Owning a horse was the only thing that teenager Meagan Roberts could think about. Owing a legendary great horse never crossed her mind. In “Eclipsed by Shadow”, we see that Meagan’s horse, Promise is just that. Unwilling to heed the advice of Mrs. Bridgestone, the keeper of the legend, that if this Great Horse is rode it would bring darkness, Meagan rides Promise. Instantly she is transported to another place and time. 20,000 B.C. to be exact. She finds herself among a tribe that is hunting horses. From there chaos ensues, as she is chased off a cliff with a herd of horses. Before falling to the bottom of the canyon, the Great Horse comes to her aid. Meagan now finds herself in the middle of a battle in the Black Sea. Running for shelter she finds herself in the middle of an ancient tomb. Again Meagan finds herself being transported to another time and place. Standing in the middle of an arena barely able to escape, she realizes that she is in Rome. She is now a slave, tending to the Emperor’s stable. Along the way she makes friend, enemies, and collecting knowledge. Also, she witnesses the cruelty of each place she comes to. Meagan wonders why her beloved Promise, who is so sweet and gentle, could bring her into so much darkness. After helping the Emperor’s chariot driver, Braedin win the races, she realizes that unintentionally she has brought disgrace upon the Emperor. Once again she finds herself in a fight for her life. The Great Horse now transports her to the year 1240 A.D. She now finds herself among the Tartars and Genghis Khan as they raid and pillage each village they come to. Able to escape Meagan takes with her, her only friend a pony she named Targa. Finding shelter among a group of Englishmen only to have to escape once more. Finding a Polish knight, Henryk, Meagan makes a new friend, only to discovery that they have lost their horses. Meeting a group of Franscian Monks, together they travel to the Tournament of St. John. Once they arrive Meagan finds herself the lady of a knight. Once again chaos once again follows,

With “Eclipsed be Shadow “, John Royce has created a wonderful legend sure to please historians and equestrians alike. Jammed packed with chariot racing, jousting and action galore one wonders how one book can hold so much. With each turn of the page a new adventure awaits. ( )

Eclipsed by Shadow: The Legend of the Great Horse
BY: John Royce
COVER ARTWORK: Marti Adrian
PUBLISHED BY: Micron Press
PUBLISHED IN: 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-9724121-3-1
Ages: Young Adult & Up
Reviewed by Billy Burgess


I was very impressed by this book, reading it in only two nights. The author, John Royce, has beautifully written a wonderful epic that combines fantasy with history, a mix between Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings and the Time Machine. He uses his great knowledge of the history of horses to give us the first adventure of the Legend of the Great Horse. The dialogue and descriptions are cleverly written to entertain and educate both young adults and adults.

The main character is a teenager named Meagan, and she is a horse lover. Being an animal lover myself, I was instantly connected to her. You are hooked within the first few pages, as Meagan loses a loved one and gains a new friend, a palomino foal that she name’s Promise. But Promise isn’t like other horses, she is the Great Horse - a fallen angel from the time of Adam & Eve. Due to financial reasons, the Foal is sent to live on a pasture until she is old enough to be ridden. During this time, Meagan meets the mysterious Mrs. Bridgestone. Mrs. Bridgestone tells Meagan about the legend of the great horse and that she believes Promise is the great horse. Mrs. Bridgestone wants the horse for her own. Three years passes by and Meagan rides Promise for the first time. Magical, long white wings stretch out of Promise, flying Meagan back in time where she meets cavemen, Romans, monks, knights and other life-threatening dangers.

Eclipsed By Shadow is a fast, action-packed adventure from start to the heart pounding cliffhanger. The author did a marvelous job blending history and fantasy together in this first book of the trilogy. Fans of horse books and fantasy adventures will enjoy reading this. Once you finish reading the final page, you’ll be longing for the next installment. ( )

I won an early reviewer's copy from Library Thing . . .

There are elements of this book that I really like and others that I believe make this a very flawed attempt.

Firstly, the story is written in two distinct parts. The transition between the parts is not smooth so that they read as separate stories rather than one continuous tale. If this is a young adult novel, as it says it is, the purpose for the hero to begin his/her quest must be clear to the reader at the very beginning. We must want to go on the journey with him/her. Because we are not clear why this quest/journey must happen (or not happen as the book warns) the motivation to read on is slim.

Secondly, the author is a lover of horses and clearly wishes to share his knowledge of history with his readership. The problem with this motivation for writing a story is that often (and it is the case here) the historical facts disrupt the story and have no importance to or seamless weaving into the plot. Because of that, the history becomes preachy and especially for young adult readers, the reader often loses interest.

I wonder at the author's choice of a female hero. While I understand that perhaps he wanted to promote some women's lib here, his choice of companion characters--mostly men who one way or another fall in "love" with her--really illustrate the opposite.

I do like the information about horses that is given. I find the descriptions within the "horse museum" to be fascinating and a lost opportunity to forward the plot. The characters have potential to be interesting but need further development. The best segment of the story is the last where the hero is sent to the Dark Ages. Much time is spent developing these characters and the story is interesting. However, what is portrayed in this section will appeal to an older reader not a teenager.

The ending is a disaster! It ends mid-story with the pathetic explanation that the "saga" will continue in book 2. All good book series contain distinct stories within each installment. JK Rowling would NEVER leave a cliff hanger. It is just poor story-telling.

What author John Royce needs is a good editor. Micron Press should know better. With a good editor this story can be made into a really good piece. As is, I cannot see it picking up any following. Certainly not for a series of installments.

A real missed opportunity. ( )

The book itself is well written and I found it to be very interesting. It is full of jaw-dropping action that is full of fascinating adventures, and the bits of history about horses intrigued me to the point I could not put the book down. The young girl "Meagan” takes on a whole new meaning of horsemanship as she travel in ancient and medieval cultures through time on a mystical horse called Promise. After reading Book One of this Trilogy I can't wait to get a hold of the second and third book. I can tell already that I would love to see this book made into a movie. ( )

The beginning seemed a bit slow, but after that the book was very interesting. I particularly liked the idea of the plot, that a teenage girl travels through time, and the bits of history about horses added information that I have never seen in other historical fiction books. ( )