FIRST RIDER’S CALL

DAW, New York, 2003, 1^st pr thus.  ISBN 978-0-7564-0572-4.  Trade soft cover, 639 pages.  Very good; wraps have very light edge and cover wear, light reading creases on spine, a few light scratches on rear wrap; binding sound.  Interior clean and unmarked.  ‘Karigan G’ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia’s elite magical messengers.  Being a Green Rider was more perilous than Karigan had ever imagined, for a rogue Eletian had cracked the magical D’Yer Wall which had protected Sacoridia for a thousand years from the evil influence of Blackveil Forest – the arboreal prison of Sacoridia’s ancient enemy Mornhavon the Black – and had brought the threat of dark magic back into the land. … she had nonetheless been tainted by his wild magic.  Exhausted in body and spirit, and determined to be the mistress of her own destiny, Karigan had returned to her home in Corsa.  But Karigan’s determination was no match for the Rider’s call.  Ghostly hoof-beats echoed in the deep regions of her mind, and when she awoke to find herself on horseback half the way to Sacor City – in her nightgown – she finally gave in.  Back at court Karigan found the Green Riders weakened and diminished.  Rider magic was becoming unreliable, and strangest of all, she was having ghostly visions – visions of a strong woman with wild flowing hair and a blue and green tartan draped across her shoulder, pinned with a golden brooch.  This woman was … Lil Ambriodhe, First Rider, and founder of the Green Rider corps.  But why was she appearing to Karigan?  And would Karigan be able to seek the help of a woman who had been dead for a thousand years?’ (from rear wrap)