Epic Horse

Last updated
Epic Horse
Rider in the Dark
Horse from the Sea
Heart of Fire
Author Victoria Holmes
CountryUnited Kingdom/United States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Children's literature
Historical fiction
Publisher HarperCollins

Epic Horse is a historical fiction series by author Victoria Holmes. There are three books in the series each following a new heroine and setting. The idea was first thought of when Holmes worked for Working Partners and came up of a historical fiction story. Each book has separate inspirations and influences on the time period and characters.

Contents

Inspiration and origins

The series began as Holmes thought of an idea for a novel in the historical fiction genre for her company HarperCollins which was rising in popularity. At the time Holmes "had just been on vacation in the English county of Dorset where my imagination had latched on to tales of smugglers and wreckers and beautiful hills overlooking long stretches of stony beach". Although she never intended to actually author the entire series, the company requested for her to write and publish a four book series. The idea for the first book Rider in the Dark easily came to Holmes along with the second book Horse from the Sea. She says that "I clearly remember standing in the middle of the Connemara mountains and saying, “One day I will write a story set here”". [1]

Holmes received separate inspirations for each novel as each one follows and tells a separate story. Holmes says that "I am inspired primarily by a sense of place – Dorset for Rider, Galway and Connemara for Horse, the country estate in Berkshire where I grew up for Heart, and now gorgeous Dartmoor in the county of Devon". Horse From the Sea is based in 16th century Ireland since Holmes felt it was a beautiful and interesting time period of the country. The horse's names in the series all came from different sources of inspiration. Oriel from the first book is a type of window, Lir from the second book is the Irish god of the sea, Firebird was one of the horses Holmes used to ride and in the fourth book the names are similar to Bracken and Myrtle, types of plants. [1]

Setting and structure

Each book in the series is a stand-alone book following a new protagonist and setting. [1] The first book takes place in 18th-century Britain following Holly. The second book takes place in Ireland following Nora. Then in the third book Heart of Fire the setting change to the aftermath of World War II following Maddie. Holmes says that this is due to the fact that "the publisher specifically asked for “stand alone” stories, which means that each book is self-contained and the characters don’t appear in other books". Holmes like the idea since with each new book she was able to explore more characters and settings. However, after writing each book, she realized how attached she had grown to each character, such as Nell from the first book "Nora’s shyness and feelings of clumsiness at crowded parties". [1]

Genre and themes

HarperCollins requested the series to be part of the historical fiction genre taking due to the rise in popularity at the time of publication. [1] School Library Journal noted the similarity of the plot to books such as Black Beauty and National Velvet writing that "This novel is reminiscent of Black Beauty and National Velvet, but adds a parallel story line about 18th-century England's politics, class structure, and judicial system". [2] The first book also had a mix of mystery in it which was praised by VOYA finding that the mystery and historical fiction genre works complements each other. [3] The second book The Horse From the Sea was also called a "romantic historical novel". [4]

Social structure

In the first book Rider in the Dark, the two main characters Jamie and Nell are very close friends. In an interview it was asked whether or not they were in love and Holmes responded that they are too young to actually to be in love, but were even if they were, they never could be married due to the 18th century social structure. In the book Nell is the daughter of the lord while Jamie is a mere stable-boy. Due to the rigid structure at the time, it would have been impossible for Nell to marry a servant like Jamie. Holmes says that even though even today "social structure is less rigid but there are other things that get in the way of relationships, like culture or the color of your skin". [1]

Witchcraft

In the fourth book Holmes said that she wanted explore the theme of witchcraft. Holly, the book's "heroine’s grandmother Willow is a “wise woman”, who knows about the healing properties of plants and herbs and is consulted by the local people when they get sick." However, at the same time that type of knowledge is also considered to be black magic. Holmes wanted to see how this knowledge would affect Holly. At the same time it isn't important if Willow is indeed a witch, but whether or not Holly will continue on healing with this knowledge. This also ties with a theme of faith. Holmes wonders that "if Holly believes she is capable of black magic, does that mean bad things will happen?" [1]

Publication history

The first book, Rider in the Dark was published as a hardcover in the US on September 7, 2004. [5] The paperback was published about two years later on January 24, 2006 along with a new cover. [6] The second book, The Horse From the Sea was published about half a year after Rider in the Dark on April 26, 2005. [7] The paperback version had a cover change and published on August 8, 2006. [8] The last book, Heart of Fire has only been released as a hardcover after publication on October 10, 2006. [9]

Critical reception

Review towards the series has been positive. The first book was praised by Booklist for the adventure and moral dilemmas. The reviewer recommend the book to horse and history lovers. However, the review felt the twist ending in the book "may feel shortchanged". [10] School Library Journal noted similarities to Black Beauty and National Velvet. The review found "a parallel story line about 18th-century England's politics, class structure, and judicial system" thought commented the themes do not make up the entire story, "but instead shines as a fast-paced tale appealing to readers with diverse interests". [11] Kirkus Reviews found that the subtitle "An Epic Horse Story" "is barely warning enough for the overstrained breathless incredulity that follows". Overall, the reviewer found the book very enjoyable to many readers. Horn Book Review came a very negative review writing "Horses and mysteries should be a solid combination, but Helena's overblown sense of urgency will more likely irritate readers than capture their attention". [2] Kliatt reviewer Claire Rosser found the book to suit readers who wanted another Black Stallion. She also recommend it to horse lovers and felt Helen's "worries about right and wrong add some depth". [12] Children's Literature found that "combination of horse story, historical novel, and mystery works very well" and that although Helen is of the upper-class, her interactions "does not stray too far into the realm of historical inaccuracy". [3] Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) found the victory predictable, but Helena's tomboyish portrayal realistic and that "details of daily life in the England of 1740 are realistically, if somewhat optimistically depicted". [3]

The second book received mixed reviews. Booklist gave a very positive review feeling that Holmes added in a lot of historical detail while keeping it away from sounding like a textbook. In the end, the reviewer writes "Holmes blends strong plot, suspense, and appealing characters into a rousing high-adventure horse story". [13] Meanwhile, School Library Journal felt that the book would only appeal to readers who wanted to know everything about horses while others "may feel bogged down". At the same time, the main character was noted to be weak and badly developed. The reviewer also criticized how "The freedom Nora enjoys does not seem believable and the plot is predictable. Jane Yolen's The Queen's Own Fool (Philomel, 2000), set during the same time period, has stronger characters". [14] Once again, the Children's Literature reviewer found the book to be beautifully written for young adults. The historical accuracy was praised with the reviewer writing "as with any well-researched period novel, it is a great history lesson, too". [15]

Reviews for the third book Heart of Fire was also mixed. School Library Journal found the ending too predictable and that even with the training schedules, animal book readers would still be disappointed. The characters were criticized as being not memorable and the story's pace would "not have readers stampeding to the shelves". The reviewer did add in that "the story line has some enjoyable twists and turns" but found it hard to believe only Maddie recognized Theo as a fake. [16] Booklist gave a very positive review writing "With several other surprises to keep the plot moving forward, this is a satisfying historical adventure with special appeal for readers who relish horse stories". [17] Children's Literature reviewer Heidi Hauser Green found the book to be "an engaging tale of love, loss, and family" while the plot has many twists and the heroine "grows in character and spirit through the course of this intriguing novel". [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Morley</span> American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet

Christopher Darlington Morley was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet. He also produced stage productions for a few years and gave college lectures.

<i>Warriors</i> (novel series) Series of juvenile fantasy novels

Warriors is a series of novels based on the adventures and drama of multiple Clans of feral cats. The series is primarily set in fictional forests. Published by HarperCollins, the series is written by authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, as well as others, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the pilot series was developed by series editor Victoria Holmes.

Erin Hunter is a collective pseudonym used by the authors Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Clarissa Hutton, Inbali Iserles, Tui T. Sutherland, and Rosie Best in the writing of several juvenile fantasy novel series, which focus on animals and their adventures. Notable works include the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom book series. Each of the authors play a different role in the production of the books: Holmes creates the plot for each book, and the others take turns writing the books. Dan Jolley, though not an official Erin Hunter author, also writes the stories for manga published under the Hunter name.

<i>Into the Wild</i> (novel) 2003 novel by a team with the pseudonym Erin Hunter

Into the Wild is a fantasy novel about the lives of fictional cats, written by a team of authors using the pseudonym Erin Hunter. The novel was published by HarperCollins in Canada and the United States in January 2003, and in the United Kingdom in February 2003. It is the first novel in the Warriors series. The book has been published in paperback, and e-book formats in twenty different languages. The story is about a young domestic cat named Rusty who leaves his human owners to join a group of forest-dwelling feral cats called ThunderClan, adopting a new name: Firepaw. He is trained to defend and hunt for the clan, becomes embroiled in a murder and betrayal within the clan, and, at the end of the book, receives his warrior name, Fireheart, after a battle with another clan. He must face the evil Tigerclaw. The novel is written from the perspective of Fireheart.

<i>Forest of Secrets</i> 2003 novel by Erin Hunter

Forest of Secrets is a children's fantasy novel, the third book in the original Warriors series, written by Cherith Baldry under the pen name of Erin Hunter. The plot is about Fireheart, a ThunderClan warrior, attempting to prevent his best friend Graystripe from falling in love with Silverstream, whom Graystripe is not allowed to fall in love with. Silverstream later dies giving birth to Graystripe's kits. When RiverClan claims the kits, Graystripe makes the difficult decision to join RiverClan. Fireheart also becomes deputy after Tigerclaw, the deputy, attempts to kill the leader, Bluestar. The main theme of the book is forbidden love. Forest of Secrets takes place in a fictional forest based on many natural locations.

<i>Moonrise</i> (novel) 2005 novel by Erin Hunter

Moonrise is a children's fantasy novel, the second book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series. The book, which illustrates the adventures of four groups of wild cats, was written by Erin Hunter, with cover art by Wayne McLoughlin. Moonrise follows six cats, Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Feathertail, Stormfur, and Tawnypelt, as they return to their forest home from a journey to the ocean. They travel through the mountains, where they meet the Tribe of Rushing Water, a new group of cats first introduced in this novel. The Tribe cats are being attacked by a savage mountain lion called Sharptooth. The Clan cats eventually agree to help the Tribe get rid of Sharptooth. Series editor Victoria Holmes drew inspiration from locations such as the New Forest and the Scottish Highlands.

Victoria "Vicky" Holmes is an English author. She is better known by the name Erin Hunter, a pseudonym under which she and others write the New York Times Bestselling Warriors series.

<i>A Mango-Shaped Space</i> 2003 book by Wendy Mass

A Mango-Shaped Space is a 2003 young adult novel by the American author Wendy Mass. A Mango-Shaped Space is Mass's fourth fiction novel. The book received the American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award in 2004. The novel has since been nominated for, and received, a number of other awards. The hand lettering on the cover is by Billy Kelly. The book is recommended for grades 5-8. A 7-hour long audiobook version, narrated by Danielle Ferland, has been produced.

<i>Seekers</i> (novel series) Book series by Erin Hunter

Seekers is a children's novel series written by a team of authors under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, who also wrote the Warriors series. Seekers follows the adventures of four bear cubs: Kallik, Lusa, Ujurak, and Toklo. Led by Ujurak, the four bears search for a place where they can live in peace without human interference and harassment. The first book of the first series, The Quest Begins, was released on 27 May 2008 and was followed by five other books, ending with the last book of the first series, Spirits in the Stars, which was released on 8 February 2011. A second series of novels subtitled Return to the Wild, also six books in length, began publication with Island of Shadows, released on 7 February 2012. The series has been well received, with critics praising the realistic behavior of the characters, the world building, and the book's themes surrounding environmentalism.

<i>The Book of Time</i> (novel series)

"The Book of Time", originally released as "Le Livre du Temps", is a French children's fantasy novel trilogy written by Guillaume Prévost and first published in France by Gallimard Jeunesse. The first book of the series, La Pierre Sculptée, was released in February 2006; the final book was released in November 2008. The trilogy follows fourteen-year-old Sam Faulkner as he travels through time and around the world via a strange statue and some unusual coins with holes in them to find his missing father.

<i>The Quest Begins</i> Book by Erin Hunter

The Quest Begins is the first novel in the Seekers series. It was written by Erin Hunter, which is a collective pseudonym used by authors Cherith Baldry, Kate Cary, and Tui Sutherland and editor Victoria Holmes. The novel details the adventures of four bears, Toklo, Kallik, Lusa and Ujurak, who are stranded together in the wild and must learn to survive. The declining environment around the bears is a theme explored throughout the novel. The development of the Seekers series began as a result of a request from HarperCollins for another series about animals to the authors who wrote the Warriors series about feral cats under the name of Erin Hunter. The novel was published on 27 May 2008. The book sold well and had generally positive critical reception with reviewers suggesting the series would appeal to fans of Warriors.

Janni Lee Simner is an American author of fantasy and adventure novels and short stories. She writes primarily for young adults as teenagers and upper elementary children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales</span>

Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales is a compilation of young adult horror short stories, edited by Deborah Noyes. It was published in 2004 by Candlewick Press.

<i>The Devil and His Boy</i>

The Devil and His Boy is a 1998 young adult novel by Anthony Horowitz. The book is set in Tudor times and follows the adventures of a young boy as he meets several influential people from that time period.

<i>The Key to the Golden Firebird</i>

The Key to the Golden Firebird is the debut novel by noted young adult author Maureen Johnson. It was first published in 2004, and was listed as a Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association in 2005.

The Bonemender series is a trilogy of young-adult fantasy novels by Holly Bennett between 2005 and 2007 through Orca Book Publishers. The first novel, The Bonemender, was published on September 1, 2005, with the subsequent novels, Bonemender's Oath and Bonemender's Choice publishing on November 1, 2006 and September 1, 2007.

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin is the first story arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2003 to 2004: Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, and The Darkest Hour. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. The sub-series details the adventures of the housecat Rusty, who joins ThunderClan, one of four Clans of feral cats living in a forest which adjoins the human town in which he originally lives. The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and evil. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in the Warriors sub-series have won a significant literary award.

<i>Great Bear Lake</i> (novel)

Great Bear Lake is the second novel in the Seekers series written by Erin Hunter, which is a pseudonym used by authors Cherith Baldry, Kate Cary, Tui Sutherland and editor Victoria Holmes. This specific novel was written by Cherith Baldry. The novel follows the adventures of three bears, Toklo, Kallik, and Lusa. Each bear finds the other by coincidence and form a bond. The declining environment and racism among the bears are two of the themes present in the novel. The novel was released in the US on 10 February 2009 and has also been released in the UK, Canada and translated into Russian. Critical reception was positive with reviewers praising the realistic behavior of the bears and the honest approach to various themes.

<i>The Bards of Bone Plain</i>

The Bards of Bone Plain is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was first published in hardcover and ebook by Ace Books in December 2010, with a book club edition issued simultaneously with the Science Fiction Book Club and a trade paperback edition following December 2011. The first British edition was published in ebook by Gateway/Orion in December 2015.

<i>Friday Barnes: Girl Detective</i> Australian childrens novel by R. A. Spratt

Friday Barnes, Girl Detective is a 2014 Children's novel by R. A. Spratt. It is about an 11-year-old girl, Friday, who uses her detecting skills to solve mysteries at her boarding school.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bolton, Kathleen (July 28, 2006). "Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Victoria Holmes". Writers Unboxed. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Reviews: Rider in the dark BETA". catalog.dclibrary.org. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "Rider in the Dark, Victoria Holmes, Book – Barnes & Noble". Barnes and Nobles. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Reviews: The horse from the sea BETA". catalog.dclibrary.org. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  5. ↑ Amazon.com: Rider in the Dark (9780060520250): Victoria Holmes: Books. ISBN   0060520256.
  6. ↑ Amazon.com: Rider in the Dark (9780060520274): Victoria Holmes: Books. ISBN   0060520272.
  7. ↑ Amazon.com: The Horse from the Sea (9780060520281): Victoria Holmes: Books. ISBN   0060520280.
  8. ↑ Amazon.com: The Horse from the Sea (9780060520304): Victoria Holmes: Books: Reviews, Prices & more. ISBN   0060520302.
  9. ↑ Amazon.com: Heart of Fire (9780060520311): Victoria Holmes: Books: Reviews, Prices & more. ISBN   0060520310.
  10. ↑ O'Malley, Anne (1 October 2004). "Holmes, Victoria. Rider in the Dark: An Epic Horse Story". Booklist. American Library Association. 101 (3): 322. ISSN   0006-7385.
  11. ↑ Monaghan, Kimberly (1 October 2004). "Holmes, Victoria. Rider in the Dark: an Epic Horse Story.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review) School Library Journal". AccessMyLibrary. School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
  12. ↑ Rosser, Claire (September 1, 2004). "Rider in the dark; an epic horse story.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review) Kliatt". AccessMyLibrary. Kliatt. Retrieved 8 October 2010.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ O'Malley, Anne (May 15, 2005). "Holmes, Victoria. The Horse from the Sea: An Epic Horse Story.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review) Booklist". AccessMyLibrary. Booklist. Retrieved 9 October 2010.[ dead link ]
  14. ↑ Dobbs, Cheri (1 August 2005). "Holmes, Victoria. The Horse from the Sea: An Epic Horse Story.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review) School Library Journal". AccessMyLibrary. School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
  15. ↑ "Horse from the Sea, Victoria Holmes, Book – Barnes & Noble". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  16. ↑ Schene, Carol (1 December 2006). "Heart of Fire.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)". AccessMyLibrary. School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  17. ↑ O'Malley, Anne (October 1, 2006). "Heart of Fire.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)". AccessMyLibrary. Booklist. Retrieved 13 October 2010.[ dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Heart of Fire, Victoria Holmes, Book – Barnes & Noble". Barnes & Noble . Retrieved 23 October 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.