herself in the thick of things and in absurd positions, and how she handles them all is part of what I love about her. It was another great installment in the series and I’m always happy to go back and spend time with the Green Riders.

This series is still one of my favorites. Having said that, most of the other books have had some moments of happiness, but the last few have become more somber and less joyful. As Karigan becomes more broken in body, she becomes more broken in mind, and the outcome is that she is both more interesting and less fun. Amberhill, who has been one of my favorite characters since his introduction, has also become very somber. Yet, the story is still interesting and is worth reading. The characters are complex and have depth. This is still a great series, but the last few books have relied on the strengths of the first few. I can't quite give this one a 5 star, but I still loved it.