Talking Horses by Nick Garlick

I'd like to stay with the recent Halloween posts and put in a word for a series that - as far as I know - has only been published in the USA. But with an e-reader....

The Del Toro family patrol a region of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo mountains, preventing supernatural creatures from invading the realm of humans. And there's enough fighting to satisfy any action-loving young teen (girl OR boy). But what makes the books so special is that the family is aided in their centuries-old struggle by Andalusian war horses. Who can talk.

This might sound too Disney-cute for words. It isn’t. Turk is cocky and aggressive. Izzy won’t be ignored just because she’s a ‘girl’. And El Cid possesses a gravitas that makes him especially memorable. (His quizzical ‘Really?’ when asked to be extra careful before a fight is a delight.) These horses are real characters and demand to be treated as such.

Then there’s the romance - in the first book - between our 12-year-old hero Matt and Perry, a girl who’s visiting the area. I usually skip these sections because they so often fall back on cliché – hot babe, cool dude.  Not here. There’s no babe- or dude-ness to either of them. Perry is clever and curious. Matt worries about making the right impression. There’s a delicacy in these chapters as the relationship progresses that’s both charming and totally captivating.

The follow-ups broaden the story and bring in new characters - a witch riding a motor bike is a favourite of mine - but at the heart of them all are the horses: bickering, cracking jokes, advising our teenage protagonist. They're totally original and a genuine source of pleasure. 

I'm already looking forward to the fourth in the series.