The Silver Brumby Book Review

The Silver Brumby is a favourite horsy book of mine! Elyne Mitchell has an incredible talent to describe the beautiful Australian Snowy Mountain country and weave a spell around your imagination. The powerful Thowra is an unforgettable character, making the book an instant classic. I found it took weeks to get the book out of my mind after I read it the first time.   












Author: Elyne Mitchell

Series: 1st in the Silver Brumby series


Genre: Australian Adventure, Children's Fiction
Rating: 
and 1/2 

Plot: On a stormy night Bel Bel gave birth to a colt. Not an ordinary colt, but a colt with a silver coat, which would be hunted by both horse and man. The beautiful colt was named Thowra after the wild, swift wind which howled at his birth.

Growing up in the Cascade herd, Thowra knows that someday he must rule as king, just as his mighty father Yarraman has. However at a young age he learns that he will have many enemies, and in order to survive he must use all his speed and cunning, to outsmart man, and rule as king, because with a silver coat he cannot hide.   


In a violent fight for leadership his sire Yarraman is killed, and the victorious Brolga rules the Cascade brumbies. At that stage Thowra is too young to fight, but everyday he grows in maturity and strength. So that one day he may rule.


Thowra has other problems, the man is constantly hunting him. So far Thowra has been able to out smart him, but how long can he keep his wits up when it is obvious that the man will not give up, is there anywhere he can run?   




Notes: The description in the book, is the best I've ever read. The Silver Brumby has the amazing ability to really, really draw you into the story.  Suddenly you can think, feel and understand like a horse. The story does justice to the wild beauty in brumbies and the wild beauty in the Australian bush. The joys and freedoms of the bush creatures become yours to enjoy. 


The book does not 'humanise' horses as many do. True, you still can understand them and to a degree any animals in books must be 'humanised' (for example the dialogue between horses is more articulate then what real horses communicate) but you really feel that you are reading about a horse that neighs, nibbles on the necks of friends, rears and acts just as a real horse would.   


It really upset me to finish the book, and taking a trip to the library to borrow the second one couldn't come soon enough. The book was an addiction. 


However, if you're not a 'horsy' person, then I might not recommend this book (I know after reading my high praise, you must be shocked). If you don't adore horses, and love reading about how they act in the wild, you will probably find it boring. The subject of the Australian bush and horses has to already interest you to enjoy the book.





Themes: The most obvious theme is freedom. Even the word is in the book numerous times. Thowra wants freedom, he wants freedom from the Brolga and freedom from man. He wants to live in the free Snowy Mountains forever without the possibility of that being taken away. Other themes might be - the conquest for territory and the conservation of native animals and bushland.

Favourite quotes: 
'I will call you Thowra,' she said, waking him with her nose, 'because that means wind. In the wind you were born, and fleet as the wind you must be if you are to survive.' (quote by Bel Bel page 5)



'He didn't hear the man on the black horse swear and say 'That horse is getting too cunning." But it was from that day on that a legend began to grow up about the creamy brumby, cunning as a fox. Stockmen talked of him around their summer campfires, or sung songs about him as they rode around a restless mob of of cattle that night. The cattle went on to tell the brumbies, so that they too knew all about the silver brumby.' (page 75)


'Bel Bel moved towards the cave, making no sound, leaving no track, and feeling supremely happy. The winter snows would come now, to cover the bones of an old mare. She had seen Thowra as she had always known he would be - a king of the mountain horses' (page 149)


'There grew around the campfire stories of a great silver stallion seen galloping over wind-packed snow way up on Ramshed range; of a ghost horse that drank at the Crackenback River; of a horse that all men thought was dead appearing in a blizzard at Dead Horse hut and vanishing again; of a wild stallion cry that could only be Thowra's. But no man knew where the son of Bel Bel roamed.' (page 190) 

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Please comment to tell me what you think. Discussing books is a favourite hobby of mine, and I don't mind controversy.

If you have any questions, please ask in the Q & A page. 

From Lauren  

Book Review - The Horse and His Boy

'The Horse and His Boy' is my favourite fictional novel of all time. It was the first story that introduced me to the 'Narnia' series. When I was 4 I watched play featuring this story, performed by primary schoolers, and I loved it so much I wanted to see it the next day. Since my mother said no, I listened to the audio tapes and then at five, read the book.

I have read this book too many times to count. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Author: C.S Lewis

Series: 3rd in the Narnia series

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Rating: 

Plot: After Shasta leans that he is not the son of Arsheesh, and he is going to be sold as a slave, he sets out on a journey with a talking horse Bree, to travel to the free North.


Along the way he meets up with a Tarkina (a daughter of a great lord) named Arivis who is also running away with her talking mare Hwin.

Arivis learns of an evil plot to take over Narnia and the free North by a Prince named Rabbadash who is not interested in peace and freedom, but war and control. It is then their only hope to race this cunning Prince across the desert to warn the Kings and Queens of their unknown enemy.

But Shasta has another problem. Along the way her meets up with several lions that intend to chase him! Is it by coincidence, or not?

Notes: I love the wit and personalty combinations in this book. It kept me amused and hungry for more in the slightly boring bits (like across the desert) and at the end of the book. The talking horses are fantastic! Although they are not completely 'authentic' horses, I enjoyed them immensely.

Themes: As C.S Lewis once said, "We all feel as if we don't belong in this world, because we are made for something better, but it usually takes a journey to find it." This quote sums up 'The Horse and His Boy' beautifully. Other themes are, the foolishness of pride and the wisdom of humility, relationships (not boyfriend/girlfriend, relationships like the horse (Bree) and the boy (Shaster), twins, ect.) and redemption.

Favourite quotes: [Aslan to Shasta toward the end of the book] “There was only one lion … I was the lion … who forced you to join Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.” 


[to Shasta when he questions Aslan and asks for an explanation for Aravis' story] “Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.”


[After Bree claims that he has lost everything and should go back to Calormen]  “My good horse,” said the hermit, “you’ve lost nothing but your self-conceit….If you are really so humbled as you sounded a minute ago, you must learn to listen to sense. You’re not quite the great horse you had come to think… But as long as you know you’re nobody very special, you’ll be a very decent sort of Horse, on the whole.”

Click HERE to view this picture at the full size. 

I hope you have enjoyed this book review. Please feel free to comment and tell me what you think, and if you've read this book, did you think the review was accurate?

From Lauren 

5 Books That Have Changed Who I am...

Hello Dear Followers!

I didn't plan on doing a book tag, but I got tagged, and besides, it dose make sense to write about books that have changed who I am, on a blog about my novel Jilla. So here it goes...

1 - The Bible!

 I don't think it is possible to read the Bible without it changing your whole world view upside down! It has changed me so much, that it is scary who I would've been without it. I really encourage you to read it yourself if you haven't yet. It will take you on a never ending journey that you

won't ever regret.

2 - The Lost Art of True Beauty.
A friend lent me this book and needless to say, I really enjoyed it. This book is a real challenge to girls on what it means to be truly beautiful inside and out...

Leslie Ludy easily captures a beautiful image of a feminine young lady of grace and inner beauty. She paints a picture of what we all want to look like, and then tells how we can take steps in our lives to become that ‘Virtuous Woman’ of Proverbs. ‘The Lost Art of True Beauty’ shows what a real princess of the High King looks like, it includes lots of true stories of others who have walked this way, and also stories of Leslie's teen years and marriage.

3 - The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe.

The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe was one of the first novels I read, and at 6 years old, it successfully captured my imagination, and took me into an unknown world of Narnia where Aslan rules, and anything can happen...

"They say Aslan is on the move. Perhaps he has already landed," whispered the Beaver. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delightful strain of music had just floated by. And Lucy got the feeling when you realise it's the the beginning of summer."

After the four Pevency children find themselves in the magical land of Narnia, they discover the curse of the White Witch holds on the land. It is always winter, and never Christmas. But that is not the only things she is doing to the occupants of Narnia. However the Narnias are starting to hope after an 100 year winter, that things are going to change. 

4 - Sophie's World.

I have only recently started reading this book, but I have found it a fascinating book, that makes you think really deeply about this wonderful planet earth, that we so often take for granted... 

Sophie Amundsen is an ordinary 14-year-old schoolgirl who lives with her mother in an ordinary Norwegian suburb. However, her world as she's known it will never be the same again. A mysterious note in the mail that contains two questions "Who are you?" and "Where did the world come from?" is only the start of unusual happenings. 

     The author of these unique messages is Alberto Knox, a mysterious philosophy expert. As he guides Sophie through the ideas of great thinkers, from the pre-Socratics to Jean-Paul Sartre, Sophie has other problems to solve. From time to time she gets postcards that are intended for another 14-year-old, Hilde Moller Knag, who by coincidence also has an absentee father, serving with the U.N. forces in Lebanon. Who is this Hilde? Why is her mail addressed to Sophie? And is it just coincidence that Hilde and Sophie have the same birthday?

5 - Inspiring Missionary Stories.

This is a truly inspiring book! I was lent it by a lady at my church, and it inspired me to live my life fully for my heavenly father's work, even if it means stepping out of my comfort zone...

Missionaries often live an extraordinary life with the highs and lows of their journey. This book is full of inspiring, encouraging, motivating stories - outlining the rewards and difficulties of life on the mission field.

      It is a life totally dedicated to God and his kingdom and one that the missionaries in this book would not swap. Mission work is for the young, young at heart and those who have raised their children and are reconsidering their life's work.

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I hope you have found this interesting. Please don't hesitate to comment! I'd love to hear from you!

From Lauren  

I tag - Izi, Bri and BEx