My Magical Pony -
Hodder, 2006, £4.99
Rating: «««
An epic series of 15 (and I’m sure there will be more), the heroine is Krista who has relatively normal pony experiences most of the time, save for when Shining Star the magical pony appears, emerging from a shimmering mist, swearing her to secrecy, bringing his wisdom and kindness into her world.
Unfortunately Jenny Oldfield switches style from her usual straightforwardness to a mannered portentousness whenever the magical ponies appear. “Make haste,” one says. And “Our magic is needed in a land far from here.” This had the unhappy effect of making me start to cringe in anticipation whenever I thought a magical pony was due to appear. All I can say for Miranda, my 12 year old fellow reviewer is that she handed this back without a word; just a stony glare.
The story itself (Krista thinks she and her family will have to move away from everything she knows) is competent enough, but the fantasy fails. The best fantasy succeeds because it is often just the smallest shift from reality: but it is still completely recognisable. The magic ponies here simply don't work. Whether the horse can succeed as a literary expression of a nobility and morality higher than you find in everyday life I don't know: it doesn't here. True goodness and kindness don't need the kind of distant stuffiness the magical ponies drag about with them.
Jenny Oldfield
Jenny Oldfield is a staggeringly prolific author. She has written the Home Farm Twins series, the Half Moon Ranch and Martina Martinez, to mention just a few. Her work rate is amazing. A quick scan of her records on the British Library site shows her writing as many as 10 books a year. Frankly, whatever I say, people are going to buy the books.
However, hers is the book I disliked most when reading for this section. It was the only one I read where I thought bits were actively bad: the stylistic change between the description of the world of the fantasy horses and real life is too abrupt; and worse than that, it’s clunky and portentous. I like the style in the real life sections, and am looking forward to trying some of her other series, where I am hoping for better and unblighted things.
The My Magical Pony Series
Silver Mist, 2005
Shining Star, 2005
Dawn Light, 2006
Summer Shadows, 2006
Midnight Snow, 2006
Bright Eyes, 2006
Pale Moon, 2006
Summertime Blues, 2006
North Star, 2006
Sea Haze, 2006
Falling Leaves, 2006
Red Skies, 2006
Secret Whispers, 2007
New Beginnings, 2007
Starlight Dream, 2007