I was approached about reading this new release from Katherine Kaye and agreed to read a copy for review.  I anticipated an electronic copy but was pleased when they posted out a paperback for me to read!  Bound in Flame focuses on an interesting time in the history of Hawaii where it is set.  It’s the early 1900s and women are eager for the privilege of voting.  The motor car is building a following and working horses are diminishing.

Leticia (Letty) Lang is this novel’s protagonist.  She is an 18 year old woman – a suffragist – who desires to be the first qualified veterinarian.  She loves all animals but has a particular passion for horses.  Being female puts her at a disadvantage.  Having dark coloured skin adds to this, as well as being someone of working class, rather than in high society.  Add to this the penchant for acting on emotion and Letty finds herself in trouble on many occasions.

What this ambitious young woman doesn’t realise is that a lot of her tenacity actually comes from a gift she has – something she believes is Hawaiian mythology – but appears over time to in fact be real.  And worse yet, she is tied up in the middle of it.

A heat that accompanies her whenever an animal is in pain or threatened could actually be a gift to help animals – and people.  It all comes to a head when she leaps off a ship to save a beautiful stallion that was being mistreated.  And so starts her incredible adventure to learn about these ‘flames’ that always appear to accompany her.

Bound in Flame by Katherine Kayne

Bound in Flame is a most delightful read.  It mixes some true facts of Hawaiian history and throws in some intriguing fantasy, looks at interracial relationships, has heaps of horse scenes as well as a delightful romance.  The book is humourous and moves at a good pace. It was also an absolute joy to read.  Bound in Flame is highly recommended and I am curious to see where Katherine Kayne goes with the delightful characters that feature in this novel.

Author – Katherine Kayne
Fiction – adult
In my library – definitely is.

Before Christmas I was asked if I would like to read a Christmas novella. This was a follow on from Anna Rashbrook’s other horses heal souls stories.  Time permitting, I’m always up for reading another horse story. The novella is titled Christmas (Horses Cheer Souls).

A follow on in the tales of horses healing souls, Mollie finds the young women who boarded with her, keen to do something special for the older woman.  Christmas is right around the corner. The girls eagerly plan a nativity scene and horse performance to help retell the story of Christ’s birth.

In amongst this, the owners of Chaos – the unusual coloured horse – turn up, looking to take him home.  Mollie is saddened to think that the young strawberry coloured horse that she has grown so fond of may be moving away.

CHRISTMAS (HORSES CHEER SOULS) BY ANNA RASHBROOK

However, there is something that doesn’t appear quite right about the people looking to take the roan draft horse away.  As she tries to make sense of it all, things unfold in a way that Mollie doesn’t anticipate and it is the girls that help to pull things together.

This short novella has plenty of focus on horses but it also does a great job of drawing attention to the true meaning of Christmas.  It is wrapped up nicely. It’s also lovely to see Mollie get an unexpected happy ending where unusual coloured horses are concerned.

Author – Anna Rashbrook
Fiction – adult
In my library – as a digital copy.

“It is probably like an artist. They see in their head what they want to draw, and they draw it. It is like I have a feeling inside me that I want to create on a horse, and that is what I do.” – Charlotte Dujardin

Anna Rashbrook was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to read the next of her horse novels.  This one is titled Chaos and further delves into the complicated lives of Molly and Chris. The two are no longer in a compromise of living together but instead are trying to find themselves out in the world with some horses thrown in.

Chris is still determining who he is and how he feels about his gender identity and finds himself unwillingly involved in helping out in a stable while he is away getting a break from the family farm.  As he comes to get to know the people, the stables and the work they do, he finds himself intrigued by the art of vaulting on horseback and the disabled students that take joy in standing up on a horse’s back whilst it circles around an arena.

Molly is back at the farm and has found herself suddenly the short term carer for some turbulent teens.  They are from the same school where she was educated. After their visit, Molly is surprised to find an unexpected visitor in the form of one of the nun’s from the same education facility.  Throw in dealing with the loss of her father and a very difficult mother and Molly’s life appears to be in chaos.  So what’s one more horse to deal with?

Contacted about taking on a neglected and abandoned horse, Molly is surprised to find herself the new carer for a horse that truly comes across as pink in colour.  The unusual roan is a rangy heavy horse and Molly finds herself drawn to the colt.  So it seems is the cantankerous stallion Keith.

Chaos by Anna Rashbrook

As Molly tries to work out her views on the Christian faith, spend time with the man she is drawn to and work out where she fits in the scheme of life, Chris too is trying to work out what he wants or more specifically, what he doesn’t. Chaos once again explores the difficulties that many go through as they try to work out their way in life, their value and ultimately what on earth they are here for.  I really enjoyed the way this story wrapped up, especially considering the various different events that occurred throughout.

Author – Anna Rashbrook
Fiction – adult
In my library – as a digital copy.