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Stallion's Quest #1
Archer
Book One in the Gold Medal–Winning Stallion’s Quest Series
Raina Swiftmain has always understood horses better than people.
She can read a stallion’s fear in the twitch of an ear, disappear into wilderness that would swallow most soldiers whole, and loose an arrow before her enemy realizes she has drawn her bow.
But Raven is different.
The savage black stallion was supposed to belong to her enemy. No one can control him. No one can even get close.
Until he chooses Raina.
And Raven isn’t the only one who sees something in her that others have missed.
Raina is carrying the last clues to Andrea’s vanished prince, and powerful men will kill to keep the rightful heir from being found. Hunted through a kingdom built on old betrayals, she has survived by trusting her bow, her instincts, her faith—and very few people.
Then a warrior catches up with her.
He is the enemy captain she should fear dangerous, relentless, and sworn to the very people hunting her.
He should put her in chains.
Instead, he might have the answers she needs.
Now an ancient riddle is drawing Raina, Raven, and the one man she cannot afford to trust toward a future where a secret buried for years could restore a stolen crown—or destroy everyone trying to uncover it.
Raina knows how to survive enemies and the wilderness.
Can she survive discovering that the man she was supposed to run from may be the one person willing to ride beside her?
A wild stallion chose her.
An enemy has targeted her.
And before midsummer, Raina will have to decide whether trust is an act of weakness—or the bravest thing she has ever done.
✨ Winner of the Gold Medal for Inspirational YA Fiction ✨
Fantasy heroines are supposed to be graceful and mysterious.
Raina gets distracted by food, talks to horses, disguises herself as an old woman, and occasionally bites people.
For readers who love courageous heroines, unforgettable horses, clean slow-burn romance, dangerous quests, and fantasy where faith is woven into the adventure.
Begin Archer today—and meet the girl a wild stallion refused to leave behind.
Raina Swiftmain has always understood horses better than people.
She can read a stallion’s fear in the twitch of an ear, disappear into wilderness that would swallow most soldiers whole, and loose an arrow before her enemy realizes she has drawn her bow.
But Raven is different.
The savage black stallion was supposed to belong to her enemy. No one can control him. No one can even get close.
Until he chooses Raina.
And Raven isn’t the only one who sees something in her that others have missed.
Raina is carrying the last clues to Andrea’s vanished prince, and powerful men will kill to keep the rightful heir from being found. Hunted through a kingdom built on old betrayals, she has survived by trusting her bow, her instincts, her faith—and very few people.
Then a warrior catches up with her.
He is the enemy captain she should fear dangerous, relentless, and sworn to the very people hunting her.
He should put her in chains.
Instead, he might have the answers she needs.
Now an ancient riddle is drawing Raina, Raven, and the one man she cannot afford to trust toward a future where a secret buried for years could restore a stolen crown—or destroy everyone trying to uncover it.
Raina knows how to survive enemies and the wilderness.
Can she survive discovering that the man she was supposed to run from may be the one person willing to ride beside her?
A wild stallion chose her.
An enemy has targeted her.
And before midsummer, Raina will have to decide whether trust is an act of weakness—or the bravest thing she has ever done.
✨ Winner of the Gold Medal for Inspirational YA Fiction ✨
Fantasy heroines are supposed to be graceful and mysterious.
Raina gets distracted by food, talks to horses, disguises herself as an old woman, and occasionally bites people.
For readers who love courageous heroines, unforgettable horses, clean slow-burn romance, dangerous quests, and fantasy where faith is woven into the adventure.
Begin Archer today—and meet the girl a wild stallion refused to leave behind.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 16, 2026
3 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - YA Fantasy (non-magical)
About this book:
“Raina Swiftmain can outride hunters, outfight soldiers, and do what no man can—win the trust of Raven, the savage black stallion stolen from her enemy’s keep.
But saving a kingdom will demand more than courage. It demands trust.
Raina carries the last clues to Andrea’s lost prince, the rightful heir hidden since birth. King Sangor wants her silenced. Regelian wants the missing royal signet ring. And the only things standing between Raina and capture are her bow, her faith, a mysterious beast… and the wilderness she knows better than any court.
Then Torin finds her.
He is the enemy captain who should deliver her in chains—yet every step closer to the truth reveals he has been hunting the same secret. As midsummer approaches, a coded riddle leads them toward Lionsbreath, an ancient mountain stronghold where a forgotten lie may finally be exposed. But the closer Raina rides beside Torin, the more dangerous he becomes—to her mission, her hard-won independence, and the guarded heart she can no longer afford to lose.
In a kingdom built on blood and betrayal, one woman may hold the power to restore the crown.
If she dares trust the wrong man.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Stallion’s Quest” series.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, & discussed; A Psalm is sung; Prayers & Thanking God; Most ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Raina feels thankful to God for saving her life, but does feel a little bitter as well because she thinks He could have made it a little easier; Halfway through the book, Raina shouts at God for letting the deaths of her parents happen and allowing evil to happen, *Spoilers* ; Mentions of God, Jesus Christ, His plans and will, & faiths; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & blessings over food; A couple mentions of “the King’s Book” (The Bible); A couple mentions of those & events in the Bible; A couple mentions of sin; A mention of a blessing from Heaven; A mention of a brooch with a cross in its center;
*Note: Religious phrases: a ‘what on God’s green earth’ and a ‘for heaven’s sake’; Raina is told a story about a man who struggled about trusting God after the death of his younger brother and was transported into another realm/world where he sees fantasy creatures worshiping God, feels free there, and is told about rejoicing through pain and suffering (*Spoilers* ); Torin thinks of Raina looking like a angel; Raina says she lives in a “superstitious generation” and hears whispers of people talking about demons, dragons, and “the very devil himself”; Mentions of fantasy creatures like dragons & transparent crystal horses.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘idiot’ and two ‘stupid’s; Fighting, Punching/Hitting, Being hit/slapped, Being threatened with harm and death, Being trapped in mud, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Shooting a deer for food (and seeing a large cat eat some of it; up to semi-detailed); Grief (Raina for her parents, up to semi-detailed); A man orders for a horse to be killed and gives suggestions on how to do it, but it does not happen (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & grief (including Raina for her parents, a man for his younger brother, & also the death of a baby who was said to be stillborn); Mentions of fights/fighting, weapons, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of thieves & stolen horses; Mentions of prisoners, dungeons, & torture/beatings; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of rumors; Mentions of hunting, blood, & skinning/preparing animals for food; A few mentions of war; A few mentions of someone being poisoned (and killed); A couple mentions of threats; A mention of public executions;
*Note: Mentions of a mother and child who are believed to have died in childbirth.
Sexual Content- Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Raina is taking a bath in a river (naked) when Torin comes after her trail (he does not see anything, but it is a tense moment for her and she tries to avoid being seen); A couple mentions of blushes;
*Note: Raina kicks a man in a place “where it counts the most” when trying to get away from him; A friend of Raina tells her that she could easily get a man because she’s gorgeous, but perhaps wearing a dress would help with that; A mention of breeding horses.
-Raina Swiftmain
-Torin Hammaguard
1st person P.O.V. switches between them
235 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
This was very different from what I was expecting—I would consider it non-magical in a knight/swords kind of setting, but there mentions of creatures like dragons and transparent crystal horses that add more of a fantasy aspect to the story. No magic is shown or mentioned in this book.
It was a little heavy on the play-by-play or sharing each action of the main characters, but the writing style was very unique in the way that it didn’t make it seem slow. It felt like I was with the characters and watching them from a distance, taking it all in.
I will note that there were a few comments that felt a little out of place for the setting (such as Torin thinking that rabbits are God’s insurance plan for him to keep from starving—would they really have knowledge of insurance in this medieval-like setting?) and a chapter about a story that was very heavy in an allegory with talking animals. I didn’t love that chapter as I found it a bit confusing and I’m not sure I fully agree with some of the theology in it, but I did enjoy the other faith content shown throughout the book. Especially the scene of Raina realize that she’s been expecting an easy life with following God when we’re not really promised that. I’ve seen a gazillion characters over the years be mad at God, but not come to that proper conclusion, so that was really good to see.
Not a ton happens in this 235-paged length story in regard to the whole plot and finding the lost prince, but it was a good introduction to the world, characters, their motivations, and setting the stage for more to come about that element in the next books. Overall I enjoyed this book and would be interested in continuing the series to see what happens in the hunt for the hidden prince.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.
About this book:
“Raina Swiftmain can outride hunters, outfight soldiers, and do what no man can—win the trust of Raven, the savage black stallion stolen from her enemy’s keep.
But saving a kingdom will demand more than courage. It demands trust.
Raina carries the last clues to Andrea’s lost prince, the rightful heir hidden since birth. King Sangor wants her silenced. Regelian wants the missing royal signet ring. And the only things standing between Raina and capture are her bow, her faith, a mysterious beast… and the wilderness she knows better than any court.
Then Torin finds her.
He is the enemy captain who should deliver her in chains—yet every step closer to the truth reveals he has been hunting the same secret. As midsummer approaches, a coded riddle leads them toward Lionsbreath, an ancient mountain stronghold where a forgotten lie may finally be exposed. But the closer Raina rides beside Torin, the more dangerous he becomes—to her mission, her hard-won independence, and the guarded heart she can no longer afford to lose.
In a kingdom built on blood and betrayal, one woman may hold the power to restore the crown.
If she dares trust the wrong man.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Stallion’s Quest” series.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, & discussed; A Psalm is sung; Prayers & Thanking God; Most ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Raina feels thankful to God for saving her life, but does feel a little bitter as well because she thinks He could have made it a little easier; Halfway through the book, Raina shouts at God for letting the deaths of her parents happen and allowing evil to happen, *Spoilers* ; Mentions of God, Jesus Christ, His plans and will, & faiths; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & blessings over food; A couple mentions of “the King’s Book” (The Bible); A couple mentions of those & events in the Bible; A couple mentions of sin; A mention of a blessing from Heaven; A mention of a brooch with a cross in its center;
*Note: Religious phrases: a ‘what on God’s green earth’ and a ‘for heaven’s sake’; Raina is told a story about a man who struggled about trusting God after the death of his younger brother and was transported into another realm/world where he sees fantasy creatures worshiping God, feels free there, and is told about rejoicing through pain and suffering (*Spoilers* ); Torin thinks of Raina looking like a angel; Raina says she lives in a “superstitious generation” and hears whispers of people talking about demons, dragons, and “the very devil himself”; Mentions of fantasy creatures like dragons & transparent crystal horses.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘idiot’ and two ‘stupid’s; Fighting, Punching/Hitting, Being hit/slapped, Being threatened with harm and death, Being trapped in mud, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Shooting a deer for food (and seeing a large cat eat some of it; up to semi-detailed); Grief (Raina for her parents, up to semi-detailed); A man orders for a horse to be killed and gives suggestions on how to do it, but it does not happen (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & grief (including Raina for her parents, a man for his younger brother, & also the death of a baby who was said to be stillborn); Mentions of fights/fighting, weapons, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of thieves & stolen horses; Mentions of prisoners, dungeons, & torture/beatings; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of rumors; Mentions of hunting, blood, & skinning/preparing animals for food; A few mentions of war; A few mentions of someone being poisoned (and killed); A couple mentions of threats; A mention of public executions;
*Note: Mentions of a mother and child who are believed to have died in childbirth.
Sexual Content- Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Raina is taking a bath in a river (naked) when Torin comes after her trail (he does not see anything, but it is a tense moment for her and she tries to avoid being seen); A couple mentions of blushes;
*Note: Raina kicks a man in a place “where it counts the most” when trying to get away from him; A friend of Raina tells her that she could easily get a man because she’s gorgeous, but perhaps wearing a dress would help with that; A mention of breeding horses.
-Raina Swiftmain
-Torin Hammaguard
1st person P.O.V. switches between them
235 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
This was very different from what I was expecting—I would consider it non-magical in a knight/swords kind of setting, but there mentions of creatures like dragons and transparent crystal horses that add more of a fantasy aspect to the story. No magic is shown or mentioned in this book.
It was a little heavy on the play-by-play or sharing each action of the main characters, but the writing style was very unique in the way that it didn’t make it seem slow. It felt like I was with the characters and watching them from a distance, taking it all in.
I will note that there were a few comments that felt a little out of place for the setting (such as Torin thinking that rabbits are God’s insurance plan for him to keep from starving—would they really have knowledge of insurance in this medieval-like setting?) and a chapter about a story that was very heavy in an allegory with talking animals. I didn’t love that chapter as I found it a bit confusing and I’m not sure I fully agree with some of the theology in it, but I did enjoy the other faith content shown throughout the book. Especially the scene of Raina realize that she’s been expecting an easy life with following God when we’re not really promised that. I’ve seen a gazillion characters over the years be mad at God, but not come to that proper conclusion, so that was really good to see.
Not a ton happens in this 235-paged length story in regard to the whole plot and finding the lost prince, but it was a good introduction to the world, characters, their motivations, and setting the stage for more to come about that element in the next books. Overall I enjoyed this book and would be interested in continuing the series to see what happens in the hunt for the hidden prince.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.
April 2, 2026
"Archer" starts with a bang and ends with one too. At the heart of the story is a land under the thumb of a tyrant and a mystery which could unravel his despotic reign. The action is thoughtful and exciting, and the pace of the plot rarely lets up. There are, however, several spots which consist of people telling stories and these disproportionately drag the pacing down. The strong plot does make up for a weaker setting. The generic fantasy-ish world of the book is serviceable but lacks much definition. The basic towns, castles, and forest locales provide little more than a place for the action to take place and the characters to interact. Conversely, the interactions more than make up for the relative blandness of the world. The main characters, Torin and Raina, are engaging and complex in their own ways. The first-person-present-tense format of the writing combined with multiple main characters did make for some minor confusion as to who “I” is, and it would probably have been better to stick with Raina as the sole focus of the book. Nevertheless, she and Torin each added something unique to the story and their personalities and arcs did not just drive the plot but added something special to the story. Overall, "Archer" is a fun adventure novel great for younger audiences, interesting enough that more mature readers can also enjoy it, and well deserving of a spot on your reading list.
March 22, 2026
4.25 stars
That was so fun! I really liked the author's writing style as well. Both of the leads are very likable and might we get a romance out them later too? *eyebrow waggle* Only time will tell.
This could have easily been cheesy or preachy, and it might be for some people, but it certainly wasn't for me. Most of the Christian fantasy I read is allegory, but this straight up mentions God and Jesus Christ. At first it had me feeling wary and cautious because the first and only fantasy I read that had overt Christian themes like this, until this point, I did not enjoy, but I can thankfully say that was not the case here. If anything, it made our characters, especially Raina, more relatable and personable in their thoughts and actions towards God. It was actually kind of cool following along with characters on an adventure who believe in the same God I do. Mentions of scripture passages and reminders of God's promises were the cherries on top. Some plot points and events felt conveniently wrapped up, but it wasn't a major deterrent. Can't wait to read more!
P.S. This book might have even helped me find my inner horse girl.
That was so fun! I really liked the author's writing style as well. Both of the leads are very likable and might we get a romance out them later too? *eyebrow waggle* Only time will tell.
This could have easily been cheesy or preachy, and it might be for some people, but it certainly wasn't for me. Most of the Christian fantasy I read is allegory, but this straight up mentions God and Jesus Christ. At first it had me feeling wary and cautious because the first and only fantasy I read that had overt Christian themes like this, until this point, I did not enjoy, but I can thankfully say that was not the case here. If anything, it made our characters, especially Raina, more relatable and personable in their thoughts and actions towards God. It was actually kind of cool following along with characters on an adventure who believe in the same God I do. Mentions of scripture passages and reminders of God's promises were the cherries on top. Some plot points and events felt conveniently wrapped up, but it wasn't a major deterrent. Can't wait to read more!
P.S. This book might have even helped me find my inner horse girl.
September 9, 2026
Outstanding
Oh what a ride!! It's a full on high octane adrenaline rush from start to finish. Well, it's not finished, it's part one of the series. Definitely makes me want to read the whole set, to find out the full story!
Love the horses. Love the animal connections. Love the faith aspects. It is exhilarating!
Who would recommend it to?
Anyone who loves animals, great quests against great evil, with outstanding hero's and wise parable stories as well. Love it!
Oh what a ride!! It's a full on high octane adrenaline rush from start to finish. Well, it's not finished, it's part one of the series. Definitely makes me want to read the whole set, to find out the full story!
Love the horses. Love the animal connections. Love the faith aspects. It is exhilarating!
Who would recommend it to?
Anyone who loves animals, great quests against great evil, with outstanding hero's and wise parable stories as well. Love it!
September 9, 2026
Archer sounds like a fun fantasy adventure with horses, danger, romance, and a strong heroine at its center. I really like the idea of Raven, the wild stallion, choosing Raina when no one else can even get near him. The tension between Raina and the enemy captain also sounds like it could make for a great slow-burn relationship. Add a missing prince, an ancient riddle, and a dangerous quest, and this looks like an enjoyable read for YA fantasy fans.
October 21, 2026
I really enjoyed this fantasy read. Raina is trying to follow the clues left her by her father about the hidden escape of an heir to the throne during a coup. The baby lived, but can she find the child? Others are also looking - some with evil intent and some as allies. Raina has Torin as a human partner, Raven the black stallion for transportation, and her tiger Zalura for protection. A beautiful touch of Christian faith in guidance during the journey is inspirational.
January 31, 2025
Best Duet Novel Ever!
This book sacked me in from page one. I fell in love with the horses and other animals as much as I did the human characters! I love everything about this book, especially the struggle of faith Raina goes through.
This book sacked me in from page one. I fell in love with the horses and other animals as much as I did the human characters! I love everything about this book, especially the struggle of faith Raina goes through.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews