THE LEGEND AWAKENS

Magic, horror, horses, and suspense abound in this genre-blending sequel based on a Swedish video game.

Lisa, Alex, Linda, and Anne are Soul Riders on the island of Jorvik. Each has a special bond to a mystical horse that also gives them magical powers. Starting where the first book left off, the Soul Riders are separated, Lisa’s father and horse are both missing, and Anne is trapped in Pandoria, a pink- and purple-hued portal world with a landscape of mushroom- and gemstonelike formations where everything is a little off-kilter and disorienting. The menacing Mr. Sands is seeking to take and sacrifice the four girls’ horses in order to harvest their magical energy to use to free Garnok, a beast that haunts Pinta Bay. However, Garnok’s release would give Sands ultimate power over everyone on Earth. The Soul Riders must keep their horses safe and fight the evil magic before it ends the world as they know it. Appreciation for horses, and the girls’ bonds with their steeds, is evident throughout, but minimal worldbuilding and character development make understanding and appreciation of the story contingent on familiarity with the earlier book or online game, as numerous side characters, horses, and mythical beings come and go. The book contains few physical descriptions; the previous volume establishes that Lisa, Alex, and Anne are White while Linda is an immigrant from Pakistan.

Fans of the Soul Riders world will appreciate this horse tale.