Tuesday 2 October 2012

Review: The Shadowy Horses - Susanna Kearsley


The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
Verity Grey abandons her comfortable job at the British Museum to seek adventure on an archaeological dig in the wilds of Scotland. But when she arrives on site, she discovers that the excavation is being led by a discredited and eccentric old man who has forsaken scientific evidence. Instead, the entire team is following the word of a local boy who claims that he saw a ghostly Roman soldier in the fields.

As she becomes entangled in a subtle web of treachery and danger, Verity begins to believe that there is a Roman sentinel haunting the site. And he's there to do more than guard the bodies of his fallen comrades...

My thoughts:
I think I have read too many books involving ghosts (or read about them) I kept wondering if the sentinel here was a hottie and if they would hook up ;)

Let us forget about that and get to the story. Verity is an archaeologist, she loves her job but wants back to digging. So in comes Scotland, and a mysterious job she knows nothing about. Plus an ex-boyfriend who tells her to come. She has a logical mind, she likes order, but it does prove that she has an open mind too. For that I liked her, sometimes you just have to believe (well after a while). 

On the team is also the eccentric boss who wants to find the missing Ninth Legion. Her ex-boyfriend who loves them and leaves them. A Scottish archaeologist who she starts to fancy. A woman who works at the estate and of course her son, the son who says he can see a Roman Sentinel guarding the hill. A nice group of people all in all.

The book is part fiction, part tiny bit of suspense, part ghost story, part romance. A nice mix that works.

The story is about the dig, about learning that there might be more to things than what we just see (and with a nice explanation too), and of course about finding evidence and getting recognition. 

Conclusion:
A bit of everything, romance and a ghost that can't rest in peace.

Cover
Eh

Genre: Fiction, mystery, romance
Pages: 432
Published: October 1st by Sourcebooks Landmark (first published 1997)
Source. For review

I think I want to end with a poem :)

HE BIDS HIS BELOVED BE AT PEACE

by: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

HEAR the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake,
Their hoofs heavy with tumult, their eyes glimmering white;
The North unfolds above them clinging, creeping night,
The East her hidden joy before the morning break,
The West weeps in pale dew and sighs passing away,
The South is pouring down roses of crimson fire:
O vanity of Sleep, Hope, Dream, endless Desire,
The Horses of Disaster plunge in the heavy clay:
Beloved, let your eyes half close, and your heart beat
Over my heart, and your hair fall over my breast,
Drowning love's lonely hour in deep twilight of rest,
And hiding their tossing manes and their tumultuous feet

39 comments:

  1. Great review B, thank you!

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  2. I'm always looking for the hook-up. lol

    Is this a series? It sounds kind of cool with the whole group even though I'm not usually into ghost stories.

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  3. Like the poem ending. Nice.

    This sounds like a book I would enjoy. Perfect for the time. I'm with you on the cover. Eh... but not horrible.

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    Replies
    1. I saw another that was pretty, but not fitting. At least this one fits

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  4. This sounds really good and grr now i want to know if they hooked up..you are so naughty! Nice poem too!

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  5. I like the ghost story aspect! but I read a different one by her that I didn't really like that much.

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    1. Then I can't say if you would like this one more or not

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  6. Sounds like a wonderful book! I like the poem too.

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  7. I just finished this one recently and loved it. I am a huge Kearsley fan, I always enjoy her books.

    Thanks for including the poem, it is beautiful.

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    Replies
    1. I do love poems so I had to as there were lines of it in the book

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  8. I want horses on the cover, darn it! ;)

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  9. Sounds like a nice adventure type read. :) Thanks as I'd not heard of this one.

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  10. I will be making time for this one very soon!!! Sounds like another one from her I will enjoy!

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  11. HEAR the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake,
    Their hoofs heavy with tumult, their eyes glimmering white;


    Riders on the storm...a nice idea, with that poem!

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  12. I like the bit about reading too many ghost books. They all seem to link up these days. I am drawn to this one though.

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    Replies
    1. This one was different, cos the ghost, well, it was just differnt

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  13. Ahhh nice poem at the end there! I don't really read ghostie novels...I mean sometimes the author will throw in a ghost or two. Perhaps its with the idea that my house is haunted and I'm slightly scared of ghosties. IDK. This sounds REALLY good though. *contemplates*

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    1. It was not a scary ghost, it was more..the sound of shadowy horses ;)

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  14. Yay! Glad it was good. Liked the poem, too.

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  15. By the cover I thought that this is a horror book, but by your review it looks like this is a nice contemporary romance :)

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    Replies
    1. Not so much horror no, none at all, just that eerie feeling

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  16. I didn't know this one but it's intriguing. I like a nice story like that sometimes. For now I did a little break with UF books.

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    1. I hear you ;)
      That's why I do try to read lots of different books. I do not want to feel all meh, no more

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  17. Everyone seems to love her books and I need read the 3 books I have by her. I loved Mariana whicj i read years ago. Before I read books in english...

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    Replies
    1. You got 3? Wow :) And I have heard that Mariana is good

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  18. I like that this book is about the fact that there are more to things than we see. Sounds like an interesting book.
    ~Jess

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  19. I've been meaning to read Kearsley for a while, Blodeuedd. Her covers are just so dreamy and she did write a time-travel book. Loved your review, darling!

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    1. I do want to try that time-travel book :D

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  20. bahaha trust you wondering if the Sentinel was a hottie ;)
    I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more of Kearsley's novels

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    1. Lol, yes you know me ;) I do like to think he was a hottie and that he found a girl ghost

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  21. I like the idea of ending the review with a poem. I've been curious about this book, so glad to see you liked it.

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