Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

We’re at the half-way point of this 20 chapter book, and I’m not sure what story is being told here. I thought this was about a circus horse trainer wanting to get his prized horse to mate with the Black and having no patience. Over the last few chapters we now have a story in which that trainer wants to hunt down some horse god. Now we’re back on the mating plot. I remain confused, but Alec isn’t letting his horse mate before racing season and I’m still only guessing why. This chapter is rather short and I’m guessing so is the titular event. I hope it at least takes up more chapter time than the nightmare that wasn’t even half the chapter.

Chapter 10: The Fight

I thought the fight was going to be between Alec and the Captain, but the kid gets knocked out too quickly. It’s the Black who doesn’t take kindly to the Captain trying to get him to mate with Ghost, and then fighting because Black is a bit rougher than the Captain likes. Yes folks, it’s a young reader book with a horse who likes it rough. There’s something I didn’t need to see. Or at least he likes his mating rough. The Captain has a bridle in Black’s mouth trying to control him, but for once he met a horse that doesn’t control easy, and without Alec to calm him the Black runs off after the Captain grabs a pitchfork.

Basically the Captain done screwed up. This is a really short chapter, five pages long and with larger text since it’s designed for younger readers who have learned how to read but still doesn’t read a lot. (There are 10 year old who can read War & Peace. They probably shouldn’t but that’s not the point.) So outside of doing a good job broadcasting the details…which sadly includes the horse mating…there isn’t much to say about this chapter. Hopefully the next one, which appears to be longer, can give me more to review.

Next time: The Grassy Sea