Green

By: Jay Lake

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Critic reviews

"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)

Judged by the cover (A Master Piece)

I picked this book up and was simply sure of reading just by the cover alone. The title and color Green was of interest and the cover art was perfect. I have never read a Science Fiction title of such Exquisite storytelling. From the performance of the book down to the story, this is a tale that you will carry with you forever.

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."

Rich and complex story

Rich story that was beautiful but a bit difficult to follow at times. Katherine Kellgren is amazing as always. Definitely recommend for any fantasy lover.

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.

3rd time I've read!

I simply love this series. I'm on my third go-round with the trilogy and I savor it each time. From the Pomegranate Court to the ghosts haunting Copper Downs and the Blade Mothers, the Lily Goddess has indeed blessed, Green.

Jay, your imagination is epic.

And I must confess that I'm madly in love with Katherine Kellgren. Her voice is mellifluous. Her tone and timbre sublime. Her narration is simply superb.

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.

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.

Wonderfully read. Immature plot.

When I was listening to the first chapter I was immediately impressed by the narrator. Her voice held the right amount of thrill and heart. The words also intrigued me that I wanted to buy the print or kindle version to read for myself. But as the story unfolded the quality of the plot deteriorated. Halfway through I still had no clear idea as to the point of the story. It wasn't until the last 2 hours of the book that it became clear and by that time it has become predictable as well. The author repeated several facts as if he did not trust the reader to have understood his point the first time around. Teenagers exploring their bodies in sex was acceptable since it's quite natural (I even tolerated the slight reference to consensual BDSM) but having the underage protagonist enjoy sex with her teachers and the teachers practicing sex with their students was just too green (pun intended), distasteful, and in this day & age criminal. No more from this author for me.

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.

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!