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The Horse Road
For girls who love the historical adventures of American Girl and the equestrian details of Canterwood Crest or Horse Diaries, this wonderful new series delivers both.
In The Horse Road, we meet Kallisto, a superb equestrian living in central Asia. On her way back from delivering horses to nomad breeders, Kallisto sees the Chinese army preparing to invade her city. Can she save her family and friends and protect the horses?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Troon Harrison
88 books9 followersTroon Harrison is an internationally published, award winning author, an editor, and a qualified teacher. Troon writes picture books, teen-adult cross-over novels, and junior chapter books. She has 24 books published in a range of genres including historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 12, 2013
I was pleased with this book. From what I can tell, the author took some liberties in her portrayal of women's roles, but I thought she balanced Kalli's proclivities and responsibilities quite well. Kalli and Batu's friendship is well-handled, leaving this book appealing to a wide age range. A good strong heroine in a very difficult situation with some amazing horses.
Read
December 30, 2024DNF
I couldn't get through the first chapter because it was so stupid. Who in fuck, when winning the most prestigious race of the year, turns her horse BACK to find out what happened to another competitor?
The race was mostly filled with descriptions of the tack, blankets and shit like that instead of horses, so I was getting sick of it anyway.
And, like other reviewers have pointed out, it's probably historically inaccurate that a girl would be allowed to ride, let alone ride races, way back whenever this was supposedly set in.
Someone, please -- write a decent fiction book about Akhal-Tekes, 'cause this ain't it.
I couldn't get through the first chapter because it was so stupid. Who in fuck, when winning the most prestigious race of the year, turns her horse BACK to find out what happened to another competitor?
The race was mostly filled with descriptions of the tack, blankets and shit like that instead of horses, so I was getting sick of it anyway.
And, like other reviewers have pointed out, it's probably historically inaccurate that a girl would be allowed to ride, let alone ride races, way back whenever this was supposedly set in.
Someone, please -- write a decent fiction book about Akhal-Tekes, 'cause this ain't it.
Read
February 1, 2019A YA or middle grade novel set in Central Asia in the 1stC BC.
It's a good horse story and the research about food, clothes, customs etc has been thorough. The writer's style though is a little rough and bare. Still it's a book horsy youngsters would enjoy with the determined female MC and her tough male partner.
It's a good horse story and the research about food, clothes, customs etc has been thorough. The writer's style though is a little rough and bare. Still it's a book horsy youngsters would enjoy with the determined female MC and her tough male partner.
June 29, 2014
This is one of my favourite books! I wish that the author had written some more horse books.
March 3, 2020
This book is an interesting mix of genres.
It is set in Central Asia in the first century BC, so it is basically a historical novel. The protagonist, Kallisto, is a horse-obsessed 14-year-old girl, and there is an entire literary genre aimed at horse-mad 14-year-old girls. It is also a Bildungsroman. because she has to cope with a series of crises when her father is away on business and her mother is ill, so she has to grow up fast. The crises include war, famine and earthquake.
The Horse Road also has cultural and racial diversity. Kallisto's father is a Greek merchant, her mother a Sarmatian horse breeder, and they live in the Fergana valley in what is now Kyrgyzstan, at the meeting place of East and West.
For the horse-obsessed 14-year-old girls there is plenty of detail about the horses, their care and grooming, their gaits, harness and training, their character and the skills of the rider. At times I thought it went a bit overboard on the details. One horse is described as an Appaloosa, a specifically American breed which would be very unlikely to have been found in Central Asia in that period. And cruppers are mentioned several times -- the leather loop attached to the rear of the saddle that goes under the horse's tail and stops the saddle from sliding forward over the horse's withers. I'm not sure that cruppers had been invented at that time. But those are the kind of details that appeal to the horse-mad young.
There is also enough drama, excitement and danger to make it a gripping adventure story.
It is set in Central Asia in the first century BC, so it is basically a historical novel. The protagonist, Kallisto, is a horse-obsessed 14-year-old girl, and there is an entire literary genre aimed at horse-mad 14-year-old girls. It is also a Bildungsroman. because she has to cope with a series of crises when her father is away on business and her mother is ill, so she has to grow up fast. The crises include war, famine and earthquake.
The Horse Road also has cultural and racial diversity. Kallisto's father is a Greek merchant, her mother a Sarmatian horse breeder, and they live in the Fergana valley in what is now Kyrgyzstan, at the meeting place of East and West.
For the horse-obsessed 14-year-old girls there is plenty of detail about the horses, their care and grooming, their gaits, harness and training, their character and the skills of the rider. At times I thought it went a bit overboard on the details. One horse is described as an Appaloosa, a specifically American breed which would be very unlikely to have been found in Central Asia in that period. And cruppers are mentioned several times -- the leather loop attached to the rear of the saddle that goes under the horse's tail and stops the saddle from sliding forward over the horse's withers. I'm not sure that cruppers had been invented at that time. But those are the kind of details that appeal to the horse-mad young.
There is also enough drama, excitement and danger to make it a gripping adventure story.
September 22, 2024
I was nuts about this book in primary school
November 23, 2024
great book! Really recommend it.
June 27, 2014
Friends Make Everything Better
Does Kallisto have to marry the rich man to secure her future? Her city-bred father thinks so, her mountain-tribe mother thinks not.
Her mother has been teaching her to train horses, a valued skill in the mountains, but not suitable for flowing-gown, flowing-hair styles of the city. When the city is attacked, Kallisto is out of town, and her fiance helps himself to her entire herd of horses - including her special god-favored white horse. This is legal only in the sense that he can shout loudly at the servants while no one is in charge, and they therefore obey him. And its war time, who's going to complain?
Kallisto complains. But she does it in her tribal mountain clothing, not her city clothing, and everyone ignores her.
She's going to have to wear her nice clothes to be taken seriously in the city... luckily she has a friend who can help her. She finds out that she can swap out her god-favored white horse for something else of value.
Kallisto needs her horse skills to save her horses, she needs her bartering skills to track down a really good bribe and then acquire it. Unfortunately, some businessmen are not very honest... Kallisto needs another friend to help her up after getting beaten down.
Kallisto saves the day not by being a superior swordsman, not by being 'just like a man', but by being the young woman her mother trained.
Does Kallisto have to marry the rich man to secure her future? Her city-bred father thinks so, her mountain-tribe mother thinks not.
Her mother has been teaching her to train horses, a valued skill in the mountains, but not suitable for flowing-gown, flowing-hair styles of the city. When the city is attacked, Kallisto is out of town, and her fiance helps himself to her entire herd of horses - including her special god-favored white horse. This is legal only in the sense that he can shout loudly at the servants while no one is in charge, and they therefore obey him. And its war time, who's going to complain?
Kallisto complains. But she does it in her tribal mountain clothing, not her city clothing, and everyone ignores her.
She's going to have to wear her nice clothes to be taken seriously in the city... luckily she has a friend who can help her. She finds out that she can swap out her god-favored white horse for something else of value.
Kallisto needs her horse skills to save her horses, she needs her bartering skills to track down a really good bribe and then acquire it. Unfortunately, some businessmen are not very honest... Kallisto needs another friend to help her up after getting beaten down.
Kallisto saves the day not by being a superior swordsman, not by being 'just like a man', but by being the young woman her mother trained.
December 10, 2015
The horse road by Troon Harison, is a historical fiction book, about a girl who is an excellent horse women. The girl Kallisto is the protagonist and she’s also a great heroine- strong and capable, with just enough humility to make her accessible to the reader and enough determination to get the job done. The way the author is telling the story is very interesting, he often hints ideas and facts whithout actually really writing them, so this book made me really think. In my opinion this book is worth reading, because it’s a great story with quite a lot of hystoric background. The friendship between the protagonist and her friend also plays a very important role in this story, since Kalli and Batu's friendship is well-handled, leaving this book appealing to a wide age range. A good strong heroine in a very difficult situation with some amazing horses.I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horses, from 13 years and up, since it is sometimes a little complicated to understand the clues of the author.
February 1, 2015
If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a fascinating look at the origin of the silk road and a snapshot of ancient Persia. Kali is a great heroine - strong and capable, with just enough humility to make her accessible to the reader and enough determination to get the job done. And if you like horses, you're in for a treat.
I'm not sure that it would be historically accurate to have a girl doing all these things, and the author doesn't offer any clues in her notes at the end (though she does offer lots of other good info). But that didn't bother me too much, since the other characters did refer to it.
I usually read teen fiction, and I think this was a little young for me. I think the target age for this book is probably middle schoolers, and an advanced fifth grader, like the American Girl series.
I'm not sure that it would be historically accurate to have a girl doing all these things, and the author doesn't offer any clues in her notes at the end (though she does offer lots of other good info). But that didn't bother me too much, since the other characters did refer to it.
I usually read teen fiction, and I think this was a little young for me. I think the target age for this book is probably middle schoolers, and an advanced fifth grader, like the American Girl series.
July 10, 2014
Troon Harrison's The Horse Road is one of my all-time favourite books. I loved reading this book and was very happy I found it. Although it was short, it was jam-packed full of fun and adventure around every turn. I enjoyed the history element about Asia. The detail of the tribes and the way they were described meant I could imagine a very clear image in my head of what life would have been like.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars because it was a great book which I really liked reading. Thank you Troon Harrison for writing such a memorable story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars because it was a great book which I really liked reading. Thank you Troon Harrison for writing such a memorable story.
August 22, 2015
I love horses but I hate those kitschy, sappy girl-horse-and-a-boy stories. So, this is none of them. It's a serious story about a girl and her horses. A story where Kallisto has to fight for her love, everything her life consists of. She's a strong character and she would easily pass of as an idol. It's easy to sink in the story and live Kallisto's life.
January 7, 2013
A very horsey book, I quite liked it.
May 10, 2013
Read my review at Gator Book Chomp.
April 26, 2013
Read my review at Gator Book Chomp.
July 3, 2013
I really enjoyed this unique horse story that is a historical fiction. More at http://equus-blog.com/the-horse-road-...
October 9, 2014
This book was something that I could relate with, considering I had just lost my horse to colic. I finished this book in just under three days
August 31, 2025
Greatly enjoyable when in middle school, but its story hasn’t held up as well since.
3.7/5
3.7/5
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews