The Finest Creation

Finest Trilogy #1

by Jean Rabe

They were the Finest Creations - mystically forged creatures of perfection sent by the creators to aid the Fallen (mankind) during their mortal existence.
Though they resemble ordinary horses they are highly intelligent, capable of communicating telepathically and completely moral. They are assigned to bond with individuals of great potential and then protect them from harm while guiding them along a path of virtue.
This is as it has been for years unto creation ... but when a young Finest is separated from its mentor before it has been invested with its assignment, the result of an ambush by evil forces bent on corrupting men, the young equine accepts the charge of two orphans to its care not realizing that man's potential may rest in their future.... And that the path forward is already being diverted by an evil mastermind whose manipulation of court politics and affairs of state might instigate a new dark age upon the light of civilization.

The Finest Series combines elements of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series with C.S.Lewis's Narnia for an inspiring tale of mystical intrigue and the crucible of morality for mankind.

Genres: Fantasy, Horses, Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

When I am not writing, I toss tennis balls to my cadre of dogs. My house is filled with books and dogs, you can smell both when you walk in the front door. It's a good smell.

I have 36 published novels and am currently writing in the mystery genre. My latest mystery, The Dead of Winter, was a finalist for the Claymore Award and is the first in the Piper Blackwell series.

I live in a tiny town in the middle of Illinois that has a Dollar General, a pizza place with exceedingly slow service, a veterinarian (good thing, eh?), and train tracks...lots of train tracks.

Reviews

[Rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exceedingly average. The writing was flat, especially the dialogue. A lot of repetition. I found myself getting bored trying to get through it. The premise is an interesting one, but quickly runs into the problem of the fact that... most humans spend their time in buildings that horses can't go into. So for quite a lot of the book, the Finest wasn't even present. The main two human characters weren't bad, but their characterization was uneven, and they weren't given anything very interesting about themselves. I don't think the book really did anything too unique with the premise and didn't do anything really groundbreaking. But if you like horses you'll probably like it by default lol.
Despite overall being lacklustre, it at least didn't actively piss me off, so I'm not rating it too low. It did genuinely have some good twists that I didn't see coming (yet made complete sense in hindsight). It kind of felt like a very long first chapter in order to set up the world for whatever happens in the next two books. Based on the ending, I might give the second book a try. But I'm not in any rush for it.
The assassins being birds was something I didn't expect. I remember thinking their speech was annoying and repetitive when they're first introduced--but it makes sense if they're birds. Or at least, I'd like to think it was done on purpose, but everyone else's speech is repetitive too. The Bishop being in on it was also something that surprised me. I kept waiting to see who he had met in his office, and I was not expecting the owl! But perhaps the biggest "twist" of all was annoyingly obvious right from the beginning. It was obvious as soon as people started using non-specific language for Gallant-Stallion's charge that it wasn't the prince, but we have to put up with him being stupid about it for the whole book, until the very end where the readers all shout a collective DUH.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love anything with sentient horses, but the story was ultimately shallow and a bit clumsily written at times. Like another reviewer mentioned, some mistakes cause a bird to be referred to as a hawk in one sentence and a crow in the next several times. The word choices were occasionally awkward, as when the author chose to use “mouthed” frequently, which confused me until I realized she meant it as “thought”. There was too much repetition in each character’s POV, and continuous heavy-handed messaging about how humanity is Fallen and needs the Finest Creations to guide them. The concept of guiding isn’t practical, however, because the Finest can’t speak at all to their human charges, so it’s impossible for what ends up being a regular horse to direct a human’s actions. The villains, initially mysterious dark assassins, turned out to be … a flock of birds. Led by an evil mastermind who is … an owl.

The world Rabe has created is “traditionally” medieval and sexist, as the story makes sure to repeat throughout, but without anything meaningful to say about it other than some vague, brief regrets that maybe women should be able to do something less traditional with their lives. I also found the many references to the main female character’s weight excessive, as when her brother labels her as “pudgy” and “chubby” at first, then the author makes sure all the characters notice and bring up her being “thin” multiple times after she loses weight, even though the body weight commentary could have been left out entirely and not changed the story at all.

It’s too bad because the cover art, particularly the horse, is beautiful.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is actually the second time I've read this book. I remember absolutely loving it the first time, but I confess that this time I was underwhelmed. I had a strong sense that it would make a good book to read aloud, but I thought the characterization was less fleshed out and the writing was a little more stilted than I like when reading fantasy. I appreciated the characterization of the Finest, but I'm not sure having a horse as a shepherd is the best method, since they can't follow their charges into buildings...that being said, there were definitely some twists I didn't see coming, but they made sense with the plot line. I'll finish the series, for sure.

[Katinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

While most might consider humans the dominant species on the planet, they are secretly being guided by the members of the Finest Court. These members appear to their charges in the form of a highly intelligent horse, though most humans don’t notice anything unusual about them, The Finest Court are favored by the Creators and are charged with aiding those they guide to become better than they might be otherwise.

Two young people, a brother and sister, seem to be unaware that they are at the center of a plot that could change the course of life in their country. Someone wants this brother and sister dead, though who that is or why they are so determined to assassinate these children remains unclear. Can the newly assigned Finest guide and protect his charges from those that seek to do them harm? And with his own mentor killed before he can truly be assigned and have his task explained, can this Finest manage to find a way to not only keep his charges safe from those seeking to bring about their deaths, but also to discover the truth behind what his task was meant to entail?

I enjoyed this story a great deal. The twists contained within were well crafted and kept me guessing about what was really going on. I truly enjoyed reading this story and am looking forward to seeing what happens in book 2 in this series, though I felt that this one could have benefitted from one more round of editing/proofreading as I caught a few more typos in the book than I am used to seeing from this author. Overall, it was still a very enjoyable story and one I am looking forward in reading more about in the sequel.

[Darla Welchel · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept, but with an author a prolific as Jane Rabe (and an editor to boot, if you can believe her website), I was put off by the lack of writing fineness. The book was not edited well; often there were discrepancies in the timeline/continuity. Case in point, in the first chapter, it made a point of saying that the siblings were three years apart in age; this was the last time three was used as the author continually referred to an age gap of two years. Also, one of the main protagonist was referred to as a crow or a hawk - I kept rereading to see if I missed something, until it was done in the same paragraph! It was slow moving, a bit of a dullard. Supposedly, the Finest Creations were supposed to protect and "guide" there charges, but I never saw any of the guidance. I may finish the set - if I get really bored. Certainly not the quality of writing that I'm used to and coming from an author that has dozens of books to her name!

[Sammie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the concept. It’s well written and beautiful. However it’s quite slow. Half way through the book, and the main characters still don’t know their mission or have any insight into their persuers yet.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young Guardian horse learns to care for his youthful princess charge.

[Chy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dude, it's got sentient horses. As if it were possible for me to not read that.

Definitely things made me go "Meh," but a few things that were very cool. Like the physical description of the main Finest Creature character.

It was one of those deals where I was reading along, and happy the Finest MC had caught up with what I had figured out on page, I don't know, fifteen. (Which isn't anything to be proud of; I was just ready to see how he figured it out.) At the same time, you have all this Real Plot Stuff going, and looking to be coming to a head and really into how they're going to help this one poor hypnotised guy (and knowing it's going to take some time) when I realize...I got about ten pages left.

Yeah, one of those deals. So, {sigh}, I am going to have to seek out the next books at some point. Dern the series.

Anyway. Woulda been three stars, but I just reminded myself that I was at least into it enough that I didn't realize how close I was getting to the end, and that's something.

[Erika Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover says this book was like a cross between Black Beauty and C.S. Lewis, but a far more accurate description would be C.S. Lewis meets Mercedes Lackey's Valdamar series. With strong religious undertones, the story follows the adventures of Meven and his younger sister Kal as they journey from the temple to their cousins wedding. In this world, the five good gods created the Finest, special creatures with magical powers that take on the guise of horses to shepherd humans that are worth saving. The two evil gods created a team of supernatural birds that act as assassins. For some reason, someone wants the entire royal family dead, including the cousins who had previously been headed towards a life in the church. The only downside to this book was it was just really starting to get into the thick of the plot when it ended, leaving room for the second and third book. Be warned, however, that this book does not really stand on its own as it was clearly meant to be continued later.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was... different. Rabe has a very good writing style. She pays attention to detail but doesn't forget about her characters or her story line. It was a good story. If you love horses and/or fantasy then this book is for you. Once you get into the story, it becomes a real page turner. Stick with it and I think you'll enjoy it. I know I did.

[Elzbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Finest Trilogy. I picked it up not knowing what to think, but I'm glad I did. It almost as if C.S. Lewis had rewritten Black Beauty. A Finest is a protector of humans and Gallant-Stallion has been sent to guard his first charge. But when his mentor and his mentor's charge die, Gallant-Stallion must save his charge's life from the evil hunting them.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start, was worried that I wouldn't be able to get into it, but eventually it grabbed me. Somewhat telepathic horses, though not normally in touch with their specific humans. Did remind me of Mercedes Lackey's Valdamar books, but still a good one on it's own, as the first in a trilogy.

[Ben]

In the book "The Finest creation" was about a horse made by god and he has fallen into to mankind. Now the stallion, a prince and his friends must travel to the kingdom of the king, however there will be many challenges ahead and evil will be leaking to hunt them.

[YAHWEH · Rating 2 out of 5]

...getting off to a good start, I admire authors who describe the environment surrounding their characters.

[Mia Valdez Quellhorst · Rating 1 out of 5]

weak.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book/author I found on a Fantasy Book List. I liked the story and how the animals can be guardians over the people. Good vs Evil.

[Bre' · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow to start off with but glad I stuck with it.

[Rebekah Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow going at first, but before you know it you are pulled in. On the run with Meven and Kalantha following twisted paths and trying to survive.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! I am regretting that I did not pick up the next book in the trilogy at the library!

[Starsreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few things that made it not perfect, but overall a super enjoyable story and a very good writing. I'd say a must read for horse fans and a must read for mystical animals fans.

[Christina Brown-Bingham · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed the overall story but it dragged a bit in the description and dialog. Also make up your mind is it a crow or a hawk!!!

[Joanna Zuercher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love horses, and fantasy fiction, and Jean Rabe did a great job writing both!

[Noel Swegan · Rating 1 out of 5]

i loved this book! i think i've read it 7 times already. It's the first of the series, I read the second and 3d book. I found it at the library and it was a quick grab and book and get out. I find a lot of good books that way. Sorry I don't do spoilers, but I will tell you this, there's a lot of twists in here that some you'll see others you won't