Gods, Cat People, Female Assassins, Whips--

--and Necrolocutors, temples, ships, self-mutilation, violence, love, and more!

The fantasy world that Jay Lake depicts in Green is vivid enough, with gods, myths, different cultures, races, and sentient species. It's a medieval world in which some cultures use some steam and gunpowder, a religious world in which people may become gods and gods may answer prayers or even be killed, a magical world of ghosts and spells to extend life. The themes, concerning the relationship between gods and believers, the mixture of good and evil in human beings, and the difficulty of making the world a better place, are interesting. And Lake has created a strong protagonist in Green, a narrator of conscience and empathy who honestly tells the story of her lonely childhood and youth being trained into a mistress/spy but struggling instead to choose her own path in life. Green abhors the violence she must often use and discovers how difficult it is to act solely for oneself without causing unexpected harm.

The first half of the story is absorbing, as Green details her training in the Pomegranate Court of the Factor's House, but in the last third things get, perhaps, a little too frenzied, fabulous, and divinely influenced. The conclusion ties up the immediate story well enough but also leaves things open for future volumes in Green's autobiography.

Some listeners have objected to the lesbian love that plays a significant (though not overly graphic or frequent) role in the novel. Given Green's education, experiences, and personality, I find it appropriate (and even moving), though her interest in whipping and being whipped seems a bit far-fetched and excrescently kinky.

Katherine Kellgren gives a strong reading, just as she does for Bloody Jack, full of understanding and compassion, modified for different characters, and enhancing the story's exciting, scary, tender, or sad parts. But she has such a distinctive voice that at times I thought "Katherine" rather than "Green."

23 people found this helpful

Wonderful, Pushing the Envelope

There is nothing more annoying than a protagonist who is whiny, weak and indecisive. This book is none of that. The way a young girl is shoved into an adult world can be unsettling if you are a sensitive person, but this is life on the streets in all its brutal reality.
As for "god possession" and "no such thing as sin", this is Sci-Fi not bible literature, what did you expect?
Its actually a fairly short book, I was hoping for more, but that's how it is with all great stories. The author did a great job of wrapping things up. If you want a long book read Robert Jordan, that will put things in perspective.

19 people found this helpful

I wouldn't listen to this with your grandma.

If you could sum up Green in three words, what would they be?

trials, training, revenge

What was one of the most memorable moments of Green?

spoiler alert... the death of the Ghost King guy

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

The catwoman, her name escapes me at the moment.

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

I listen to the while working, so I finished it in two work days,

Any additional comments?

This is a book I added at random. I think this book falls into the category of an epic, by the true definition not by the more recent overused one. Lots of interesting characters, travel, vivid details of landscapes, etc. I loved that. The numerous sexscenes seemed oddly out of place to me, but they didn't offend me or anything. The part where the wicked priest says "The boy had the ass of an angel" was a little awkward but whatever. I'll probably read the other two books.

5 people found this helpful

This is probably my favorite series ever!

Any additional comments?

This book is about a bad ass girl who grows into a woman during this series. The plot is amazing and the stage is phenomenal. I can't say enough about this series, so I won't. I have hundreds of audio books from Audible, so don't take it lightly when I say this is my favorite. Get it. Listen to it.

4 people found this helpful

Green is/was the new Metatropolis Universe

When I began listening to this book I kept thinking of Metatropolis and that whole Universe. I think if Jay Lake was still alive he could have adapted this story to that Universe which would have given a whole new dimension to Metatropolis.

This is a good story as a stand alone story and if you want there are more books in the series. However, I haven't read them at this time and may never.

Here we have a story of a young girl who was sold to a stranger and was forced into a world where she didn't fit in. She was conditioned and trained in many skills except critical thinking. This story follows this young girl into womanhood with all her misadventures leading her to critical thinking!

I really enjoyed this story and again I kept thinking Metatropolis with how that story will never be completed with Jay's passing. Which means after book three this one will not be completed either. You are missed Jay!

3 people found this helpful

NOPE, JUST NO.

Any additional comments?

I made it through about 1/4 maybe it was a 1/3'd of the way, right at the Temple of the Lily goddess. Green is a 12/13 year old girl at this point and is sexually abused. I'm sorry - at that age ANY sexual description - action - writing is ABUSE. I made it through the abominable physical beatings in the first part of the story, becoming less inclined to finish the book and then --- the temple. NOPE, I'm done.

As far as Katherine Kellgren's performance, she read well, too well. The older women of the temple became even more disgusting in their acts of abuse with Green because of the voice given them by Kellgren.

5 people found this helpful

Redundant and Boring

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I like fantasy books with a strong female character. However I had a very hard time liking Green. There was no character development, the supporting characters were flat and I felt like there was no cohesion with the story line. The first part of the book describing Green's childhood was ok, but the rest went on and on and on. If I heard Green say one more time "What would Endurance do?" or "I want to go home.", I think i would scream. There are much better books out there. Try Mya by Richard Adams or the Kusheil series.

8 people found this helpful

From a women's point of view. From a child to wome

Sold as a child she fought to free herself and all children. Well written good transitions from conflict to conflict. No sudden drop at the end.

1 person found this helpful

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.

16 people found this helpful

I miss Jay & Katherine

Jay Lake was such a talent, as was Katherine Kellgren. It’s incredibly sad that the world lost both of them so young. But both of them tell stories with such beauty and grace, and I’m thankful to both of them for sharing their gifts.