The Silver Moth: Sequel to The Little White Horse

by Carol Lefevre

Maria Merryweather returns to Moonacre Manor with her granddaughter Rose to escape the horrors of the first world war bombings in London.

The magical qualities of Moonacre Valley are rediscovered as Rose meets Wrolf, who is more lion than dog, and sees the little white horse, an entrancing unicorn. Rose soon discovers that the Merryweathers’ old foes, the de Noir clan, are once more spreading darkness and fear through the Valley under the influence of Hugo de Noir. With the help of her new friend, Devin, and a variety of animal companions can Rose uncover the mystery of the Silver Moth aeroplane, rescue a young woman and her baby, and help an unexpected kindred spirit, William de Noir?

Beautiful, thrilling, and magical, The Silver Moth, returns to the fantasy world of the bestselling timeless classic The Little White Horse.

Genres: Fantasy

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2022

Reviews

[Judith Trail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge from the first time I read it as a pre-teen. I have re-read this book many times. I am now 70 and re-read it last year and it had lost none of the magic and delight I remembered. The pure wonder of the little unicorn, the house of Moonacre, Wrolf, Loveday, and the tower bedroom still completely entranced me. There must be something of the collective unconscious in the story, for it gave me such uncanny pleasure and happiness, that it had to strike some chord deep within me. Then I learned that another great admirer of this book had written a sequel: a chance to return to Moonacre! I read it quickly and was so relieved that it possessed the sense of wonder, the attention to the delicate details of color, texture, smell and taste found in the first novel. The story was perfect, the characters (most of them) familiar and the new story had the same charm of a modern fable. I can re-read this novel (a great test!) and recover the same sense of wonder and happiness.

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc, in exchange for my honest review.

It was so nice to read about The Little White Horse being this author’s dearest childhood possession and why. I think she did a great job writing this sequel.

This is a lovely story about a very brave and sweet girl called Rose, but it is set against the backdrop of the First World War.

The cover and the illustrations of the moth, at the start of each chapter, are both beautiful. It was the cover that sparked my interest.

2 years into World War 1, Rose witnesses something frightening from her bedroom window. A giant cigar-shaped German airship appearing in the sky and it being taken down. She desperately wants to tell someone about it but fails to, for several unexpected reasons. When she finally blurts it out in front of her grandmother and shares her worries about her father leaving for France to work in a field hospital and her cousins leaving to Scotland, all because of the war, her grandmother listens and thinks it will do her good to take her to the country, to Moonacre.

As soon as we enter Moonacre, this story gets a touch of magic. The worldbuilding, the adventures, the animals, Rose being so sweet and brave and the many interesting characters and old customs, made me want to keep reading.

This was also a rollercoaster of emotions. The most memorable, magical and touching moments happening in the final chapters (in my opinion).

I’m glad I had the chance to read this enchanting story, it felt like I was reading an old classic children’s book, written with love and filled with hope. I enjoyed reading it and I look forward to reading both books in a row next time.

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Description:
A sequel to the classic The Little White Horse, following a descendant of the original moon princess as she returns to Moonacre Valley during the first world war.

Liked:
Lefevre is obviously a dedicated fan of the original, and manages to recreate a lot of the sparkling, jewel-like descriptions of nature and place. New corners of Moonacre are explored, and old favourite characters revisited.

Disliked:
Feels a bit too much of a copy of the original - there's nothing hugely new or interesting going on here. The little white horse herself plays a pretty minor role, and there's no great sense of danger from the antagonists, which means the protagonist doesn't really get to DO very much. The story felt like it ended very abruptly and with little fanfare.

Read This If:
You’re a fan of the original and want more, or if you’ve never read the original but fancy a quaint little adventure set in the English countryside.

[Berita · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I grew up loving "The little white horse" by Elizabeth Goudge. It seemed so magical to me, so enchanting and sweet. And I got very happy when I finally found out someone loved it so much as she wanted to write a sequel. I did not find out about this until I grew up, which was a long wait.

But I am happy to say it was worth it. Carol Lefevre has let me return to Moonacre, and relive all my great memories - and then given me some new ones. Don't be afraid to read this book, fearing it'll ruin the first one - it will not. It will be, as I think it's intended, a respectful and honored nod to the original book, it very seamlessly picks up the threads and weaves a whole new and lovely tapestry.

The legacy is very well kept, and the book feels like a soft and cozy blanket, while still managing to be both sweet and exciting. Very much recommended.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I discovered this was the follow up to another book I check the previous story and liked it as it's a good fantasy even if some parts didin't age well.
This follow up is lovely and I enjoyed the world building, the characters, and the plot.
A sweet fantasy story, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Little White Horse was my favorite book when I was a kid. What a treat to revisit the world I loved so much growing up.

[Sianne Wardle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to my son, he loved the history. It was very well written and enjoyable for all. It also made my son 2ant to learn more about the history of the war.