Green

She was born in poverty, in a dusty village under the equatorial sun. She does not remember her mother, she does not remember her own name, her earliest clear memory is of the day her father sold her to the tall pale man. In the Court of the Pomegranate Tree, where she was taught the ways of a courtesan and the skills of an assassin, she was named Emerald, the precious jewel of the Undying Duke's collection of beauties. She calls herself Green.

The world she inhabits is one of political power and magic, where Gods meddle in the affairs of mortals. At the center of it is the immortal Duke's city of Copper Downs, which controls all the trade on the Storm Sea. Green has made many enemies, and some secret friends, and she has become a very dangerous woman indeed.

Acclaimed author Jay Lake has created a remarkable character in Green and evokes a remarkable world in this novel. Green and her struggle to survive and find her own past will live in the readers mind for a long time.

©2009 Joseph E. Lake, Jr. (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Lively and thought-provoking...Lake effectively anneals steampunk with geo-mechanical magic in an allegorical matrix of empire building and Victorian natural science." ( Publishers Weekly)

• 2009 Recommended Reading (Locus Magazine)

good but looses its self in the middle

Would you consider the audio edition of Green to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

better than the middle of the book where it lost its self

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Just as good as always

green

not a fan of this story. not really a great plot. it was well read tho. just seemed a little unexciting.... sorry
this was a story I read about a year ago, I reread just now and have to say I found it much more exciting. I had been reading a couple of super exciting books at the time and this was different. this has a very interesting series of ideas and entanglements that are quite intriguing. quite enjoyable.

I really wanted to like it....

The first part of the story is intriguing, with Green's journey in her training as a concubine and an assassin. However, as many have stated, after the first half of the book (which really could have been the conclusion of the first story in itself) the story takes these wild and unexpected twists and turns. Normally, I would delight in this style of story telling, but the new introduction of gods and goddesses and magic, etc felt like a completely different story than what we first read. It is as if Green's story was first written as a short story, then picked up again at a later time and added to. It really didn't work for me. The inclusion of her bells from childhood, her grandmother, Endurance, were simply not enough to tie the two halves together.
I had no problem with her sexual journey and explorations. It is simply a part of this poor, unfortunate girl's life. I just couldn't invest myself in Green once she left the Pomegranate Court, and so lost interest in the entirety of her story.

Wanted to love it.

I thought I had found a gem hidden away on Audible, because I love nothing better than a strong-willed heroine, but alas, I never finished this. I found this through Katherine Kellgren's narration, and she does a fantastic job here, and the story was very well done and maintained my interest for quite a while before I gave it up. Maybe the issue was that it dragged out a bit longer than I had hoped. It starts with the heroine as a child, and so much happens over such a long period of time that when I realized she was only 12 I was a bit shocked. I put it down with every intention of finishing it, but I just never got around to it.

Good but not great

Would you listen to Green again? Why?

Nah... While it was interesting to see the resolve unfold, it was a little too realistic to me. I like my fantasy books to be totally magical, distant and full of imagination. This one read like a story of a girl growing up in India. Even down to the detail of the Pardeens and an ox becoming a God. It all sounds like Indian culture and beliefs. Not that this is good or bad, it just didn't arouse my imagination very much.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jay Lake? Why or why not?

Nah... First impressions and all, there is just too much available out there.

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Performance was good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not the whole thing. Some parts yes but other parts dragged on a bit, especially in the beginning.