The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy ~ Blog » Book Review posts for “Eclipsed by Shadow”

Eclipsed by Shadow review … “fun and engrossing”

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:18:12 +0000

The following is a book review of Eclipsed by Shadow by Julie Dees of One Book Shy of a Full Shelf (see original review source):

“A book adults and kids can both read and discuss” | Julie Dees

History, fantasy, myth, adventure and proper equine care all shine brightly in this first book in the trilogy. Royce weaves all of these elements together beautifully and young readers probably won’t even notice that they are learning about history and horse care while on this great ride back through time. I learned quite a bit myself and I grew up on a horse ranch with horses always in my life. This was a “can’t put down” book for me.

There is a very small bit of violence (as there always is when war is involved) but I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone over about 10 or 11. Especially horselovers or adventurers. Young horsemen and horsewomen will see themselves as I did in the bond that is shared by Meagan and Promise and that which Jennifer had shared with Moose ~ Promise’s dam. (Dam is what the mare is called when she gives birth or foals.)

This is definitely a book that adults and kids can both read and discuss. There is a thorough glossary in the back that would be an extremely useful tool for all. On the learning side, I think this would be a fantastic series for riding instructors and first time horse owners as well. For the adventure and fantasy lovers, some other readers have compared this to an equine version of the “Harry Potter” series. It’s a fun and engrossing story that has just begun and none of us will want to end!

Update: The 2nd installment, The Golden Spark is available now. I CAN’T WAIT!!!! This is one of those series where I could read all three books in one long session if I had them – it’s that addictive. Go HERE to learn more about the author and the series.

See the original review on the “One Book Shy of a Full Shelf” site … or in The Legend of the Great Horse Media Kit

Eclipsed by Shadow is the 1st volume of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, a time-travel adventure through history — on horseback. The title has won multiple national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.

Eclipsed by Shadow (Book One): “Interesting & Intriguing”

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:37:40 +0000

The following is a review of Eclipsed by Shadow by Vikki Gremel for Review the Book:

“Fantastic for any horse lover – boy or girl.” | Vikki Gremel, Review the Book

Eclipsed by Shadow is such an interesting book! I learned so much about horses in history – it really was intriguing. I think that this book would be fantastic for any horse lover – boy or girl. There are so many different characters interwoven into the fabric of the story that it would appeal to a variety of young adults.

I enjoyed the “journey” very much. The opening chapters of the book provided a good background for the story, and I’m very anxious to read Book II. The end of the book leaves you hanging by a thread… wondering where the next adventure will take place.

Meagan, the heroine of the story, is a clever, levelheaded girl. She loves horses, and more importantly, KNOWS horses. Any future horsewoman can glean much from this book.

The importance of kindness both to people and to animals is prevalent throughout the story, and is not “preachy”, just appreciated.

I enjoyed this book! Well done, John Royce!

See the original review on the “Review the Book” site … or in the Great Horse Media Kit

Eclipsed by Shadow: “Powerful and thrilling”

admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:19:12 +0000

This following is a review of Eclipsed by Shadow (Book I of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy ) by Amanda of Novel Addiction:

“As a bit of a History nerd, I was in love with the accurate details during each time period.”

“The back of the book really doesn’t do this series justice. It makes the whole story sound flippant and childish, even. But really, I found this book to be far more powerful than the blurb. Yes, we do follow a young girl (she’s 15 through most of the book), and yes, she does travel through time, but these aren’t easy things Meagan is dealing with. And despite the young age of the main character, I’m not sure I would give this book to a fifteen year old … unless he or she was very mature. There are definitely some harsh moments in “Eclipsed by Shadow.” Not to give too much away, but death, rape, slavery, beatings, etc, are all issues Meagan has to see and live in fear of. All this lends to a very powerful and thrilling tale, definitely, but this book should definitely not be taken lightly.

…

I’m going to give “Eclipsed By Shadow” a FIVE out of FIVE. I truly think this book deserves such a good rating – the history was accurately done, even down the smallest detail, the journey is amazing, and Meagan really rose to each occasion she was thrown into. I do hope to find the rest of this series and continue reading them, and I hope everyone checks out “Eclipsed by Shadow” by John Royce.

(see original review online … or in media kit)

Eclipsed by Shadow is the 1st volume of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, a time-travel adventure through history — on horseback. The title won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.

Eclipsed by Shadow: “… a mix between Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings and the Time Machine.”

micronpress — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:48:44 +0000

This review for Eclipsed by Shadow (Book I of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy ), was missed from the book’s early days … by reviewer Billy Burgess of Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer:

“… a mix between Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings and the Time Machine.”

I was very impressed by this book, reading it in only two nights. The author, John Royce, has beautifully written a wonderful epic that combines fantasy with history, a mix between Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings and The Time Machine. He uses his great knowledge of the history of horses to give us the first adventure of the Legend of the Great Horse. The dialogue and descriptions are cleverly written to entertain and educate both young adults and adults.

(see original review online … or in media kit)

“Excellent opening salvo in a new YA series”

admin — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:50:55 +0000

New Review of “Eclipsed by Shadow” at LibraryThing …

I checked this book out because I am expecting the second volume of this three volume series (The Legend of the Great Horse) as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. As a child, I was forced to read Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion series. I found those books readable, but generally a bit dull. So I come into reading this series predisposed to dislike it, but have been genuinely pleased to find the first volume of this work to be exciting, readable, and far from dull.

From the book’s description I expected a young girl’s lighthearted romp through history on the back of a winged horse. Accept that description at your peril. First, there is a lot of graphic violence (including references and threats to rape) so if you ARE looking for something lighter for your young ones (ages 11-16?) to read, this is not your book. The violence is not a criticism but a description for the potential reader to consider. Understand that if you’re going to write about the use of horses throughout history that much of it is in the service of warfare.

This work is a crisply written taut tale that moves along nicely. I finished its 273 pages in one sitting. The main thrust of the book falls in two areas: horses and horsemanship; world history. I personally found the author’s expertise in horses and horsemanship to be the most compelling and interesting part of the book.

Not formally being an historian, I’m loathe to criticize the historic aspects of this book, including accuracy and interpretation. I did find the settings interesting and compelling, but suspect that this is the area that will be most contentious amongst those who do have a deeper understanding of the specific time periods and the cultures in which the protagonist finds herself.

I found myself continually impressed with the quality of the writing. Rhetorically, this is a well written, well edited book. Whatever quibbles one might have with the slippery facts of history (or horsemanship), this is a finely tuned tale that leaves me anticipating the sequel with a positive predisposition.

Happy Summer Solstice

John Royce — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:44:50 +0000

Here’s a descriptive new review of Eclipsed by Shadow posted by Morning Glow (aka Amanda), on Novel Addiction:

From the back of the book: Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of an exciting new trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, a journey through the ages when horses were everyday companions in work, war, sport and spectacle. The story is told through the eyes of a young woman, a horse-crazy teenager traveling through time with a knowledge of 21st Century horsemanship as her only defense. ”

Well, wow, the back of the book really doesn’t do this series justice. It makes the whole story sound flippant and childish, even. But really, I found this book to be far more powerful than the blurb. Yes, we do follow a young girl (she’s 15 through most of the book), and yes, she does travel through time, but these aren’t easy things Meagan is dealing with. And despite the young age of the main character, I’m not sure I would give this book to a fifteen year old.. unless he or she was very mature. There are definitely some harsh moments in Eclipsed by Shadow. Not to give too much away, but death, rape, slavery, beatings, etc, are all issues Meagan has to see and live in fear of. All this lends to a very powerful and thrilling tale, definitely, but this book should definitely not be taken lightly.

< read the entire review online … >

Happy Birthday, Promise!