The Dark Horse

by Marcus Sedgwick

Book Overview

SIG IS A boy in a coastal tribe, the Storn, long ago in a Northern land. On the day of the wolf hunt, the life of the tribe changes forever, for Sig rescues a small girl, more like the wolves who... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1858818842
• ISBN13: 9781858818849
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Orion Children's Books
• Length: 187 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A story of betrayal

This is a story of boy turned leader of his tribe whose family adopted an orphan girl with the ability to speak with animals. After years of living with the adoptive family a band of murderous horseman comes to their village and the killing begins. Shortly after the attack and many of fled the girl says she can lead them to safety but betrays them. When given the choice of death or slavery the remaining villagers choose death. The book is very easy to read and keeps the reader hooked. It's a fast read as the chapters are very short. The betrayal of a loved one is moving. The writer is very good in making the reader feel betrayed as well, as if it were your own sister. The ending is not what I expected nor was this book. Not a bad read, but one that I really wasn't that impressed.

read the book The Dark Horse - Sharain Blanding

This book is really good for people to read if they want to learn new educational words. What I learned from this book is that not to keep animals trapped in one spot because eventually they will either die or escape. The stuggle or problem in the story is that a very old man gets a very special gift out no where and it is a dark horse but changes colors when it is in the light and the man doesnt know that yet.. In the book this character acts in away my friends act.In this story he gets frustrated when all his animals run lose and go out of control.the man is like my friends because when some one gets irritated they will give up or scream. This is what that man does in this story.

History's Mysteries

All books have their own flavor. However, The Dark Horse is one in a million. The Dark Horse is written by Marcus Sedgwick. The whole book is written in a series of short chapters, each switching time frames from the present to flashbacks. This book is filled with sudden and mysterious jinks, terrifying events that will leave you trembling and action that will leave your heart pounding. The Dark Horse will reach historical fiction fans in a way that can only be done by a good book. Other books by Marcus Sedgwick include Christmas Wish, Floodland, and Witch Hall. As Sigurd and Mouse, Sigurd's foster sister, gather food for their seaside Native American village, Storn, they discover a box that washed up on shore and appears to be empty. All of the while, Sigurd has flashbacks of how Mouse came to Storn. At first, she was more like a wolf but learned to be a human. Although, she still has her special ability to talk and connect with animals. Meanwhile, a strange man named Ragnald appears to seize the box. He later kills Horn, the chief, and Sigurd's father out of cold blood. Of course, Sigurd wanted revenge and got it six seconds afterward. Through a complicated chain of tradition and law, Sigurd becomes the chief of Storn as the threat of an attack from The Dark Horse arises. Omens appear, and the legendary Dark Horse attack. Many of Storn are killed, and the survivors scatter. During a sickening twist of events, Sigurd discovers a heart-wrenching secret about Mouse and her sudden betrayal. The Dark Horse is so compelling because it is shrouded in mystery. It is filled with enigmas. In fact, it even begins with a mystery when Sigurd and Mouse find the supposedly empty box. Also, as the story went on, many references to The Dark Horse are made. The Dark Horse is a frightening mystery just to know who or what they are. Mouse, however, is another mystery. She was found in a cave full of wolves, yet does not remember how she got there. A veil of mystery clouds around her. All of the questions left unanswered until the last moment makes The Dark Horse a real page turner. Mouse, even with her silent nature, can do things that many can barely imagine. She can talk to animals and see what they see. As I was reading, I occasionally found that I had a burning jealousy over what Mouse could do. Although, the description and the detail made me feel as if I had her powers too. For instance, when Mouse first joined Storn, she was found sleeping with the dogs. The villagers laughed at her and questioned her actions. She replied that the dogs were sad ever since the oldest dog had died. Then she asked "Don't they talk to you?" She had also used a hawk to find fish when the fishing was very poor. Finally, when Sigurd ran away, Mouse used a bird in an attempt to locate him. This book receives a four-star out of five rating from me. It has a few too many mysteries and cliff-hangers. Even so, reading The Dark Horse was like being a part of history. This book take

The Dark Horse

The Dark HorseThe Dark Horse is a fictional story of ancient magic and betrayal which takes place in ancient Britain. The book begins with 16-year old Sigurd who is a male native of a Northern Coastal tribe called the Storn. The Storn Tribe have been basically isolated all of their lives, except for a few traders from afar. The story revolves around Sig and Mouse being the main characters of The Dark Horse. While on a Wolf Hunt, Sig bravely rescues a small timid girl who they named Mouse. He adopts and raises her as part of his family until an ancient horse-riding people bring death and war to their quiet village.Sedgwick carefully develops the sibling relationship between Sig and Mouse. Years later, an unexpected stranger with white hair and black palms, Ragnald, arrives on the beach. He ends up spying on the Storn Tribe and causes havoc. Mouse's identity and past is then questioned. The timid little girl once found, turns out to be more mysterious and amazing than ever. Her unusual and amazing powers are all part of her secret past. Sig's shocking discovery of Mouse's past brings heartache and terror to the Storn Tribe and himself A gruesome war is inevitable and the existence of Sig's family and tribe is in jeopardy.The writing of Marcus Sedgwick was very detailed and descriptive. His main characters were both weak and strong, good and evil. The author writes with simplicity and clearly paints a detailed picture in the readers' mind. Throughout the book, Sedgwick constantly reverts back and forth from the present to the past in a third person narration. I found this feature somewhat confusing. One chapter is told from the main character Sig looking back in time, but the next chapter tells the story as actual events unfold. Then they both come together in time farther into the story.Marcus Sedgwick is not a shy author. His writing is sometimes blunt and a little bit too real at times. For example, when Sig's brave friend, Longshank, was killed by the evil enemy. As he fought in battle..."he buried his sword deep into the horseman's ribs." I did notice however that the chapters in the book were shorter than most of the books I've read. But the plot moved quickly and kept my interest to read on. I sometimes found myself lost or confused but as I read on the puzzle pieces started to fit.I found the book "The Dark Horse" very exciting and adventurous. It was a book that would keep you up all night reading it. I would recommend the book to people who like action, adventure and mysteries. In conclusion, I think the author, Marcus Sedgwick should write a second book of The Dark Horse. The second book should continue to be about Sig and his live after the surprise ending of the book. A sequel to The Dark Horse would sell fast!