The Island Stallion's Fury

My oldest son asked me to read this book, thinking that I'd enjoy it. For the most part, I did. I found the contrasts particularly interesting. Tom is painted evil from the first mention and only gets more stupid, fat and animal with every encounter. Flame, however, is his opposite: beautiful, intelligent and benevolent. We're never given a chance to like Tom and we're never given a chance to dislike Flame.

Overall, it's an "OK" book. My issues with it are more about what I like in a book than anything to do with the book.

Not as good as the first Island Stallion book as there is a bit to much unreal information about horses. I know both series give human emotions to the horses to an extent but having a stallion care about the well being of a foal was just stretching credibility too far. The boys enjoyed it though and the part where the stepbrother is lost in the caves is pretty creepy.

Steve and Pitch have returned to Azul Island, for Pitch to study the remnants of a Spanish outpost, and for Steve to spend time with his beloved Flame. But Pitch's stepbrother, Tom, is determined to discover their secret, and of course, claim it for himself.

Starts slow, but picks up midway, and is overall a pretty good read.

Book 7 of "The Black Stallion" series

Steve Duncan and his friend Pitch discover a hidden valley on the remote Caribbean Azul Island, home to beautiful purebred horses and the great red stallion, Flame. Their paradise is threatened when Pitch's half-brother Tom learns of it and seeks to take control, leading to a struggle to protect their secret and the horses they love.

$35. Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition, Ninth printing.Keith Ward (illustrator). The Island Stallion (The first story in a new and exciting series by the author of The Black Stallion) was written by Walter Farley and illustrated by Keith Ward. The book was published by Random House in 1948 and is a stated Ninth Printing. It's NOT an ex-library book and it DOES have a flawless dust jacket. It's not a Book Club copy - just a really nice copy of a classic horse story.