Book Review: Blackveil

So, I'm behind. Sue me.

Actually don't. It would be a waste of your time. The only thing you'd win would be my car, and you don't want it. Seriously.

I did actually read a book a while back. Not sure how far back. Maybe a month ago? I've been BUSY. (I've also been wondering if a text book counts towards Goodreads reading challenge, since that's the only thing I've had time to read.) But anyway, a while back I read Blackveil by Kristen Britain.

First off, let me say that Kristen Britain is one of my "I will buy anything she writes" kind of authors. (Anne Bishop is the other one.) So I pre-ordered Blackveil and did a little happy dance when it arrived. Then it sat on my coffee table for, like, two months.

This is probably due to the fact that Blackveil is HUGE. It's over 600 pages. That's a big commitment. But I finally buckled down and read it. According to the book's blurb:

Once a simple student, Karigan G'ladheon finds herself in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand when she becomes a legendary Green Rider -- one of the magical messengers of the king. Forced by magic to accept a dangerous fate she would never have chosen, headstrong Karigan has become completely devoted to the king and her fellow Riders.

But now, an insurrection led by dark magicians threatens to break the boundaries of ancient, evil Blackveil Forest -- releasing powerful dark magics that have been shut away for a millennium.

This is the fourth book in the series (did I mention that?) and I had high hopes that it would be the final one (especially since it was so big). But there is a reason it is so big: it's three to four different stories meshed into one book. This book is not wholly about Karigan. In fact, I felt that she was overlooked for a lot of the book. Alton D'Yer, Lord Amberhill, Grandmother, Queen Estora and Captain Mapstone seemed to have far more adventures and significance in this story than Karigan does...until about the last fourth of the book. Then it mainly focuses on Karigan's adventures in Blackveil (which were fascinating and well-done, but felt a little too late). This book read more like a few different books mashed into one. I would have actually preferred to read several different books, each one focusing on one character, than the head-hopping that took place in this story.

And OF COURSE there is a cliff hanger. Which always makes me grind my teeth (especially since Ms. Britain takes a long time to write her books (like 2 or 3 years)).

Now, all of that sounds like I didn't like the book. I did. Blackveil was fascinating and I could see how Ms. Britain thought the head-hopping was necessary so that we could understand the significance of what was going on, I just hated that it sacrificed a meaningful connection with any one character.

Ms. Britain is an excellent storyteller, in my opinion. Her worlds are rich and magical and her characters are well-developed. (And only she could make hummingbirds FREAK YOU OUT.) I just think this book would have been stronger if it had been divided into two or three books so that each character could have more time in the spotlight.

Recommended: Yes, especially for fantasy buffs and lovers of epic quests.
Rating: Four out of five stars.