#dark sunshine

[hazel-janes-books-galore]

The first three books in Phantom Stallion series by Terri Farley. 

The Wild One, 2002

Mustang Moon, 2002

Dark Sunshine, 2002

[hardsung1e]

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

Phantom Stallion Timeline #3

this one got long and i want to be sorry but...i’m not. [previous tl posts]

Book 3: Dark Sunshine

Synopsis: (This is one of my very favorite books y’all are in for a Ride). Sam steals rescues a buckskin mare, Dark Sunshine, from rustlers (which I guess are different from wranglers as I have literally learned just now; I tried to google this and only got results for jeans--under different search parameters, I learned that rustling is theft and wrangling is being hired to handle an animal so mostly Not Legal vs Actually Legal). Also, Brynna starts HARP at River Bend Ranch, so Micki, a runaway 11/12 year old (her age changes but Sam calls a her a kid a lot as if Sam isn’t….13), and Popcorn, an abused mustang, are introduced. Micki sets the barn and bunkhouse on fire (don’t smoke, Kids, you’ll destroy property and also your larynx; I know because I just took a test on this it’s very Gross); Dark Sunshine runs away with the Phantom in the chaos. In the end, Sam and Jake catch Flick, the rustler (not Wrangler), who had made an appearance in Book 1 being equally Awful, Sam keeps Dark Sunshine, and everything turns out Okay for Mikki (yay!) (Also Sam learns to be a little more empathetic to People also) (People meaning Mikki) (And not just Horses) (it’s character growth okay!!). And Dark Sunshine and the Phantom are having a baby! Very exciting.

Timeline: September  (“Sam could have slept in on this September Saturday--pg 1); it’s just a few weeks after Book 2, but “just a few weeks/months” is a PS trend I notice to summarize previous events that does not...necessarily make timeline sense (here it does since it’s still early in the series)

Ages: Sam--13 (pg 80). Jake is 3 years older than Sam (16) (his birthday is in book 4 though).

Mikki on page 55 is 12 and then on page 84 is 11; I’ll stick with 11 because I think that’s what Terri wants her to be. 

Notes:

Seth shows up!!!!! The Ely boys are like the entire Volunteer Fire Department, and the only brother mentioned by name is Seth. Alas, we never, ever see Seth again. I used to call him the Missing Eli Brother, but then Terri came out with that novella so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That one time Slocum has known Luke Ely for at least two years and says to Sam something like “hey let Jake Ely’s dad--what’s his name??? Luke???--know!” Bruh.

This COULD be a way of introducing him to us but like Terri has never had a problem saying their names in the narrative.

Also Sam has just rescued Linc after he’s fallen off Champ whoopsiedaisy

WYATT KISSES BRYNNA AFTER THE FIRE

Sam is Not Pleased

Jake is embarrassed bc he thought his parents were having A Moment that Sam witnessed, which, tbh, was also a sweet moment

This is also the book where Jake mentions that he’s his mom’s baby!!! He is!!! He’s only 16 and he’s the youngest of her sons, he’s a baby!!!

This book is chock full of good Sake moments tbh

Sam hugs Jake after the fire

Darrel gives Sam an approving nod when she ambushes Jake at lunch (Darrel is 100% all about his bro Jake getting with Sam in literally every book we see him in so I Approve of Darrel) (even if he didn’t get EVEN COOLER in later books lmao)

“You only have to be 16 to get married in Reno.”

Context? What context?

(fine if you don’t remember it’s because she’s trying to tell Jake what she overheard one of the rustlers saying and then SURPRISE he’s right behind her so she has to make something up Fast)

Jake is PISSED about it it’s glorious

(Can Sam even pass for 16??)

That one time Jake had to throw a gun off a cliff because he was afraid he was gonna use it when Flick threatened Sam

When Jake tells Sam, even after he’s used up his personal word quota for a conversation, that he doesn’t want to see her get her heart broken if they have to put Sunny down

Sam doesn’t know what guns are; Flick mentions Dr. Winchester, and Sam thinks that means there’s a third person. Sweet child.

Sam also “Not All Men”’s Mikki

Flick bought Rachel Slocum a coffee and he got some hot goss from the neighborhood out of her but………..she’s like 15/16??? That’s a lil creepy

Flick is overall creepy

Also racist he hates Jake for being Shoshone

All-around not a good Dude

Linc has a Brahama-que; I don’t think there’s much more interesting beyond Sam and Jake bursting in to tell everyone about Flick. Also the name.

Brynna in a lacy sundress looking for her handcuffs though man she is a Good Character

Sam gives Mikki her horse-hair bracelet at the end of the book. This comes up later so noting it now.

Sam’s mom is the reason she likes the river--she used to go out when she was pregnant and couldn’t sleep to calm little bb in the womb Sam and then they took Sam out as a baby to settle her down too. A very sweet Wyatt-Sam moment--those sometimes get overlooked (at least by me) bc Sam is always in Trouble lol

I haven’t gotten to the second HARP book yet (it’s #13 I actually just started it), but Jake’s a lot better in this one than I remember him being in that one (meaning...not as Shy™) (there is only one kid this go ‘round and she’s 11/12 so maybe that helps)

That one time MIkki wanted to fight Jake tho Solid Moment

[amurg-cu-stele]

feelin’ kinda rough kinda numb

[openingfiction]

The sweet smell of horses and hay carried to Samantha Forster on an early morning breeze.

Terri Farley, Phantom Stallion #3: Dark Sunshine

[edithshead]

from Dark Sunshine Ragnhild Jevne by Elina Kechicheva for Marie Claire Italia