Last week was our tribute to The mighty Black Stallion and this week it’s all about his arch nemesis Flame, the Island Stallion. This character is every bit as dynamic as The Black and the books are just as exciting.
Guilty As Charged
I have to admit that although I loved the Black Stallion books, the Island Stallion was always my favorite. The remote island setting is rather romantic and the survival story is as important as the animal’s speed & beauty. I love the books, but have to admit that the cover art on these is a step down from the originals (who’s with me?)
The Island Stallion (1948)
Steve Duncan visits a remote island with a friend and there discovers a lost world and the stallion of his dreams. To wild for human contact, Steve must be patient and resourceful to strike up a friendship he wants so badly.
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The Island Stallion’s Fury (1951)
Steve & his friend Pitch are the only two alive who know about Flame’s lost Azul Island paradise. Until Pitch’s brother discovers their secret and he will stop at nothing to make it his own & if he can’t have it no one (or horse) can.
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The Island Stallion Races (1955)
Steve & his friend Pitch are the only two alive who know about Flame’s lost Azul Island paradise. Until Pitch’s brother discovers their secret and he will stop at nothing to make it his own & if he can’t have it no one (or horse) can.
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The Black Stallion and Flame (1960)
On the way to a race, a plane crash lands Alec & the Black on an island in the Caribbean – Flame’s island. The two stallions can’t share a small island, but they must unite forces against a common enemy who threatens the survival of them all.
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The Black Stallion Challenged! (1964)
The Black is the fastest horse in the US, but he has met his match when he meets Flame the Island Stallion. What their jockeys don’t know is that these two animals have a history and it’s not a pretty one.
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Shorter, But Just As Good
This series is far shorter than the more widely known Black Stallion series, but lesser known doesn’t mean lesser quality. If you enjoy his writing you will love this story with fresh characters and a different animal to fall in love with.
Great post! All fabulous books. The Black Stallion will always top the Island Stallion in my mind, but Flame & his adventures were a *very* close second to Alec & The Black.
And I agree about the cover artwork, definite step down. I don’t know why the publishers did that. If they thought new, “fresher” illustrations were an improvement, they were mistaken.
Maybe it was a copyright thing with the original artist(s)?
I have all the paperback originals of the entire series, including Farley’s “The Horse Tamer” and “Man O’ War” (labeled F-14 & F-16 respectively in Random House’s original labeling system for Farley’s books). Most of mine were printed in the 60’s & 70’s. Many are wrinkled and faded, but only one is missing it’s cover completely. (I actually got it that way at a used book swap.) I wouldn’t trade the collection for anything for the rest of my life.
Though I wouldn’t mind purchasing another authentic *classic* copy of F-15 “The Black Stallion & Flame” (my missing cover). If anybody out there has it for sale, let me know!
Last time I looked on Amazon.com they had this book!
I can’t find my Black Stallion books. I think they were left in Florida and I’m distraught. Except for one of my all-time favorite, The Black Stallion Challenged. With the awesome cover featuring Hialeah’s flamingoes!
I loved the Island Stallion series marginally more than The Black Stallion, too, I think….
Have the complete set of Walter Farleys books. All great and am not sure why but when the two horses met I was rooting for Flame rather than The Black.
All books were exciting but the idea of the lost valley on an uninhabited island, a tropical paradise, was sure an alluring setting.
As a sidenote, the Island Stallion Races was an “Out of this world” science fiction deviation from the norm. Farley was ahead of his time in his intuition and forewarning of mankind’s race for development with little regard to the rest of the world’s creatures. Maybe too deep a message in these adventure books but still a great story !
While a few of the Black Stallion books were letdowns, ALL of the Island Stallion books were great adventures, as were the books where Flame met the Black (Black Stallion and Flame and Black Stallion Challenged).
The tragedy is that the best movie script was never utilized… as that would be The Island Stallion !!! and
I’m so delighted to hear that others share my love of the Island Stallion series. 😀 Thanks to everyone for sharing their views & I agree 100% Christopher, they should make an Island Stallion movie!
I too found the Island Stallion series more intriguing than the Black Stallion, and that’s saying quite a lot. The Island Stallion would make a fabulous movie, but only if Hollywood remained true to the original story (which I doubt they would do).
Re: the cover art … totally agree! The originals were much better. I can’t remember the artist’s name, but he did the interior illustrations as well. I notice that the books don’t have those anymore. And of course he also illustrated many of the Black Stallion stories.
I would love it if they made the Island Stallion books into movies like they did the Black Stallion. Or a TV series. I think the mystery of aliens landing on the island would play out really well in this day and age. Too bad Walter Farley didn’t write more books about this wonderful horse.
I also liked the Island Stallion series better than the Black Stallion. I think it engendered a fascination with islands in me. I always wondered what island served as the inspiration for the one in the book. I came across a photo today and I immediately thought of Island Stallion. It doesn’t seem there’s an internet community specifically around the Island Stallion books, so I thought I’d post it here. Does anybody have any thoughts about what island might have been the inspiration. My nomination is Aogashima Volcano Island in Japan:
http://onebigphoto.com/uploads/2011/10/aogashima-volcano-japan.jpg