#fire horses

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Happy and Fairfax, once a favorite white fire team of Engine Company No. 46, at 66th St. & 12th Avenue, August 12, 1920. Waiting in the wings is the motorized truck that will replace them. Some of their fans are on hand to bid them farewell.

Photo: NY Daily News via Getty Images

[dailybikinifix]

2026: Chinese New Year Of The Fire Horse

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[weirdnessdk]

Miss Hummerlummer

The night watchman in Østergade in Nykøbing can never yell at 2 (o'clock) in the night for then Miss Hummerlummer will come by. She comes from Gedser and drives down Østergade and out of Nykøbing in a covered wagon pulled by black horses. The fire comes out of the eyes of the horses and the neck and the manes are like flames.

[altzbreview]

Review: Shadow and Smoke

As a reader, I love discovering new authors. As a librarian (and a book reviewer), I love sharing those discoveries with other readers. What's even cooler is when I get to meet the authors I'm discovering! You can have that experience too, tomorrow night, when Rachel Wetsriru will be having a book talk/reading/signing at the Asheboro Library! Come join the fun, and meet a real live local Young Adult author!

  Now, I'm sure you're curious: Just what kind of book does this new author write? The answer: Fantasy. With horses (but not ordinary horses). And epic battles. A world with a multitude of languages, but a common religion (though not universal). And here's the official blurb (for Book 1: Shadow and Smoke) from Rachel's website:

  The peoples of the Eastern North Continent were happy and content. Life was good. There were no wars and borders were expanding. But things were too peaceful. The peoples forgot they needed their Creator and He become displeased with their inattention. To get the peoples' attention again, the Creator allowed His enemy, Proud Evil, to have sway over one young man. But this young man was not just the average youth; he was one of the few magicians, banned under pain of death, in the Eastern North Continent. Bitter and full of hatred after seeing his mentor die at the hands of the authorities, this young man fled into the wilderness to escape persecution. There, with the aid of his dragon friend, he developed a lethal army of enslaved men riding black, fire breathing horses. At the onslaught of this unnatural army, confusion and fear raced across the Eastern North Continent faster than the fires threatening to consume them all.

  Intrigued? So was I. (Actually, I was sold when Dave told me "Fire Horses," but I have to sound all "bookish," so shhh!) Here are my thoughts, post-reading ...

    Shadow and Smoke

Rachel Wetsriru

2013

  Lavinsey is a world populated by many kinds of people: Flower Fairies, Plains People, Tree-Folk, Aqua People ... and the Old People, who remember a time when all the varied people were a more united people. They even remember when the Duols, those living above the earth, in the clouds, were more than just a half-forgotten legend. When our story opens however, the peoples have separated and keep largely to themselves. Something is afoot though, and as each people finds itself threatened, they begin a journey that will reunite the land. If they make it to the Old People's House in time.

  Told in alternating chapters, Wetsriru introduces readers to the varied peoples - and specifically the main characters - one "kind" at a time, as each has their initial encounter with the deadly strange fire horses. As tension and danger mounts, our characters begin a common journey, slowly meeting up and joining forces with other representatives seeking the wisdom of the Old Man. It's a slow journey, and a dangerous one. For some, the dangers create new strength. For others, the dangers are just another wrinkle in the roll of life. For all, there is a sense of urgency and uncertainty.

  This is the first book in a trilogy, and in talking to Wetsriru I was able to confirm my suspicions: these books roll one right into the other. So don't worry about being left semi-stranded: there is more, much more, to come! With that tucked in your brain's pocket, Shadow and Smoke is very much about setting the stage. There's elaborate world building and very detailed descriptions abound. All the main characters (and the important secondary characters) are introduced and developed in detail, and the complicated relations between the peoples of Lavinsey (to say nothing of the complexity of Duols!) are presented carefully. There's enough action to keep things moving, and Shadow and Smoke definitely lays a strong foundation for the future installments (which I look forward to reading).

~ the Librarian