First Rider's Call
Kristen Britain
 Now a Green Rider, one of the king's elite troop of messengers, Karigan returns to Sacor City giving up her merchant lifestyle. The story opens a year into this service as danger is threatening the kingdom of Sacoridia once again. The dark magic in Blackveil Forest is restless, and has found an outlet through the breach in the D'Yer Wall, which has protected Sacoridia from the forest for over 1000 years. This influx of magic has messed up a land that has largely learned to live without magic during this time. Strange instances of animals turned to stone and entire villages disappearing are brought to the palace from around the country. In the end the strange magic touches even the main city as suits of iron are brought to life and snow falls within the castle. Even the Green Riders' magic goes haywire sending Captain Mapstone into solitary confinement. As a result Mara (another rider) and Karigan are left to lead the riders as best they can. Throughout the book Karigan has visions of the First Rider, Lil Ambriodhe, who is the long-dead founder of the troop. Karigan meets with an Eletian prince and learns that she has wild magic within her that entered her as a result of her battle with Shawdell in the previous book. This wild magic augments her rider ability and allows her to do some interesting time travel, even visiting Lil in her own time. However, it also allows Mornhavon the Black to possess her. However, Karigan uses this to her favour at the end of the book. Whilst Mornhavon possesses her, she transports him into the future and then with the help of Lil Ambriodhe, deposits him there. This buys the defenders of Sacoridia time to prepare for Mornhavon's return. With the weakening of the wall, Mornhavon's spirit reawakens in Blackveil forest and begins to control the forest. Alton D'Yer is sent to fix the wall, but is betrayed by Seargent Uxton and knocked over the side of the wall into Blackveil. Mornhavon then possesses Alton and tricks him into singing the song that would destroy the D'Yer Wall keeping him imprisoned. Mornhavon also raises two lietenants from his army from the dead but they are destroyed later in the book. An interesting web woven throughout the book is the journal of Hadriax el Fex. Hadriax El Fex was Mornhavon's right hand man and best friend. From Hadriax's journals you learn who Mornhavon the Black was. He was Alessandros del Mornhavon, a prince of a foreign land called Arcosia. He comes to Sacoridia to conquer the land and harvest the lands magic to prove himself to his father. He destroys the Eletian city of Argenthythe and many of the human cities. He faces resistance, though, and the war becomes long and drawn out and becomes the Long War referred to in the book. He loses contact with his father and the empire of Arcosia and feels abandoned by his father. This abandonment and his quest for ultimate power lead him to commit foul experiments to increase his power and make a foul weapon called the Black Star. Hadriax, increasingly dislikes the Long War and Mornhavon's experiments. It becomes too much for Hadriax when Mornhavon sacrifices one of his elite units to power the Black Star. Hadriax joins the Sacoridian league against Mornhavon and helps to bring Mornhavon down. Mornhavon is defeated by the Eletian king in the final battle of the long war. Karigan receives a copy of Hadriax's journal from Estral who finds it in the archives in Selium. From the journal, Karigan learns that Hadriax changes his name to Hadriax G'ladheon and that he is Karigan's ancestor. Overall the book more fully develops the characters met in the first book and introduces new characters that further the plot.