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Charlotte Flynn is on a mission.
Betrayed by both Penumbra and her Uncle Baron, Charlotte is seeking the missing Flying Ponies in the hopes of uniting them against their wayward leader. Joined by Dreadful, a crazy cavalry horse; Black, her new boyfriend; and her family and friends, she plans to find the missing carousel horses before Penumbra and Baron do.
But the hunt won’t be easy. An old friend of Black’s shows up, with intentions that might not be as honorable as she says. The Tyranny holds some of the Flying Ponies in their possession – and they’re not giving them up. Penumbra, determined to have all the carousel horses to himself, will stop at nothing to defeat Charlotte and Dreadful.
And if that isn’t enough, Charlotte discovers she, like her traitorous uncle, has magic flowing through her. Determined to bring the Flying Ponies back together no matter the cost, the sixteen-year-old may end up paying the ultimate price.
Betrayed by both Penumbra and her Uncle Baron, Charlotte is seeking the missing Flying Ponies in the hopes of uniting them against their wayward leader. Joined by Dreadful, a crazy cavalry horse; Black, her new boyfriend; and her family and friends, she plans to find the missing carousel horses before Penumbra and Baron do.
But the hunt won’t be easy. An old friend of Black’s shows up, with intentions that might not be as honorable as she says. The Tyranny holds some of the Flying Ponies in their possession – and they’re not giving them up. Penumbra, determined to have all the carousel horses to himself, will stop at nothing to defeat Charlotte and Dreadful.
And if that isn’t enough, Charlotte discovers she, like her traitorous uncle, has magic flowing through her. Determined to bring the Flying Ponies back together no matter the cost, the sixteen-year-old may end up paying the ultimate price.
- GenresFantasy
392 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 2019
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Ransom
25 books45 followersL. M. Ransom lives in a place called Blooming Valley, located not too far off the shores of Lake Michigan. She is married to her best friend, and they have two adult children. She shares her home with an older black merle Jackshund, who always keeps things interesting. L. M. works at the library in her hometown, mostly behind the scenes in the back room. She would love to have a real-life AT-AT from Star Wars, but is settling for her collection of Walkers in her home office (for now). She enjoys watching TV and movies with her family. She adores The Big Bang Theory, Brooklyn 99, and The Middle, and she absolutely loves writing young adult romance. You can find L. M. on Instagram, Threads, and X at @lmransomwrites.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 4, 2023
****DNFed but skimmed to the end****
If I were to describe this series in three words it would be Chaos On Steroids. There’s no plot, character arcs, or even a solid villain since they keep changing, too many characters who don’t have a point in being there, and too much stuff happening without anything grounding it. Also I hated the way Tilt ended and then got mad when I skim read all of book three, Spin, with how the author decided to “fix” the ending of Tilt making me wonder why did you give magic to someone only to take it away like that?!?! Just whhhhyyyy????? *slams head on desk*
In short, it’s a fun adventure story that started one way in the first book and ends up in a completely different direction by the time you reach the end of Spin. (this is a lump review for both Tilt and Spin, in case that wasn’t clear by now 😜)
So why a three star rating? Because this is not a badly written book. Younger me at around 12 would have loved this series and not noticed its flaws and lack of plot and character development. It’s also a very neat concept that just didn’t go the way I was expecting it too which disappointed me overall. In short, I like books with more meat and deeper topics, to be more structurally sound storytelling wise, and for the characters to go on a journey and grow and change.
This series isn’t that and doesn’t pretend to be and that’s okay.
It would be perfect for younger readers just getting into YA (I would call it older MG to younger YA) who like adventure and horses and magic and won’t mind its structural flaws and lack of character growth. As for me, I’m glad I tried it even if I ended up being disappointed.
Wonderful, neat concept, but not the greatest execution for what I like to read.
‼️Content (up to 66%)‼️
Language: darn
Violence: characters are attacked by dark magic; a guy grabs and twists a girl’s arm; a guy punches another; creepy creatures attack and are beaten by characters; a woman slaps a guy; carousel horses attack characters
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Other: magic; a magical carousel, carousel horses, and house; creepy skeleton creatures; characters are magicians; characters are kidnapped and locked up
If I were to describe this series in three words it would be Chaos On Steroids. There’s no plot, character arcs, or even a solid villain since they keep changing, too many characters who don’t have a point in being there, and too much stuff happening without anything grounding it. Also I hated the way Tilt ended and then got mad when I skim read all of book three, Spin, with how the author decided to “fix” the ending of Tilt making me wonder why did you give magic to someone only to take it away like that?!?! Just whhhhyyyy????? *slams head on desk*
In short, it’s a fun adventure story that started one way in the first book and ends up in a completely different direction by the time you reach the end of Spin. (this is a lump review for both Tilt and Spin, in case that wasn’t clear by now 😜)
So why a three star rating? Because this is not a badly written book. Younger me at around 12 would have loved this series and not noticed its flaws and lack of plot and character development. It’s also a very neat concept that just didn’t go the way I was expecting it too which disappointed me overall. In short, I like books with more meat and deeper topics, to be more structurally sound storytelling wise, and for the characters to go on a journey and grow and change.
This series isn’t that and doesn’t pretend to be and that’s okay.
It would be perfect for younger readers just getting into YA (I would call it older MG to younger YA) who like adventure and horses and magic and won’t mind its structural flaws and lack of character growth. As for me, I’m glad I tried it even if I ended up being disappointed.
Wonderful, neat concept, but not the greatest execution for what I like to read.
‼️Content (up to 66%)‼️
Language: darn
Violence: characters are attacked by dark magic; a guy grabs and twists a girl’s arm; a guy punches another; creepy creatures attack and are beaten by characters; a woman slaps a guy; carousel horses attack characters
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Other: magic; a magical carousel, carousel horses, and house; creepy skeleton creatures; characters are magicians; characters are kidnapped and locked up
August 8, 2020
FAN-MADE BOOK TRAILER HERE: https://youtu.be/-bF_JwMhp9g
I confess that I was nervous that Tilt would be centered around a love triangle involving Black with a lot of drama to follow.
However, Tilt gave me something deeper, with more magic, surprises, and growth. Though there was a fairly strong emphasis on the romance in the beginning, this story really digs deep into these characters and how much is at stake. I came to love Charlotte and Black more, but also become super fond of Dreadful and the house. In fact, I LOVE things surrounding Dreadful as the story progressed. It made my heart so happy. <3
Similar to Lift, the author threw me for another good plot twist concerning a certain character, but I'm thankful this in particular one was a good one. I was saddened and shocked by another though.
The flying ponies are incredibly amazing and love how they're written and conveyed! It's so much fun! The magical aspect of this story was once again fascinating (even more so in Tilt) and always left me wondering what it was going to do next.
As I mentioned before, the stakes are much higher, leaving characters vulnerable and an overall sense of anticipation or dread (depending on what's going on). This was indeed an exciting sequel and very excited to see what comes next! Let's hope things take a turn for the better and not the worse. *bites nails*
Recommended to YA readers who love a clean story with magic, romance, and a strong sense of family.
*(I received an ARC from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.)*
I confess that I was nervous that Tilt would be centered around a love triangle involving Black with a lot of drama to follow.
However, Tilt gave me something deeper, with more magic, surprises, and growth. Though there was a fairly strong emphasis on the romance in the beginning, this story really digs deep into these characters and how much is at stake. I came to love Charlotte and Black more, but also become super fond of Dreadful and the house. In fact, I LOVE things surrounding Dreadful as the story progressed. It made my heart so happy. <3
Similar to Lift, the author threw me for another good plot twist concerning a certain character, but I'm thankful this in particular one was a good one. I was saddened and shocked by another though.
The flying ponies are incredibly amazing and love how they're written and conveyed! It's so much fun! The magical aspect of this story was once again fascinating (even more so in Tilt) and always left me wondering what it was going to do next.
As I mentioned before, the stakes are much higher, leaving characters vulnerable and an overall sense of anticipation or dread (depending on what's going on). This was indeed an exciting sequel and very excited to see what comes next! Let's hope things take a turn for the better and not the worse. *bites nails*
Recommended to YA readers who love a clean story with magic, romance, and a strong sense of family.
*(I received an ARC from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.)*
February 3, 2019
Fantastic addition to the Flying Ponies series, very well written! A very captivating story, it kept me intrigued all the way through. It is so refreshing to read a cleanly written story, great for the young adults that are bridging into an older style of book, without the worry of foul language, or inappropriate content. Ransom is a very talented author, and I can’t wait to find out what happens with the Flynn family and their ponies!
March 1, 2019
A great follow up to the first book in this series. Tilt starts right off where Lift ended and the story just gets more magical from there. I loved the addition of new characters, especially the new ponies. Can't wait for the conclusion to this story next year!!!
May 9, 2019
Tilt, the second installment in The Flying Ponies trilogy, soars right into the action where readers left the story in Lift. If you haven’t read Lift yet, you really should before you begin Tilt so that you have the full background of both plot and characters.
The antique carousel horses that come to life through magic are a creative device that I find clever and creative. Readers are introduced to several more of them in Tilt, described in detail and inspired by actual museum pieces that graced carousels long ago. There is a carousel museum not very far from my home that I have never been to and this series has put a visit there on my must-do list.
Charlotte Flynn, her family, and friends continue in their quest to reunite the carousel horses that have been separated from each other while they deal with the forces of magic which are gaining strength around them. No one has to confront this more than Charlotte herself who struggles with the power of her own magic.
Sometimes the second book in a series will suffer from a slump, but that isn’t the case here. I found the writing, story, and character development all stronger. There’s plenty of action, some innocent romance, and mysterious developments that will keep you reading Tilt and eagerly looking forward to the final book in the series, Spin.
My thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The antique carousel horses that come to life through magic are a creative device that I find clever and creative. Readers are introduced to several more of them in Tilt, described in detail and inspired by actual museum pieces that graced carousels long ago. There is a carousel museum not very far from my home that I have never been to and this series has put a visit there on my must-do list.
Charlotte Flynn, her family, and friends continue in their quest to reunite the carousel horses that have been separated from each other while they deal with the forces of magic which are gaining strength around them. No one has to confront this more than Charlotte herself who struggles with the power of her own magic.
Sometimes the second book in a series will suffer from a slump, but that isn’t the case here. I found the writing, story, and character development all stronger. There’s plenty of action, some innocent romance, and mysterious developments that will keep you reading Tilt and eagerly looking forward to the final book in the series, Spin.
My thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 15, 2019
Having enjoyed L.M. Ransom's first book, I was excited to dive back into the world of the Flying Ponies with Book 2, Tilt. Not only has the quality of the writing improved, but I was surprised to find this story was considerably darker and deeper than Book 1.
Charlotte and her siblings are preparing for a battle against Penumbra, the magical carousel horse who wants to rise up and dominate the human world. They are outnumbered, unprepared, and out-magicked, especially after their uncle Baron turned on them. Roadblocks are thrown up at every turn, and an unfortunate encounter with a Desolate may have dire consequences for Charlotte.
Black is still my favorite character. He's equal parts mysterious and brave, and I love the protectiveness he shows to not only Charlotte but the rest of her family. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along at a faster pace than before.
Can't wait for Book 3!
Charlotte and her siblings are preparing for a battle against Penumbra, the magical carousel horse who wants to rise up and dominate the human world. They are outnumbered, unprepared, and out-magicked, especially after their uncle Baron turned on them. Roadblocks are thrown up at every turn, and an unfortunate encounter with a Desolate may have dire consequences for Charlotte.
Black is still my favorite character. He's equal parts mysterious and brave, and I love the protectiveness he shows to not only Charlotte but the rest of her family. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along at a faster pace than before.
Can't wait for Book 3!
May 5, 2020
*gaspsssssss really loud*
Tilt kicks everything into high gear as Char tries to figure out who she can trust and how she can save the day while evil lurks around every corner.....
Definitely recommend !
Tilt kicks everything into high gear as Char tries to figure out who she can trust and how she can save the day while evil lurks around every corner.....
Definitely recommend !
March 4, 2020
You Have a Fan for Life
I was thrilled to read Tilt after absolutely devouring Lift (book 1). As a horse lover myself, any story involving magic AND ponies piqued my interest.
I fell in love with Charlotte and the Flynn family in book 1 and had to follow their adventures into book 2. Tilt was noticeably darker than Lift and I found myself cringing and biting my nails at the tension. I usually read before bed, and I could not put this book down.
My heart was breaking for the Flynn's (don't worry, no spoilers), but I caught a slight glimmer of hope at the end. I cannot wait to see how the series finishes in Spin.
Bravo L.M. Ransom, you have a fan for life.
I was thrilled to read Tilt after absolutely devouring Lift (book 1). As a horse lover myself, any story involving magic AND ponies piqued my interest.
I fell in love with Charlotte and the Flynn family in book 1 and had to follow their adventures into book 2. Tilt was noticeably darker than Lift and I found myself cringing and biting my nails at the tension. I usually read before bed, and I could not put this book down.
My heart was breaking for the Flynn's (don't worry, no spoilers), but I caught a slight glimmer of hope at the end. I cannot wait to see how the series finishes in Spin.
Bravo L.M. Ransom, you have a fan for life.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews