Airs of Night and Sea (The Horsemistress Saga) [Mass Market Paperback]

Toby Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2009 | Series: The Horsemistress Saga

Driven by insane jealousy, Duke William is determined to found his own flying school, where the valuable flying horses of Oc will learn to bond with well-born young men—instead of arrogant women. Now, Larkyn Hamley and her beloved Black Seraph must gather all of their allies from the air to the ground. For if they do not soar now, none will ever see the skies again.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the third book in the Horsemistress Saga, begun by Airs beneath the Moon (2006) and continued in Airs and Graces (2007), young Larkyn Hamley is nearing graduation from the Academy of the Air, but the academy is under threat from the mad Duke William, who plans to close it and open his own flying school devoted to training well-born young men to ride the flying horses of Oc, none of which has ever tolerated having men anywhere nearby. William has posted soldiers at the academy in the hope of capturing the girls’ instructor, Mistress Philippa Winter, who has been forced into hiding. The scenes of horses and riders in flight and battle are breathtaking; political machinations abound; and the dangers to the academy staff and students are palpable as Lark and her beloved horse, Tup, join forces with Mistress Winter and others in a desperate effort to thwart the duke’s evil plans. The saga’s fans are sure to welcome the latest installment. --Sally Estes

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 362 pages
• Publisher: Ace (January 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441016693
• ISBN-13: 978-0441016693
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,015,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent conclusion to an excellent trilogy, February 22, 2009

By 

totalhorsenut (Bellingham, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Airs of Night and Sea (The Horsemistress Saga) (Mass Market Paperback)

This trilogy combines 2 of my favorite things, horses and fantasy. I enjoyed the first two books and this final one wraps things up nicely. Spunky farmgirl Lark and her beloved flying horse Tup are still trying to stop the powerful but increasingly insane Duke William. How will she and her fellow Horsemistresses prevent him from closing their Academy of the Air? I had a hard time putting this book down because I constantly had to know what would happen next. An exciting and riveting story from beginning to end.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great juggling of topics, May 14, 2010

By 

Marit Mathisen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Airs of Night and Sea (The Horsemistress Saga) (Kindle Edition)

The whole Horsemistress saga revolves around the Academy of the Air, its winged horses, and their female riders. Toby Bishop expertly juggles action, politcs, emotion and geography in all three books of the saga.

The only thing I missed while reading, was a map over the area, I like visualizing the journeys, both in the air and on the ground. On the other hand the descriptions were thorough enough for me to be able to see everything clearly in my mind in any case.

This final book in the saga is more exciting than the previous two. and the good and bad people are already "old friends" so we know where people stand, and what to expect.

We get to see more of what's going on in William's mind and we get to learn to know Constance, his wife. We see the interpersonal relationships develop, and in a way, we see what some of the real rulers in real history might have done wrong.

To read Airs of Night and Sea is fun and captivating and putting the book away is hard, however I don't think it would make sense if you hadn't read the previous two books in the series, but worry not, they are at least as good as this one, even though they aren't as dramatic.

I would recommend the whole series, especially if you are interested in horses.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Exciting Conclusion to the HorseMistress Saga!, January 10, 2009

By 

Patrice E. Sarath - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Airs of Night and Sea (The Horsemistress Saga) (Mass Market Paperback)

In the Airs of Night and Sea, Toby Bishop brings her exciting Horsemistress Saga to a satisfying conclusion. The famed winged horses of the Duchy of Oc can only be trained and flown by girls and women. But Duke William wants to change all that. His plan, to alter himself so that he can bond with a winged horse and ultimately give the winged horses to men rather than women, threatens the Academy that has trained these horses for generations. Bishop has created an excellent series that combines magic, danger, adventure, and politics. Airs of Night of Sea brings it all together, culminating in an edge-of-the-seat aerial battle and redemption for some of its characters (including one of the sweetest fillies ever to romp through the pages of a book).

If I had any regrets it is about Duke William himself. He's the villain, for sure, but how can you not like a guy who wants a flying horse of his very own? I found myself rooting for him as much as I did for Philippa and Larkyn and the other horsemistresses.

Strong female characters abound in this book, and the background and setting are vivid and realistic. I recommend this series for anyone who likes their fantasy with a dose of realism. And lots of horses.