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The Black Stallion #4
The Island Stallion
Flame was a dream horse!
Steve Duncan had a haunting vision of finding a magnificent red stallion... and finally discovered him in a hidden island paradise. But the giant horse was wild and unapproachable. Then Steve saved Flame from a horrible death, and a miraculous friendship began - changing both their lives forever. . . .
This Island Stallion story is part of Walter Farley's famous Black Stallion series, which has long thrilled horse lovers of all ages. Full of action, excitement, and suspense, the books have sold more than twelve million copies worldwide.
Steve Duncan had a haunting vision of finding a magnificent red stallion... and finally discovered him in a hidden island paradise. But the giant horse was wild and unapproachable. Then Steve saved Flame from a horrible death, and a miraculous friendship began - changing both their lives forever. . . .
This Island Stallion story is part of Walter Farley's famous Black Stallion series, which has long thrilled horse lovers of all ages. Full of action, excitement, and suspense, the books have sold more than twelve million copies worldwide.
212 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
95 people are currently reading
2080 people want to read
About the author
Walter Farley
169 books1,035 followersWalter Farley's love for horses began when he was a small boy living in Syracuse, New York, and continued as he grew up in New York City, where his family moved. Young Walter never owned a horse. But unlike most city children, he had little trouble gaining firsthand experience with horses-his uncle was a professional horseman, and Walter spent much of his time at the stables with him.
"He wasn't the most successful trainer of race horses," Mr. Farley recalled, "and in a way I profited by it. He switched from runners to jumpers to show horses to trotters and pacers, then back to runners again. Consequently, I received a good background in different kinds of horse training and the people associated with each."
Walter Farley began to write his first book, THE BLACK STALLION, while he was a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and
finished it while he was an undergraduate at Columbia University. It was published by Random House when he was 26. He used his first advance to go traveling and after that hardly stopped longer than it took him to write another book. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Hawaii, the South Seas, most of the South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe.
The appearance of THE BLACK STALLION in 1941 was hailed by enthusiastic boys and girls all over the country. An avalanche of mail urged Mr. Farley to write more about Alec Ramsey and the Black. But World War II intervened. Mr. Farley went into the US Army, where he spent the next five years. Most of the time he was assigned to Yank, the army weekly magazine, and he was also trained in the Fourth Armored Division.
After the war Walter Farley resumed the adventures of Alec and the Black with THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS. This was followed by SON OF THE BLACK STALLION. Then Mr. Farley tried his hand at a story about a new boy, Steve Duncan, and a new horse, Flame, in THE ISLAND STALLION. Mr. Farley's readers were just as delighted with this book as his others.
Mr. Farley went on to write many more stories about the two stallions, and about other horses as well. Children of all ages have found Farley titles to enjoy, since many of the later stories were written for Mr. Farley's own children when they were too young to read his Stallion novels. And older readers and adults have been gripped by his fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. Walter Farley's titles reached a grand total of 34. The 21 Black Stallion and Island Stallion stories are still in print and selling steadily. His readers respond with passion, writing him thousands of letters and emails every year. In May 1949, the first Black Stallion Club was founded, in Kentucky. Mr. Farley designed a membership button for it; the button was in constant demand among his readers for years. The Black Stallion books were so popular in the late 1940s and '50s that they York Times annual list of best-selling children's books. Three nationwide Black Stallion contests were held. Walter Farley's books have been published abroad in more than 20 countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Israel, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaya, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and Canada.
All his life Walter Farley remained a keen spectator of the racing scene, and he enjoyed nothing more than hobnobbing with horse trainers and other professional horsemen. It is thanks to these people that his books are so full of authentic details of raising and training horses. When not busy working or traveling, Mr. Farley liked to ride dressage and high school Lippizaner horses. He also sailed and sometimes raced his 35-foot auxiliary sloop "Circe."
Mr. Farley and his wife Rosemary, had four children: Pam, Alice, Steve, and Tim, whom they raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and in a beach house in Florida. In addit
"He wasn't the most successful trainer of race horses," Mr. Farley recalled, "and in a way I profited by it. He switched from runners to jumpers to show horses to trotters and pacers, then back to runners again. Consequently, I received a good background in different kinds of horse training and the people associated with each."
Walter Farley began to write his first book, THE BLACK STALLION, while he was a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and
finished it while he was an undergraduate at Columbia University. It was published by Random House when he was 26. He used his first advance to go traveling and after that hardly stopped longer than it took him to write another book. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Hawaii, the South Seas, most of the South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe.
The appearance of THE BLACK STALLION in 1941 was hailed by enthusiastic boys and girls all over the country. An avalanche of mail urged Mr. Farley to write more about Alec Ramsey and the Black. But World War II intervened. Mr. Farley went into the US Army, where he spent the next five years. Most of the time he was assigned to Yank, the army weekly magazine, and he was also trained in the Fourth Armored Division.
After the war Walter Farley resumed the adventures of Alec and the Black with THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS. This was followed by SON OF THE BLACK STALLION. Then Mr. Farley tried his hand at a story about a new boy, Steve Duncan, and a new horse, Flame, in THE ISLAND STALLION. Mr. Farley's readers were just as delighted with this book as his others.
Mr. Farley went on to write many more stories about the two stallions, and about other horses as well. Children of all ages have found Farley titles to enjoy, since many of the later stories were written for Mr. Farley's own children when they were too young to read his Stallion novels. And older readers and adults have been gripped by his fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. Walter Farley's titles reached a grand total of 34. The 21 Black Stallion and Island Stallion stories are still in print and selling steadily. His readers respond with passion, writing him thousands of letters and emails every year. In May 1949, the first Black Stallion Club was founded, in Kentucky. Mr. Farley designed a membership button for it; the button was in constant demand among his readers for years. The Black Stallion books were so popular in the late 1940s and '50s that they York Times annual list of best-selling children's books. Three nationwide Black Stallion contests were held. Walter Farley's books have been published abroad in more than 20 countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Israel, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaya, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and Canada.
All his life Walter Farley remained a keen spectator of the racing scene, and he enjoyed nothing more than hobnobbing with horse trainers and other professional horsemen. It is thanks to these people that his books are so full of authentic details of raising and training horses. When not busy working or traveling, Mr. Farley liked to ride dressage and high school Lippizaner horses. He also sailed and sometimes raced his 35-foot auxiliary sloop "Circe."
Mr. Farley and his wife Rosemary, had four children: Pam, Alice, Steve, and Tim, whom they raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and in a beach house in Florida. In addit
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
July 30, 2009
Okay, it's a little embarrassing that I'm even reviewing this. Like I said earlier, the bar exam made me mentally and emotionally regress to about 2nd-grade level, and I couldn't resist re-reading this installment in the Black Stallion series that I picked up for $2. These books were seriously my absolute favorites when I was a kid. I have to say, though, maybe I should stop re-reading these old classics because they're, well, they're just not as good as you remember. Like, seriously. This one I used to love because not only is there the boy-horse love story that exists in all of Walter Farley's novels, but there's also a mysterious lost island and buried treasure and even a map (oh, how I love books with maps). But it's kind of totally cheesy, and the main character's single-minded obsession with possessing this wild horse he finds verges on creepy. Maybe it didn't seem so creepy in 1948 or whenever this was written. Good times, though. And now that the bar is over I can return to reading grown-up books (although I can't promise I won't return to other childhood faves that I stumble across in used bookstores).
September 15, 2013
This has been one of my favorite books, and though it's hard to call it, I might just like Flame better than I like the Black.
Well, after all, this has a whole lost island, a lost civilization as well. That's what makes me love this story - the combination of history and horses.
I love how Steve grows up in the course of this book, becoming a man capable of making the hard decisions. I'm not sure I'd have the strength to do the things he does. The bond he shares with Flame is something I've longed for my entire life and still feel when I re-read this book for probably the 20th time. While this series DOES go a bit crazy / science fiction down the road, it's never stopped me from loving this book. This story, the story of how Steve finds Flame is beautiful and brilliant all by itself.
Well, after all, this has a whole lost island, a lost civilization as well. That's what makes me love this story - the combination of history and horses.
I love how Steve grows up in the course of this book, becoming a man capable of making the hard decisions. I'm not sure I'd have the strength to do the things he does. The bond he shares with Flame is something I've longed for my entire life and still feel when I re-read this book for probably the 20th time. While this series DOES go a bit crazy / science fiction down the road, it's never stopped me from loving this book. This story, the story of how Steve finds Flame is beautiful and brilliant all by itself.
January 24, 2021
The last time I read this was when I was a kid. The parts I had remembered the most was Flame the red horse living on the secret island (or the valley on the island was secret anyway) and the special relationship between the horse and the boy who finds him. The rest of the plot had been pretty much forgotten...like the bits about those tunnels. I guess tunnels are not very important when you have a horse! They just can't compete can they? But I think many people would love to find a secret world where they would have a powerful horse all of their own, especially if you are horse crazy.
This is basically an adventure story. It's fast moving and has plenty moments of danger and uncertainty. It also contains ideas about protecting wildlife and special areas to keep them safe (and secret) from those who would otherwise abuse them. Which is a very good idea.
The story clearly shows the difference between natural horsemanship and the more traditional way of breaking horses through violence. You don't need to use cruelty and a whip to break a horse... The brief scene of the half-brother using a whip to break a horse is sickening...
The only thing I question in here is if the piebald is really a villian? Is it because he's a different color or has two different colored eyes? Or is it just the fact that Steven loves Flame and thus always wants Flame to win? They are all wild horses after all... As a kid I don't think one thinks about this stuff but as an adult you do. Some part of me is suspicious that Steven might be bias against him just because he loves Flame.
I also now have the advantage of actually working with horses so when I read this I can better understand Flame's moods through the description of his actions. As a kid I didn't know any of that, so I think that knowledge makes the story much richer.
Hopefully I can read the other books about Flame soon.
I admit I am curious about how old Steven is in here. It says he's a child but it doesn't actually say how old he is. I guess he would be of a similar age as Alec Ramsey from the Black Stallion books?
A fun quick read. Very relaxing!
This is basically an adventure story. It's fast moving and has plenty moments of danger and uncertainty. It also contains ideas about protecting wildlife and special areas to keep them safe (and secret) from those who would otherwise abuse them. Which is a very good idea.
The story clearly shows the difference between natural horsemanship and the more traditional way of breaking horses through violence. You don't need to use cruelty and a whip to break a horse... The brief scene of the half-brother using a whip to break a horse is sickening...
The only thing I question in here is if the piebald is really a villian? Is it because he's a different color or has two different colored eyes? Or is it just the fact that Steven loves Flame and thus always wants Flame to win? They are all wild horses after all... As a kid I don't think one thinks about this stuff but as an adult you do. Some part of me is suspicious that Steven might be bias against him just because he loves Flame.
I also now have the advantage of actually working with horses so when I read this I can better understand Flame's moods through the description of his actions. As a kid I didn't know any of that, so I think that knowledge makes the story much richer.
Hopefully I can read the other books about Flame soon.
I admit I am curious about how old Steven is in here. It says he's a child but it doesn't actually say how old he is. I guess he would be of a similar age as Alec Ramsey from the Black Stallion books?
A fun quick read. Very relaxing!
August 5, 2025
This one had a slow start for me compared to the Stallion books I have read prior to this one. The horse didn't really take center stage until about halfway through the book. Parts were pretty sad too (like life often is, especially for animals.) Even at the end I was still wondering what would become of the relationship between Steve and Flame.
Not to take away from the quality of the book, however. I still would like to see young people reading this.
Not to take away from the quality of the book, however. I still would like to see young people reading this.
November 29, 2025
I first encountered Steve and Flame when they appeared in the same books as Alec and The Black. I knew there was an Island Stallion set of books but I never read them at the time because frankly, I very much disliked the arrogance of Steve when he raced against Alec. I did always like Flame though.
This time I decided to read the Island Stallion and I still love Flame though I have a few issues with Steve and Pitch. Steve has always dreamed of a horse he calls Flame, living on Azul Island, waiting for him to find. His former neighbour Pitch is now living near there, chasing his dream of finding evidence of Spanish history on the island. Both want to go there to pursue their dreams and they set out on an expedition to the island.
Both are also obsessed with their own dream and not caring much about the interests of the other. As soon as Steve realises that this horse does exist on the island, he is determined to get close to him at all costs. He toys with the idea of whether to take Flame home if the chance arises and is rude and indifferent to the excitement of Pitch finding proof of the Spanish. All Steve cares about is Flame. Pitch is excited by his discovery but has no interest in Steve's horse obsession, trying to stop him getting close to Flame, dismissing the boy's concern about the welfare of the horses. Both were quite annoying at stages of the book.
It was a decent enough story about how circumstances allow Steve to get close to Flame, in the way that Alec won the love of The Black. I have to warn that this book has the violent and deadly fighting between stallions who both want to rule the island, and the fights are not pretty to read about. There is also a scene where the evil Tom uses violence and fear to break the spirit of a wild horse that he captured on the island. It is not nice to read.
Not sure yet if I'll read the other Island Stallion books.
This time I decided to read the Island Stallion and I still love Flame though I have a few issues with Steve and Pitch. Steve has always dreamed of a horse he calls Flame, living on Azul Island, waiting for him to find. His former neighbour Pitch is now living near there, chasing his dream of finding evidence of Spanish history on the island. Both want to go there to pursue their dreams and they set out on an expedition to the island.
Both are also obsessed with their own dream and not caring much about the interests of the other. As soon as Steve realises that this horse does exist on the island, he is determined to get close to him at all costs. He toys with the idea of whether to take Flame home if the chance arises and is rude and indifferent to the excitement of Pitch finding proof of the Spanish. All Steve cares about is Flame. Pitch is excited by his discovery but has no interest in Steve's horse obsession, trying to stop him getting close to Flame, dismissing the boy's concern about the welfare of the horses. Both were quite annoying at stages of the book.
It was a decent enough story about how circumstances allow Steve to get close to Flame, in the way that Alec won the love of The Black. I have to warn that this book has the violent and deadly fighting between stallions who both want to rule the island, and the fights are not pretty to read about. There is also a scene where the evil Tom uses violence and fear to break the spirit of a wild horse that he captured on the island. It is not nice to read.
Not sure yet if I'll read the other Island Stallion books.
July 31, 2022
i dont see why this other storyline was introduced to the series? besides that, the writing seemed less.... professional than in the first three books
February 16, 2023
I particularly appreciated the overall theme of this installment: to keep a site secret or to expose it to the world and exploitation. Although for me the dialogue read as a bit stilted and simple, I can imagine it flows well for the younger reader target audience. Always anxious to read more in this series though I do like to spread them out... :)
June 14, 2024
Much like the other three books, this got pretty exciting at the end, but for the most part, I was just bored. It felt like a knockoff version of Island of the Blue Dolphins mixed with a Hardy Boys book, which just made me want to reread Island of the Blue Dolphins again. So far, this and the second book in this series are easily the weakest ones.
October 5, 2021
This was an excellent story. While I love horses, I am also a historian. The book blends history and horses, using the one to accentuate the other. This book has gotten me interested in a different era of history than I usually research. All in all, I highly recommend this book.
May 24, 2021
This is a great read, separate from the Black Stallion series.
A boy called Steve Duncan is staying with a friend who is a history professor called Phil Pitcher or Pitch. One day Pitch takes Steve by boat to a looming rocky island called Azul Island - meaning Blue in Spanish. Nobody really knows why as the cliffs are bare rock and there is just a sandy spit to land on where allegedly the Conquistadores had some connection. Steve is more interested in horses than in the professor's lessons.
However a storm comes up and their small boat gets tossed into a hidden channel which reveals a secret passageway into the interior of the hollow island, to a grassy land and blue lake.
Another author would have made this a pirate treasure story; Farley of course gives us a large herd of beautiful horses left by the Conquistadores and gone wild. To both Steve and Pitch there could be no better treasure. A fiery chestnut stallion which Steve names Flame allows Steve to befriend him (these horses had no predators) while Pitch wants to keep the lost world secret until he has had a proper chance to study the antique cannons and other artefacts.
One of Farley's best books, which makes it one of the best horse stories around, this will bring young people to read it again and again. The island stallion appears in other books such as The Island Stallion Races which was also Farley's experiment with science fiction. He combined his two series in The Black Stallion and Flame - which brings the Black to Azul Island - and a couple of later stories.
A boy called Steve Duncan is staying with a friend who is a history professor called Phil Pitcher or Pitch. One day Pitch takes Steve by boat to a looming rocky island called Azul Island - meaning Blue in Spanish. Nobody really knows why as the cliffs are bare rock and there is just a sandy spit to land on where allegedly the Conquistadores had some connection. Steve is more interested in horses than in the professor's lessons.
However a storm comes up and their small boat gets tossed into a hidden channel which reveals a secret passageway into the interior of the hollow island, to a grassy land and blue lake.
Another author would have made this a pirate treasure story; Farley of course gives us a large herd of beautiful horses left by the Conquistadores and gone wild. To both Steve and Pitch there could be no better treasure. A fiery chestnut stallion which Steve names Flame allows Steve to befriend him (these horses had no predators) while Pitch wants to keep the lost world secret until he has had a proper chance to study the antique cannons and other artefacts.
One of Farley's best books, which makes it one of the best horse stories around, this will bring young people to read it again and again. The island stallion appears in other books such as The Island Stallion Races which was also Farley's experiment with science fiction. He combined his two series in The Black Stallion and Flame - which brings the Black to Azul Island - and a couple of later stories.
July 15, 2008
This was a very strange addition to the Black Stallion series... It's really not related (not that I recall anyway), but I remember being able to tell the order of the series by these numbers on the spine (F-1, F-2... this was F-4). Once again there's a kid who finds a wild horse on an island... and then these aliens come along. From what I remember, there were two men who were really aliens who get involved in the horse racing business. Maybe I'm making this up, but I remember the aliens very clearly, they had weird eyes, and one of them described horse racing as it had been in the 1880s, even though he couldn't have possibly seen them, it being 1950 or whatever. Yeah, so horse racing and aliens.
February 28, 2022
The two stars are based solely on the story related to the history of the island, I found the Spanish Conquistadores' history fascinating. The rest was utter garbage.
I absolutely hated the characters in the book, there were really only 3 humans, and they were all loathsome. Pitch and Steve were unsympathetic, and though minor, Tom was a beast (but not a villain). They were annoying, flat and unlikable. "The Piebald" as a villain didn't fly - it's worst feature seemed to be that it wasn't beautiful? WTH is that? Lastly, the bizarre speeches about breeding were really off-putting, and the characters' cavalierness to horses lives was disturbing.
I don't recommend this book to anybody - even if you like The Black Stallion, this is a completely separate narrative-SKIP IT!
I absolutely hated the characters in the book, there were really only 3 humans, and they were all loathsome. Pitch and Steve were unsympathetic, and though minor, Tom was a beast (but not a villain). They were annoying, flat and unlikable. "The Piebald" as a villain didn't fly - it's worst feature seemed to be that it wasn't beautiful? WTH is that? Lastly, the bizarre speeches about breeding were really off-putting, and the characters' cavalierness to horses lives was disturbing.
I don't recommend this book to anybody - even if you like The Black Stallion, this is a completely separate narrative-SKIP IT!
October 7, 2011
This has its boring parts. The lead-in to finally finding the valley (and therefore Flame) seems to take forever--realistically so, but it's still tough to get through.
The rest of it is pretty good. Steve and Pike are likable, and the horses and their valley sound beautiful. I'm not convinced of Farley's idea of the genetics of the island, but since it was written way back when, the fact that he even hand-waved it by having the Piebald represent the 'genetic weaknesses created by inbreeding' is pretty impressive in a non-sci-fi book.
The rest of it is pretty good. Steve and Pike are likable, and the horses and their valley sound beautiful. I'm not convinced of Farley's idea of the genetics of the island, but since it was written way back when, the fact that he even hand-waved it by having the Piebald represent the 'genetic weaknesses created by inbreeding' is pretty impressive in a non-sci-fi book.
May 5, 2009
My dad told me once he was always looking for the best adventure story. This book, I think, qualifies. Not only does it have a lost world, 'buried' treasure, suspense and secrecy, but it's a great horse story!
(What more could a 13-year-old girl want? - LOL)
Rereading it as an adult, I notice the only plot idea it doesn't have is romance, but the adventure aspects still hold up well.
(What more could a 13-year-old girl want? - LOL)
Rereading it as an adult, I notice the only plot idea it doesn't have is romance, but the adventure aspects still hold up well.
April 17, 2016
I read this out loud to my girls after reading the first 3 to them. They were disappointed in the spinoff. Steve is pretty whiny and the relationship between him and his friend is just weird. His obsession with the horse is a little much and it treads the same ground as the black stallion and son of the black stallion; boy befriends aggressive wild stallion through traumatic experience.
September 25, 2021
This book is a classic in my personal opinion. It's been a long time since I last read it, and I didn't remember much of it, so it was almost brand new to me.
Now, it's not realistic in many ways. But that's what makes it fun! If you can't dream, if you can't let go of that, I feel sorry for you.
One day I'll probably read it again... When I've forgotten how it goes for the second time XD.
Now, it's not realistic in many ways. But that's what makes it fun! If you can't dream, if you can't let go of that, I feel sorry for you.
One day I'll probably read it again... When I've forgotten how it goes for the second time XD.
May 13, 2011
This was SUCH a good horse-lovers' book! It's full of adventure, glamour, and, of course, a gorgeous wild stallion. So fun! I absolutely loved it :)
August 2, 2011
This was my favourite book when I was 10 years old. I think I must have read it a dozen times. Not in the past 18 years or so though!
July 18, 2023
I remembered this as my favorite of the series as a child—perhaps because of the animals being more natural and the drama not being mostly racing—so when I was helping simplify things at my dad's house, I reread it on its way to the donation pile.
It is astonishing to see things now to which I was previously blind. Not surprising to have missed the conquistadors being painted as noble heroes and not to be bothered by one of the characters running around digging up historic treasure. My adult mind yells 'you're messing up the archaeological provenance!!'
Also not surprising to have missed out on the fact that the setting is a colonial (or at least de facto colonial) plantation with a cruel overlord who takes pleasure in breaking horses brutally. My adult mind thinks to ask, "And how does he treat any of the workers who get uppity?"
Far more alarming, though, and the reason this book hit the bin and not the recycle pile, there are extended passages extolling the racial purity of the horses. The villain of the piece is the black and white piebald stallion. The main character is terrified of him taking over as leader of the group, sullying their fine bloodline with his lesser qualities, and contemplates killing the piebald.
"'But I've read,' he went on, 'that inbreeding is perfectly all right if the horses are of the purest blood and don't have any bad traits or weaknesses"
So yeah, Walter Farley was part of that mid 20th century bath of eugenic and white supremacist thought so many of us were unconsciously soaking in.
Liberal parents or not, classics like this help perpetuate those messages.
No more pleasure for me to be found in this one, except in the descriptions of the landscape and as a technical example of pacing and story structure for young readers.
It is astonishing to see things now to which I was previously blind. Not surprising to have missed the conquistadors being painted as noble heroes and not to be bothered by one of the characters running around digging up historic treasure. My adult mind yells 'you're messing up the archaeological provenance!!'
Also not surprising to have missed out on the fact that the setting is a colonial (or at least de facto colonial) plantation with a cruel overlord who takes pleasure in breaking horses brutally. My adult mind thinks to ask, "And how does he treat any of the workers who get uppity?"
Far more alarming, though, and the reason this book hit the bin and not the recycle pile, there are extended passages extolling the racial purity of the horses. The villain of the piece is the black and white piebald stallion. The main character is terrified of him taking over as leader of the group, sullying their fine bloodline with his lesser qualities, and contemplates killing the piebald.
"'But I've read,' he went on, 'that inbreeding is perfectly all right if the horses are of the purest blood and don't have any bad traits or weaknesses"
So yeah, Walter Farley was part of that mid 20th century bath of eugenic and white supremacist thought so many of us were unconsciously soaking in.
Liberal parents or not, classics like this help perpetuate those messages.
No more pleasure for me to be found in this one, except in the descriptions of the landscape and as a technical example of pacing and story structure for young readers.
June 14, 2024
This is a YA book about Steve Duncan, who is invited by Pitch, a family friend, to join him visiting a deserted island in the Caribbean. Pitch is an archaeologist and wants to explore the island, which was once occupied by the Spanish in t he 17th century. Steve knows there are horses on the island and he just wants to see the horses.
The two find a hidden entrance to the island which nobody knows about and by following many tunnels they discover there is a valley in the middle of the island, which is home to a herd of horses. Pitch finds numerous artifacts of the Spanish life on the Island and Steve finds the red stallion he has been dreaming about, a stallion he has named, in his dreams, "Flame."
Flame is a wild stallion but is challenged first by a stallion whom he defeats, and then by another Piebald stallion, who defeats the exhausted Flame. Steve tries to find the wounded Flame...and does. Flame, of course, wants nothing to do with Steve, but when he gets trapped in quicksand Steve is able to help him (this is a very long process!) and afterwards, the two become friends.
Steve and Pitch have only 2 weeks on the island. Pitch wants to bring all of his discoveries off the island and Steve is convinced he is going to bring Flame home with him, until reality makes them both change their minds and they are determined to keep the valley a secret.
I read this book in a day and I loved reading it again. Now on to something a bit more challenging.
The two find a hidden entrance to the island which nobody knows about and by following many tunnels they discover there is a valley in the middle of the island, which is home to a herd of horses. Pitch finds numerous artifacts of the Spanish life on the Island and Steve finds the red stallion he has been dreaming about, a stallion he has named, in his dreams, "Flame."
Flame is a wild stallion but is challenged first by a stallion whom he defeats, and then by another Piebald stallion, who defeats the exhausted Flame. Steve tries to find the wounded Flame...and does. Flame, of course, wants nothing to do with Steve, but when he gets trapped in quicksand Steve is able to help him (this is a very long process!) and afterwards, the two become friends.
Steve and Pitch have only 2 weeks on the island. Pitch wants to bring all of his discoveries off the island and Steve is convinced he is going to bring Flame home with him, until reality makes them both change their minds and they are determined to keep the valley a secret.
I read this book in a day and I loved reading it again. Now on to something a bit more challenging.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2017
I didn't have access to very many books when I was younger, so checking off the to-do to "Reread your favorite book from your childhood" was a bit of a stumper. I don't know how old I was when I first read this, but I clearly recalled some parts. It turns out, I recalled them wrong. I found bits in this book that fascinated me and I retold them through imagination until I didn't remember the original anymore. Coincidentally, I was reading about Readers' Advisory and the article spoke to me: in describing the "reader as poacher," readers "seize upon whatever speaks directly to their immediate lives, they forget or simply skip over the parts they don't find meaningful, and they sometimes rewrite unsatisfying endings."* That's pretty much me.
I can see why I liked this; the writing, particularly the dialogue, is clunky, but the emotion comes through strongly.
*Ross, C. S. (2009). Reader on top: Public libraries, pleasure reading, and models of reading. Library Trends, 57(4), 632-656. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2...
I can see why I liked this; the writing, particularly the dialogue, is clunky, but the emotion comes through strongly.
*Ross, C. S. (2009). Reader on top: Public libraries, pleasure reading, and models of reading. Library Trends, 57(4), 632-656. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2...
September 22, 2023
In 1948 Random House released Walter Farley’s novel “The Island Stallion.” The novel is part of a 21 book Black Stallion series. Walter’s book tells the story about two friends Phil Pitcher (Pitch) and Steve Duncan who visit for two weeks the mysterious Caribbean Island of Azul to search for 17th century Spanish conquistador treasures and also to experience native conquistador wild horses that populate the isle. Steve Duncan is a U.S. student who at a young age suffered an abscess ear infection. When he was administered an anesthetic to combat the infection, Steve experienced a dream about a bright red stallion called Flame. The dream became his obsession and caused Steve to believe that the stallion horse is his alter-ego and very much alive. Steve’s friend nicknamed Pitch was enchanted by treasured artifacts of Spanish conquistadors. The novel describes Steve and Pitch’s visit on the Azul island and their amazing discoveries. Walter Farley’s book is fascinating and very fun to read. (P)
December 26, 2020
3.5 but I couldn't possibly drop back to a 3.
One of my absolute favorite series as an adolescent, before I ever was privileged to learn to ride but dreamt about it constantly.
Now that I've had my own horses for over 45 years, I certainly recognized a number of errors and inconsistencies, but I'm going to ignore those or maybe write them off as practices which have been changed since the books were written. I'll also admit that though I've owned two Thoroughbreds off the track (OTTB) the horse racing world is not my favorite discipline of the horse world.
I intend to go back to read the whole series now that my library is finally sort of open (still in online order with no contact pickup because of COVID-19).
FYI I'm going to be posting a similar if not very same review for many of these books with possible minor changes in rating and details specific to each book in the series. Or I may not if feeling lazy.
One of my absolute favorite series as an adolescent, before I ever was privileged to learn to ride but dreamt about it constantly.
Now that I've had my own horses for over 45 years, I certainly recognized a number of errors and inconsistencies, but I'm going to ignore those or maybe write them off as practices which have been changed since the books were written. I'll also admit that though I've owned two Thoroughbreds off the track (OTTB) the horse racing world is not my favorite discipline of the horse world.
I intend to go back to read the whole series now that my library is finally sort of open (still in online order with no contact pickup because of COVID-19).
FYI I'm going to be posting a similar if not very same review for many of these books with possible minor changes in rating and details specific to each book in the series. Or I may not if feeling lazy.
March 23, 2024
I found a first edition copy of this book in the attic that was gifted to my grandmother by a boy when she was presumably a kid, in the 50s. I figured it ought to be read since it probably hasn't been touched in half a century.
It's a wonderful story with a wonderful moral, but the writing is really limited by vocabulary and run-on descriptions. Very few concise and poignant descriptions in this book which is a shame. This kind of story is really held back whenever I'm reminded that I'm reading a book about it, which is often because it's a children's book and everything is over explained or just kind of plain. It didn't feel like I was there too often, but rather I was reading a book about being there.
However if I read this book when I was a kid it probably would've been kickass. So I give it 4 stars instead of 3 because I am an adult reading a kids book. Also 4 stars because the illustrations are truly excellent and very helpful for immersion into the story.
It's a wonderful story with a wonderful moral, but the writing is really limited by vocabulary and run-on descriptions. Very few concise and poignant descriptions in this book which is a shame. This kind of story is really held back whenever I'm reminded that I'm reading a book about it, which is often because it's a children's book and everything is over explained or just kind of plain. It didn't feel like I was there too often, but rather I was reading a book about being there.
However if I read this book when I was a kid it probably would've been kickass. So I give it 4 stars instead of 3 because I am an adult reading a kids book. Also 4 stars because the illustrations are truly excellent and very helpful for immersion into the story.
October 12, 2019
This is a reread though I was in third grade the first time. 77 now! It has been a few years. Walter Farley dedicated the book to "every kid who wanted a horse, but couldn't have one" I like that man. The Island Stallion is an offshoot of his famous Black Stallion books. This stallion lives on a remote Caribbean Island not visited since the time of the Spanish explorers. Steve is there to see the rag tag horses on the island's beaches while his friend Pitch is more into the Spanish artifacts that might be found. Steve finds his forever horse in the interior of the island in the form of the magnificent red stallion, Flame. It is a children's book, but Farley never talks down to a child's level so the book still holds the thrall felt since the third grade.
September 17, 2021
I read this book as a young adult and it really struck a chord with me. I read all the Black Stallion books back then (plus every other book about horses in the local library), but this one was really special for some reason. Almost 30 years later, I decided to find a copy and re-read it. Of course, it's never the same experience the second time you read something, especially something you first experienced as a child, but the sense of adventure and love of horses is still there. For any young adult that loves either of those things, this book is a a must-read. It really isn't just a horse book - the adventure of the two protagonists that leads them to the horses is just as exciting as the story of the boy and his wild dream horse, Flame.
September 24, 2021
This book seems like a reboot of the Black Stallion rather than another book in the series. Another poorly supervised boy survives desperate circumstances and finds another spectacular stallion and befriends him on an island.
It has some fresh twists too thought, some borderline supernatural elements, an adventure in a mysterious lost valley, multiple bloody violent stallion fights to the death.
This book was easily my favorite after the original Black Stallion. It took some unexpected twists and turns and kept me pretty interested throughout. Not sure my daughter felt the same way though, she ended every chapter complaining about Steve and reminding me of how superior Alec is.
It has some fresh twists too thought, some borderline supernatural elements, an adventure in a mysterious lost valley, multiple bloody violent stallion fights to the death.
This book was easily my favorite after the original Black Stallion. It took some unexpected twists and turns and kept me pretty interested throughout. Not sure my daughter felt the same way though, she ended every chapter complaining about Steve and reminding me of how superior Alec is.
September 26, 2022
You might have seen the movie of The Black Stallion. It’s awesome. But it’s based on a book, and that guy that wrote that book wrote a whole bunch of horse novels. I’ve read like twenty of them. And The Island Stallion is my favorite! The reason is that the island from the title has a secret valley hidden behind high cliffs of rock. To find the horses, the main character, Steve, and his friend, Pitch, have to scale rock walls and discover hidden tunnels lost since the time of the Spanish Conquistadors. Can he save the fiery stallion called Flame? You will not stop reading until you find out!
July 24, 2017
"Tomorrow, tomorrow. And the day after – and the one after that. Oh, if only I could be with him always!"
The Black will always have a special place in my heart and is my favorite literary horse, but this is my favorite of the Flame books. It brings back to mind the original Black Stallion, except the setting isn't a desert, it's an island paradise. We get to see a boy and horse forge a bond under extraordinary circumstances.
The Black will always have a special place in my heart and is my favorite literary horse, but this is my favorite of the Flame books. It brings back to mind the original Black Stallion, except the setting isn't a desert, it's an island paradise. We get to see a boy and horse forge a bond under extraordinary circumstances.
October 30, 2021
I read bits and pieces of this one over a few months. It was not as good as the other three books in this series I have read so far. The writing was very repetitive, almost to the point of distraction. I expected more horse material as well, but this was focused on the historical details of the Conquistadores rather than the relationship between Steve and Flame. The "action" was also non-stop, which made it very unbelievable.
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