Cover Reveal: Equus

Equus edited by Rhonda Parrish There’s always something magical about horses, isn’t there? Whether winged or at home in the water, mechanical or mythological, the equines that gallop through these pages span the fantasy spectrum. In one story a woman knits her way up to the stars and in another Loki's descendant grapples with bizarre transformations while fighting for their life. A woman races on a unique horse to save herself from servitude, while a man rides a chariot through the stars to reclaim his self-worth. From steampunk-inspired stories and tales that brush up against horror to straight-up fantasy, one theme connects them all: freedom. Featuring nineteen fantastic stories of equines both real and imagined by J.G. Formato, Diana Hurlburt, Tamsin Showbrook, M.L.D Curelas, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, VF LeSann, Dan Koboldt, J.J. Roth, Susan MacGregor, Pat Flewwelling, Angela Rega, Michael Leonberger, Sandra Wickham, Stephanie A. Cain, Cat McDonald, Andrew Bourelle, Chadwick Ginther, K.T. Ivanrest, and Jane Yolen. Equus is the newest installment of Rhonda Parrish’s “Magical Menageries” anthology series, preceded by Fae (2014), Corvidae (2015), Scarecrow(2015), and Sirens (2016). Equus will be released July 18, 2017, and is available now for pre-order now from Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, iTunes, Kobo, and World Weaver Press. Rhonda Parrish is driven by the desire to do All The Things. She was the founder and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine, is an Assistant Editor at World Weaver Press, and is the editor of several anthologies including, most recently, Sirens and D is for Dinosaur. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast, Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing (2012 & 2015), and Mythic Delerium. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com. Praise for the Magical Menageries Anthology Series: “A delightfully refreshing collection that offers a totally different take on your usual fairy stories! I should have known that editor Parrish...would want to offer something quite unique. I found it difficult to stop reading as one story ended and another began – all fantastic work by gifted writers. Not for the faint of heart, by any means.” — Marge Simon, multiple Bram Stoker® winner “Corvidae evokes the majesty and mischief of corvid mythologies worldwide—and beyond our world—in a collection that is fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.” — Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger “With fifteen talented writers and a subject that is both evocative and memorable, Rhonda Parrish’s new anthology, Scarecrow, is no straw man. Like any good scarecrow, this anthology is truly outstanding in its field. Don’t be scared to pick this up and give it a read.” — Steve Vernon, author of Tatterdemon  "The call of SIRENS is quite powerful indeed. With a variety of stories, crafted with care, you will delight in the tales that the many authors weave throughout this fantastical anthology. It will lure you in and not let go." —Tara Platt, author Zartana Publication Date: July 18, 2017 • Anthology • Fantasy/Science Fiction $13.95 trade paperback, 325 pages  • $4.99 ebook ISBN-13: 978-0998702209 Publicity/Reviews: publicity@worldweaverpress.com Information: http://www.worldweaverpress.com/store/p130/Equus.html

Review: Staying the Distance

Title: Staying the Distance
Author: Mara Dabrishus
Page Count: 244
My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.
Amazon

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Description:
July Carter’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago, her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her, and the horse July wants for herself will never be hers.

Even though the New York racing circuit has taught her not to get attached, July can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.

Review:
It's been a long time since I read a good horse story, and Staying the Distance definitely delivers. It is a sweet, quick, read set with the backdrop of horse racing. The author obvious knows her stuff where horses are concerned, and as a fellow horsewoman myself, I really appreciated the attention to detail.

On top of the inclusion of horses, I also loved the sweet, YA love story and story of family struggle that arcs throughout the story. These elements are some of my favorite things about contemporary Young Adult fiction, and I thought that the author did a great job interweaving these different stories throughout the book. I also loved how each minor character had their own distinct personality, even the horses. I loved the extra layer this colorful cast added to the novel as a whole, and how it further illuminated what life was like for the main character, July. 

For the first half of the book I was thinking about rating this book half a point higher, and the only reason I did not end up doing this was because occasionally I found the wording of a certain phrase confusing and I would have to go back and reread it to see what was going on. Also, towards the end, while all the story was tied up neatly, it all seemed like it was a bit fast to me, and I would have liked to see the climax and resolution last a bit longer. It certainly was not enough to prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this read.

I highly recommend Staying the Distance to anyone who reads contemporary YA, especially those readers who are into horses in any way, shape, or form. This is a perfect early summer read and I really hope you will check it out!



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