"Ride, Greenie, Ride! It's the Wild Ride!" 
 One of my good friends highly recommended this book. I completely understand why and I am so glad she did! This book was amazing! 
 The plot of this book seems simple enough: a girl somehow finds herself promising a dying messenger that she will deliver his message. But that's where simplicity ends, for Karigan's journey is all over the place and will you keep you on your toes. There is magic, there is mystery, there are brothers at arms with one another, there is humor, there is death...there is SO MUCH! The whole world Britain created is huge. I really loved that she created a whole mythology for her story; it just gives this fantasy world so much depth. Granted, some folks may be a little overwhelmed by just how much Britain created in one book. But, I really enjoy a great world-building book, so I SUPER enjoyed this one in particular. I thought the plot was genuinely captivating, and I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know how it was all going to culminate. 
 There are so many characters! All of them are very well-developed. Some of them are just downright horrible people, but gosh dangit if they aren't well-written. I absolutely loathed half of them, but that was because Britain did such an amazing job creating them. What I absolutely loved? SO MANY WOMEN IN POSITIONS OF POWER AND STRENGTH!! Britain was not afraid to use female characters that made a difference, and I fangirled all over that aspect of this book. Karigan is funny, strong, and well-rounded. She had a lot of help through her journey, but her moments of bravery were perfectly timed. Both her moments of weakness and her moments of triumph were very believable. King Zachary seems like a good enough guy, and I can't wait to read the next books in case I get to know him a bit better. I loved Karigan's dad! He was a standup guy! Captain Mapstone is incredible and probably one of my favorite characters in the book. The Horse? He IS my favorite. A few characters I am still curious about finding out their stories, like Fastion and Abram Rust. I didn't feel satisfied with the little information I got about how their stories ended. I want more. The bad guys were perfectly evil and made me cringe at the right moments. 
 The writing and the pacing were both excellent. Once I got into the book, I couldn't put it down. There was so much going on, but I found myself completely engrossed in the journey. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. Look at that! It's awesome! 
 Overall, this is a prime example of a first-rate fantasy novel. Lots of fantasy tropes are used, but in acceptable ways. The twists are great and the adventures are superb. A warning though: if you hate to read books with animal deaths, read with caution. I had a hard time getting through some of the grisly parts. There are also a lot of mature subject matters, but they are subtle and discreet. Lots of violence and deaths. Otherwise, it is a wonderful YA fantasy read.