I’d never read anything by Marcus Sedgwick before, but his name repeatedly came up on recommended-books lists. When I saw one of his books on a clearance rack for a ridiculously low price (I think $1), I bought it. Of course, I’ve said I’ll buy practically any book for a dollar or less, but I had at least remembered his name. This work is from 2002, and was shortlisted for at least one award. I believe the author is British, but I could be vastly mistaken.

The Dark Horse is set in a pre-industrial time of semi-nomadic tribes and stone huts. Sigurd is sixteen; he is the son of an important member of his tribe, the Storn. He has a foster sister named Mouse; they found her with some wolves a few years ago. She can talk mentally to animals, which makes people a bit uncomfortable around her. One day, when they are at the beach, Mouse and Sigurd find a strange white man with a box that no one can open. What does it mean? And why has Mouse been acting so strangely?

This book is fairly short — only 224 pages — and deceptively simple. The plot seems fairly straightforward, and readers might think they can guess how the book is going to end about 50 pages in, but there are at least three twists to add interest. People are not who they seem; when everything feels as if it’s going to end, new help comes from an unexpected source. It’s recommended for YA readers, and I suppose I’d have to agree for the subtlety, but the length and style made me feel as if he might have been aiming for a slightly younger audience.

Sigurd is a sympathetic character; so is Mouse, although she has her secrets. There is also a wise woman who I enjoyed as a character. It does seem, though, as if Sigurd is thrown about by the series of events; he isn’t terribly active or dynamic. That made it a bit hard for me to like him, although I did find it easy to feel sorry for him. He is set in a bad situation, and he is required to prove himself under very trying circumstances. The tone of the story, overall, is dark: the characters are in dark situations, the setting is dark, the title is even dark. On the author’s website, he has a picture of himself smiling and implies that he’s happy more often than one might guess from his books. If I had to judge based on this book, I’d think he was never happy.

The setting was well-described, as was the tribe. Both were somewhat nonstandard: nearly-prehistoric settings are rare in fiction (excluding Clan of the Cave Bear), as is tribal religion and traditions. I have to admit that I wasn’t really a fan of the setting or the society; I tend to prefer less authentic settings and more highly-developed societies, such as contemporary settings or England after 1700. It wasn’t necessarily VERY authentic; I don’t have any memory of Sigurd describing the odors that come with wearing animal skins, or where exactly they kept their latrine, or how many fleas he had on his body at any given point in time. However, I still didn’t enjoy it that much.

All my complaints aside, I really enjoyed the later twist, and I appreciated the nonstandard setting, even if it wasn’t my favorite. I feel the book was very well-done, but not to my tastes. I’ll have to rate it 4/5 stars, although I’m not really sure who would enjoy it. Perhaps those who like semi-prehistoric settings, somewhat twisty plots, and simplicity of language — but I seem to be getting into an older age group than the YAs. If any of it sounds interesting to you, please read it and leave me a comment as to whom YOU would recommend this book.