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eBook Category: Mainstream/Romance POW! Award First Place Winner, Jada Press Grand Prize Winner, Romantic Times Magazine Recommended Read, Angelfire Reviewer's Choice Pick
eBook Description: What Price for Love That Defies Time? Would you pledge your soul for eternity? The Horseman is the critically acclaimed lead novel of the Lands of the Morning Quintet, a series of five exotic, internationally plotted novels. Revolving around a dynamic American heroine, The Horseman is a gripping, epic tale of intense passion, politics, spirituality, esoterica, as well as the roots of the current upheavals between the Turks and the Kurds. Complete with magnificent and diverse settings from Turkey and Mecca to Ireland and the United States, The Horseman presents an intense, multi-cultural love triangle with indomitable characters united in their quest for social justice. As Ariadne, the American, Burhan, the Turk, and Mehmet Ali, the Kurd, emerge from the mists of 8,000 BC and reunite in 20th Century Turkey, they play out their star-crossed destinies upon an explosive stage of upheavals and changes.

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: 1999
Fictionwise Release Date: March 2005

This eBook is part of the following series:

• Kristina O'Donnelly's Lands of the Morning Series

43 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [777 KB] , ePub (EPUB) [709 KB] , Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [697 KB] , Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [3.3 MB] , Palm Doc (PDB) [763 KB] , Microsoft Reader (LIT) [615 KB] , Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [629 KB] , hiebook (KML) [1.6 MB] , Sony Reader (LRF) [903 KB] , iSilo (PDB) [641 KB] , Mobipocket (PRC) [967 KB] , Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [1.0 MB] , OEBFF Format (IMP) [1.0 MB]
Words: 217632
Reading time: 621-870 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

"...a hard-hitting story... a substantial novel..."--Piers Anthony, Author, FL USA

"...Kristina O'Donnelly uses magnificent imagery and spell-binding narration to sweep you from one fantastic locale to another in her novel, The Horseman. She brings conflict and glory to the battle between the Turks and the Kurds. An epic romance that crosses all boundaries--political, religious, culture, reincarnation and more. Read this novel first, then read The Scorpion Child, the sequel. You won't be disappointed."--Vicki M. Taylor, Author , FL, USA

"...The Horseman is a very different book with a most unusual setting. Ms. O'Donnelly opens a door into a fascinating world few of us see. The ties bind her characters through time, despite their ethnic and religious differences ... the history that is intertwined within the romance ... this is a book for one who wishes to delve into a story that is a melange of cultures and characters."--Kathe Robin, Romantic Times Magazine

"...similar to Katherine Neville's famed cult novel, The Eight, O'Donnelly's backdrop for The Horseman weaves ancient philosophies into an epic spanning Turkey, Ireland, New York, Mecca, and concluding in Tarsus ... throughout the novel's journey, American heroine Ariadne is caught in a past-life love-triangle while forging into the social and political upheavals surrounding Turkey in 1964-1973. Past and present are related, linked by an ancient moral debt ... hers is a novel that could only be written from years of diverse cultural study and experience ... her writing is astounding in its beauty and depth, her enthusiasm and ideas remarkable. O'Donnelly is a marvelously talented author!"--Brent Kroetch, publisher, and author of The Delaney Escape

"The Horseman is a breathtaking novel that will sweep you into its characters' lives before you realize you've been caught. Highly descriptive, the tale guides the reader through worlds both ancient and contemporary with compelling characters, intriguing story line, and cultural/political clashes too richly detailed to resist. Magnificently illuminative of the ongoing conflicts between Turks and Kurds, this epic is as much a pleasurable geographical/historical journey through ancient lands as it is a tale of the strengths and weaknesses within the human condition. Romance, political intrigues, reincarnation, cultural bridges, betrayals, faith ... it is timely and very much alive. O'Donnelly reveals a great depth of knowledge on many levels including the traditions & mores within the Muslim world, the Irish Catholic experience, and even Celtic mythology. Highly recommended to any reader who craves a good tale enriched by trans-continental adventures, historical insights and skillfully applied literary gifts of the author."--Elaine Federici, columnist, web-designer, www.Mohican Press.com, and author of Rose Tales for Children

Prologue:

Tarsus, Mediterranean Coast, Turkey

"No!" she screamed with a hoarse voice, terror turning into fury, "Nooo, you're not going to have him again! No, not again! No, I won't let you!"

But even as those words were leaving her throat, she knew the odds favored him being torn to bits by his very own people. Propelled by urgent despair, she pushed her way among the knots of swarthy men and women and tore in the direction of the tall man dressed in white, who stood on a platform surrounded by a fist-shaking, screaming mob. His blondish-brown wavy hair glistened under the sun and his squared wide shoulders, straight back and strong, calm voice spoke of proud defiance. Her heart ached at the sight of him, for he was the blood in her veins, the flesh upon her bone, and if he'd end up martyred by those he'd fought so hard to lead to a better tomorrow, she'd rather follow him to hell and beyond, then once again mourn his loss.... Thousands of years ago, the people had been just as bloodthirsty as they were today, and readily falling under Wolf's spell, they had betrayed White Roebuck. Trapping him like a common beast, they had dragged his bleeding body over sharp-edged stones and thorns. White Roebuck, who had given them nothing but love and care, who had communicated with animals, flowers, known every star on the sky, thrived on song and dance, and yet been brave enough to rise against terrible odds and fight ... the huge rabble led by his own beloved brother, against him.

"Allah-u Ekber! Allah-u Ekber!"

She whirled, looking up toward the direction of the sun. Holy Mary, Mother of God! Could it be? Was it really the Muezzin reciting from the minaret? Did he truly have the audacity to stand high up, and summon the devout to the mosque, to praise God? These very same, Godforsaken men, who were trying to murder her husband?

"Allah-u Ekber! Lailahe-il-Al-lah!" the Muezzin confirmed her suspicion, ululating as he cited the Arabic words equivalent to," Allah is the Highest; I am a witness that Allah is One; Mohammed is His Prophet. Come to prayer, He will give you comfort...."

As she laughed at the irony, her reason returned and she hurled herself at the bearded man who blocked her way and was waving her blue scarf in the air. Caught off guard by her violent outburst, he had to retreat. But others appeared and tried to hold her arms down. Fury heightening her strength, she twisted, turned, kicked, ducked, and managed to slip away.

The ominous-looking Kurdish rebels from the truck, shouldered the cheering crowd, overwhelmed her husband's bodyguards, and closed in on him. "You servant of the Allahless Americans! How dare you come here and poison these innocents with lies?" one of them shouted at her husband, "Traitors like you besmear our Holy Koran's honor, use our wives, sisters and daughters as fodder for the whorehouses, and lambaste our traditions and families!"

The lone shout metamorphosed into a chorus, "Death to the man who's defiled our Prophet! Death to the Two-faced Servant of the Americans!"

She was a petite but agile woman, which gave her an edge among the clumsily fermenting crowd as she pushed and zigzagged her way toward her husband. She reached the bottom of the speaker's podium just as his fist crashed upon someone's head. Suddenly their dog Attila darted ahead of her, jumped up and tore at the throat of a huge man attacking him from his back. Her heart chimed with relief. But then he was overcome by at least six men who grasped at him simultaneously, sunk under their combined weight and she lost sight of him.

An inhuman cry rose from her throat and she tried to plunge forward but this time her progress was blocked by a bearded, black skull capped man. He took hold of her blue scarf, pulled it down and freed her hair. Its platinum blondness was unmistakable under the blazing sun.

His hoarse voice rose triumphantly, "Whhoaaa! Here's the American whore!"