Day 119 - Ariel's Journey

Ariel's Journey

Doug Kane and Christy Wood

Series or Stand Alone: The Ice Horse Adventures, book one

Synopsis: [from book cover]

Five very different young women sent to the woods to learn about Icelandic horses; beautiful, fluffly, stocky horses with an uncanny ability to survive harsh climates and dangerous terrain. But this summer camping trip reveals their true power - the horses and their young riders travel centuries into the past to save the village of their ancestors.

Uncovering amazing abilities, the girls and their horses work together to challenge a ruthless enemy, rescue a young princess, and realize their destinies include a prophecy only they can fulfill.

Will the girls develop the trust and friendship necessary to battle together? Are the horses going to survive a battle plan sure to end in disaster? Can the young princess be saved before the evil chieftain destroys her? Can true love cross the distance of 800 years? Their very lives will depend on the magic only the Ice Horses can provide, and the courage within their hearts.

Review:

A very fun and light read, Ariel's Journey took me on an adventure that was both enjoyable and informative. The story first starts out as a teen rivalry but soon turns into a tale of magic, friendship, courage, and loyalty. All of these elements are wrapped around the authors' love of horses which clearly shows in the characters and their actions. I think horses are beautiful animals and it was a lot of fun to learn about Icelandic horses in particular, who may be smaller than other breeds but certainly have traits that make them unique.

After a confrontation between Emily and Andrea at an equestrian meeting, Emily's mother decides enough is enough. The girls obviously cannot get along, which will only cause trouble between all the 4-H members. So Karen decides to send her daughter on a trail ride along with Andrea and each of their sets of friends. She hopes that in having the ride unsupervised by adults, the teens will learn to tolerate each other enough to see past their differences. Karen isn't expecting a miracle where the two will become best friends, but she hopes they can mature a little.

The five girls that end up going reluctantly set out on the overnight ride and soon find themselves transported 800 years in the past to Iceland. Each of their "Iceys" have special abilities and can speak to the girls. The lead horse, Princessa, explains to them what has happened. It seems the horses and their young riders are needed to help save a princess and the Icelandic village of the horses' ancestors. It is in this part of the book that each of the girl's and horse's personalities come out. But the adventure really belongs to Ariel and her rider, Laura, as the two set out to rescue the princess on their own.

I recommend this to anyone with a love of horses and teen adventure but I do suggest it for the younger teen crowd, especially.

Book two, Princessa's Mission, is supposed to come out sometime this month.

You can find more information at the series' website by clicking here.

**Thank you J. Kaye for sending me this book to read.**