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Phantom Stallion #1
The Wild One
The beloved first book in the middle grade Phantom Stallion series about a girl, her horse, and the beauty of the American West returns with a brand-new, stunning cover and bonus material! Perfect for fans of Canterwood Crest and classic horse stories like Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka .
When thirteen-year-old Samantha returns home to her family’s cattle ranch in Nevada, she’s nervous. She moved away two years ago to recover from a bad fall off her beloved mustang, Blackie, and she’s still not sure she can get back in the saddle. She’s having trouble bonding with her new horse, Ace, the other ranchers treat her like the boss’s spoiled daughter, and Blackie has been missing since the day of Sam’s fateful accident.
But that’s just the beginning. On a moonlit night, a mustang comes to Sam. Is it Blackie grown up and gone wild—or the legendary phantom stallion? When Sam suddenly finds the fate of the horse resting in her hands, she has to be a real cowgirl, ready or not.
When thirteen-year-old Samantha returns home to her family’s cattle ranch in Nevada, she’s nervous. She moved away two years ago to recover from a bad fall off her beloved mustang, Blackie, and she’s still not sure she can get back in the saddle. She’s having trouble bonding with her new horse, Ace, the other ranchers treat her like the boss’s spoiled daughter, and Blackie has been missing since the day of Sam’s fateful accident.
But that’s just the beginning. On a moonlit night, a mustang comes to Sam. Is it Blackie grown up and gone wild—or the legendary phantom stallion? When Sam suddenly finds the fate of the horse resting in her hands, she has to be a real cowgirl, ready or not.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
65 people are currently reading
4390 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 - 29 of 174 reviews
March 9, 2026
17 years later and this book still holds up. So nostalgic. And the way I used to ship Sam and Jake so hard 😭
September 6, 2025
I was surprised by how much action, danger and thrills were in this book, not only from a truly rotten human named Slocum but from nature itself! And some of it was utterly unexpected too, like a desert that could crack like ice to have quicksand under the hard crust. That sounds terrifying! And then you are leading cattle and horses across that?? And here I had thought that desert would be solid land ... Oops. I am afraid I know more about horses than desert - and the horse stuff in this book is top notch! Young Sam puts her own life in danger countless times so she can save the wild horse she loves: the Phantom. But evil Slocum wants the Phantom for himself as he thinks money can buy anything..even a wild horse.
This was most definitely a very satisfying read. It has a very western feel to it too, although it may not be an actual western. But you do have the cowboys (and Sam) riding the huge cow herd over wide stretches of land and that most certainly is being a cowboy. And Sam is learning to be a cowgirl but she makes some mistakes along the way. And she has some secrets too...
I really loved the magical scenes in here between Sam and the Phantom. They have a very special connection. And the Phantom is definitely one of those super rare horses that will only belong to one person. You know the type: totally wild except for that one individual who he trusts. But the Phantom is wild and unpredictable so every time Sam gets near him she is risking her life. The book makes that perfectly clear. He's no enchanted unicorn you know. He's a massive horse with powerful sharp hooves and even his head alone can give her bruises. If you ever had a horse knock you lightly with his head then you know it feels like solid bone, like a rock. Yes, been there ...
I say the horse stuff in here is quite realistic. It's well written. And most exciting too!
I definitely look forward to reading the rest of this series! It should be a special treat, as I have never read this before.
This was most definitely a very satisfying read. It has a very western feel to it too, although it may not be an actual western. But you do have the cowboys (and Sam) riding the huge cow herd over wide stretches of land and that most certainly is being a cowboy. And Sam is learning to be a cowgirl but she makes some mistakes along the way. And she has some secrets too...
I really loved the magical scenes in here between Sam and the Phantom. They have a very special connection. And the Phantom is definitely one of those super rare horses that will only belong to one person. You know the type: totally wild except for that one individual who he trusts. But the Phantom is wild and unpredictable so every time Sam gets near him she is risking her life. The book makes that perfectly clear. He's no enchanted unicorn you know. He's a massive horse with powerful sharp hooves and even his head alone can give her bruises. If you ever had a horse knock you lightly with his head then you know it feels like solid bone, like a rock. Yes, been there ...
I say the horse stuff in here is quite realistic. It's well written. And most exciting too!
I definitely look forward to reading the rest of this series! It should be a special treat, as I have never read this before.
July 5, 2010
I love this book. ESPECIALLY the connection between Sam and her previous colt blackie who grows up and changes colour to gray and almost silverish. 2 years ago, Sam had gotten her very own horse, Blackie. He was a wild mustang but with very good nature. She had just tamed and haltered him when she decided to ride him out of ranch with her friend and trainer Jake. The horse somehow spooks, bucks her off, and his hind hoof hits her in the head. She gets sent to San-Fransisco to her aunt until she recovers. when she comes back, she meets a horse who come to her one night. He comes real close but then goes away again. She meets him every night after midnight. she comes to realize with a shock that this is her horse. But then she figures out that there is another very wealthy man who is after her horse. And to top it off, her dad and Jake are over-protective after the accident. She goes through alot of tough decision-making and is determined to save her horse......
January 9, 2022
I decided to reread this series out of nostalgia and wow. I think I like it better than when I first read it.
It is meant for younger audiences and that means some of the twists were pretty obvious. However, it still had some pretty good uh-oh moments. There were also some great one liners.
The one issue I had was Sam's age. She is thirteen which isn't an issue in and of itself. However, Sam has a very loud personity and some very strong morals on mustangs. While there were some dumb teenage moments, I think it would be more realistic if Sam was a teensy bit older.
Otherwise, it was a great book and far more captivating than I expected.
It is meant for younger audiences and that means some of the twists were pretty obvious. However, it still had some pretty good uh-oh moments. There were also some great one liners.
The one issue I had was Sam's age. She is thirteen which isn't an issue in and of itself. However, Sam has a very loud personity and some very strong morals on mustangs. While there were some dumb teenage moments, I think it would be more realistic if Sam was a teensy bit older.
Otherwise, it was a great book and far more captivating than I expected.
October 9, 2014
Oh gosh, I would have ADORED this book as a youngster. Even as a mostly-adult, it was still pretty entertaining. I have to admit, I have a preference for English riding over Western and wild mustangs and the whole shebang, but really, anything horse-related will catch my interest by default.
My only real complaint--that may or may not be a compliment--was that I felt like I was being dropped in the middle of a series, not picking up the first one. The world and the characters had all this developed backstory with a great setting. I almost wanted to read the backstory, because I couldn't quite sort out the relationship dynamics between everyone in the present. Still, honestly, I felt like I was plopped into a fully-realized world and actually had to work to keep up. It's so nice to read a children's book that doesn't talk down to its readers.
If the sequels ever fall into my hands, I think I'll probably read them. :)
My only real complaint--that may or may not be a compliment--was that I felt like I was being dropped in the middle of a series, not picking up the first one. The world and the characters had all this developed backstory with a great setting. I almost wanted to read the backstory, because I couldn't quite sort out the relationship dynamics between everyone in the present. Still, honestly, I felt like I was plopped into a fully-realized world and actually had to work to keep up. It's so nice to read a children's book that doesn't talk down to its readers.
If the sequels ever fall into my hands, I think I'll probably read them. :)
March 11, 2009
I love this book. It's all about a wild horse that no one ever sees excpet this one little girl. Therefore; she calls it the Phantom. However, it's secret name is Zanzibar. I love that name!
January 5, 2023
I'm glad I decided to binge this series on audiobook for the new year. It's already very pleasant. The Phantom Stallion series is one that I adored when I was at the target age range for this series. It was absolutely meant for me and other horse-obsessed girls who wanted to imagine ourselves in Sam's shoes, having a special relationship with the most beautiful and mysterious stallion on the range. Farley truly knows who to paint some beautiful and emotional scenes of magical moments with horses, while also being realistic/accurate about horse behavior. Trust me, I educated myself fully on them as a kid and she never irked me with inaccuracies. The only thing that ever irked me in this series was that jerk Slocum (sp? I gave the physical copies I had to my cousin's daughters so I can't check how it's spelled anymore!) who was so greedy and selfish he was willing to hurt horses just to have them as trophies at his ranch. But he's supposed to be irksome, so he does his job as a character well.😛
I was surprised how much of this first book I actually remembered. Before starting the audiobook, I remembered the basic plot, but as I was listening, I found I remembered nearly the whole thing word for word. I don't remember how many times I read it as a kid, but apparently, it was enough to remember it well over a decade later. XD I was especially glad to find that, even though I'm 30 now, I still enjoyed the story nearly as much as I did as a kid. Farley really did a good job of balancing the story so that it's reasonably emotional, being from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl and all, but it's not uber melodramatic like some contemporary books for teens can be. I also appreciate again that she never hyper-sexualized the teens in the series. *glares at the many so-called YA books today trying to normalize and romanticize teen sex* Sam is 13 and she acts like it. She acknowledges thinking a boy is cute but any relationships are age-appropriate. There's also a good balance in her relationships with the adults around her. She's allowed to be capable and independent as is appropriate for her age but still accepts help and advice from adults, too.
So, overall, I'm enjoying my reread. Part of my reason for doing this is because, as a kid, after I reached book 13 in the series, my mom struggled to find any more physical copies of the later books. To this day I don't know why, as I was under the impression that they were pretty popular, but alas, she couldn't find them and I was never able to finish. (For all I know they may have been on ebook, but to this day I've never owned an e-reader.) Now that all 24 books are on audio, I'm excited to finally finish and find out what happens to these characters and horses that I loved.
Content Advisory:
This is a very appropriate series for kids age 8 and up. Middle Grade age kids and young teens who love horses will find plenty to enjoy without parents having to worry about what else they might come across.
As stated above, Sam can acknowledge that a boy is cute (the particular cute boy in this book is her childhood friend, Jake) but there's no romance, and Sam and Jake's friendship is still platonic and perfectly appropriate. There is a point in the book where Sam is sneaking out at night (but not sneaking very well, apparently, because the adults are aware of it) to meet the Phantom Stallion at the river and her grandmother gets concerned that Sam and Jake might be sneaking out together. When asked, Sam denies it firmly and is not happy about the suggestion.
Sam sometimes makes impulsive choices as is typical for a teenager, and is sometimes in danger (typically, it's danger related to interacting with an unpredictable wild horse). She sometimes has arguments/disagreements with her father, but is overall respectful of him and her grandmother, and loves them, and they are actively involved in her life.
The only violence is horse-related. There are many mentions of an accident Sam had a few years before the series even starts in which she was trying to train her young horse "Blackie" for riding and something startled him so that she fell off and he accidentally kicked her in the head. No graphic description, but Sam has vague memories of pain above her ear, and Jake, who witnessed it, tells her there was a lot of blood. She was knocked unconscious and hospitalized, so it was a big event in her life.
When Sam asks about a scar on The Phantom's neck, Jake tells her that Slocum once lassoed the horse out on the range and tied the lasso to a barrel of cement so he could go after another horse. Phantom was injured while panicking and fighting his way free. (No description.)
There is some description during a later incident where Phantom is tricked by Slocum into a corral where the horse then panics and injures himself slamming into things trying to escape. There's some description of blood running down his legs.
Slocum is a smoker, but everything he does is associated with his sleezy personality, so it's not depicted in a positive light.
Slocum says "That d****d Jake Eli" early on, referring to the fact that he blames Jake for Sam's accident, but it's made clear that it was no one's fault.
Slocum threatens Sam near the end of the story when she brings several of his illegal acts to light. The threats are not graphic, but the government official who witnesses it suggests getting a restraining order.
I was surprised how much of this first book I actually remembered. Before starting the audiobook, I remembered the basic plot, but as I was listening, I found I remembered nearly the whole thing word for word. I don't remember how many times I read it as a kid, but apparently, it was enough to remember it well over a decade later. XD I was especially glad to find that, even though I'm 30 now, I still enjoyed the story nearly as much as I did as a kid. Farley really did a good job of balancing the story so that it's reasonably emotional, being from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl and all, but it's not uber melodramatic like some contemporary books for teens can be. I also appreciate again that she never hyper-sexualized the teens in the series. *glares at the many so-called YA books today trying to normalize and romanticize teen sex* Sam is 13 and she acts like it. She acknowledges thinking a boy is cute but any relationships are age-appropriate. There's also a good balance in her relationships with the adults around her. She's allowed to be capable and independent as is appropriate for her age but still accepts help and advice from adults, too.
So, overall, I'm enjoying my reread. Part of my reason for doing this is because, as a kid, after I reached book 13 in the series, my mom struggled to find any more physical copies of the later books. To this day I don't know why, as I was under the impression that they were pretty popular, but alas, she couldn't find them and I was never able to finish. (For all I know they may have been on ebook, but to this day I've never owned an e-reader.) Now that all 24 books are on audio, I'm excited to finally finish and find out what happens to these characters and horses that I loved.
Content Advisory:
This is a very appropriate series for kids age 8 and up. Middle Grade age kids and young teens who love horses will find plenty to enjoy without parents having to worry about what else they might come across.
As stated above, Sam can acknowledge that a boy is cute (the particular cute boy in this book is her childhood friend, Jake) but there's no romance, and Sam and Jake's friendship is still platonic and perfectly appropriate. There is a point in the book where Sam is sneaking out at night (but not sneaking very well, apparently, because the adults are aware of it) to meet the Phantom Stallion at the river and her grandmother gets concerned that Sam and Jake might be sneaking out together. When asked, Sam denies it firmly and is not happy about the suggestion.
Sam sometimes makes impulsive choices as is typical for a teenager, and is sometimes in danger (typically, it's danger related to interacting with an unpredictable wild horse). She sometimes has arguments/disagreements with her father, but is overall respectful of him and her grandmother, and loves them, and they are actively involved in her life.
The only violence is horse-related. There are many mentions of an accident Sam had a few years before the series even starts in which she was trying to train her young horse "Blackie" for riding and something startled him so that she fell off and he accidentally kicked her in the head. No graphic description, but Sam has vague memories of pain above her ear, and Jake, who witnessed it, tells her there was a lot of blood. She was knocked unconscious and hospitalized, so it was a big event in her life.
When Sam asks about a scar on The Phantom's neck, Jake tells her that Slocum once lassoed the horse out on the range and tied the lasso to a barrel of cement so he could go after another horse. Phantom was injured while panicking and fighting his way free. (No description.)
There is some description during a later incident where Phantom is tricked by Slocum into a corral where the horse then panics and injures himself slamming into things trying to escape. There's some description of blood running down his legs.
Slocum is a smoker, but everything he does is associated with his sleezy personality, so it's not depicted in a positive light.
Slocum says "That d****d Jake Eli" early on, referring to the fact that he blames Jake for Sam's accident, but it's made clear that it was no one's fault.
Slocum threatens Sam near the end of the story when she brings several of his illegal acts to light. The threats are not graphic, but the government official who witnesses it suggests getting a restraining order.
July 4, 2014
Awwww, this book was what first got me interested in reading. Before this book I used to think reading was lame. But, I have always loved horses so when i was in 5th grade and I saw the horse on the cover I was interested. It was AWESOME! So are the other 23 books in the series, I highly recommend to anyone. Especially if you're a mom and your little girl is having a hard time getting into reading. It's great.
March 10, 2025
This book was so fun to read. The way the author paid attention to the detail made it feel like you were actually on the ranch working with the horses.
I also love how the author is from that kind of environment and what she is writing about is still fiction but still has real live settings
I also love how the author is from that kind of environment and what she is writing about is still fiction but still has real live settings
July 5, 2018
These were my absolute favorite books as a kid and rereading did not disappoint. :)
July 20, 2014
This is a very worthwhile read about a girl called Sam who has been raised on a ranch but living away from it for two years. Now she is returning and wonders what life will be like. She had been training a dark grey colt but he got spooked and threw her and ran away, and her family doesn't know where he is.
Sam finds a pale grey stallion coming to drink by moonlight near the ranch house, and realises that as grey horses get lighter each year, this could be her colt. But he is wild and running with mustangs. Sam is to take on cattle work and she finds out about a Bureau of Land Management station where wild horses are rounded up and sold because they would overgraze the land. She is terrified that her lovely horse will come in there and be sold to a hard-hearted rancher.
The issues are well explored and life on the cattle drive is shown in realistic detail.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to young people of a wide range of ages.
Sam finds a pale grey stallion coming to drink by moonlight near the ranch house, and realises that as grey horses get lighter each year, this could be her colt. But he is wild and running with mustangs. Sam is to take on cattle work and she finds out about a Bureau of Land Management station where wild horses are rounded up and sold because they would overgraze the land. She is terrified that her lovely horse will come in there and be sold to a hard-hearted rancher.
The issues are well explored and life on the cattle drive is shown in realistic detail.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to young people of a wide range of ages.
December 24, 2012
This series was by far my favorite as a child. Terri Farley has a gift for writing these wild horse stories. As a child her attention to detail was more than satisfying and took my mind to that place where Sam rode her horse across the Nevada desert. I also loved the real-life situations Sam was put in, they definitely helped me deal with my own situations. If you love horses, I would definitely recommend this series to you.
March 6, 2015
This is the only fiction horse series I like. The main character, Sam, is a (bad) western rider, loves horses and not her own popularity, doesn't care about shows, isn't flawless with the horses, and doesn't deal with drama people. All things that make this book very different from most horse books. (Most horse books are really bad, in my opinion. This is a nice diversion from that!)
January 13, 2021
This book comes alive with each and every scene. An enthralling book. I could never put it down until I finished. The ending leaves you satisfied and longing for more.
November 17, 2024
A childhood re-read. There was definitely stuff I didn’t remember, but the spirit and core of it was the same. Always nice to dive back into a comforting cowboy horse girl book!
July 9, 2023
Still love these books as an adult! Excited the series is getting a re-release ❤️
August 2, 2021
I absolutely loved this series as a kid! It got me into reading. I really enjoyed rereading it as an adult.
September 10, 2024
3.5 stars
I am on a nostalgic kick lately and decided to re-read this series. I knew going in that these books would be simple. As a kid I probably would have given them 4, maybe 4.5 stars, but they're not the most amazing writing ever. These books are fun, wholesome horse books! There is some disobedience of parents and Sam does make some poor choices but I feel like they are shown to be poor choices, the adults are not treated like idiots, there is no language, little to no romance, and lots of lessons learned. You just don't find books like that these days. Each one is it's own story with character development and some larger story elements building from one book to the next.
I am on a nostalgic kick lately and decided to re-read this series. I knew going in that these books would be simple. As a kid I probably would have given them 4, maybe 4.5 stars, but they're not the most amazing writing ever. These books are fun, wholesome horse books! There is some disobedience of parents and Sam does make some poor choices but I feel like they are shown to be poor choices, the adults are not treated like idiots, there is no language, little to no romance, and lots of lessons learned. You just don't find books like that these days. Each one is it's own story with character development and some larger story elements building from one book to the next.
April 6, 2012
The Wild One (Phantom Stallion #1)
By Terri Farley
After recovering from a severe head injury and loosing her best friend/ companion, Blackie who she also called Zanzibar, thirteen year old Samantha Forster finally returns back to the farm. Two years ago, Sam was in a fatal riding accident when her horse, Blackie, took off; “she went one way, he went the other, and his off hind hoof caught you[her] in the head” (139). Finally back on River Bend Ranch, Sam jumps right back into riding on her new mustang named Ace but she couldn’t stop thinking about Phantom; the mysterious wild, grey mustang who she saw, running through the desert plains, on her drive back to the farm. There was something about this stallion that stood out to Sam. Could the Phantom be her old horse Blackie who grayed out with age? The Phantom seemed to be attached to Sam and met her at the river some nights. At times, she even got so close “that she could touch the stallion” (167).
The Wild One(Phantom Stallion #1) by Terri Farley, is an amazing book full of adventure and mysteriousness. This great book is well written and full of detail. It is a very moving book that is based on a devoted horse lover who got hurt but immediately mounted up right after recovering. No matter what the injury is, any horse lover will get back on a horse again. I also learned from this book that you should never give up hope. Sam never gave up looking for Blackie even after two years since he got loose. Things do, sometimes, pay off in the end like when Sam found the Phantom or what could be long lost Blackie. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would suggest it to any one even slightly interested in horses. The book is full of adventure, fun, and friendship. My only opinion to the author would have been to stay consistent with their writing. At times I would be reading one paragraph and the next is a completely new day which confused me some. Some dialogue was difficult to understand as well because it was written using heavy southern accent which was harder to understand. Even though the writing style particularly for me, this was a very captivating book that sucked me right in the moment I opened it.
Rating this book from a 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, I would definitely rate this book a 5! I really enjoyed reading this book and would read it again, for sure, some day. From the moment I started reading it, I just couldn’t put it down. This is by far my most favorite book I have read this year. I would suggest this book to anyone of my horse friends. It is such a great story that I learned a lot from. I enjoyed every minute I read this book and couldn’t have chosen a better book. The detail in this book made everything feel so real! It is definitely a book I will never forget. I loved reading this book and I highly suggest that others read it too.
By Terri Farley
After recovering from a severe head injury and loosing her best friend/ companion, Blackie who she also called Zanzibar, thirteen year old Samantha Forster finally returns back to the farm. Two years ago, Sam was in a fatal riding accident when her horse, Blackie, took off; “she went one way, he went the other, and his off hind hoof caught you[her] in the head” (139). Finally back on River Bend Ranch, Sam jumps right back into riding on her new mustang named Ace but she couldn’t stop thinking about Phantom; the mysterious wild, grey mustang who she saw, running through the desert plains, on her drive back to the farm. There was something about this stallion that stood out to Sam. Could the Phantom be her old horse Blackie who grayed out with age? The Phantom seemed to be attached to Sam and met her at the river some nights. At times, she even got so close “that she could touch the stallion” (167).
The Wild One(Phantom Stallion #1) by Terri Farley, is an amazing book full of adventure and mysteriousness. This great book is well written and full of detail. It is a very moving book that is based on a devoted horse lover who got hurt but immediately mounted up right after recovering. No matter what the injury is, any horse lover will get back on a horse again. I also learned from this book that you should never give up hope. Sam never gave up looking for Blackie even after two years since he got loose. Things do, sometimes, pay off in the end like when Sam found the Phantom or what could be long lost Blackie. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would suggest it to any one even slightly interested in horses. The book is full of adventure, fun, and friendship. My only opinion to the author would have been to stay consistent with their writing. At times I would be reading one paragraph and the next is a completely new day which confused me some. Some dialogue was difficult to understand as well because it was written using heavy southern accent which was harder to understand. Even though the writing style particularly for me, this was a very captivating book that sucked me right in the moment I opened it.
Rating this book from a 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, I would definitely rate this book a 5! I really enjoyed reading this book and would read it again, for sure, some day. From the moment I started reading it, I just couldn’t put it down. This is by far my most favorite book I have read this year. I would suggest this book to anyone of my horse friends. It is such a great story that I learned a lot from. I enjoyed every minute I read this book and couldn’t have chosen a better book. The detail in this book made everything feel so real! It is definitely a book I will never forget. I loved reading this book and I highly suggest that others read it too.
November 29, 2011
This entire series is fantastic! Terri Farley has created a clean educational setting for a fun adventure filled story! Just the first book had me hooked! I even still enjoy reading them, though I'm not a kid any more.
Sam has returned home after an accident that happened over a year ago involving her horse Blackie. When she returns there is a new leader of the herd of mustangs near her home called the Phantom, because of his ghost white appearance and how he and his herd can vanish so quickly. Sam finds out something incredible about this horse and she is thrown into adventure after adventure for the next 23 books. I just wish there were more!
Sam has returned home after an accident that happened over a year ago involving her horse Blackie. When she returns there is a new leader of the herd of mustangs near her home called the Phantom, because of his ghost white appearance and how he and his herd can vanish so quickly. Sam finds out something incredible about this horse and she is thrown into adventure after adventure for the next 23 books. I just wish there were more!
October 2, 2015
The cover artwork is better than the story.
I may have liked this when I was 8, but at 45 I found it to be deliciously silly. Farley (no relation to Walter Farley) has very little knowledge of how horses really behave. Also, four-year-old horses are usually called colts and NOT stallions. A four-year-old mustang colt would have very little chance of leading a herd. But then, of course, this book is a girl's wet-dream come true and not based too tightly on reality.
This reminds me of the Saturday afternoon TV show "Thunder" where a girl has a secret relationship with a wild black stallion that always comes out of nowhere in the nick of time.
I may have liked this when I was 8, but at 45 I found it to be deliciously silly. Farley (no relation to Walter Farley) has very little knowledge of how horses really behave. Also, four-year-old horses are usually called colts and NOT stallions. A four-year-old mustang colt would have very little chance of leading a herd. But then, of course, this book is a girl's wet-dream come true and not based too tightly on reality.
This reminds me of the Saturday afternoon TV show "Thunder" where a girl has a secret relationship with a wild black stallion that always comes out of nowhere in the nick of time.
August 8, 2011
I know im a "little" old for the Phantom Stallion but to tell you the truth i really enjoy these books. First of all they pass the time well. Secondly, i like horses... a lot. And also they're good books to read inbetween reading all the long, somtimes confusing, books.
I do recomend these books for any age! Esspecialy younger kids. I think they would be great books for their first chapter book, not too hard but still challenging to the young ones.
I do recomend these books for any age! Esspecialy younger kids. I think they would be great books for their first chapter book, not too hard but still challenging to the young ones.
October 7, 2010
Maybe for an 8th grader, but my third-grade girl was just NOT interested.
August 28, 2012
not good
May 13, 2016
Finally finished it!!!! It was so good! I can't wait to get the next one!!!
July 7, 2017
I've read a lot of pre-teen horse books and this was by far the worst.
May 31, 2022
No better uplift for a tough time or a tough prior read than a girl and her horse. First in a series.
August 5, 2023
Alright I decided to reread this whole series to justify it occupying one of my kitchen shelves instead of like, dishes. So far it has a secure home up there.
Sam returns to her family ranch 2 years after a freak riding accident that caused her family to send her away to resume her life of being a cowgirl. The horse Sam fell off of was her own half-mustang colt that she raised and trained, and spooked as he was he took off for the open range to join the bands of wild horses that roam the Nevada deserts. After a mysterious silver stallion visits Sam in the dead of night, she realizes that her once-black colt turned grey as he grew up, just like his sire. Unfortunately, this flashy silver stallion is the target of some bad-actors who would rather capture him and break his spirit than let him run free. This theme is present through this book and the rest of the series if I remember right.
Something that I think is cool is how this series gives representation of a group of girls who don’t get a lot of good role models in books: 13 year olds. Middle Grade fiction is for the age group of 8-12. Young Adult fiction is heavily dominated by characters that are 15 and older (and are commonly written as if they should be in college, not highschool). and the 13 & 14 year olds get the short end of the stick, for the most part they can read about characters younger than them or characters older, with issues they don’t always relate to. But Sam is 13 at the introduction of this series and she reminds me of myself at that age. Sam is very passionate about what she loves, which is mostly just horses. She understands that owning a ranch is hard work and everyone has to pitch in to get everything done. She does her part with minimal complaining, she does have gripes about chores sometimes but she mostly keeps those to her internal monologue because as much as she hates some work, someone has to do it and it all is a part of the reason she gets to ride a really cool horse every day. Sometimes she is careless, sometimes she doesn’t think about how her actions might impact others, sometimes she gets so excited focusing on one thing that she just forgets about her other responsibilities. She has a pretty good head on her shoulders but the author never lets us forget that she is 13 still and I think it is so well done.
This was one of my absolute favorite series as a kid and I'm so delighted that it is still every bit as magical now that I'm older.
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Sam returns to her family ranch 2 years after a freak riding accident that caused her family to send her away to resume her life of being a cowgirl. The horse Sam fell off of was her own half-mustang colt that she raised and trained, and spooked as he was he took off for the open range to join the bands of wild horses that roam the Nevada deserts. After a mysterious silver stallion visits Sam in the dead of night, she realizes that her once-black colt turned grey as he grew up, just like his sire. Unfortunately, this flashy silver stallion is the target of some bad-actors who would rather capture him and break his spirit than let him run free. This theme is present through this book and the rest of the series if I remember right.
Something that I think is cool is how this series gives representation of a group of girls who don’t get a lot of good role models in books: 13 year olds. Middle Grade fiction is for the age group of 8-12. Young Adult fiction is heavily dominated by characters that are 15 and older (and are commonly written as if they should be in college, not highschool). and the 13 & 14 year olds get the short end of the stick, for the most part they can read about characters younger than them or characters older, with issues they don’t always relate to. But Sam is 13 at the introduction of this series and she reminds me of myself at that age. Sam is very passionate about what she loves, which is mostly just horses. She understands that owning a ranch is hard work and everyone has to pitch in to get everything done. She does her part with minimal complaining, she does have gripes about chores sometimes but she mostly keeps those to her internal monologue because as much as she hates some work, someone has to do it and it all is a part of the reason she gets to ride a really cool horse every day. Sometimes she is careless, sometimes she doesn’t think about how her actions might impact others, sometimes she gets so excited focusing on one thing that she just forgets about her other responsibilities. She has a pretty good head on her shoulders but the author never lets us forget that she is 13 still and I think it is so well done.
This was one of my absolute favorite series as a kid and I'm so delighted that it is still every bit as magical now that I'm older.
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March 12, 2025
NOTE: I did not read the updated version. My copy is the original 2002 Avon/Harpercollins paperback, and all opinions are based on the originals, not the hardbacks.
Someone else in the reviews mentioned that few thirteen year old horse crazy girls get a book for their age range. YES. As someone who strives to write for the 12-16 age range of horse crazy kids, this series is a lesson in what good horse fiction for young teens SHOULD look like.
First of all-- WAY TO GO FARLEY! SO much mustang fiction is SO political and for the entirety of the (original, at least) series, we see all sides of the argument-- from the rancher, the horse lover, and the BLM. THANK YOU! I am so sick of mustang argument books, take us back to the horses, please and thank you.
These are such wonderfully clean books. I have read most of the series and there is zero profanities. Are there a few crushes here and there? Yes, but it's not like Saddle Club where we have thirteen year olds discussing boy drama and kissing. Jake is the greatest-- some have suggested that he is the love interest and maybe one day he is (there is some suggestion of such in book #24 at the very end?) but for the most of the series they are very solidly platonic friends and I would love to have a big-brother like figure like him.
YES FOR AWESOME DAD CHARACTERS! Any book with a solid dad character deserves a five star review. Wyatt is awesome, maybe a little harsh at times, but life has made him that way and you can see how much he loves Sam.
Also, YAY FOR CAPTIVE MUSTANG HORSES! This sounds weird but SO many books are "Free the horses" that it's like ACE! A MUSTANG HAPPY WITH BEING A CAPTIVE HORSE! thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. I want a horse like Ace, he is wonderful.
Phantommmmm that glorious steed. Some might argue that it was unrealistic but to me it wasn't-- he partially imprinted on Sam as a foal, so it only makes sense that he'd see her as safe. Horses have brilliant memories, so it's not too farfetched that he wouldn't remember her. And he's not always so friendly to her (especially in later books) so it never broke the point of disbelief.
Anyway, one hundred percent recommend the ORIGINAL series, seeing as Farley has gotten a bit more political about mustangs lately I can't vouch for the hardbacks without reading them, but the originals are pure gold in terms of accurate, well-written horse fiction. I'd recommend them to any horse crazy teen.
Someone else in the reviews mentioned that few thirteen year old horse crazy girls get a book for their age range. YES. As someone who strives to write for the 12-16 age range of horse crazy kids, this series is a lesson in what good horse fiction for young teens SHOULD look like.
First of all-- WAY TO GO FARLEY! SO much mustang fiction is SO political and for the entirety of the (original, at least) series, we see all sides of the argument-- from the rancher, the horse lover, and the BLM. THANK YOU! I am so sick of mustang argument books, take us back to the horses, please and thank you.
These are such wonderfully clean books. I have read most of the series and there is zero profanities. Are there a few crushes here and there? Yes, but it's not like Saddle Club where we have thirteen year olds discussing boy drama and kissing. Jake is the greatest-- some have suggested that he is the love interest and maybe one day he is (there is some suggestion of such in book #24 at the very end?) but for the most of the series they are very solidly platonic friends and I would love to have a big-brother like figure like him.
YES FOR AWESOME DAD CHARACTERS! Any book with a solid dad character deserves a five star review. Wyatt is awesome, maybe a little harsh at times, but life has made him that way and you can see how much he loves Sam.
Also, YAY FOR CAPTIVE MUSTANG HORSES! This sounds weird but SO many books are "Free the horses" that it's like ACE! A MUSTANG HAPPY WITH BEING A CAPTIVE HORSE! thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. I want a horse like Ace, he is wonderful.
Phantommmmm that glorious steed. Some might argue that it was unrealistic but to me it wasn't-- he partially imprinted on Sam as a foal, so it only makes sense that he'd see her as safe. Horses have brilliant memories, so it's not too farfetched that he wouldn't remember her. And he's not always so friendly to her (especially in later books) so it never broke the point of disbelief.
Anyway, one hundred percent recommend the ORIGINAL series, seeing as Farley has gotten a bit more political about mustangs lately I can't vouch for the hardbacks without reading them, but the originals are pure gold in terms of accurate, well-written horse fiction. I'd recommend them to any horse crazy teen.
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