Finnglas of the Horses

Pangur Bán Celtic Fantasies #2

by Fay Sampson

This series follows the exploits of the white cat, Pangur Ban, his friend Niall and the Princess Finnglas. In the second book in the series, the princess is on a quest to find her beloved lost horse, but this is only the beginning of a great adventure and a continuing struggle against dark forces.

Genres: Fantasy, Cats, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

About the author

Fay Sampson graduated in Mathematics, and trained as a teacher. Combining teaching with writing, Fay's children's books were frequently featured in 'Children's Books of the Year'. When she became a full-time writer, she turned to writing novels for adults, based on history and legend. She now lives with her husband in a Tudor cottage in mid-Devon.

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Celtic warrior Princess Finnglas is on a quest. After the accidental death of her brother and her father burning down the monastery where the monk lived who was to blame for the accident, Finnglas vowed to make restitution, rebuilding (like actually physically doing the work herself) the monastery. This vow also had a cost though, as it caused the "disappearance" of her beloved horse, Melisant (who "disappeared" in the waves as Finnglas was riding/swimming her across an open section of water, possibly an ocean). Now that Finnglas has made good on her vow, she is determined to search for Melisant, holding forth the hope that mayhap she is in the land of the mer-people. Joining Finnglas on this quest are her friends, Niall the monk (who is responsible for her brother's death, but she forgave him... it's complicated, and no, he's not a love interest), and Pangur Ban the talking white cat.

Where to even begin? At first glance, this story sounds like it was made for me (or at least younger me as it's aimed more for pre-teen); but it's so... messy! To be fair, this is the second (or third) book in the series (depending on if you are counting the books involving Pangur Ban or just the ones with Finnglas; and I haven't read any of the others), and the whole "brother" plot happened in the previous book, so my confusion over those elements is understandable and not this books fault. But that's just the beginning.

Obviously inspired by Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, Ms. Sampson instead choose to place the setting in Celtic times (pre-Romans) instead of on another world, but also decides to give it fantasy elements and weird geography, though keeping England and Ireland and having them visit the Norse (I think?), but placing the "Celtic Princess's" homeland somewhere around Italy or Spain? (Yes, I'm making a dubious face at the computer). And that's the least of the issues!

Next, as a Narnia want-to-be, there are allegorical elements to the story mostly centered around an anthropomorphic dolphin named Arthmael (Aslan want-to-be). This is where it get's weird for me, as a Christ figure, this character only occasionally hits the mark, often he is acting all happy and cheerful when some horrible things are happening to the other characters including when they land on an island full of horses that are starving to death and when Finnglas is holding her dying father; okay, death is more a transition than ultimate end, but Jesus wept for the pain and suffering of Mary and Martha knowing that Lazarus would soon be alive in this world again (John 11); Arthmael usually seems oblivious to the other's pain or worse, like he doesn't care because it doesn't matter in the end. Even weirder, in Ms. Sampson's world, God and the Bible are both around, the monk sings Psalms from the Bible and they talk about God... but they interact/call out/worship a talking dolphin? I really hope this was explained in the first book(s) as it was not in this one.

The last thing I'm going to rant about (and believe me, I could go on for longer!), is Finnglas herself. Overlooking the obvious issues of being Celtic but not from Ireland and having been allowed to train as a warrior (when she had a brother who is only recently dead), as a character she irks me. She goes on this long quest to try and find her horse that everyone is telling her is dead, but she's determined to search, even though they run into a mermaid early in the book who tells her Melisant isn't in the underwater world. So instead they go on a journey of months and everywhere they land she expects to find her horse. I know horses, they can't swim that far; but Finnglas is so "determined" (insert stubborn idiot) she puts others' lives in danger (like actual about to be captured/killed/starve to death) because she wants to check for her horse hundreds of miles from where she went down. (Yes, I'm growling and struggling to not grind my teeth at her.) Honestly, I feel this is a common heroine character flaw (particularly in Children's and YA lit, and from the 80's-90's) but that doesn't make it any more tolerable. Worst of all, to cap the Melisant story line Ms. Sampson gives her a brief cameo as they see the restored/changed/other side of death happy Melisant at the end (which soooooo made me think of the end of the Van Helsing movie staring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale where she's smiling in the clouds at the end... groan!). I suffered through a book with a girl who is a brat and who suffers the fate of all "really good" children's books (according to Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz), loosing a parent and a beloved pet for that?! We are very disappointed.

My favorite moment of the book is when Erc, a character they pick up along the way, finds out his mother has been sold into slavery to Finnglas's father and she has to come to terms with the slavery in her kingdom and how she never even noticed them or cared where they came from before (though even this one moment is ruined, as they've made it to a magical place to find answers to an impossible question and Finnglas tries to get them to tell her where Melisant is too). Selfish! But here is the real kicker, when you think of it, Finnglas pretty much knows from the beginning that Melisant is dead, wither or not she's willing to admit it, so really Finnglas's quest is to try to bring someone back from death... and she undertakes it for her horse instead of for her brother. I love animals, but GIRL! Get your priorities straight!

Content notes: No language issues. One of the places they land, an evil king decides to marry Finnglas against her will, but she escapes before the wedding or anything happens. They are chased by wolf-men and threatened with violence, some stones are thrown that cause minimal damage, no other violence. By far, what I found most disturbing was the island with a herd of horses that were literally starving to death right in front of them; so though the title implies it, do NOT give this to an animal lover!

For those eager for more Narnian-like adventures, I beg you not to read this book! Instead try The Archives of Anthropos by John White, The Spectrum Chronicles by Thomas Locke or if you like alternate history better than world traveling, the Wings of Light Series (which I think has been recently re-published as the Merlin's Immortals Series) by Sigmund Brouwer or the River of Time Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. All. So. Much. Better!

[Andrew Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You, Finnglas? It is not within your power to undo the past. You cannot dance where I have danced. What you have done is done. But what I have undone is undone for ever. And I will share the pain of your doing, if you will share the joy of my Undoing.”

There are some valid critiques of this book & the series, but in the end, none of them matter to me very much. These books have in spades the things that make books of this sort worth reading—captivating description, that indescribable quality of wonder, transcendent truth and beauty that catches you with your guard down and hits you in the gut—while many books in the genre that are more sound from a craft perspective barely get by. I’m loving the series, and this one was the best yet.

[Julia Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why are these books so good??
Honestly, there are so many deep truths and rich threads of spun gold woven through this book!
If a sunset had lit up the world in orange and purple, I should not be in more awe than I am now.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finnglas has helped rebuild the abbey her father destroyed. It has taken a year.

Now she wants to search for her lost horse, Melisant, drowned two years before when she was seeking vengeance on the monk Niall and the cat Pangur Ban, both of whom she held responsible for her brother's death.

There is a realm of mermaids under the sea and Finnglas believes Melisant might be there. The return of Melisant is, Finnglas insists, her heart's desire. The mermaid Morwenna, once her enemy, helps Finnglas, Pangur and Niall find a distant and mysterious island where it is possible to obtain a heart's desire.

But in the hall of testing, Finnglas is so tempted by a glorious sword that it become apparent her heart's desire is not as she thought. She is devastated.

On another island, a group of desperately hungry horses are found. Finnglas looks for Melisant there but is again disappointed. She wants to leave but Arthmael the dolphin insists that Melisant is on the island - he names each of the bony, starving horses "Melisant" and charges Finnglas and her friends with finding grain for them.

And so they are led to the cruel King Jarlath who wants to marry Finnglas to inherit her father's kingdom. Only Pangur Ban can save her but he's been wounded and it's only when he meets the fisherboy Erc that rescue becomes a genuine possibility. Erc has one ambition in life: to find where his mother, who was sold as a slave to some foreign traders, was taken.

Finnglas is a lot OCD throughout this story, but then single-minded obsessive compulsions seem to run in the family as is evidenced when she confronts her father. Erc is by far the most interesting character.

[Tnkw01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short read but there was a lot of action and adventure crammed into this delightful tale. There were two things I did not like about this book. 1) The flippant way the emotions of a crowd could change like a light switch. It kind of made the story seem absurd. 2) The writing at times was poor and it made the story a little hard to follow. Other than that it was a good story. I would have given it a 3.5 star if that option was available but since it’s not I’ll give it a 4 star since it’s definitely better than a 3 star.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a beautiful and meaningful children’s tale. I don’t think my school library had this one when I was a kid, I don’t remember any of this. Once again, the writing is rich and poetic, the characters shine, and the plot nearly had me in tears by the end.

The only thing that detracts from Fay Sampson’s magical tales are the occasionally confusing jumps from one narrative beat to the next. But it’s not a big issue, I even found myself wondering if a heavy handed editor had cut sentences here and there to shorten the book for children...

[Literacy Group · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Finnglas desperately searches for her lost horse. Niall and the white cat, Pangur Bán, accompany Princess Finnglas in this sea quest to find her horse.

[J.M.]

Once I finally had time to pick up this little book and read without interruption, I was quickly engrossed. It is the sequel to Pangur Ban the White Cat and picks up soon after that book left off with the same characters. These books are a fast read, written in an interesting and effective style. Packed with symbolism yet never preachy. I recommend them to any lover of children's fantasy with hints of Christian allegory. Favorite quote: "Do not ask me for a task that is equal to your strength. Ask me for my strength that is equal to any task."