US Review of Books | Emily Hinton

“Meagan heard shouting behind her as Promise reached for the safety of speed… Wind rose in Meagan’s ears, and time stretched into a series of still photographs as the young thoroughbred gathered and stretched. The ground blurred and together they lifted into the air.”

Eclipsed by Shadow, the first installment of Royce’s Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, transforms a majestic beast into a thrilling and intelligent fantasy. The story focuses on Meagan, a twelve-year-old girl, and her foal, Promise. As the two grow older, it becomes clear to Meagan that Promise is a horse of legendary potential, and when ridden, Promise takes Meagan on a journey through time. Meagan must use her knowledge of horsemanship to survive as she joins in periods of remote human history and sees the roles horses have played. The Great Horse is actually a Pegasus who drops her into ancient history to fend for herself. Perils await a young girl with no money, no family, and only her wits and knowledge of horses to help her survive as she battles to return to her own time.

Royce is targeting teens, but the story is accessible to a wider range of readers. The action and thrills of the story are subtly interspersed with colorfully drawn history lessons perfect for engaging readers, and the writing delivers such elegant turns of phrase as to keep teens and adults intrigued. Royce is even makes a quiet ploy for the mainstream teaching of Latin, but in a way that makes the language vibrant. As the summer gets underway, Royce has provided a great blend of academic and adventurous reading that is beach-ready.

Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the new fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse. The second volume, The Golden Spark, is due to be published in the summer of 2010.

Owning a horse was the only thing that teenager Meagan Roberts could think about. Owning a legendary great horse never crossed her mind.

In “Eclipsed by Shadow”, we see that Meagan’s horse, Promise, is just that. Unwilling to heed the advice of Mrs. Bridgestone, the keeper of the legend, that if this Great Horse is rode it would bring darkness, Meagan rides Promise.

Instantly she is transported to another place and time. 20,000 B.C. to be exact. She finds herself among a tribe that is hunting horses. From there chaos ensues as she is chased off a cliff with a herd of horses. Before falling to the bottom of the canyon, the Great Horse comes to her aid, and Meagan finds herself in the middle of a battle in the Black Sea. Running for shelter she finds herself in the middle of an ancient tomb.

Along the way Meagan makes friends and enemies while she collects knowledge. Also, she witnesses the cruelty of each place she comes to. Meagan wonders why her beloved Promise, who is so sweet and gentle, could bring her into so much darkness. After helping the Emperor’s chariot driver, Braedin, win the races, she realizes that unintentionally she has brought disgrace upon the Emperor. Once again she finds herself in a fight for her life.

The Great Horse now transports her to the year 1240 A.D. She finds herself among the Tartars and Genghis Khan as they raid and pillage each village they come to. Meagan escapes with her only friend, a pony she named Targa. Once again chaos follows…

With “Eclipsed by Shadow,” John Royce has created a wonderful legend sure to please historians and equestrians alike. Jammed packed with chariot racing, jousting and action galore one wonders how one book can hold so much. With each turn of the page a new adventure awaits.

Reader View Literary Awards | Danelle Drake

“Auburn–haired and with a streak of tomboy, Meagan Roberts was not an unusual girl of twelve – except for the lucky fact that her family kept horses.” … John Royce introduces us to one of those works that you will remember forever.

In the past few years I have read several series that have really captivated me; this story is like these great series in the fact that it has the reader drawn in, but different in the fact that most all of the facts, times, and places in this book are not fiction. The places you visit in Eclipsed by Shadow were really times in our great history. “The Legend of the Great Horse” series will have you wishing the tales were never-ending.

When Meagan Roberts first laid eyes on Promise, she knew the horse was special. A little old lady from down the road tells Meagan that Promise is the “Great Horse.” She says that the powers Promise possesses are suppose to be dark but that no one will know until the owner of the horse rides it. Meagan and her mom don’t know if they should believe the old woman. When thieves try to steal the horse, we find out, and away we go. As Promise gains wings she enables us to gain understanding into the history of the horse.
We learn how the horse was used in many ways throughout history. All of the ways are not pleasant, but not all aspects of life are. As Meagan tries to help others understand her great love and respect of the horse we see inside her true soul.

Eclipsed by Shadow is a book well-worth reading. What a wonderful way to get factual history into a great readable fiction novel. I have passed it along to my twelve-year-old daughter and she loves it. Personally the Glossary of Terms at the end of the book was of great help as I originally knew very little about horses. When I came to the final sentence, “The sounds of the angry scene slipped into the wind of the gallop as the ground faded to a blur” I knew that I would anxiously await the next installation of “The Legend of the Great Horse” by John Royce.

Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the new fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse. The second volume, The Golden Spark, is due to be published in 2010.

The Tennessean | Mary Barrett

This book brings to life man’s fascinating partnership with the horse. Teenage and adult readers will thrill to this remarkable story featuring the horse’s role in history. Readers become part of the adventure as they travel back to the days when primitive man stalked horses as prey, and witness the development of horsemanship in ancient and medieval cultures.

This engaging book will especially appeal to young adult readers and educators. The story combines fast-paced adventure with accurate information about horsemanship and the various historical periods explored.

Eclipsed by Shadow won the Eric Hoffer Award for Young Adults and placed 2nd in the Reader Views Literary Awards for Fantasy.

Eclipsed by Shadow can be found at your local/online bookstore or library. More information may be found at thegreathorse.com.

Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the new fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse. The second volume, The Golden Spark, is due to be published in the summer of 2010.

Midwest Book Review – Bookwatch | Shirley Johnson

Meagan, like her mother, loves horses. When a new foal is born and the foal’s mother dies Meagan begins a bond with this horse that will take her on an adventure of a lifetime.

A mysterious neighborhood lady shares with Meagan and her mother a legend, one of “The Great Horse,” a horse that has been part of history since the beginning of man. A horse that is supernatural, one that was meant to help Adam and Eve. She tells them she believes Meagan’s horse may well be the next “Great Horse.” Meagan’s mother dismisses this tale as just a myth, but Meagan is not so sure.

It seems others are interested in her horse as well and plan to have him at any cost.This puts Meagan and the horse in grave danger. While trying to escape from a horse abduction, Meagan mounts her horse and to her surprise is taken to flight above the earth, and travels in time, and so Meagan and her horse begin the ride of their lives and the adventures begin. We are taken from prehistoric America, to Rome and medieval times, and are introduced to characters both cruel and tender as Meagan desperately tries to piece together what is happening and bring both herself and her horse safely home. Quite a ride!

I enjoyed this book. I really had no idea of the extent the subject matter would have in educating me to the history of the horse. I truly admire horses, although I have never been one to ride them, I have always enjoyed their beauty. In this book I learned so much about their past and what an important role they played in the development of mankind. Some of the events left me disturbed, others were intense, but each episode was definitely a learning experience. The characters were well developed and the locals were defined in an exceptional way, definitely bringing you right in the center of the action.

Final analysis: Well written, exceptional story, interesting characters, and a learning experience. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the new fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse. The second volume, The Golden Spark, is due to be published in 2010.

E. A. Lovitt “starmoth” (Gladwin, MI USA)
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This sweeping historical fantasy should have an impact on its reader that penetrates far beyond the boundaries of the usual YA (Young Adult) novel. It teaches lessons about history and horsemanship, and what it really means to be `civilized.’

Eclipsed by Shadow reminds me of “The Carousel,” a ballad by Buffy Sainte-Marie: “Flying horses they are just/ Little girls who wish too much…” Teenage equestrienne, Meagan Roberts gets the filly of her dreams, born on the summer solstice of the new millennium. Unfortunately, the foal’s mother dies and the little palomino filly comes with an ancient warning:

“…So born of loss and mother’s grief, the Great Horse takes a mighty leap. Eclipsed by shadow, the golden spark/ Shall wing her rider into the dark.”

When Meagan takes that first ride on her filly, she is swept backward into Time and is forced to experience the dark side of the relationship between horse and human.

The overall vision of Eclipsed by Shadow is difficult to comprehend, because this is only Book I of a projected trilogy. The narrative ends abruptly and reads more like a series of short stories as Meagan occupies brief periods of prehistory and history. Each segment vividly describes our evolving relationship with the horse: slaughter and eat; sacrifice to the gods; kill for pleasure (I wish Meagan could have visited Xenophon’s Greece instead of Trajan’s Rome).

Bad guys are painted with a broad brush, but good guys are delineated with respect and care. I wanted to stay in Rome with Horace, the poet/gladiator. I hated to cut my visit short with Chouchou, the laid-back medieval warhorse. The author’s portrait of Meagan and her equine friends is especially sensitive, illuminated with the touch, scent, and emotion that only a true horseman could know and understand.

Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the new fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse. The second volume, The Golden Spark, is due to be published in 2010.