The Horse Mistress: Book 3 (EBOOK, LGBT)
The Horse Mistress: Book 3 (EBOOK, LGBT)
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EPIC FANTASY MENAGE ROMANCE (E-BOOK, LGBT).
Senovo, Andoc, and I have refused to let circumstances tear us away from each other.
Draebard’s tribal chieftain does not approve of Andoc’s decision to continue our unconventional three-way relationship. Now, on top of everything else, war is looming after the combined forces of Draebard and Meren destroyed the Alyrion Empire’s military outpost in northern Eburos.
Senovo and I have long relied on Andoc to be our rock. Our touchstone. But when Andoc's future is shattered by betrayal and life-changing injury, it will fall to us to give our big-hearted warrior a new reason to live.
For love to overcome despair, it’s going to take all three of us.
-o-o-o-
The Horse Mistress by USA Today bestseller R. A. Steffan is a 2016 Rainbow Award winning LGBT fantasy romance series.
This series is part of the Eburosi Chronicles:
The Horse Mistress (4 books)
The Lion Mistress (3 books)
The Dragon Mistress (4 books)
Master of Hounds (3 books)
Mistress of War (3 books)
While loosely linked, each series may be read on its own.
- Publication date: March 9, 2016
- Language: English
- Print length: 314 pages
- File size: 430 KB
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ONE
THE DOOR TO FAVIAN’S small sleeping cell in the temple was open when I approached. Flickering candlelight came from within, pushing back the deepening gloom of evening. I paused in the entryway to take in the scene inside. Renthro, Favian’s father, sat in the room’s single chair with his back to me as he blotted the boy’s sweaty forehead with a damp rag.
Favian had been one of many injured during the battle at the hill fort. He’d been driving a chariot team for one of the warriors when an Alyrion arrow struck his left shoulder and lodged there. That was weeks ago, though, and the wound had appeared to be healing well. I knocked on the doorframe, not wanting to startle either the boy or his father. Renthro turned at the noise.
“Hi,” I said, hovering in the doorway. “Lundis told me Favian was ill—I just wanted to stop by and see how he was doing.”
Renthro looked flustered for a moment, eying me with the slightly uncertain look that people generally gave me when they weren’t openly hostile, but didn’t really know how to deal with me either.
He cleared his throat, shaking himself free of his momentary reverie. “Oh. Yes, of course. That’s kind of you… Horse Mistress Carivel. Please, come in.”
“Just plain Carivel is fine, Renthro,” I told him. “No need to stand on ceremony. How is he? His shoulder seemed to be doing so much better.”
His father frowned and turned back to dab at Favian’s forehead again. “Healer Sagdea doesn’t think that it’s wound sickness, thank the gods. She says that the energy necessary to heal his shoulder drained his spirit and left it vulnerable to a simple fever and cough. She’s fairly confident he’ll recover in a couple of days.”
I let out a quiet breath of relief. “Well, that’s good news,” I said.
“It is. It’s just hard seeing him like this again, so soon after being shot. I know a father can’t always protect his children, but that doesn’t stop me wanting to, you know? Especially after losing his mother when he was still so young.”
I nodded sympathetically. Though I didn’t have a parental bone in my body, I could easily understand the depth of Renthro’s worry for his son’s safety. His wife had died during the birth of Favian’s little sister, Frella, leaving Renthro alone with two young children and no other family in the area to help him.
“At least Favian is safe in the priesthood, now,” I said. “No more chariots or battles in his future.”
The tension did not leave Renthro’s shoulders. “That may have been true at one time, but the temple wasn’t exactly a safe place to be when the Alyrions attacked Draebard.”
I cringed at my gaffe. “Forgive me. Of course it wasn’t. That was a stupid thing for me to say. Even after everything, I find it far too easy to slide into the desire for things to be as simple as they once were, before all of this upheaval began.”
Renthro glanced up and smiled at me, though it was strained. “I think we all find it so.” He ran the backs of his fingers over Favian’s forehead, and the boy sighed, settling deeper into the pillow. “He has always been a sensitive child, but I know I shouldn’t worry so. It lies in the gods’ hands—what will be, will be.”
“Favian has a rare talent for dealing with animals. I am confident that talent will extend to dealing with people as well. I think he will excel in the priesthood, or whatever he puts his mind to, Renthro.”
Renthro continued to stroke his son’s feverish skin, but his worried expression smoothed out. “You are right, Carivel. I know you are. He already looks up to the High Priest, I can tell.” He shook his head in mild wonderment. “I remember when Senovo first came to Draebard, years ago now. Whoever would have thought that such a quiet boy would end up with so much power? We’re lucky to have him. Especially after… well. After what happened.”
The look of fondness that slid over my face was completely involuntary. “I couldn’t agree more,” I said, when a sudden thought hit me. “Who’s watching Frella for you tonight?”
“I left her with the neighbors,” replied Renthro. “I didn’t want to risk bringing her here and ending up with a sick toddler as well as a sick son.”
I nodded. “I can’t blame you for that, certainly. Look, if you need to get home to her, I’ll be happy to stay with Favian this evening.”
He looked up at me, surprised. “You don’t mind? You don’t have other things to do?”
“Of course I don’t mind,” I told him, “and I’m done for the day unless there’s some sort of emergency at the horse pens overnight. If that happens, I’ll get one of the acolytes to come sit with him. He has brothers here now, Renthro. He’s not alone.”
Renthro’s eyes grew shiny. “Thank you, Carivel. Sometimes it’s hard to let go. Especially knowing that I left him so often to his own devices as a young boy, when time and money were short and his sister required most of my attention. But you’re correct, of course. He has other people to help look after him now.”
I held out my hand for the damp cloth Renthro was still holding, and stood out of the way while he leaned over to kiss Favian’s forehead before gathering his things and giving me a final, grateful look.
“Thank you. Tell him I’ll come back in the morning,” he said.
“I will,” I promised, and took over the vacated seat.
Once the sound of Renthro’s boots had faded, I sat in silence except for the faintly congested breathing of the boy in the bed. Beads of clammy sweat dotted Favian’s face and chest, so I resumed swabbing at his exposed skin every few minutes with the cool rag, feeling a strange peace descend over the room as dusk deepened into full darkness beyond the small, high window.
Before too much time had passed, new footsteps entered the room. A familiar and welcome presence warmed the skin at the back of my neck.
“I expected to find Renthro here, not you,” Senovo said softly, so as not to disturb his sleeping acolyte. The scent of sandalwood and musk surrounded me as a smooth hand rested on my shoulder. I breathed out, feeling more of the day’s tension drain away.
“I sent him home to Frella,” I replied, and Senovo made a noise of understanding.
He leaned past me to rest his other hand briefly on Favian’s forehead. “It feels like the fever is starting to go down,” he observed. “Good.”
“Can you stay a while?” I asked.
“Yes, of course. I’ve nothing pressing at the moment. Let me go get another chair.” Senovo slipped from the room silently. He returned a minute later to maneuver the second seat into the narrow space beside mine, and closed the door so we could have a semblance of privacy.
Once he was settled, I let my shoulder press against his as we sat side by side. “How was your day?” I asked. “It feels like I’ve barely seen you since the festival two nights ago.”
“A High Priest’s work is never done, it seems. Nor, I suspect, a Horse Mistress’s,” he teased. “I must admit, I am beginning to understand why Rhystel was such an inveterate meddler. It’s a distinct temptation in a job where people constantly come to you with their problems, the solutions to which seem obvious to you but completely impenetrable to them.”
“So, in other words, Charyal and her intended are fighting again and they want you to fix it?”
“The code of the priesthood prevents me from commenting on private matters of the townsfolk, obviously,” Senovo said, though his dry tone told its own story.
“Don’t you ever wish you could just turn into the wolf and snarl at them until they both stop being stupid?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t even joke about such things, Carivel.”
Still, he sounded far less appalled than he would have mere weeks ago, and his upper arm continued to press companionably against mine. I nudged him with my shoulder. “Come on. You can’t tell me it’s never even crossed your mind. Jeppel is a self-centered prat, and Charyal deserves better.”
Whatever Senovo would have said in response was cut off by a low moan from the bed. We both frowned, our attention turning immediately back to Favian. The boy’s head thrashed back and forth restlessly against the pillow.
“Is it the fever?” I asked, my breath catching in my throat.
Senovo reached out to feel the boy’s face again before shaking his head. “No, he still feels cooler. I think he’s just dreaming.”
Indeed, Favian’s eyes were flickering back and forth rapidly beneath their lids. His limbs jerked with small, abortive movements that hitched the blanket lower around his chest, and he cried out in a strange, strangled voice. I sat frozen in place, unsure what to do—the lack of any siblings and my relatively solitary existence up until the last couple of months leaving me ill-prepared to deal with a sick child’s nightmares.
Fortunately, Senovo had no such limitations. He leaned forward, clasping a gentle hand around Favian’s uninjured shoulder. “Come now, Little Brother. Easy, it’s only a fever dream.”
Favian tried to twist away from the contact, but did not awaken. Senovo frowned as the boy’s congested breathing grew fast and labored. “Favian. Wake up, now. Come back to us.”
But Favian only flailed and cried out again. Senovo gave his shoulder a single, firm shake. “Favian.”
Finally, Favian woke, jerking upright in the bed, his blue eyes open wide and unseeing. He was breathing hard, as if he’d just run a footrace, and immediately fell into a bout of wet coughing. Senovo moved from his chair to sit on the edge of the bed, where he could support the boy with a hand splayed between his shoulder blades.
“Get him something to drink, please,” he ordered quietly, breaking me free from my paralysis.
I looked around the small room, quickly locating the flagon of medicinal tea sitting on the table, next to a wooden cup. I poured him some, noting the smell of honey and spices mixed into the concoction. Rather than crowd in next to Senovo, I sat on the other side of the bed, waiting for Favian to get his coughing under control.
“Here,” I said, and steadied the boy’s shaking hand as he lifted the cup to his lips.
When he was done, I set the cup aside. “All right now?” I asked.
Favian seemed to crumple in upon himself, Senovo’s hand on his back the only thing keeping him from collapsing.
“It was terrible,” he whispered, not looking at either of us.
Senovo stuffed a couple of pillows against the headboard. He urged Favian to lie back with his upper body slightly elevated, to help ease his chest. “It was only a dream, Little Brother,” Senovo said again. “All is well.”
“No, I—” Favian paused to clear his raspy throat. “I’ve never had a dream like that before, Elder Brother. It was as if I was right there, seeing…” He trailed off, his breathing growing ragged once more with fear or some other emotion.
I glanced at Senovo, who was watching the boy closely, a slight furrow forming between his finely drawn brows. “It’s all right, Favian,” he said. “There’s no reason to be afraid. Can you tell us what you saw?”
Favian squeezed his eyes shut, his right hand clutching the edge of the blanket until the knuckles turned white. “I s-saw mountains.”
“The southern mountains?” Senovo asked.
“I don’t know,” Favian said. “I’ve only ever seen the northern mountains. These were bigger, though.”
Senovo nodded his understanding. “What else?”
“There was… fire. Like… the whole mountain range was on fire. I didn’t know a fire could get that big. And… people were screaming. Dying, in the flames.” Favian was shaking now. Still feeling out of my depth, I reached over and tucked the blanket in around him.
Senovo laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder again. “That does sound horrible,” he said, still using the soothing cadence that I myself had found much reason to appreciate in recent weeks. “However, you’re awake now. The nearest mountains are almost three days’ ride from here, but even in Draebard we would surely see the smoke from such a fire as you describe. No one has reported such a thing. And no one from Draebard is traveling that far away at the moment, so everyone you know is safe. Do you understand?”
“I know it’s not real,” Favian muttered, still wracked by little bouts of shivering. “It just felt real, is all. More real than this, almost.” He gestured around the room with a small wave of his hand.
Senovo patted his shoulder and sat back. “Dreams during an illness can be odd,” he offered. “Still, I think your fever is breaking, so hopefully you won’t have any more like that tonight.”
“S’pose so,” Favian said, not looking at us, embarrassment starting to war visibly with his upset.
“Can you rest some more, do you think?” Senovo asked. “I don’t want to give you anything to help you sleep without speaking to the healer first, but I can call for her if I need to.”
Favian shook his head. “No, I’ll try. Only…”
“What is it, Favian?” I prompted when he trailed off into silence.
Favian wrestled with himself for a long moment. “Could you both stay here for a while?” he blurted eventually.
I hid my smile. “Sure,” I said, not making a big deal of it. “We were going to anyway.” I reached out to ruffle a hand through his blonde hair, and he ducked away, blushing. “By the way, I spoke with your father earlier. He said to tell you he’d be by again in the morning to see you. He’ll be pleased that your fever has broken.”
Favian nodded—a small movement. “He worries,” he said.
Senovo settled back in his chair with a faint huff of amusement. “You’re his son, Favian. It’s his job to worry.”
I paused in my own journey back to my seat, caught unawares by a surge of bitterness. Neither Senovo nor I had seen much in the way of protective worry when we were children, though at least his parents had the excuse of looming starvation when they’d agreed to sell their seven-year-old son to slavers. When it came to me, however, the only thing my own mother seemed to worry about were my unnatural inclinations, as she had been prone to calling them—usually right before she raised her hand or a leather strap to me.
Returning to the present, I took a careful breath and sat down next to Senovo again. Perhaps sensing that I was not going to be a fount of helpfulness just now, the priest leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Well, Little Brother,” he said, “since we’ve nothing better to do right now, this seems like as good a time as any to go over the religious histories again. You will, after all, be required to recite them correctly before you ascend to the rank of novice priest.”
“Yes, High Priest,” Favian replied dutifully, relaxing a bit when it became obvious that there would be no more talk of either his dream or his father.
“Remind me how far you had progressed with the story of Naloth and Utarr in your studies with Novice Feldes?”
“To, umm, the part where Naloth pursues Utarr into the desert and gains her love by bringing the rains,” Favian said. “Upon the sand, warm rain did fall; the grass sprung up and covered all. That bit.”
“Very good,” Senovo replied. “In that case, let us continue…”
I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair, letting the low, sonorous drone of Senovo’s voice roll over me as he recounted the courtship of the two gods in the most boring and sleep-inducing manner imaginable. My knee pressed companionably against his, out of Favian’s line of sight. When, a rather short time later, the sound of Favian snoring through his partially blocked nose grew louder than the sound of Senovo’s recitation, he trailed off at the end of a stanza.
“You are surprisingly good at that,” I told him, not bothering to open my eyes.
“I wasn’t the only frightened slave-child in the southern Priests’ Guild,” he said, his voice wistful. “As I grew older, soothing the young ones from their night terrors became a useful skill to have, particularly if I wished to have any undisturbed sleep myself.”
And who comforted you after your nightmares, I wonder? Rather than say it aloud, I let my head roll to the side and rest against his shoulder as Favian snored on. Senovo’s body expanded and contracted in a deep sigh under my cheek.
“This concerns me,” he said in a quiet tone. “Favian is a deeply empathic boy.”
I opened my eyes and straightened so I could look at him. “The dream, you mean? It was only a nightmare, surely.”
“I certainly hope that’s the case,” he said.
“What else would it be?” I asked, my brow furrowing in confusion.
Senovo drew breath as if to reply, but we were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Since I was closer, I rose and opened it, revealing Andoc standing in the hallway. He smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead.
“Thought I might find you here,” he said. Despite his brief grin, his eyes were troubled. “Come out for a minute, both of you. There’s news.”
Senovo joined us in the hall and closed the door silently behind him. “What is it?” he asked.
“I’ve just come from the meeting hall,” Andoc said. “We have visitors. They arrived just as night was falling.”
“What kind of visitors?” I asked.
“A group of ambassadors have come to talk about the attack on the hill fort.”
My blood ran cold. “Alyrions?” I asked.
“No, they’re Eburosi,” Andoc said. “From, uh… down south somewhere.”
“You might as well come out and say it,” Senovo said, sounding tired. “You’re being cagey, and it’s not difficult to guess why.”
“Sorry. They’re Rhytheeri,” Andoc said after a slight pause, as if it was an admission of some sort.
“Who are the Rhytheeri?” I asked. “Hang on. Isn’t that the tribe who had some kind of conflict going with Meren?”
“It is,” Andoc said. “The Rhytheeri come from the southern coast, but their influence extends as far north as the mountains. They more or less rolled over for the Alyrions as soon as the Empire came knocking at their doorstep a couple of years ago. Started paying the Emperor tribute; let him install a puppet king to rule in Rhyth. That kind of thing.” He paused, a muscle working in his jaw. “We also think that the bounty hunters who captured you two in the forest were Rhytheeri.”
Senovo leaned backward a couple of inches until he was braced against the wall. His voice was completely flat when he added, “And, of course, what Andoc is so tactfully refraining from saying is that the Rhytheeri are my own people—the people who made me a slave and castrated me against my will. The ones I escaped six years ago.”
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- 5 stars: 13 (65%)
- 4 stars: 7 (35%)
- 3 stars: 0 (0%)
- 2 stars: 0 (0%)
- 1 star: 0 (0%)
The first books in the series focused primarily on the development of the relationship among the three main characters. This one builds on that with the village facing an eminent threat from the forces from the south. While they still find time for one another, now they must find a way to defend against this threat.
I received an unproofed ARC of this book for free from the author in exchange of an honest review. (And I couldn't be more happy as I could read books 2 & 3 in quick succession!)Personal rating: 4 starsI thoroughly enjoyed book 3, as much as I did book 2. It takes off exactly where book 2 left off and progresses quite well. I feel as if the story expanded well throughout the series - we are being introduced to more characters and more action is happening, including the beginnings of war.Nevertheless, I do admit that I am particularly enamoured with the relationship between Carvel, Andoc, and Senovo. I did mention in my review of book 2 that I enjoy how the author explores the relationships between characters, making them multi-dimensional and therefore more real, with their own insecurities and fears. I was glad to see some of those fears to be resolved in book 3, only to be replaced by other problems that the characters had to face. There was a big challenge that they had to face by the end of the book, and even though I had a feeling as if it was resolved a bit too quickly and easily (I am a sucker for angst, so I expected to be left suspended longer as a reader), but it was still quite believable and well done.One of my pet peeves as a reader, is how often in adult (especially, queer) romance novels the characters, who claim to be inexperienced in some aspects of ****, seem to know what they are doing right off the bat, when they get in bed with "the love of their life". That does not happen in real life, folks! Humans are not born with knowledge of all!What I love about The Horse Mistress series is that everything that happens between characters happens gradually, as they explore each other and make mistakes (or discoveries) in the process. It is very easy to make a "menage a trois" relationship misbalanced by creating a preferred pairing within a trio, and at some point in Book 2, I did fear that it might happen, but I am happy to report that the author once again didn't let me down. There is no power imbalance in their relationship - on the contrary, everyone seems to be playing to their strengths.I don't know what else to say, without giving away the plot, but I loved this book, and I can't wait to read the final book, when it comes out.If you are looking for a well-written series with diverse queer characters, I highly recommend you pick this one up.(After reviewing the ARC, I purchased this ebook in Kindle Store, when it came out.)
I found book one by pure luck, I then ran to find more book 2 and 3. Are just as wonderful to read. The story line is inventive and entertaining. This series is a must read for anyone looking for something that has not been written about a million times. So excited to read number 4....💗
I received a free unproofed ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.A.R.Steffen has done it again. As with the 1st and 2nd books in this series, this one draws you in as a reader.Continuing on from book 2 flawlessly, we delve deeper into the lives of our trio of hero's, as they come to grips with their new roles as leaders within the community, even as they continue to explore their new relationship with each other, supporting each other as they face an unpredictable future and the tribe prepares for war.We see some of the more minor roles come into their own, and we also say goodbye to some of the lesser characters.Like books 1 & 2 in the series, from the first page this book draws you in and grips your imagination tightly until you are left gasping for more.Personally, even though I don't want the series to end, I can't wait for the next instalment.Bravo R.A. Bravo!!
This time it was Andoc, as the tribe prepares to fight the Empire that has taken over the southern part of their island. The book took some twists and turns I didn't expect, though I knew from book 2 that there would be a big meeting of the island's tribes. The three protagonists have gotten better at supporting each other, though each one still has a tendency to take everything on themselves. Fortunately, the other two are there to talk some sense into the one doing that. Even Carivel is learning to do it. The three still have their share of struggles, though, internal and external. The first book in the series had more concentration on the horses at first, and the subsequent books have widened the focus to include more interactions with other tribes and then the politics and strife going on across the island. There's a little work with horses here, but it's more a mix of the geopolitical and the protagonists' relationship. I like romance plots, but I also appreciated that there were other plots going on, too.I was given an advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I am really enjoying this series, so much in fact that I am basically binge reading these and I am not a binge reader usually. I thought after reading book 1 and 2 in a row, I needed a break before I came back for book 3. Well that nearly got me in a book slump, until I got back to this series and my slump disappeared immediately. There's just something about this series that makes me want to keep reading. And now I am almost finished with the horse mistress books of this series, only one more book left and I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.The Horse Mistress Book 3 deals more with the plot line surrounding the Empire, the threat of invasion and the political tensions. Which was great. This plot line has been important since the start of the series, but in this book things escalate a lot more. I really enjoyed seeing how this developed and we get to more of Eburos and also of the Empire and how they act. There is even more danger and I was just hoping the characters I cared about stayed alive. There's also a development surrounding a side character, Favian, that's quite interesting and he's quite the interesting character.And next to the that plot line we still have the awesome romance going on. I just can't get enough of these three. Carivel, Senovo and Andoc are just so awesome together. And this book again shows the depth of their feelings and emotions. The events of this book put them all through a lot and we get to see how they deal with it. I don't want to spoil too much, but one of them goes through something difficult in this book and it was great to see how the other two were there. And how they resolve and handle things.Their romance is one of my favorite parts of this book, the author wrote their relationship so well. There are a bunch of hot **** scenes again in this book, the author can certainly write them well and there's a lot of variety in the **** scenes as well, which is great. And the way they care about each other only enhances the depth and feeling in the **** scenes as well.I also loved how we get to see a bit more of the island Eburos in this book. I feel like I got a better understanding of the island, the different tribes that lived there and also how solidarity all the tribes are. The threat of the empire also comes in stark focus in this book. And we learn more about how they operate and also how in contrast it is to the Draebardi people and the other tribes. I liked how seeing the city they visited tells us more about their own village and also how other people live in this world.And something I forgot to mention in the previous books is how I liked the role of religion and the priests and their role in the community. In this book we get introduced to another religion, which also brings more in focus how their current religion works and how different the religion of the Empire is.To summarize: Another awesome book in this series. I just love this series and reading about these characters. This book focuses on the threat of a possible invasion by the Empire, we get to see more of the island Eburos and see some of other tribes too. The relationship between Cairvel, Senovo and Andoc is probably my favorite part of this series as it just so well done. It's awesome how much these three care for each other and are there for each other. The **** scenes are hot and well written with quite some variation as well and the depth of their feelings for each other only makes the **** scenes even better. It was great to get a better insight in Eburos and how the different tribes lived and also how the Empire did things in this book. There's also an interesting contrast between the religion of the Eburosi and the Empire. I can't wait to read book 4!
I really enjoyed the continuing saga of Carivel, Andoc, and Senovo. It was great to see Andoc's emotional journey as the focus of the book and get a wider scope of the world, and I loved the plot developments that not only set the book up for the series, but showed the characters' ingenuity and cleverness - developments that will have wide impacts on these characters and future events. I'm excited to see where it goes from here!
I received an unproofed ARC of this book for free from the author in exchange of an honest review. (And I couldn't be more happy as I could read books 2 & 3 in quick succession!)Personal rating: 4 starsI thoroughly enjoyed book 3, as much as I did book 2. It takes off exactly where book 2 left off and progresses quite well. I feel as if the story expanded well throughout the series - we are being introduced to more characters and more action is happening, including the beginnings of war.Nevertheless, I do admit that I am particularly enamoured with the relationship between Carvel, Andoc, and Senovo. I did mention in my review of book 2 that I enjoy how the author explores the relationships between characters, making them multi-dimensional and therefore more real, with their own insecurities and fears. I was glad to see some of those fears to be resolved in book 3, only to be replaced by other problems that the characters had to face. There was a big challenge that they had to face by the end of the book, and even though I had a feeling as if it was resolved a bit too quickly and easily (I am a sucker for angst, so I expected to be left suspended longer as a reader), but it was still quite believable and well done.One of my pet peeves as a reader, is how often in adult (especially, queer) romance novels the characters, who claim to be inexperienced in some aspects of ****, seem to know what they are doing right off the bat, when they get in bed with "the love of their life". That does not happen in real life, folks! Humans are not born with knowledge of all!What I love about The Horse Mistress series is that everything that happens between characters happens gradually, as they explore each other and make mistakes (or discoveries) in the process. It is very easy to make a "menage a trois" relationship misbalanced by creating a preferred pairing within a trio, and at some point in Book 2, I did fear that it might happen, but I am happy to report that the author once again didn't let me down. There is no power imbalance in their relationship - on the contrary, everyone seems to be playing to their strengths.I don't know what else to say, without giving away the plot, but I loved this book, and I can't wait to read the final book, when it comes out.If you are looking for a well-written series with diverse queer characters, I highly recommend you pick this one up.
I still have so much love for this series! Who knew kinky polyamorous fantasy would be my happy place? The extra attention Andoc got in this book was great. Can't believe there's only one more book to go now.
Book Three of The Horse Mistress series leads on quickly from the events at the end of Book Two. It's clear by now that this isn't just a series of books with the same characters, telling stand-alone stories, but one longer cohesive story broken up into installments. That said, each of these books has its own story arc, its own focus that works well as a stand-alone story. That R.A. Steffan has managed that balancing act says much about her writing talent.Our trio of main characters, Carivel, Senovo, and Andoc are facing new challenges in their relationship and in their respective roles as leaders in their community. There are threats to their safety, to the safety of their entire village and other people they care about, and through it all we see these three contributing to their relationship and to the larger efforts of community safety. I love that these characters have important careers which they take seriously. I love that as much as they are the oddballs of their society in many ways, set apart, we still seem them as members of their village with a complex network of connections with their neighbors. Minor characters really stand out in this series, adding to the tapestry of the story with their limited 'on-screen' time.By the end of Book Three, some plot threads have been resolved, but there are enough unresolved points to let the reader know that we'll be in for a wild ride in the final Horse Mistress book, as the series comes to its conclusion. I personally plan to re-read Books 0--3 before Book 4 comes out. If you're just discovering this series, lucky you for getting to enjoy it for the first time, right from the beginning.I was given a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have read every one of the series and love them all!!
A bit predictable which character would be the focus/what sort of trouble they would have based on books 2 and 3. However, I still loved the writing and the characters themselves
Love this series. Great poly romance. So sweet and such an interesting fantasy world. I love the characters and storyline.
Great addition to the first and second books. So much action in this one. Really loving the characters and the further into their world I get the more I want to know! Can't wait to read more!!!
I absolutely love this book series. Could Carivel, Andoc & Senovo be any cuter as a threesome? Can’t wait to read book 4
I still love these books. In some series, I find that the books that come after the first one are not as good as / do not as have as much thought out in them. That is not the case in this book. Nor is it the case in this book where there no character growth. It is like each book is dedicated to one character'set growth - this is Andoc's, which I was personally really excited to see. Andoc is always the one to take care of the others when they are facing their demons, but this time Senovo and Caravelle get the chance to care of and support Andoc. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read the next one.
I really am enjoying this series in the Eburosi Chronicles. Carivel, Andoc, and Senovo are a wonderful trouple to read about. I am looking forward to the final book. I can most certainly say this series will not be sitting collecting dust after I am done reading it. I will most certainly come back to read it again.
When their rock shatters, Carivel and Senovo have to work together to put Andoc back together again. Their relationship arc goes through another set of trials, just enough to make a reader worried while also keeping faith that everything will work out for the best.The world of Eburosi grows again when the characters travel south to conduct political meetings in a bid to protect themselves from foreign invasion. In addition, more fantasy elements are introduced in this world that I occasionally forget isn't just ancient Britain with the names changed. Steffan has obviously done her research, so the intentional changes she does make are both seamless and pleasantly surprising.In a world where so many books rely on forcing "different" characters to embrace being outcast, a tale where the opposite happens is a refreshing change. Now that the three lovers are at the top, I'm sure that the conclusion in book 4 will be a **** of a ride.
When I originally started the Horse Mistress series, I thought it would be a trilogy only, especially since there are 3 main characters. I assumed each would get a book that would be more about that character. I was wrong. Book 3 amps up the action, but it is far from over. That’s why we have book 4 and the epilogue short story exclusive to the 4-book collection.So let’s get into book 3 and what it entails. For the plot, our trio is trying to get back to their new normal after the rescue from the hill fort. Mereni allies are still in Draebard, and many of the changes that were made on the fly at the end of book 2 are solidifying (ie, Lemdya as a female horse apprentice, designing and perfecting the bow and riding style for horseback archery). After a visit from a Rytheri ambassador, people from all over the island go there to figure out what they will do about the outside invaders. Then things take a turn for the worse, putting the entire situation in upheaval, especially for the character of Andoc.Andoc as a character has in many ways been the most hidden of the trio. The stories are told from Carivel’s point of view, so we get close to her right away. She bonds with Senovo because they both have obvious problems to overcome (her fight with gender roles, his acceptance of his inner wolf) and changes to their official positions in their tribe. Andoc, though, has been First Warrior and the kind of guy who takes care of everyone else without hint that he might need to be taken care of himself. That changes in a real way in this book, and as I reader, I liked that very much.The characters themselves address it as Carivel and Senovo ask Andoc early in the book what he gets out of their relationship. He replies that if they don’t know, they aren’t looking hard enough. Later in the book because of a chain of circumstances, Andoc has to let himself be weak and receive care from the other two.The trio is many months into their relationship now, and at this point even if they’ve tried to be covert, they really aren’t. Several characters acknowledge their existence as a unit. There is less **** in this book, but that seems somewhat normal to where we are in the story telling. We already believe in them as a unit, so we don’t need to see every example of passion. The on-page events of the story feature long swaths of time where they can’t be together because the travel situation makes it impossible.We do see more humor with the trio in this book, and I rather enjoyed that. Carivel wants to sexually dominate Andoc. To allow her to do that, he says she must best him in battle. Her first attempts are absolute failures, but she approaches it with good humor and says they were draws. When she does get her way eventually (spoiler), the experience is of benefit to all, another example of the **** scenes in this series having a strong character-driven purpose.So what’s the bottom line? This is still a fantasy set in a place similar to Britain at the time of the Roman invasion. War tactics and medical science are appropriate to that, and we see more tactics being used, especially in the last big war piece of the book. The major threat from the invading empire still exists, but we have safety for now thanks to all our characters, but especially Andoc.I do not recommend this as a stand-alone book. The events of the previous books are mentioned, but not really recapped. That might make things confusing for new readers. I think this is a great series, though, and suggest new readers should give the first 2 novels a try before reading this one. You won’t regret it.
I enjoy the characters stories and the beautifully detailed research without being to prosey. The author has taken a subject that for many would be too taboo or awkward to discuss and has developed an incredible series around it. The warning for explicit and graphic scenes is not to be taken lightly but is so worth the read.