Library Thing Early Reviewer | MrsRenee

I was excited when I found out that I had won a copy of The Golden Spark to review. Many thanks to Library Thing and the Early Reviewers group for the opportunity to review this book!

The Golden Spark, book 2 in The Legend of the Great Horse series opens with the last chapter of book 1 in the series, Eclipsed by Shadow. It follows the adventures of a young horse-loving teenager, Meagan who is lost in history trying to find her way home to the 21st century.

Meagan’s first magical journey finds her waking up in a horse stall with a magnificent horse as a fierce storm is tossing the great ship to and fro. She soon finds out she is in Mexico around 1519 and she has only her love of horses and her 21st-century horse knowledge to help her as she struggles to get home.

History comes to life as her journey takes her from Mexico 1519 to Medieval Europe, Rome, the Black Sea and to 20,000 B.C. North America. With each stop Meagan searches for the Great Horse whom she believes is responsible for her time travels and is the only one who can help her find her way home.

My kids and I LOVED this book! It brings history to life and we sat on the edge of our seats while we read this book.

I do, however recommend reading these books in order as it was a bit difficult to follow along with the second book without having read the first one. I’m looking forward to reading book 1, Eclipsed by Shadow!

See review on LibraryThing…

The Golden Spark is the 2nd book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an intriguing and fun time-travel adventure through history — on horseback. (Published Spring 2011)

Book I: Eclipsed by Shadow won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.

Library Thing Early Reviewer | jll112

This is the first book I read by Royce and I have to say I was very entertained. Time Travel is my favorite genre, so I knew it would appeal to me on some level. However I would not have thought a book that helps you to understand the equestrian “how to’s” would be interesting. But I enjoyed it very much.

This would make a good “Choose Your Own Adventure” book so you could determine when she jumps through time. This book made me recall a scripture in Job that talks about the strength, power and fearlessness of the horse:

“It laughs at dread, and is not terrified. Nor does it turn back on account of a sword.” Job 339:22

See review on LibraryThing…

The Golden Spark is the 2nd book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an intriguing and fun time-travel adventure through history — on horseback. (Published Spring 2011)

Book I: Eclipsed by Shadow won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.

Library Thing Early Reviewer | SusieBookworm

Just as good as the first Legend of the Great Horse book.

I like John Royce’s writing because he manages to write historical fiction that includes not only good historical details, but also details about the history of domestic horses and the evolution of horse riding. Not only does he include a lot of facts about horses, he manages to make those facts interesting for people who are not really that interested in horses.

Royce also keeps his books appropriate for almost all ages of readership: teenagers are able to get into and enjoy the books, yet they are still appropriate for much younger readers.

After traveling to prehistoric times, the Mongol invasions, medieval Europe, 1500s Mexico, 17th century France, and early 19th century England, it will be interesting to see where the Great Horse takes Meagan next.

See review on LibraryThing…

The Golden Spark is the 2nd book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an intriguing and fun time-travel adventure through history — on horseback. (Published Spring 2011)

Book I: Eclipsed by Shadow won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.

LibraryThing Early Reviewer | “wnk1029″

I recently read The Golden Spark as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. Since this was the second of the series, I checked out the first book from my local library, with the vague knowledge that it was about horses and time-travel. I enjoy reading about time travel; horses, not particularly. I was, however, willing to give it a chance.

Though the second book could possibly stand alone, I was glad I had read the first one and would recommend it to anyone picking up The Golden Spark. It tells the backstory of the heroine, Meagan, who is involuntarily being transported through time by her horse who just happens to be a Great Horse — a reincarnation of the very first horse ever created, who is actually an angel whose job it is to bring humanity back to the Garden of Eden. This part of the story is a bit complicated, but since the book is more about history than the mythological/spiritual aspect, it ends up not really playing a huge role in this book except as the means of transportation from era to era.

In this book, Meagan visits Mexico circa 1519 as a groom to Cortes’s horse. This section is violent and frightening, definitely intended for a more mature audience, but an interesting, historical read nonetheless. Meagan’s next stop is 1666 England & France, where she becomes a handmaiden and stable hand in King Louis XIV’s court at Versailles, followed by 1816 England, where she is taken into the quiet home of a country farmer and his family.

The horses are the driving force of each of these eras, and Meagan’s experiences revolve around their care, training, and the ways in which people used the horses in each of these time periods. Going into the book with very limited horse knowledge, I feel that I learned quite a bit about horses, and have gained a greater appreciation for their place in history. I enjoyed reading about how the horses were cared for on the Spaniard ships, the techniques used to train them in 17th century Europe, and what a fox hunt would actually be like.

The downsides? The books tend to read more like a series of novellas rather than one continuous book. Each jump through time seems to break into what could essentially be a stand-alone story. Though the heroine occasionally will mentally refer back to previous people she’s met in her travels, it isn’t really clear what she’s learning from these experiences. In each era, she has the advantage of more modern knowledge of horses and their care, which helps her make a place for herself in each society, but doesn’t really add anything to her character’s development or growth — she remains the same Meagan who gets by because she knows more about horses than anyone else around her.

I would definitely recommend this series to those interested in exploring history from a different perspective, as well as those who already have a love of horses. Due to the violence in the first book, as well as in the first section of this second one, I would hesitate to recommend the book to younger or more sensitive readers, though the language is very readable and should be able to be handled by those with middle-school vocabulary and comprehension skills.

I’m looking forward to reading the third book when it comes out; I can’t wait to see how Meagan’s travels come to a close and get some answers to some of the questions that are still unanswered!

See the original review on LibraryThing

Emily Hinton for the US Review of Books

“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.

Contact the Publisher:

Micron Press
www.TheGreatHorse.com
inquiries@MicronPress.com

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.