Hello, Happy New Year, and welcome to a brand-new, 2023 initiative which I’m very creatively calling … (wait for it) … Horse Book Reviews.
I know you can read faster than any single horse book author can write. I also know it can be hard to find your next horse-book read – horse books live in an Amazon niche that can be tough to discover – so every month I’m going to spotlight a few books you may not have heard of and give you some information to help you decide whether they’re right for you. This month I’m featuring the books which were top three on Amazon’s “Horse Riding” category on a random day in January. Here we go! Deja’s Dream, Tri Color Series – Book One, by Brianna York
Q&A
Q: Is this a horse book … or a book with horses? A: Definitely a horse book – the main plot is horse / stable-centered and driven, with all other sub-plots in service of the horse plot. Q: English or Western? A: Our main character, Deja, rides English and Tri Color Farms (where she rides) is described as specializing in jumping horses." Q: Horse book or pony book?A: This one’s all about horses – the EMC (equine main character) is Macintosh, or Mac, for short. He’s described as a big chestnut gelding: “Mac was a true chestnut without a single white marking, save the small, white star on his forehead. He had perfect conformation and was evidently a very high-quality horse.” Much-loved tropes and characters What are the top three horse-book tropes in Deja’s Dream?
Reason Why, Island Series – Book Five, by Tudor Robins
Q&A
Q: Is this a horse book … or a book with horses? A: While the Island Series as a whole is definitely a horse series, if you read this book as a stand-alone, it might feel more like a book with horses. Horses are present, and important in this book, but they’re not the sole focus. Q: English or Western? A: English with some jumping. Q: Horse book or pony book? A: This book features horses – the EMC (equine main character) is He’s Got Hops, or Hops, for short. He’s a 17.2hh OTTB, chestnut with white lacing: “… despite being sold off the track with no winnings to his name, (he’s) full of run.” Readers of the Island Series will also be happy to re-unite with Meg’s mare Salem, and Austen’s Mac. Much-loved tropes and characters What are the top three horse-book tropes in Reason Why? Because this is a “book with horses” rather than a horse book, some of the tropes are more general, but you’ll still find:
The Forgotten Horse, The Connemara Horse Adventures Series – Book One, by Elaine Heney
Q&A
Q: Is this a horse book … or a book with horses? A: This is a horse (pony) book, through and through. Ozzie is our EMC, and he's the first character we meet in the story. Everything Clodagh, our MC, does is driven by Ozzie. Q: English or Western? A: English - although most of the book is about general horsemanship. There is mention of Clodagh's aunt who rides dressage. Q: Horse book or pony book? A: Ponies, ponies, ponies! Ozzie is the "little grey pony" we meet right at the book's opening, and during the time he's at the riding school, there are a few other ponies mentioned. Much-loved tropes and characters What are the top three horse-book tropes in The Forgotten Horse?
Giveaway Alert!
The authors of the books featured in this review post have teamed up to make a giveaway prize of three print books. The winner will get The Forgotten Horse, Deja's Dream, and Appaloosa Summer (Book One in the Island Series).
There are lots of ways to enter - and to earn extra entries - so go ahead and get your name in before the giveaway closes on January 30.
Interestingly, while I chose these books because they were one, two, and three on the Amazon "horse riding" chart, upon reading them I found they had something else in common. All three (especially Deja's Dream, and The Forgotton Horse) feature an understanding and helpful older brother. Often big brothers get a bad rap, so it was nice to see the sibling support.
It was a pleasure to put together this post, and the giveaway. I do hope you'll enter! I also hope you'll use the comments to let me know what you think of any of these books, and if there are any others you'd like to see me review.
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