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Title: The King's Horse
Subtitle: Shioni of Sheba, Book 2
Author: Marc Secchia
Narrator: Nik Magill
Format: Unabridged
Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
Language: English
Release date: 09-28-16
Publisher: Marc Secchia
Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10
Publisher's Summary:
The king lies in a coma. Princess Annakiya must rule the castle in his stead. But Kalcha, witch-leader of the Wasabi, is far from defeated. Through scorpions and arrows, assassins and living nightmares, she seeks to destroy the Kingdom of Sheba. She will have her revenge.
When General Getu orders Shioni into the Simien Mountains to track down the runaway king's horse, she must grapple with treachery and peril amongst the wild volcanic peaks. Can she trust her companions: the troubled giant Talaku, and the ambitious, two-faced warrior Tariku? What of the rebels who would sell them to the Wasabi? Could mountain legends and the mysterious stele hint at the hidden presence of dragons?
In this exciting new adventure, Shioni of Sheba must draw on all of her courage and ingenuity to thwart Kalcha's wicked plans, and return her companions and the king's horse safely to the castle. But even the Sheban stronghold is far from safe.
The second book in a unique African fantasy adventure written for middle grades listeners set in the ancient Kingdom of Sheba!
Members Reviews:
lost in hostile enemy territory
The King's Horse: Shioni of Sheba book 2 continues the adventures of one Shioni, a slave girl of the princess of the kingdom of Sheba. In this installment Shioni and two warriors, Tariku and Talaku, are sent to retrieve the king's horse which is lost in hostile enemy territory. In some ways, this book is like many books in the center of a series, books that continue with established characters and end where another story will begin. If you are reading the entire series then that is great. If you are only reading this one book then you are left unfulfilled.
This book has some fantastical elements but it doesn't seem to dwell a lot on the fantasy. Where it shines is in the character development. Shioni and the two warriors are fully realized characters and we can see their individual motivations in their dialog and actions. There is also a fair bit of foreshadowing in that one of the warriors is slowly turning into a giant, hence the name of the third book, but the transition is gradual and the way it is treated is different than you would think because of how concerned the surrounding characters are for his well-being.
The book has only one downside that I can mention, and that is why I rate it four stars instead of five, and that is the fact that retrieving the king's horse seems to me to be a rather unimportant and trivial task. It is certainly difficult to do and they run into troubles out in the wilderness but at this point in the series, I couldn't see why I should care whether or not this mission was successful. Perhaps later in the series we will find out.
The book is well written and well edited and sweeps the characters and activities along briskly, which is nice. The mannerisms and period scenes are refreshing for a young adult sci-fi, fantasy book. I rate it four stars.
As a terrific story continues...
I am still quite impressed with Marc Secchia's style, creativity, and manner of telling Shioni's story. His research and delivery are impeccable.
