Book 72: Black Horses for the King

NUMBER: 72
TITLE: Black Horses For The King
AUTHOR: Anne McCaffrey
STARTED: October 21, 2005
FINISHED: October 26, 2005
PAGES: 206
GENRE: Fiction

FIRST SENTENCE: "Galwyn's feeding the fishes again," the mate called as I emptied the odious bucket overboard.

SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] After his father's death, young Galwyn Varianus is apprenticed to his uncle, who puts the boy to work on the high seas. But horses, not ships, are Galwyn's passion. Luckily, a passenger aboard, Lord Artos (later to rule as the legendary King Arthur), is bound for the great horse fair at Septimania. Risking his life, Galwyn abandons his uncle to serve the gallant leader. Galywn's calming way with horses quickly impresses Lord Artos and his men. But what no one expects is how crucial Galwyn will be to their upcoming battles - as he masters the secrets of the iron shoes that will protect the exotic horses' delicate hooves.

REASON FOR READING: At first, I was going to use the book for a project in my Literature of Fantasy Class. That idea fell through but I decided to finish the book anyway.

THOUGHTS: This my roommate's favorite book; she's been telling me about it for quite some time. I thought it was an interesting tale, but I didn't fall in love with it. The subject matter made for a great story and anyone whose been around horses (like me) will love the descriptions of the animals. But, it felt to compressed for me. I need more description, more details, more plot, more whatever, just more.

MISCELLANEOUS: Horses are so like that.

KEEP/SHARE/CRINGE(?): Beth is getting it back; she'd kill me if I kept it.
RATING: 5/10 [I didn't particularly like it or dislike it; mixed review]

CR: A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
RN: Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn

Comments