Over a century before Heather and Picket's adventures in The Green Ember, a displaced community fights for hope on the ragged edge of survival.

My place beside you
My blood for yours
Till the Green Ember rises
Or the end of the world.

Whitson Mariner and Fleck Blackstar face old fears and new enemies, forging a legend that will echo through the ages.
Old wars haunt. New enemies threaten. An oath is born.
A hero rises.

Read it on Kinlde unlimited.

Much fast pace than the first book, a bit maybe. The story is simple and rewarding full of adventure and perils. I loved how the author constructed the characters make them honest, hardworking and honorable. My favorite rabbit is Blackstar of course, he's humble, brave and loyal. I really enjoyed how we don't immediately know what the monsters are and that fear grows slowly inside us as well.

Another great cover art and beautiful illustrations. ( )

Black Star is set 100 years prior to Heather and Pickett being born, so I found myself in a dilemma. The author recommends that after The Green Ember, we should read The Black Star of Kingston. However, for me that would mean leaving the characters I had grown attached to and starting again with a new set of characters. That didn't sit well for me. I like to stay with the characters I know.

But I started reading Black Star. I did so with a little defiance in the back of my mind. If I didn't like the new characters, I'd dump Black Star and return to Heather and Pickett's story.

Black Star started out well, and carried me right through to the end of the book. It was a much faster, smoother read, in my opinion. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that I enjoyed this set of characters more!

This book felt more natural. I'm not sure why that was. Perhaps the author didn't feel the need to "set up" the world and the characters for the reader, because that had already been done in The Green Ember. Whatever the reason, I really, really enjoyed Black Star.

Now I have another dilemma. Do I stick to the Tales of Old Natalia series or return to The Green Ember stories. *sigh* Decisions, decisions. ( )

This novella was my first introduction to the world of Green Ember (simply because I was able to get this book from the library hold list first), and it has set the stage for what promises to be a compelling series. With strong themes of loyalty and brotherhood, "The Black Star of Kingston" is both simple enough for adolescents and intriguing enough for older readers. Despite some violence due to a battle, this is a clean read, and one I recommend for anyone looking for adventure and camaraderie. ( )

Simple story, strange ending. Potential. Unfulfilled. ( )