menshevixen's review

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5.0

Admittedly I'm a little biased, since I've got a story included here, but this is a seriously enjoyable collection of horse-themed fantasy. Stories range from darker, horror-tinged offerings like 'Eli the Hideous Horse Boy' to the humorous historical romp 'Ladies Day' and 'The Boys from Witless Bay' (which reminded me a bit of one of my favorite YA fantasies, [b:The Shattering|10757830|The Shattering|Karen Healey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1340197910s/10757830.jpg|15103740]). A few other stand-outs for me were 'Rue the Day' and Angela Rega's poignant story 'The Horse Witch.' Truly a story to suit every horse-hearted reader!

lzw's review

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5.0

Equus: Magical Menageries Book by Rhonda Parrish is a wonderfully magical collection of stories revolving around horses by the following authors: J.G. Formato, Diana Hurlburt, Tamsin Showbrook, M.L.D Curelas, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, VF LeSann, Dan Koboldt, J.J. Roth, Susan MacGregor, Pnat Flewwelling, Angela Rega, Michael Leonberger, Sandra Wickham, Stephanie Cain, Cat McDonald, Andrew Bourelle, Chadwick Ginther, K.T. Ivanrest, and Jane Yolen. I gave this fantastical find 5 stars! Omg, did this book take me back to my childhood where I was obsessed with all things horses and unicorns! This anthology is more fantasy than romance, so readers of all ages can enjoy! Such a quick read too, but a novel you will definitely want to return too from time to time.
The common thread weaving each tale together (horses aside) would be freedom, and the journey of self-discovery finding your path-your inner strength. The stories vary greatly in equine “types” such as Pegasus, Unicorns, alien horses, robotic horses, etc! Some tales are darker than others, and some are just pure fun. I loved every single one! I love what these magical creatures represent: power, grace, strength, compassion, loyalty, and beauty. Each story building upon the previous one, each unique, each inspiring! Now I will be checking out the other Magical Menageries to add to my collection!


jandi's review

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3.0

Unicorns, seahorses, souped up motorcycles and descendants of Loki, all of them have a place here. And many female protagonists too. "Rue the Day" really stood out for me.

thistlechaser's review

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1.0

A collection of short stories about horses of all kinds.

Anthologies always follow the same pattern: They put their best stories in the first, second, and last slots. So, knowing that, my rule is if the first two stories don't work for me, I give up on the book.

The first two stories very much didn't work for me, both in writing style and content. DNF

unicornrhyfedd's review

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1.0

My first DNF this year (got half-way through before deciding it was time to stop), and so early too. Perhaps anthologies aren`t for me; I found a lot of the stories either had ambiguous or no endings. Every story had characters who very unlikable, mean-spirited and unable to relate to.

kelli513's review

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5.0

Book Review: Equus an Anthology
Authors: Multiple
Edited By Rhonda Parrish
Five Stars
Rhonda Parrish's Magical Menageries Book 5
In this Anthology there are 19 different authors with one common theme.....Freedom. The authors are all writing about horses in the fantasy spectrum. These authors are sharing the love of horses. If you are a fantasy horse lover this anthology would be great for you. There are so many different types of horses in the fantasy world. The great Pegasus that comes from the stars. The Martian horses, the crazy race horses, there are a couple different stories about races and bets on horses, a lady that knits her way into the stars to be with Pegasus, robotic horses. Just more and more. There is even a short advice book from a mother Unicorn to her daughter. There are some books that are wistful and then there are the suspenseful and almost horrifying stories. These books will keep you engaged and leave you wanting more. Horses are very powerful creatures but they can be very brave, loyal, and loving as well. You can get lost in the majesty of them in this anthology.
Nineteen tales all about horses, real and fantasy. This is definatly a collaboration of books that will draw you in and help you escape from reality for a while. Nearly everyone loves horses.
Very good anthology. This anthology can be ready by all audiences as it is of the fantasy genre more than romance or anything else that would require reader discretion.

The different authors are J.G. Formato, Diana Hurlburt, Tamsin Showbrook, M.L.D Curelas, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, VF LeSann, Dan Koboldt, J.J. Roth, Susan MacGregor, Pnat Flewwelling, Angela Rega, Michael Leonberger, Sandra Wickham, Stephanie Cain, Cat McDonald, Andrew Bourelle, Chadwick Ginther, K.T. Ivanrest, and Jane Yolen.
Kelli Harper

katie_83's review

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4.0

4 stars
What another fabulous anthology from Rhonda Parrish and is the fifth in her Magical Menageries series. Equus is full of lovely short stories about horses, both real and magical! I am not usually a fan of horse stories but I really did enjoy this collection. I have this obsession with Unicorns at the moment so I was excited they were featured amongst these stories! I have read some of the other anthologies that Rhonda has edited and what I always find is how well written the stories contained within it are. Short stories are not to everyone’s taste but all of the ones in this anthology were well written and enjoyable. Some of the authors in this anthology I have read stories from previously and some are new to me – I think I have definitely found some new authors to investigate!
If you are a fan of horses and stories with a magical twist then I think you will enjoy any of the wonderful short stories in this anthology. They will take you on a journey to a different world and have you thinking about their meaning long after you have finished reading!

bwagner's review

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4.0

Equus (Rhonda Parrish's Magical Menageries Book 5) is a collection of stories wrote by 10 authors. These stories are magical, full of fantasy and some just left to your imagination. You will enjoy the writing style of each of the authors and their creativity for characters and imagination. Each story you read in this book will associate with horses in one way or another. Some of these stories will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat just waiting to see what will happen next. Other stories will leave you feeling compassion, joy and maybe even anger. The characters in this book are engaging and keep you reading until the end. Most are true to life and will pull you into their world of fantasy I highly suggest this story as I know you will want to see which one is your favorite. You just might find that all of them are your favorite. I have read most of these authors previously but they will take you on a new adventure from the first word. You won't want to miss out on these fantasy stories.

angelahayes's review

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4.0

4 Stars

Equus is the fifth volume of Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menagerie series. It is an anthology made up of nineteen stories and poems by some truly talented authors. Each story/poem is unique. They’re all quite individual and distinct from each another; but they all have the same inspiration/theme- which is Equus (the horse).
Who doesn’t love horses? In this compilation of stories we discover all things equine- from winged horses flying through he skies; or water horses racing through their watery world; or mechanical horses set on adventure; we meet a myriad of different horses that will capture our imagination and lead us on a fantastic journey.
The works contained in this Anthology al span the fantasy spectrum- each one has its own voice, tone and mood. There is bound to be something here to fall in love with. So prepare for a wonderfully riveting ride, as we gallop through the pages to discover the wonders within.

Thank you to all the contributing authors!

bookgirl90's review

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3.0

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

I am a huge fan of horses so was excited to finally read this.

Anthologies can be rough going into and this was was as good as I was expecting.

There were a few stories that were great and a few that were just okay, but overall a good read for any horse lover.