Customer Reviews

The Young Black Stallion

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the book you want to read if you want to hear about all of the blacks early adventures right up to the point when The Black boards The Drake. Great for adventure lovers and all who want to know the whole story. Yet something about it doesn't appeal to me maybe its because theres no Alec. You can judge fthis book yourself but I'd definetly try it.

The father-son authors have produced an excellent story, recreating the youth of the Black until the time when Alex Ramsay witnesses him being loaded--with savage fury and hatred for all men--on board The Drake in a Middle Eastern port. The Prologue and Epilogue are set in the Arizona desert where Alec, now a young man, spends the night with his beloved stallion, grazing nearby. Contemplating the starry nocturnal sky Alec locates the Horsehead Nebula and seriously ponders the tantalyzing theory that his horse was sired by a celestial equine.

The main body of the book narrates the desperate attempts of various men who pursue ownership of Shetan--for pride and breeding purposes. Sheikh Ishak hides the yearling in a remote mountain fastness, but a rival sheikh sends a bold band to steal him. A young hunter and tracker named Rashid is selected to kill the venerable Old Herder, who suspects the colt's semi-divine pedigree. Abandoned to certain death by the rival sheikh, Rashid spends months in the mountains, trailing Shetan and rescuing him from a ferocious leopard. But toleration of the man's presence does not forge a true bond between the Arabian strangers. Also Rashid is haunted by the intermittent appearance of a peregrine falcon, which hovers over him like a future menace.

Rashid's plans to capture and sell Shetan, to assure himself a life of comfort, are foiled by the Ishak and the arrival of a resourceful English agent called The Cat. Who will ultimately triumph during this prolonged battle of wills? His breeder and rightful owner, the rival sheikh, Rashid with whom readers come to empathize, Mansoor (the Cat) or the mighty stallion himself? Dramatic conflict is enhanced from the obvious Man vs Man scenario to Man vs Nature, for the harsh mountains and pitiless desert environments interject challenges unforeseen by human schemes. Characterized by minimal dialogue and elements of surrealism this book proves fascinating for readers of all ages.

This was a good book compared to the last few BS books in the series (Ghost, the Girl, and Legend). As a prequel, it was interesting to learn about the past of the Black, and it was different in some ways. It was good for being co-authored with Steven Farley (whose own BS books don't cut it for me), but the first few were better.

I was a little disappointed in this book. It was not up to the standard of the other Black Stallion books.

This book is definitly not as good as the Black Stallion but it is decent. Some parts get kind of exciting and a good portion of the book keeps you guessing even though sometimes it seems like Farley let a chapter get boring. Anyways though, it puts everything together between the Black Stallion and the Young Black Stallion and it's also nice because it gives you a little taste of a different culture

This book is just odd. I am NOT impressed with Steve Farley's contribution to the series. The whole book is weird. Apparently Alec is in the desert with the Black and starts off on some nonsense about the horsehead nebula that was never mentioned before. Then he has a weird vision/dream about the Black's beginnings. There is some stupidity about the Black's father being "the Stallion of the Midnight Sky" or some made-up silliness that has no basis I have ever heard in Arabic or Bedouin culture. It was mentioned and confirmed more than once in the earlier books that Shetan's father was ZIYADAH, not some mystical ghost horse or whatever. The Black hating all humans intensely because the villain hit him once is silliness as well. I can understand an abused horse being violent with people, but a horse being chased and struck once would not make it a man-hating killer. Even the fall he had afterward from trying to run up the side of a mountain seems unlikely to make him some feral, vicious stallion. Also, having the Black climb around with mountain goats was unrealistic as no horse, no matter how agile, could do that: they don't have the right hooves, they weigh too much, are too large, and are not built to do it. Also, the Bedouin scout that follows the Black is a completely unlikable character, who is selfish and makes excuses for his own actions. The whole book he blames the evil sheik for the death of a man HE stabbed (when he was told NOT to kill anyone) and only stays with the Black so he can catch him and sell him for lots of money. The book ends with Alec waking up and remembering all this stuff as if he were the Bedouin scout or something, which is odd and really rather needless.

In all, disappointing and unrealistic. I think the series would have been better off WITHOUT this book. It is not the worst book I have read, but I would not suggest buying it before you read it. You may feel you wasted your money.

This is truly the most realistic, culture-related, fantastic, adventurous books Farley has come up with! My eyes where glued to the pages at all times. And in some parts, I was even rubbing gooseflesh from my arms. This is an excellent read! Must buy for young and older Black Stallion lovers! Please check it out, it's worth it.

It's a wonderful book for people who like adventurous stories, very well written in my point of view. Yet it still had a few bad parts here and there. You should defently buy!