Silver Brumby Whirlwind

Silver Brumby #6

by Elyne Mitchell, Victor G. Ambrus (Illustrator)

Thowra, the magnificent silver stallion, is captivated by a beautiful filly dancing in the dawn light on the top of a gorge. He knew he must have her, but he would have to fight to make her his own. But he had no idea of the trouble she would bring - or the risk he was taking. The battle for her threatens to destroy them both.

Genres: Horses, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Australia, Young Adult, Audiobook

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Elyne Mitchell is an Australian author best known for her Silver Brumby children's series, which tells the story of brumbies that roamed the Snowy Mountains in the Australian Alps, in particular a pale brumby named Thowra.

In 1988, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to literature, as well as an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Charts Sturt University in 1993.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth in the Silver Brumby series, and is not so good as the first four. There are fewer characters and the tale is simpler. Notably though it combines with a previous stand-alone book Moon Filly. The daughter of Wurring and Ilinga from that book, Yuri (meaning the moon) now meets Thowra the silver brumby, who is older by this time and has outlived his beloved mares.

The wild horses of south-east Australia live in mountainous territory unlike the outback image we are familiar with; there are eucalyptus forests, granite tors, frozen lakes. Mitchell brings her setting beautifully to life, with emus, wombats and wallabies as fellow travellers. This tale does contain some repetition - why is it so often iron grey stallions giving Thowra a hard time, right from the first book? and lacks the energy of the earlier tales. Nevertheless it is a good read and horse lovers will enjoy the details and adventure. But if you haven't read any of the series, start with The Silver Brumby or Silver Brumby's Daughter. You'll be hooked.

[Karen L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alas, Silver Brumby Whirlwind really makes you realise the series should have ended with Baringa becoming king of the south in Silver Brumby Kingdom.

The tone of the book is maudlin from the start, with the text heavily implying if not outright stating that Golden and Boon Boon have died. At first, this is not completely egregious (the timeline problems become apparent in Son of the Whirlwind), but it makes for a very downer opening, especially with the meeting with Tambo, Baringa and Lightning. Tambo has been away from the Valley for some time; but what has he been doing? Baringa and Lightning do not show any of the characterisation that made them beloved in South and Kingdom.

Benni mysteriously turning into a prophet also makes little sense, though Thowra heading north at least has some logic to it - he has explored a lot of the southern country, so why not go north?

Then we are introduced to Yuri, the daughter of Wurring and Illinga, the two main characters of Moon Filly, and tying the Moon Filly story into the Silver Brumby series. Again, this feels like a step back in storytelling, especially after the lovely romance between Baringa and Dawn, and even Lightning and Goonda. You're constantly forced to remember that Thowra is old now, and Yuri is the equivalent of a teenager. Not helping is that Yuri is flighty, nervous, and gets them into trouble constantly.

The maudlin feel of the story continues with Thowra getting stuck in a cave, two stallions trying to get Yuri (to share? ew!), and the moment when they are nearly killed because Yuri panics. And then, of course, the ending. The story makes it fairly clear that Thowra dies, but later stories have an inexplicable inclusion of magic.

Yuri is a flat character and her introduction really doesn't achieve anything other than to bring Thowra into the orbit of Wurring and Illinga.

[Ellede · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first four Silver Brumby books to bits as a child and teenager, and frankly wish I'd never read this one. What possessed Elyne Mitchell to write such a flat, depressing story? The original Silver Herd dead, the aged Thowra galloping around after the boring Yuri who spends her time hiding in caves (such an equine thing to do) and dying at the end? And if that wasn't bad enough, having it illustrated by Victor Ambrus, who makes all horses look lumpen and scruffy (contrast with Ralph Thompson's illustrations in The Silver Brumby, or Annette Macarthur-Onslow's in Silver Brumbies of the South and Silver Brumby Kingdom). Just dire, do not read.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silver Brumby Whirlwind chronicles the journey a now aged Thowra took to the north, where he takes the filly Yuri, daughter of Wurring and Ilinga from Moon Filly. Compared to the earlier books, this one has a lot less dialogue, and is much flatter. There is little action, and what happens is rather vague. The fact that Thowra's favourite mares have died and Thowra himself is nearing the end of his life makes for a rather melancholy tone. It's a shame Yuri has little personality of her own, as well.

[Mya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still prefer the more straight forward story telling of the earlier books than this new style that started with "Moon Filly". Even the Thowra of this story didn't feel like the Thowra I've come to know and love. It was interesting to see how the two threads came back together in this story, but it felt surreal and dreamlike and, at the end, all I could wonder was: is that the last of the Silver Brumby? So many hints (where were Golden? And Storm? And Boon Boon?) So little certainty.

[Pip Snort · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thowra returns as magnificent as always, although his herd has dwindled in number. He hears of a daughter of the sun and the moon and goes to dance with her for a season before returning the the wild winter winds of the Ramshead and the southern Cascades.

This was a mix of the poetic lyricism of Moon Filly and the more conventional storytelling style of the first 4 books of this series. It was fairly uneventful, but still beautiful and wild at heart.

[AnneDrawsArt · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THOSE BOOK"S!

[Bethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! <3

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read.

I almost want to call this book sad, but that's not the right word for it, rather this book is for me atleast, melancholic.

It's the last time we see Thowra and even he himself is somewhat subdued, still magnificent and glorious, his world has changed somewhat. Gone are his beloved mares, Boon Boon and Golden (it seems implied to me that Storm has also passed on but it's never confirmed) and with his children and grandchildren spread out among the land he feels a great need to head off to unknown lands, for one last adventure.

This is the book that joins the main series with Moonfilly, as Thowra meets the main characters from the book and spends a summer of joy running with their beautiful filly, Yuri.
All is not 100% perfect, as there is a pair of nasty greys who seek to claim Yuri for their own and it makes for a tense story at times.

As for the ending, I never quite understood it when I was younger but now re-read I feel like it's supposed to mean that Thowra becomes one with the land? He is said to be surrounded by a whirlwind of snow and then a white hawk flies out from this, so has he passed on and become a sort of spirit of the land? able to take form at will and roam as he wishes? It's the best I can come up with without someone spelling it out for me

It makes me sad but I do love this one a lot.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost at the end of the Silver Brumby books. In this one, Thowra experiences a sudden urge to travel into a far off country where he has never been before. There he spots Yuri, a filly of moonlight and sunlight, dancing on a cliff top. She disappears into the cave system and he has to overcome his fear of the dark places to find her. He spends a summer with her, dancing and playing, protecting her from the two grey stallions that want her for their own, but soon the snow calls him back to his own country, but has he left it too late?

Another well written book, where the equine characters leap from the pages. Like the first book, this has a rather ambiguous ending, which makes me almost nervous to pick up the next one. I like happy endings where animals are concerned and I'm not sure I'm going to get it.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book goes back to Thowra so it was enjoyable again. He is old, and his mares are dead. He finds a young filly and spends some months with her.
The ending is a bit ambiguous as to whether he stays on the ramshead to die like his mother. The horses talk again, so interesting that moon filly is so different. When she then weaves their story into Thowra's.

[Siena · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first four Silver Brumby books have always been among my favourites, so when I found Silver Brumby Whirlwind and the following one, I was super excited to read them. But they were disappointing and certainly did not capture the lovely feeling and atmosphere that the first four evoked. I honestly wish now that I hadn't read them.

[warm breeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange thing to read years and years after the four original books I knew so well as a child. It felt fitting to read this an adult, and nice to return to some of the landscapes I loved so much. It was still beautiful, in the way the last days of autumn are beautiful, but I can appreciate why it’s got negative reviews—it was a real change of tone and sometimes a real downer.

[bluetyson]

isbn,original