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Phantom Stallion #8
Golden Ghost
Already a beloved addition to the wildly popular horse series genre, Phantom Stallion continues to enthral readers with more adventures in the modern–day Wild West. In the eighth instalment of this exciting series, Golden Ghost, Sam must choose between helping her best friend and letting the Phantom win a new member of his herd. Can she make them both happy?
210 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2003
5 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Terri Farley
128 books415 followersTerri Farley is the best-selling author of books about the contemporary and historic West. Her PHANTOM STALLION series has sold over 2 million books world-wide and it relaunches with new art & content in March 2023.
Terri's most recent non-fiction book Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to
Save Them (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a Junior Library Guild selection; winner of the
Sterling North Heritage award for Excellence in Children's Literature.
Terri's only contemporary fantasy is SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA.
Terri is an advocate for the West's wild horses and for young people helping to make their voices heard.
https://www.facebook.com/PhantomStall...
https://twitter.com/Terri_Farley
https://www.instagram.com/terrifarley/
Terri's most recent non-fiction book Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to
Save Them (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a Junior Library Guild selection; winner of the
Sterling North Heritage award for Excellence in Children's Literature.
Terri's only contemporary fantasy is SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA.
Terri is an advocate for the West's wild horses and for young people helping to make their voices heard.
https://www.facebook.com/PhantomStall...
https://twitter.com/Terri_Farley
https://www.instagram.com/terrifarley/
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 15, 2023
This is one of the first books that happen after Sam's father gets married, and I always liked how the author dealt realistically with Sam dealing with having a new step-mom and the step-mom trying to find her place at the ranch with her new family. I also liked Sam's interactions with her best friend in this one. The author shows Sam trying to figure out how to be a good friend to someone whose parents are having problems.
I also loved (and always loved even when reading this series as a kid) the way Sam's father and new step-mom have such a healthy start to their marriage, being honest with each other from the very beginning and overall just setting a really good example of what marriage should look like. It's always been so great that Sam's immediate family are all written as trustworthy, and that they care about each other and give her good guidance.
The introduction of Ryan Slocum (sp? I listened on audio) also adds an interesting new dynamic as Ryan is not sneaky and mean like his sister and father, but Sam's trying to figure out if he can be trusted.
Still enjoying my reread of this series and I'm looking forward to continuing it.
Content Advisory:
This book remains appropriate for its target audience of older middle schoolers and lower YA readers. As stated in the review, Sam's best friend's parents are arguing a lot at home and her friend is dealing with the stress of that.
There's some talk of abandoned "ghost towns" and debate over whether ghosts are real or not, but Sam and friends never see anything truly ghostly when visiting the ghost town.
Sam reads a sad historical article about how many children in the long-ago-abandoned town died of illness all around the same time. Nothing graphic is stated about this.
A horse dies of lead poisoning and Sam sees the dead body, but there's no yucky description.
I also loved (and always loved even when reading this series as a kid) the way Sam's father and new step-mom have such a healthy start to their marriage, being honest with each other from the very beginning and overall just setting a really good example of what marriage should look like. It's always been so great that Sam's immediate family are all written as trustworthy, and that they care about each other and give her good guidance.
The introduction of Ryan Slocum (sp? I listened on audio) also adds an interesting new dynamic as Ryan is not sneaky and mean like his sister and father, but Sam's trying to figure out if he can be trusted.
Still enjoying my reread of this series and I'm looking forward to continuing it.
Content Advisory:
This book remains appropriate for its target audience of older middle schoolers and lower YA readers. As stated in the review, Sam's best friend's parents are arguing a lot at home and her friend is dealing with the stress of that.
There's some talk of abandoned "ghost towns" and debate over whether ghosts are real or not, but Sam and friends never see anything truly ghostly when visiting the ghost town.
Sam reads a sad historical article about how many children in the long-ago-abandoned town died of illness all around the same time. Nothing graphic is stated about this.
A horse dies of lead poisoning and Sam sees the dead body, but there's no yucky description.
October 14, 2016
In Golden Ghost, Sam and Jen partner up to do a history project together. They have no idea what awaits them in the ghost town of Nugget, where their project is set. When they discover a beautiful palomino mare, they are more than a little surprised. Read more at http://equus-blog.com/golden-ghost-te...
September 15, 2024
Ever go to work or take a mid-term when you were throbbing with flu? You just kind of float along, hoping you don't kill anyone (or that anyone doesn't kill you) just barely keeping up but not ever a real part of what is going on around you?
That's how I felt reading Terri Farley's Golden Ghost. The human characters we've gotten to know in the last 7 books have apparently all been taken over by aliens.
There just happens to be a ghost town nearby that no one has mentioned before in the previous six books. There also just happens to be a missing palomino mare OF EXTREME VALUE from the neighboring ranch that no one has mentioned before. How convenient for Terri Farley. Perhaps she thought no one was paying attention.
However, plot points begun in previous books have now been dropped. Why did Rachel suddenly drop her riding lessons with Sam? What ever happened to her new Morgan mare? Why is Rachel and Linc suddenly out of the picture in this novel? How did the palomino mare escape in the first place? Where the heck has she been for two years? None of this is addressed.
I'll give the series until the birth of Dark Sunshine's foal, then I'm gone. (EDIT: I didn't even make it that far. EDIT TO THE EDIT: I gave in to temptation and read most of the rest of this silly series.)
That's how I felt reading Terri Farley's Golden Ghost. The human characters we've gotten to know in the last 7 books have apparently all been taken over by aliens.
There just happens to be a ghost town nearby that no one has mentioned before in the previous six books. There also just happens to be a missing palomino mare OF EXTREME VALUE from the neighboring ranch that no one has mentioned before. How convenient for Terri Farley. Perhaps she thought no one was paying attention.
However, plot points begun in previous books have now been dropped. Why did Rachel suddenly drop her riding lessons with Sam? What ever happened to her new Morgan mare? Why is Rachel and Linc suddenly out of the picture in this novel? How did the palomino mare escape in the first place? Where the heck has she been for two years? None of this is addressed.
I'll give the series until the birth of Dark Sunshine's foal, then I'm gone. (EDIT: I didn't even make it that far. EDIT TO THE EDIT: I gave in to temptation and read most of the rest of this silly series.)
September 19, 2020
My rating system
5- Gush/Absolutely Loved
4- Low Love/High Like
3- Like
2- Meh
1- Dislike/Hate
If it is a .5 star I round up
4 Stars
This was one of my favorite series from my childhood, although I only read books 1-6,8-10 due to the fact that the local libraries didn't have them and the book stores didn't have them in stock whenever I went to them. So I am re-reading the books that I have read and reading for the first time the books I missed out on.
Sam discovers a lost palomino in a spooky ghost town. The horse looks like a mirage, but also looks well cared for, and even familiar. Could it be the missing horse from her best friend's ranch?
Sam needs to get the mare back home safely, but there might be something trying to stop her, her other best friend, the Phantom Stallion.
The two main things that irritated me and made the read slightly less enjoyable was Jen's attitude toward Sam and the fact that Bryanna has been married to Wyatt, Sam's father, for a few weeks and she's already acting like a parental unit which I didn't agree with.
5- Gush/Absolutely Loved
4- Low Love/High Like
3- Like
2- Meh
1- Dislike/Hate
If it is a .5 star I round up
4 Stars
This was one of my favorite series from my childhood, although I only read books 1-6,8-10 due to the fact that the local libraries didn't have them and the book stores didn't have them in stock whenever I went to them. So I am re-reading the books that I have read and reading for the first time the books I missed out on.
Sam discovers a lost palomino in a spooky ghost town. The horse looks like a mirage, but also looks well cared for, and even familiar. Could it be the missing horse from her best friend's ranch?
Sam needs to get the mare back home safely, but there might be something trying to stop her, her other best friend, the Phantom Stallion.
The two main things that irritated me and made the read slightly less enjoyable was Jen's attitude toward Sam and the fact that Bryanna has been married to Wyatt, Sam's father, for a few weeks and she's already acting like a parental unit which I didn't agree with.
July 26, 2024
It feels like Jen has been kind of a bad friend for several books in a row now, so hopefully this marks the end of that. Still - and I am aware I am focusing on the wrong thing here - Sam really tanked that history project for them. Anyone who's been in a group with people who aren't pulling their weight can definitely relate to how much that sucks.
I feel like the narrative threads don't cohere very well in this book. There's the long-lost palomino, the mystery of the ghost town Nugget, the usual subplot about something threatening the Phantom's herd, as well as Brynna trying to figure out her place in the household. Everything was resolved, but stayed separate. Not as satisfying as other books in the series have been.
I feel like the narrative threads don't cohere very well in this book. There's the long-lost palomino, the mystery of the ghost town Nugget, the usual subplot about something threatening the Phantom's herd, as well as Brynna trying to figure out her place in the household. Everything was resolved, but stayed separate. Not as satisfying as other books in the series have been.
Read
June 16, 2008Good to pass time. Can be interesting/exciting-but def. for horse freaks!
February 9, 2009
Awesome book!! not my fav but still deserves five stars
December 17, 2011
ok i love this book
November 30, 2014
A great series for the young horse-lover! I read the whole series as a kid and each book keeps you interested and racing for the next!
May 6, 2018
An average teen series.
June 3, 2023
Hope had an extra one and gave it too me.🙂 Love this series.
September 14, 2024
3.5 stars
I really liked all the time Sam and Jen got to spend together in this book, even if Jen is a little nuts at times.
I really liked all the time Sam and Jen got to spend together in this book, even if Jen is a little nuts at times.
November 5, 2025
I didn't find this book as cohesive as others, all of the different events and plots didn't really have much to do with each other as they have in previous books.
The golden palomino, the town of Nugget, the Phantom's herd, and Brynna' struggles with finding her place in the family never really converge with each other, just floating from one subject to the next, which makes this book a fast read but not overly engaging to me.
That said, I do enjoy most of those topics separately.
Ryan Slocum is a very charming addition to the case, and I really like how Brynna and Sam's father's new marriage is portrayed, as well as Brynna's realistic feeling of alienation and finding her place in a family that already has their own way of doing things. I almost wished we got extra time with this plot, because it felt very important to me amidst all of other plots.
On that note, I also really like how Jen's home life is portrayed. For a children's book to tackle a more stressful family dynamic, I think it's important to show these kinds of situations, even if it's wrapped up in a nice little bow by the end.
The book (and additionally, the previous one) feels a bit like the series' awkward teen years. The books aren't particularly bad, but I think they stumble a bit more than not.
The golden palomino, the town of Nugget, the Phantom's herd, and Brynna' struggles with finding her place in the family never really converge with each other, just floating from one subject to the next, which makes this book a fast read but not overly engaging to me.
That said, I do enjoy most of those topics separately.
Ryan Slocum is a very charming addition to the case, and I really like how Brynna and Sam's father's new marriage is portrayed, as well as Brynna's realistic feeling of alienation and finding her place in a family that already has their own way of doing things. I almost wished we got extra time with this plot, because it felt very important to me amidst all of other plots.
On that note, I also really like how Jen's home life is portrayed. For a children's book to tackle a more stressful family dynamic, I think it's important to show these kinds of situations, even if it's wrapped up in a nice little bow by the end.
The book (and additionally, the previous one) feels a bit like the series' awkward teen years. The books aren't particularly bad, but I think they stumble a bit more than not.
June 24, 2025
Un langage simple, bien adapté aux enfants. Cependant les noms prêtés aux chevaux m'ont parfois perdue. Je ne suis pas sûre que je relirais un livre sur les chevaux après celui-ci, belle histoire, mais mortellement ennuyeuse pour l'adulte que je suis. Je n'ai vraiment accroché qu'aux deux derniers chapitres, ayant la sensation que tous ceux qui précédaient auraient pu être résumés en un seul.
Quoique, belle écriture, belle découverte pour un monde aussi éloigné de ma réalité quotidienne.
Quoique, belle écriture, belle découverte pour un monde aussi éloigné de ma réalité quotidienne.
Read
March 31, 2020I really like this book its supper misterious how golden rose was kept in the saloon by ryan slocum but how sam found out what the little coffins in the ice house were for little children who caught a disease my favorite part was when mr kenworthy found out what jen was doing but this book is one of my favorite phantom stallion book
Read
October 9, 2025plot holes so big you could ride a horse through them but i, an adult in my 30s, remain charmed 🫶
September 25, 2010
See the first book in the series for a full review.
November 6, 2010
It was kind of hard to get through.
December 22, 2012
This was always one of my favourite volumes when I was a kid.
I loved the ghost town of Nugget.
Although the fact that Jen threw something at the Phantom kinda shocked me. :O
I loved the ghost town of Nugget.
Although the fact that Jen threw something at the Phantom kinda shocked me. :O
April 19, 2014
it was awesome and it was funny but heartwarming.
June 1, 2009
Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews