Post by Claire on Oct 4, 2008 18:47:38 GMT 1
ANN & JIM / LEYSHAM STUD SERIES by H. M. PEEL
I have decided to do a review of the whole series (at least all those I have read so far) rather than separate reviews. All these books are very rare so it will be unlikely that many people have read the whole series. Hopefully the character list and summaries below will fill in a few blanks for people who only have one or two books in the series and would like more background info.
The books in order are:
1. PILOT THE HUNTER
2. PILOT THE CHASER
3. EASTER THE SHOWJUMPER aka THE SHOW JUMPER
4. NIGHT STORM THE FLAT RACER
5. DIDO AND ROGUE
6. GAY DARIUS
7. UNTAMED
EDITIONS REVIEWED: ALL FIRST EDITIONS (INCL AN AMERICAN 1ST)
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Ann Barton (later Henderson) – our heroine.
Jim Henderson – Ann’s boyfriend in the first book, later husband.
Mike – Ann’s brother
Mr Barton – Ann’s widower father. A successful farmer.
Tom – the stud groom, previously worked for Ann’s father
Pat – young boy who comes to work on the stud
Bill Garner - scruffy rather abrupt Vet who is nevertheless excellent at his job and has a heart of gold
Robert – Ann’s young nephew
Pilot – Ann’s large piebald hunter
Easter – sister of Pilot. Becomes a show jumper
Night Storm – son of Easter. Flat racer and later stud.
Dido – a sweet natured pony who is trained for polo
Rogue – a vicious horse who has been bred on the stud
Darius – nice palomino horse whom Ann decides to train for eventing.
SUMMARY OF THE BOOKS:
PILOT THE HUNTER
In this first book,
Ann is still living at home with her father and brother on their farm. Ann buys the oddly marked piebald gelding Pilot at a sale, thinking he has potential. Despite his odd looks and slightly dodgy temperament, Ann and Pilot soon become a great team and Ann proves that her horse is a superb hunter and point-to-pointer. Along the way she meets her brother’s friend Jim. Romance ensures and the couple plan to set up a stud together.
PILOT THE CHASER
Ann and Jim are now married and have set up home together. As Pilot has proved himself a star in the hunting and pointing world, the Hendersons think he may have a chance at entering the Grand National. If he does well the prize money and prestige could help get their stud off the ground. His training for the big race is complicated by the strange behaviour of the mare Easter. She has a surprise in store for them!
EASTER THE SHOWJUMPER
Easter, sister of Pilot, shares his jumping talent and Ann decides to try her hand at show jumping the mare. But Easter is not an easy ride to say the least, much to Jim’s concern. Can Ann get to Wembley without breaking any bones?
NIGHT STORM THE FLAT RACER
Jim and Ann think their colt Night Storm may have potential as a flat racer. They install him at a nearby trainer’s yard but, like his relatives, the colt has a headstrong temperament. Can he prove himself, despite his wild behaviour and the efforts of unscrupulous rivals to put him out of the running?
DIDO AND ROGUE
Nightstorm is now installed as stud stallion and Ann and Jim turn their attention elsewhere. The gentle mare Dido is showing promise as a polo pony. But the colt Rogue is proving more of a handful, becoming more and more vicious as he gets older. After the horse nearly causes a tragedy, his future is in the balance. Can Ann and Jim come up with a plan to save the horse from a bullet?
GAY DARIUS
Not read this one. Ann decides to try eventing with her palomino Darius.
UNTAMED
Last in series. Not read this one and don’t know what its about!
REVIEW:
These are an enjoyable series of books. Technically they are very well written and very easy to read. The characters are quite well-drawn too, and in most cases fairly believable and likeable. (My favourite is the scruffy vet who is a terrible driver!) The dialogue is excellent and so is the character interaction such as Mike and Ann’s bickering and Mike’s constant quotations (which are a little reminiscent of Henry in the Noel and Henry series) As well as good human characters, the equine characters are also well-fleshed out. Unlike some pony books where they seem to have the character of a furry bicycle, the horses in these books have their own personalities. The author took this further in her two stand alone novels Fury and Jago, in which the books were mainly written from the horse’s point of view and analysed quite deeply the personality and emotions of the horse.
The books also have a lot of horsy content, in particular technical information which is delivered in a fairly non-didactic way, (more JPT than JMB in A Pony in the Family series!) The reader can tell that the author, having lived and worked with horses for many years, was writing from experience
I also like the way that each book deals with a different discipline, centred in most cases around a different horse (Pilot gets two books however!). We go from hunting to chasing to flat races to polo and sulky racing to eventing! As with her general horse information most of the details regarding these discliplines are fairly realistic (with a couple of notable exceptions!) They are certainly interesting reads as the author is not afraid to explore lesser known horsy disciplines such as polo and harness racing, which gives some of the stories a certain freshness.
Another thing I like is that the books are for the most part concerned with adult characters, which is fairly rare in the pony book world and makes the series ideal reading for the older pony book nerd! It also means that we have a few more ‘adult’ issues than the average pony book.
There are however some negative points to the books. One of the main gripes it that for books which have such realistic content, there are some seriously unrealistic parts which tend to jar a touch. This is mainly centred upon the breeding of some of the main horsy characters. For instance Pilot as a piebald would not have been a registered thoroughbred and couldn’t have taken part in the National. Ditto Nightstorm, his father was unknown and so he too could not have been registered as a TB and would have been no use a stud. Linked to this unrealistic element is the sensationalist storyline of many of the stories. We have horses winning the National, two parts of the Triple Crown and at HOYS! I think these could have been toned down a little. Of course there is nothing wrong in stories asking you to suspend your disbelief but this rather fairy-tale element does not sit comfortably with the knowledgeable tone of the narration.
There is a distinct lack of tension in the plots. We don’t have much doubt that each horse will excel itself in its chosen field. Although there are a few subplots designed to add a bit of tension, such as horses being stolen, doped, etc, they have a slightly cursory feel and don’t really seem to offer much danger. The only book in the series (of those I have read) which has any real tension is Dido and Rogue in which Rogue’s future is in real doubt.
The plots are a bit thin too, but then again the author is not really a plot-driven writer. The books are more about the detail of working and training horses and the relationship of rider and mount, which is not necessarily a bad thing, although I do prefer a good juicy plot as well! The books all really follow the same general plot of awkward tempermental horse tamed and made good. (In fact most of the author’s books including Fury and Jago are concerned with temperamental or downright vicious horses – it does seem a slight obsession of the author.)
One point that should be made is the lack of sentimentality in the books. To some this is a good thing and we are at least spared any mawkish scenes, but to my mind they go too far to the extreme. Jim and Bill Garner in particular have a no-nonsense attitude to the horses and this is illustrated best in Dido and Rogue where they are quite ruthless in subduing the vicious Rogue. Ann does seem to have a more sentimental attitude to her horses but even she forces Easter to become a jumper when it is clear the mare does not enjoy it.
Although most characters are likeable, unfortunately the heroine Ann is slightly annoying. Just as there is little tension in the books, there is little in her character also. OK we are not expecting anything as serious as a ‘fatal flaw’ in a pony book, but some minor imperfections would be quite acceptable. Ann is a seemingly perfect being. Not only is she a brilliant rider, she has an adoring husband, lives in a horsy paradise with numerous horses to ride, is liked by everyone she meets, is an expert at judo and manages on two occaisions to single-handedly apprehend two gangs of bad guys! If you met her in real life she is the sort of paragon who would make you want to spit! Unfortunately this makes her a character you empathise less with then others who have more problems such as for example Ruth in Fly-by-night or Gillian in a Dream of Fair Horses.
In summary the books are good wish-fulfillment comfort reading. They are not amongst the greats, but are nonetheless enjoyable and interesting reads - as long as the reader is able to suspend disbelief for a short while whilst reading them.
In general I would award the series 3 horseshoes, with in my opinion, Dido being the most enjoyable and Easter the least. I think however that her stand alone story Fury, and to a slightly lesser extent, Jago, are actually her best works, although they are not in the same mould at all as the Leysham stud series. If you want more depth to a story read those two, if you prefer more traditional and gentler stories stick to Ann and Jim’s exploits. All of her books are definitely worth reading however.
I have decided to do a review of the whole series (at least all those I have read so far) rather than separate reviews. All these books are very rare so it will be unlikely that many people have read the whole series. Hopefully the character list and summaries below will fill in a few blanks for people who only have one or two books in the series and would like more background info.
The books in order are:
1. PILOT THE HUNTER
2. PILOT THE CHASER
3. EASTER THE SHOWJUMPER aka THE SHOW JUMPER
4. NIGHT STORM THE FLAT RACER
5. DIDO AND ROGUE
6. GAY DARIUS
7. UNTAMED
EDITIONS REVIEWED: ALL FIRST EDITIONS (INCL AN AMERICAN 1ST)
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Ann Barton (later Henderson) – our heroine.
Jim Henderson – Ann’s boyfriend in the first book, later husband.
Mike – Ann’s brother
Mr Barton – Ann’s widower father. A successful farmer.
Tom – the stud groom, previously worked for Ann’s father
Pat – young boy who comes to work on the stud
Bill Garner - scruffy rather abrupt Vet who is nevertheless excellent at his job and has a heart of gold
Robert – Ann’s young nephew
Pilot – Ann’s large piebald hunter
Easter – sister of Pilot. Becomes a show jumper
Night Storm – son of Easter. Flat racer and later stud.
Dido – a sweet natured pony who is trained for polo
Rogue – a vicious horse who has been bred on the stud
Darius – nice palomino horse whom Ann decides to train for eventing.
SUMMARY OF THE BOOKS:
PILOT THE HUNTER
In this first book,
Ann is still living at home with her father and brother on their farm. Ann buys the oddly marked piebald gelding Pilot at a sale, thinking he has potential. Despite his odd looks and slightly dodgy temperament, Ann and Pilot soon become a great team and Ann proves that her horse is a superb hunter and point-to-pointer. Along the way she meets her brother’s friend Jim. Romance ensures and the couple plan to set up a stud together.
PILOT THE CHASER
Ann and Jim are now married and have set up home together. As Pilot has proved himself a star in the hunting and pointing world, the Hendersons think he may have a chance at entering the Grand National. If he does well the prize money and prestige could help get their stud off the ground. His training for the big race is complicated by the strange behaviour of the mare Easter. She has a surprise in store for them!
EASTER THE SHOWJUMPER
Easter, sister of Pilot, shares his jumping talent and Ann decides to try her hand at show jumping the mare. But Easter is not an easy ride to say the least, much to Jim’s concern. Can Ann get to Wembley without breaking any bones?
NIGHT STORM THE FLAT RACER
Jim and Ann think their colt Night Storm may have potential as a flat racer. They install him at a nearby trainer’s yard but, like his relatives, the colt has a headstrong temperament. Can he prove himself, despite his wild behaviour and the efforts of unscrupulous rivals to put him out of the running?
DIDO AND ROGUE
Nightstorm is now installed as stud stallion and Ann and Jim turn their attention elsewhere. The gentle mare Dido is showing promise as a polo pony. But the colt Rogue is proving more of a handful, becoming more and more vicious as he gets older. After the horse nearly causes a tragedy, his future is in the balance. Can Ann and Jim come up with a plan to save the horse from a bullet?
GAY DARIUS
Not read this one. Ann decides to try eventing with her palomino Darius.
UNTAMED
Last in series. Not read this one and don’t know what its about!
REVIEW:
These are an enjoyable series of books. Technically they are very well written and very easy to read. The characters are quite well-drawn too, and in most cases fairly believable and likeable. (My favourite is the scruffy vet who is a terrible driver!) The dialogue is excellent and so is the character interaction such as Mike and Ann’s bickering and Mike’s constant quotations (which are a little reminiscent of Henry in the Noel and Henry series) As well as good human characters, the equine characters are also well-fleshed out. Unlike some pony books where they seem to have the character of a furry bicycle, the horses in these books have their own personalities. The author took this further in her two stand alone novels Fury and Jago, in which the books were mainly written from the horse’s point of view and analysed quite deeply the personality and emotions of the horse.
The books also have a lot of horsy content, in particular technical information which is delivered in a fairly non-didactic way, (more JPT than JMB in A Pony in the Family series!) The reader can tell that the author, having lived and worked with horses for many years, was writing from experience
I also like the way that each book deals with a different discipline, centred in most cases around a different horse (Pilot gets two books however!). We go from hunting to chasing to flat races to polo and sulky racing to eventing! As with her general horse information most of the details regarding these discliplines are fairly realistic (with a couple of notable exceptions!) They are certainly interesting reads as the author is not afraid to explore lesser known horsy disciplines such as polo and harness racing, which gives some of the stories a certain freshness.
Another thing I like is that the books are for the most part concerned with adult characters, which is fairly rare in the pony book world and makes the series ideal reading for the older pony book nerd! It also means that we have a few more ‘adult’ issues than the average pony book.
There are however some negative points to the books. One of the main gripes it that for books which have such realistic content, there are some seriously unrealistic parts which tend to jar a touch. This is mainly centred upon the breeding of some of the main horsy characters. For instance Pilot as a piebald would not have been a registered thoroughbred and couldn’t have taken part in the National. Ditto Nightstorm, his father was unknown and so he too could not have been registered as a TB and would have been no use a stud. Linked to this unrealistic element is the sensationalist storyline of many of the stories. We have horses winning the National, two parts of the Triple Crown and at HOYS! I think these could have been toned down a little. Of course there is nothing wrong in stories asking you to suspend your disbelief but this rather fairy-tale element does not sit comfortably with the knowledgeable tone of the narration.
There is a distinct lack of tension in the plots. We don’t have much doubt that each horse will excel itself in its chosen field. Although there are a few subplots designed to add a bit of tension, such as horses being stolen, doped, etc, they have a slightly cursory feel and don’t really seem to offer much danger. The only book in the series (of those I have read) which has any real tension is Dido and Rogue in which Rogue’s future is in real doubt.
The plots are a bit thin too, but then again the author is not really a plot-driven writer. The books are more about the detail of working and training horses and the relationship of rider and mount, which is not necessarily a bad thing, although I do prefer a good juicy plot as well! The books all really follow the same general plot of awkward tempermental horse tamed and made good. (In fact most of the author’s books including Fury and Jago are concerned with temperamental or downright vicious horses – it does seem a slight obsession of the author.)
One point that should be made is the lack of sentimentality in the books. To some this is a good thing and we are at least spared any mawkish scenes, but to my mind they go too far to the extreme. Jim and Bill Garner in particular have a no-nonsense attitude to the horses and this is illustrated best in Dido and Rogue where they are quite ruthless in subduing the vicious Rogue. Ann does seem to have a more sentimental attitude to her horses but even she forces Easter to become a jumper when it is clear the mare does not enjoy it.
Although most characters are likeable, unfortunately the heroine Ann is slightly annoying. Just as there is little tension in the books, there is little in her character also. OK we are not expecting anything as serious as a ‘fatal flaw’ in a pony book, but some minor imperfections would be quite acceptable. Ann is a seemingly perfect being. Not only is she a brilliant rider, she has an adoring husband, lives in a horsy paradise with numerous horses to ride, is liked by everyone she meets, is an expert at judo and manages on two occaisions to single-handedly apprehend two gangs of bad guys! If you met her in real life she is the sort of paragon who would make you want to spit! Unfortunately this makes her a character you empathise less with then others who have more problems such as for example Ruth in Fly-by-night or Gillian in a Dream of Fair Horses.
In summary the books are good wish-fulfillment comfort reading. They are not amongst the greats, but are nonetheless enjoyable and interesting reads - as long as the reader is able to suspend disbelief for a short while whilst reading them.
In general I would award the series 3 horseshoes, with in my opinion, Dido being the most enjoyable and Easter the least. I think however that her stand alone story Fury, and to a slightly lesser extent, Jago, are actually her best works, although they are not in the same mould at all as the Leysham stud series. If you want more depth to a story read those two, if you prefer more traditional and gentler stories stick to Ann and Jim’s exploits. All of her books are definitely worth reading however.