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The Grey Horse Kindle Edition

by R. A. MacAvoy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 437 ratings
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“No fantasy writer working today has a defter touch with Irish magic” (Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland).

Set against the colorful and magical backdrop of Ireland, The Grey Horse chronicles a time when the Irish people suffered under harsh English overlords who sought to destroy their culture and way of life. In the Irish town of Carraroe, a magnificent, completely grey stallion appears. The horse brings with him the promise of better times and magical happenings, for he is actually the shape-shifted form of Ruairi MacEibhir, journeyed to such a time of danger in order to win the hand of the woman he loves.
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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2014
  6. File size
    3811 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

R. A. MacAvoy is a highly acclaimed author of imaginative and original science fiction and fantasy novels. Her debut novel, Tea with the Black Dragon, won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. She has also written the Damiano trilogy, the chronicles of a wizard’s young son, set during an alternate history version of the Italian Renaissance; The Book of Kells; and Twisting the Rope, the highly acclaimed sequel to Tea with the Black Dragon. She is also the author of the beloved and much-praised Lens of the World trilogy.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J48FFVS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy (April 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3811 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 437 ratings

About the author

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R. A. MacAvoy

R. A. MacAvoy

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Hello, all. I write under the name R.A. MacAvoy, although my call-name has always been Bertie. I have been writing for publication for some forty years. I was given the John W. Campbell Award in 1983, for my first novel in the Speculative Fiction Field, much to my astonishment. That year I also was granted the inaugural Phillip K. Dick Award, which still was a piece of hand-calligraphed paper without a frame. I was overwhelmed by that one, actually, as I think Phillip Dick was a very important writer and I’m glad they thought of me.

For me, now, to describe what I do as a hobby and where I live, is somehow meaningless. I can mention I once ran a small stable, called Shanachie Stables, raising a few good Connemara Ponies, just as I am now running a very small House, called Shanachie Press, hoping for a few good books. I was a diver in Northern Pacific waters for years, learning night diving, mixed gasses and rescue diving. Much of my life has been spent in the martial arts, with emphasis on self-defense rather than competition. Shall I say that I wove a great deal of clothing and decorative hangings over the years? Or that I grow orchids? I mean – forty years? I don’t know where to begin.

And by now I have had so many polished author photos that I am here only including a snapshot my husband, Ron, took of me on our upper storey deck.

Oh! I have also been on the New York Times Bestseller list many times. But then, it is really not so hard to get on the New York Times Best Seller List. Stephen King wrote a very funny article about that.

If you are young to the S.F. field and don’t know who I am, I will prep you by warning that I often kill off my heroes, sometimes at the most unexpected times. But never in a depressing manner. I’ve never wanted to depress my readers. My outlook is essentially comic.

My latest book, just released, is a collaboration with Nancy Palmer, called Albatross. It is wildly genre-bending. Breaking, perhaps. The sequel, Shimmer, is expected to be wackier.

I can only hope you enjoy my work. That’s what writers do hope, after all.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
437 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robin C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Charming fantasy with "horse sense"
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2004
Verified Purchase
I first read R.A. MacAvoy's "Tea with the Black Dragon" many years ago, and it remain one of my favorite books. So I was so glad to see some of her other books being reissued.

The Grey Horse is a lovely, charming fantasy that works on so many levels. Set in an 1881 village in Ireland, it is the story of a fairy horse, Rauri, who falls in love with a village girl and wants to marry her. And yet it is so much more than that!

What could have been a trite, two-dimensional story by another writer comes alive in the hands of R.A. MacAvoy for her characters are alive and vivid. Rauri is not an elegant, ethereal fairy, but an earthy, sometimes confused man who shares much of the stubborness and behavior of the sturdy Connemara pony he often turns into. Not innately clever, he has "horse sense" and a good nature that is very appealing. His heart's desire, Maire, is likewise not the usual fairy tale heroine. She is a big girl, stubborn, and full of fire, not as pretty as her petite sister, but of infinitely more worth.

Underneath the romance between Rauiri and Maire lies the struggle of the Irish people to assert their independence against the English overlords. The struggle of the Irish peasants to keep their connection to their land while dealing with a foreign culture (English) and the struggle of the fairy to fit into a foreign culture (Human) while retaining his deeper and more ancient connection to the land gives the book an interesting dynamic tension.

This book is one of the more interesting fantasies, and will retain a place on my bookshelf for future reading!
15 people found this helpful
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Cavall
4.0 out of 5 stars Clever Story
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023
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I love horses and especially enjoyed the fairy who could change to a horse. The love story was sweet. This was an enjoyable and compelling read.
One person found this helpful
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Cecile Croghan
5.0 out of 5 stars What a horse tail....
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2017
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This is the tail of a horse or is it tale of a horse? I'll leave it up to you to decide. This excellent story caught me with the very first page and didn't let me go until I finished the very last page many hours after my normal bedtime that night. I literally could not put it down. I read it all day, through dinner and way later than I notended to. The writing was superb, the Irish countryside was described so beautifully that I ached again that I never had a chance to see if for myself. It's a grand and glorious story of a horse and 2 men I would have been happy to know. More I can't say without giving up spoilers and that I never do. If you like or in my case luv horses with a touch of the paranormal you will luv this book. Highly, highly recommended.
17 people found this helpful
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Kilian85710
5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2017
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Ok, let's get this out of the way. The names are impossible. I like to hear the names in my head as I read, and I almost quit this book early. The author provides a pronunciation guide at the beginning, but it doesn't help. I soldiered on anyway. It's not bad enough to struggle through the Irish names, but it seems that each character also has an English name. The main character, the grey horse of the title is named Ruairi MacEibhir, or Rory MacEever, and his friend is named Anrai O Reachtaire or Henry Raftery. The third main character is Tadhg O Murchu, or Tim Murphy, the priest.

I'm glad I persevered, because this is one of the most delightful, inventive novels I have read this year. Set in times past, the Irish people suffer under the oppression of English overlords. Into the little town of Carraroe, steps a magnificent white stallion. You may be confused unless you know that unless a horse is an albino, white horses are called grey. It is the shape-shifting Ruairi come to seek a wife.

The story that follows is full pure magic. Fortunately, MacAvoy has written several books, and I intend to read them all.
25 people found this helpful
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Cindy Adair
4.0 out of 5 stars Irish fairy horse
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2023
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Being a horse lover, this book intrigued me. I loved the character of Rauri both as a human and a horse. His ability to change forms at will made the story so much fun to read. To have a horse that could both understand humans and be able to communicate with horses would be quite beneficial. The fairy’s growth throughout the story added so much to the storyline. He chose his friends and confidants wisely. I also loved the character of Amari and the relationships he had with his wife and Rauri.

This story based in Irish folklore was a fun read. Now I wonder if my own horse is secretly a fairy in disguise!
One person found this helpful
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Lauren
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2017
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This was a lovely story. It started out a little slow but I was soon entranced by the wonderful characters. The writing was very poetic and gave me a sense of English spoken in a far off time and place. The main characters were kind and noble except for the mean ones. I loved the redemption of the Blondell family and meeting Toby again in the epilogue. The tragedy after the race was heartbreaking but the aftermath was deliciously satisfying. The epilogue tied everything up nicely. Worth reading.
6 people found this helpful
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JKom
3.0 out of 5 stars Could not get through this one
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2021
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So many glowing reviews convinced me to buy this book, but I could not get through it. I picked it up three times and it was just too slow and uninteresting.

The fourth time I picked it up, I jumped a couple of chapters here and there to see if I could find anything that caught my interest, but......nope. Is it lyrical and poetically written? I can see where many might think so.

This just did not speak to me. I wish I could say differently, so YMMV.
One person found this helpful
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hopeful
5.0 out of 5 stars delightful, no better way to describe it
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2022
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I've loved this story since I first read it ages ago, and wanted a copy to read to my kids. It's hard to find in libraries, not sure why. Yes, the names are in Irish, it would be sad to write a story about Ireland and not use the Irish spellings. This delightful fairy tale comes with a few interesting lessons as well. It arrived in perfect condition, although the cover was a different one from the one in the photo. But it's the story that matters. I whipped through it, and now am researching how to say the place names properly when I read it out loud. I'd give this lovely little adventure more stars if it were feasible.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

L D.
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in Canada on November 22, 2019
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Irish Folktales always intrigue me. Love reading a gently told story where bullies get their due! Clever way of sliding around the truth and showing the simple way people survived. Accepting their neighbours failings and all the restraints of the government by using the old ways of retribution even if unlawful yet expedient! Definitely want to read more of this author books, especially The Book of Kells!
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L. Holloway
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, well written story.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2017
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I've read several of RA MacAvoy's books and loved them all. This is no exception, the knowledge of Irish traditions gives the book it's solid base of truth.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars enchanted
Reviewed in Australia on April 6, 2023
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What a delight,especially for someone who loves and understands horses, and is fascinated by fairies albeit the hero is far from a conventional fairy!
This had me chuckling so often and I loved the Irish characters as well
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april
4.0 out of 5 stars charming
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2017
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fun, sweet, delightful retelling of the myth of the fairy horse, popular in both irish and nordic tales...the horse invites you to ride on it, and then, in most of the stories, it runs into water (the sea, a river, a lake) and drowns you, since you are now stuck on its back...in Stockholm there is a nice bar, called "backahasten", after this creature...in macavoy's story she weaves a plot, involving families, romance, love, nationalist uprisings, catholic resistance and protestant domination, into this myth of the "puca" horse...it is well paced, well plotted, with charming characters and good settings...macavoy is a very good writer of slightly quirky, slightly twisted fantasy stories, well worth reading...her "lens of the world" trilogy is very good, and her "tea with the black dragon" a delight...she is skilled, fun, thoughtful, deep and exciting...recommended!
One person found this helpful
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ozcopilot
4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to pronounce Irish spellings make the book a bit difficult
Reviewed in Australia on December 4, 2019
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This was a book that I found both easy and hard to read. It was a good story, and I enjoyed it, but the Irish spellings of names was very difficult and meant that I couldn't just relax into the story. When the story was from the Englishman's point of view the spellings became anglicised but that was only a small portion of the book. There was a glossary at the front, but that is not so easy to keep accessing in a Kindle book - unlike flipping to the front of a page book!
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