Fire Maiden

Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island #5

by Terri Farley

Darby is excited to go on a "volcano watch," camping out and observing the island's volcanoes, despite recent small earthquakes that could mean an eruption is coming. After all, Darby grew up in California, so she's used to the earth rumbling now and then. Plus, the expedition is perfect for working with Hoku, helping the young mustang learn to handle any situation. But when the volcanoes do erupt, it's much scarier than Darby anticipated, and a stream of lava leaves Darby and Hoku stranded. Can Darby's horse-charming skills keep the mustang calm? Or will her filly run back to the wild?

Genres: Horses, Childrens, Middle Grade, Animals, Young Adult

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Terri Farley is the best-selling author of books about the contemporary and historic West. Her PHANTOM STALLION series has sold over 2 million books world-wide and it relaunches with new art & content in March 2023.
Terri's most recent non-fiction book Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to
Save Them (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a Junior Library Guild selection; winner of the
Sterling North Heritage award for Excellence in Children's Literature.
Terri's only contemporary fantasy is SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA.
Terri is an advocate for the West's wild horses and for young people helping to make their voices heard.

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Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this adventure which explains lots about life and nature on Hawaiian islands, with some legends, earth tremors and a volcano. Why weren't books this dramatic when I was growing up? Of course the main theme is horses and we meet quite a few with very natural behaviour shown.

I have previously read the first in the Phantom Stallion series and I was a little annoyed to find that this book is advertised as that series but is a whole different cast of people and horses and different setting. It's several books down a sub-series called Wild Horse Island. I found it hard going to discover who Derby was in relation to the other people, what she was doing there and why she had a horse from Nevada. So if you have read all the other books you may give this one five stars but I'm holding back a little. There is a set of notes at the back of the book but it still doesn't explain everything, and I didn't know the notes were there.

I'm also baffled as to why ancient Hawaiian myth would involve horses when these must have been brought by the European sailors. Don't let the truth get in the way of a good metaphor, perhaps. The older and newer island volcanoes, a chain of extinct peaks leading to a live one, and their origin legend are the proof of continental drift and the hotspot where magma rises to the surface. So there is plenty to learn in this memorable horse story. Enjoy. I'll be looking out for more by this author.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six hours of reading and I finished it. I couldn't put it down. Definitely full of action.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore these books. In this series "Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island" you learn about the horses in Hawaii. You also learn about Hawaii and Hawaiian lore and legends. In this book, Darby, Ann and Megan take an overnight trip to see the Two Sisters Volcano. Darby and Ann have a school project where they have to connect the lore with the science of the volcano. They lore we learn is Pele. Of course, there is an eruption while the girls are on their trip. These books are a quick read but I always learn something. If you love horses, this series is a must read.

[Alison]

All of the Wild Horse Island books are beautifully drawn, but of course you don't judge a book by it's cover. The climax is quite dramatic as the volcanic eruption starts, and it's a pretty good read.

[Kaylee Katastrophee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Adventurous. Thrilling. Perfect. It is a must have read. Enjoy yourselves by reading this here book lol. Happy reading! (:

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

See the first book in the series for a full review.