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Phantom Stallion #22
Wild Honey
The Phantom's lead mare is injured, and Samantha wants to help her. But she can't call the vet -- what if he won't let the mare return to the wild? So Sam starts treating the mare's injuries in secret. But the horse seems awfully calm for a mustang, and she matches the description of a missing mare from California. Is Sam helping a mustang, or has she accidentally stolen someone's horse?
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2009
6 people are currently reading
468 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 - 19 of 20 reviews
February 7, 2024
This was one of the more exciting books I've read so far in this series, and also dealt with a couple deeper themes. In this one, Sam tries to secretly take care of an injured wild horse only to discover she's accidentally taken a horse that once belonged to someone else before it went missing. There were some good lessons in here for kids about lying and how some secrets shouldn't be kept. It was good to see Sam struggle with some of the choices she was makingand even end up with consequences that helped her learn valuable lessons that came into play later in the story.
Then we had the side plot of an illegal rooster fighting ring that came to light because of a school friend seeking help when her father starts acting strangely. I had no idea where this story thread was going to go, but the conclusion was very exciting!
I can't believe there are only two books left in the series! O.O
Content Advisory:
Sam makes some choices that get her in trouble in this one. She agrees to hide a stolen horse in her barn and lies several times. However, she feels great guilt about this and experiences consequences when she's caught, learning that some secrets shouldn't be kept if they break the law or put others in danger.
Later in the story, a school friend admits to Sam that the friend's father (a staff member at a local church) has started acting strangely to the point of stealing his own daughter's money and grabbing her arms hard enough to bruise her. She asks Sam to keep this secret, but Sam has learned her lesson, realizing some secrets shouldn't be kept, and she tells a trusted teacher who is able to take action to try to help the girl. It's revealed that the father is involved in an illegal chicken fighting ring and has become addicted to the gambling.
A criminal makes threats with a gun, but doesn't get the chance to follow through.
A rooster gets shot. No description.
Someone gets punched in the nose (it's self defense.) There's mention of a crunch sound and blood from the nose.
Then we had the side plot of an illegal rooster fighting ring that came to light because of a school friend seeking help when her father starts acting strangely. I had no idea where this story thread was going to go, but the conclusion was very exciting!
I can't believe there are only two books left in the series! O.O
Content Advisory:
Sam makes some choices that get her in trouble in this one. She agrees to hide a stolen horse in her barn and lies several times. However, she feels great guilt about this and experiences consequences when she's caught, learning that some secrets shouldn't be kept if they break the law or put others in danger.
Later in the story, a school friend admits to Sam that the friend's father (a staff member at a local church) has started acting strangely to the point of stealing his own daughter's money and grabbing her arms hard enough to bruise her. She asks Sam to keep this secret, but Sam has learned her lesson, realizing some secrets shouldn't be kept, and she tells a trusted teacher who is able to take action to try to help the girl. It's revealed that the father is involved in an illegal chicken fighting ring and has become addicted to the gambling.
A criminal makes threats with a gun, but doesn't get the chance to follow through.
A rooster gets shot. No description.
Someone gets punched in the nose (it's self defense.) There's mention of a crunch sound and blood from the nose.
November 30, 2025
I was supposed to read this in October. I completely messed up! There are 3 books left in the series, and I was supposed to read them the last 3 months of the year, and finish the series in 2025. I completely forgot about it! & of course the library didn’t have this so I had to order it and wait for it to ship.
We’ve been here before, the Phantom’s lead mare actually being a domestic horse or is injured and they have to take it off the range. Even the heroine notices it, saying it’s Deja vu how the phantom is saying bye to his lead mare.
I would love to know how a domestic horse could have the skills to lead wild horses to shelter, food and safety?? They don’t know the land, they don’t know wild horse dynamics, so how did she become lead more, or was able to find food and water for the herd or lead them to safety?? Someone please explain??
‘“I’ll go call Jen, and the. Will you help me with her?”
“Can’t nobody help you with her,” Jake said, and it took Sam a second to realize he wasn’t talking about the palomino.
“I was talking about the mare,” Sam explained.
“Why don’t ya say so,” Jake said. “That, I can do.”’
‘“The Queen of denial,” Jen muttered.
“Cleopatra? I don’t get it.”
“Not cleopatra. Not the Nile. You are the Queen of denial.”’
‘“If anyone’s gonna squat down there and get his brains kicked out, it might as well be me,” Jake said in a long-suffering tone.
“Oh, all right.” Sam pretended to go along. “I guess that makes sense. No one will notice the difference afterward.”
“Samantha!” Mrs. Allen’s voice soared on the middle syllable just like Gram’s did when she was acting appalled.
“Don’t feel sorry for him,” sam said. “Believe me, you don’t know what he’s capable of, Mrs. Allen. Jake Ely is not all good deeds and helping hands.”’
‘Mrs. Allen broke off again and gave Jake an appraising look. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to dress up as a clown and ride a unicycle if I could find one?”
“Ma’am?” Jake choked the word out.’
‘Jen was right. It was creepy, disturbing, even, to hear Mrs. Allen flirt with Preston. Yes, flirt. Add their ages together and they had to be 150 years old, right?’
Idk what happened to Sam in this one. The whole thing was a mess and easily avoided. Stealing a wild horse was a federal offense so why would she put Mrs. Allen at risk, especially when she’s already gotten a complaint to the humane society? And Jake at risk for getting into a good college by helping her take the horse in? Or her stepmom’s job with the BLM? It could have easily been avoided by having Dr. Scott look at the horse - he was even at the farm that every day! Or telling her stepmom. All signs pointed to the horse being domesticated, but she keeps insisting on it being wild though domestic horses have been in the Phantom’s herd before. There’s no reason she shouldn’t have had Dr. Scott look at the horse, look for a brand or something to prove it belonged to someone, especially when Lieutenant Preston described his missing horse that had to be the one she rescued!
And then punching Darrel! Physical violence isn’t in her nature, idk where that came from,& just reading a book about the characters being violent, I found this extra annoying. And then she’s about to cry and everyone is seeing her like that, Darrel, Jen and Jake, and it’s just embarrassing.
I love the way Jake was impressed with Preston but when he questioned and accused Sam of stealing his horse and trying to scare her, Jake stood up for her. And Jen too. Jake was ready to fight on her behalf.
‘Her friends were the best. Sam remembered them lining up beside her and almost started crying again. Tomorrow at school, everyone was getting hugs whether they wanted them or not.’
‘“I’m calling Sheriff Ballard right now.”
Sam let her breath out in a rush, then she said, “Let me give you his number. It’s sad, but I’ve got it memorized.”’
I love how everything came together. The desensization training and learning how to throw a punch led to her dragging the bad guy behind Ace, and punching him in the nose!
‘But then Sam heard Preston shouting, and a glance back showed her. The retired policeman was on his feet, running after her.
“ don’t drag him to death! “He shouted.’
Hahaha this was great!
‘She was covering her right hand and her left, blowing her breath on it, as if that could somehow ease the pain that accompany the proper use of the Ely Brothers’ hammer fist.’
Mrs. Allen and Preston getting engaged after knowing each other a few days was insane! everything happens so fast in these books but that is too much. Also he’s from California so he’s just moving to Nevada??
Sam was too annoying in this one. How many times can you get in trouble for something and then keep doing it?? All the drama and trouble she got it could have easily been avoided. I did like the ending though, the way everything came together, all the training she’d learned she ended up putting to use! I see the bad guys will continue to the next book.
What’s the point of even grounding her because she clearly doesn’t care about that? Also she helped the police find the criminal who’s been stealing horses and is now involved in rooster fighting, so why should she be grounded for that?? Jake’s about to go off to college and Sam still seems like a little kid.
I didn’t like the part about Aly and her gamboling father. And where did Sam’s knowledge of gambling and abuse come from?? To say that he would eventually gamble the car and house away. How does she know that?
Jake warns her, yet again, not to just think of horses and nothing else, and says she’s not gonna have the Phantom for long. She looks up how long horses live, and it’s 20-30 years. No way do wild horses live that long! So she’s got this false hope now.
2.5 stars rounded up for the ending
We’ve been here before, the Phantom’s lead mare actually being a domestic horse or is injured and they have to take it off the range. Even the heroine notices it, saying it’s Deja vu how the phantom is saying bye to his lead mare.
I would love to know how a domestic horse could have the skills to lead wild horses to shelter, food and safety?? They don’t know the land, they don’t know wild horse dynamics, so how did she become lead more, or was able to find food and water for the herd or lead them to safety?? Someone please explain??
‘“I’ll go call Jen, and the. Will you help me with her?”
“Can’t nobody help you with her,” Jake said, and it took Sam a second to realize he wasn’t talking about the palomino.
“I was talking about the mare,” Sam explained.
“Why don’t ya say so,” Jake said. “That, I can do.”’
‘“The Queen of denial,” Jen muttered.
“Cleopatra? I don’t get it.”
“Not cleopatra. Not the Nile. You are the Queen of denial.”’
‘“If anyone’s gonna squat down there and get his brains kicked out, it might as well be me,” Jake said in a long-suffering tone.
“Oh, all right.” Sam pretended to go along. “I guess that makes sense. No one will notice the difference afterward.”
“Samantha!” Mrs. Allen’s voice soared on the middle syllable just like Gram’s did when she was acting appalled.
“Don’t feel sorry for him,” sam said. “Believe me, you don’t know what he’s capable of, Mrs. Allen. Jake Ely is not all good deeds and helping hands.”’
‘Mrs. Allen broke off again and gave Jake an appraising look. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to dress up as a clown and ride a unicycle if I could find one?”
“Ma’am?” Jake choked the word out.’
‘Jen was right. It was creepy, disturbing, even, to hear Mrs. Allen flirt with Preston. Yes, flirt. Add their ages together and they had to be 150 years old, right?’
Idk what happened to Sam in this one. The whole thing was a mess and easily avoided. Stealing a wild horse was a federal offense so why would she put Mrs. Allen at risk, especially when she’s already gotten a complaint to the humane society? And Jake at risk for getting into a good college by helping her take the horse in? Or her stepmom’s job with the BLM? It could have easily been avoided by having Dr. Scott look at the horse - he was even at the farm that every day! Or telling her stepmom. All signs pointed to the horse being domesticated, but she keeps insisting on it being wild though domestic horses have been in the Phantom’s herd before. There’s no reason she shouldn’t have had Dr. Scott look at the horse, look for a brand or something to prove it belonged to someone, especially when Lieutenant Preston described his missing horse that had to be the one she rescued!
And then punching Darrel! Physical violence isn’t in her nature, idk where that came from,& just reading a book about the characters being violent, I found this extra annoying. And then she’s about to cry and everyone is seeing her like that, Darrel, Jen and Jake, and it’s just embarrassing.
I love the way Jake was impressed with Preston but when he questioned and accused Sam of stealing his horse and trying to scare her, Jake stood up for her. And Jen too. Jake was ready to fight on her behalf.
‘Her friends were the best. Sam remembered them lining up beside her and almost started crying again. Tomorrow at school, everyone was getting hugs whether they wanted them or not.’
‘“I’m calling Sheriff Ballard right now.”
Sam let her breath out in a rush, then she said, “Let me give you his number. It’s sad, but I’ve got it memorized.”’
I love how everything came together. The desensization training and learning how to throw a punch led to her dragging the bad guy behind Ace, and punching him in the nose!
‘But then Sam heard Preston shouting, and a glance back showed her. The retired policeman was on his feet, running after her.
“ don’t drag him to death! “He shouted.’
Hahaha this was great!
‘She was covering her right hand and her left, blowing her breath on it, as if that could somehow ease the pain that accompany the proper use of the Ely Brothers’ hammer fist.’
Mrs. Allen and Preston getting engaged after knowing each other a few days was insane! everything happens so fast in these books but that is too much. Also he’s from California so he’s just moving to Nevada??
Sam was too annoying in this one. How many times can you get in trouble for something and then keep doing it?? All the drama and trouble she got it could have easily been avoided. I did like the ending though, the way everything came together, all the training she’d learned she ended up putting to use! I see the bad guys will continue to the next book.
What’s the point of even grounding her because she clearly doesn’t care about that? Also she helped the police find the criminal who’s been stealing horses and is now involved in rooster fighting, so why should she be grounded for that?? Jake’s about to go off to college and Sam still seems like a little kid.
I didn’t like the part about Aly and her gamboling father. And where did Sam’s knowledge of gambling and abuse come from?? To say that he would eventually gamble the car and house away. How does she know that?
Jake warns her, yet again, not to just think of horses and nothing else, and says she’s not gonna have the Phantom for long. She looks up how long horses live, and it’s 20-30 years. No way do wild horses live that long! So she’s got this false hope now.
2.5 stars rounded up for the ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2014
I just finish Phantom Stallion #22: "Wild Honey" Its a really good book!
December 12, 2024
At first, it seems as if it's going to be the same old same old, but then suddenly things take a dark, twisted path. This book also explains why the plots for the some of the last few books have been so similar. You now see how the overall series story arc flies. You have to read the series in order to get the full impact, although Secret Star can be skipped.
One massive error here: any fighting roosters in America seized by police or animal services are usually destroyed because it is apparently impossible to get a rooster trained to fight to not kill any chicken in sight. I have found that there are instances when birds aren't put down, but they are very rare.
This book also touches on God, which (as an atheist) I really could've done without. God and church have popped up frequently before in the series, but church was treated more as a social event than anything else. I did like that Sam's church has problems, since that's how churches are -- full of hypocrites.
One massive error here: any fighting roosters in America seized by police or animal services are usually destroyed because it is apparently impossible to get a rooster trained to fight to not kill any chicken in sight. I have found that there are instances when birds aren't put down, but they are very rare.
This book also touches on God, which (as an atheist) I really could've done without. God and church have popped up frequently before in the series, but church was treated more as a social event than anything else. I did like that Sam's church has problems, since that's how churches are -- full of hypocrites.
August 21, 2024
This book is visibly chonkier than the other books in the series, and it's longer for good reason! There are several ambitious plot threads - Mrs. Allen struggling a little to run her wild horse sanctuary and finding love at a mature age with a retired policeman who comes to do horse desensitisation training; Sam learning that sometimes one cannot keep others' secrets when it's for good reasons, and relatedly, a gambling addiction storyline with a schoolmate's parent; false labour for Brynna, giving everyone a scare; and of course, the usual reflections on wildness and freedom and Sam's possibly putting too much of her heart with the Phantom. I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth and depth of some of the topics here. I read this series as a kid, and maybe I learned all these lessons. Everything is also tied together really well, making for a satisfying story.
October 24, 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
5 Stars
This was one of my favorite series from my childhood books 11-24 I did not have the pleasure of reading them during childhood I am reading them now.
he Phantom's lead mare is injured, and Samantha wants to help her. But she can't call the vet what if he won't let the mare return to the wild? So Sam starts treating the mare's injuries in secret. But the horse seems awfully calm for a mustang, and she matches the description of a missing mare from California. Is Sam helping a mustang, or has she accidentally stolen someone's horse?
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
5 Stars
This was one of my favorite series from my childhood books 11-24 I did not have the pleasure of reading them during childhood I am reading them now.
he Phantom's lead mare is injured, and Samantha wants to help her. But she can't call the vet what if he won't let the mare return to the wild? So Sam starts treating the mare's injuries in secret. But the horse seems awfully calm for a mustang, and she matches the description of a missing mare from California. Is Sam helping a mustang, or has she accidentally stolen someone's horse?
January 29, 2021
I guess I must still be a 6th grade horse girl at heart because I couldn't resist picking this book up. To be fair, it's not one I read before.
This was a surprisingly dramatic and suspenseful read. Unlike other Phantom Stallion books, this one follows multiple subplots and characters. The horse problem of this book is solved fairly early on, but that doesn't mean the drama stops. This story has thievery, gambling, ransom notes, assault, and cockfighting.
I found the ending to be hurried when compared to the brisk action that came before, but it was satisfying. Sam was able to help the animals that needed it and make a new ally too.
This was a surprisingly dramatic and suspenseful read. Unlike other Phantom Stallion books, this one follows multiple subplots and characters. The horse problem of this book is solved fairly early on, but that doesn't mean the drama stops. This story has thievery, gambling, ransom notes, assault, and cockfighting.
I found the ending to be hurried when compared to the brisk action that came before, but it was satisfying. Sam was able to help the animals that needed it and make a new ally too.
February 13, 2022
I laughed so many times during this one. It’s one of my favorite in the series.
November 17, 2023
The further into this series, the more convinced I am that the author didn't like technology back when she wrote these.
January 28, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
November 12, 2024
Sam has to learn when secrets can't be kept.
Preston comes into the picture.
Jake scaring Sam made me laugh!!!!
Preston comes into the picture.
Jake scaring Sam made me laugh!!!!
June 18, 2011
About:
Sam(short for Samantha)fins a wild mustang from the phantom's heard and rearing her injures in secret because if she turns her into a vet Sam fears they might not return to the wild. Sam doesn't know if it is wild because it matches a missing horse in California, so she isn't sure if she is stealing someones horse.
Sam(short for Samantha)fins a wild mustang from the phantom's heard and rearing her injures in secret because if she turns her into a vet Sam fears they might not return to the wild. Sam doesn't know if it is wild because it matches a missing horse in California, so she isn't sure if she is stealing someones horse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2026
Probably one of my favorite Phantom Stallion books! It lacked no action or adventure, had a very complex and interesting plot that tied together nicely at the end, and also had some great lessons about friendship and truth and what it really means.
June 16, 2008
Good to pass time. Can be interesting/exciting-but def. for horse freaks!
September 12, 2008
this is one of my favorites when they phantoms lead mare is injured a girl named samantha wants to help she eventuly finds out about the palamino mare when she goes to a desensatizing clinic
September 25, 2010
See the first book in the series for a full review.
December 22, 2012
Definitely one of my favourites. So suspenseful and dramatic!
Very different to the other ones, but in a good way.
Very different to the other ones, but in a good way.
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 9, 2017
This series it definitely my favorite book series of all time. I highly recommend this book series to horse lovers and country lovers. Five stars
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews