Reviews

The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West by Mary Stanton

whatthesquids's review

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Itd be a three star but theres a horse language catalogue in the back and none of its ever used

authoraugust's review against another edition

4.0

This book is Summer. It's stretching out on that scratchy pink camping blanket that smelled like our quarter-sized garage, fixing my explosive ponytail, and squinting into sunlight splashed on well-loved library book pages. It's getting lost so thoroughly in the world of Duchess and the Dancer that I forget about a snack and read hungrily until dinner. It's snapping the book shut after the last word, my eyes shining with tears or adventure, then flinging myself into a gallop across the yard; never mind the pebbles and sticks in my bony kneecaps; never mind my aching wrists, I ran with Duchess, I ran with Pony, I ran with Cory and Susie and even Lilly.

It isn't a perfect book. But for me, it's a perfect memory. It was like I'd already met the book a long time ago, and sitting down to it was like sitting down to a deep, twenty-something friendship with that kid whose name you barely knew in kindergarten but whose face is lined by the same environment yours is.

Thank you, Mary Stanton. For a couple of stolen afternoons, I ran with Hazel-Rah again for the first time, spun with Ender Wiggins in the Battle Room again for the first time, plunged to the terror of Sgorr's horrible secret with Rannoch again for the first time.

jkfugitt's review against another edition

4.0

This book is one of those that you can come back to after not having read it for a few years and still enjoy it as much as the first time.

erinngillespie's review

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

https://youtu.be/VObj-TAtnk8 My review on youtube if you wanna see it 

wafer's review against another edition

4.0

A well-done piece of animal fiction that manages to set itself apart as a unique and genuinely engrossing experience for people of all ages. Highly recommended.

reading_rainy's review against another edition

4.0

Another thrift store find. Good vs evil, talking horses...Duchess, Susie, The Dancer, and El Arat. Who knew?

unicornrhyfedd's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is quite possibly the finest piece of horse literature I will ever read. There’s nothing else quite like this beautiful gem.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Body horror

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cursing, Sexual assault, and Grief

granite's review

5.0

This is one of those books that is far better than it has any right to be.

abomine's review

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Take Watership Down, replace the bunnies with horses, add a Lost Orphaned Royalty plot and a whole lot of demons, have it snort a line of coke, and you get The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West. Don't think about it too much and just enjoy the ride.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault