Year of the Horse

"A classic fantasy quest story, wrapped in the trappings of the American West, reimagined in a cinematic way" from the author of Slaves of the Shinar (Idaho Statesman).

Year of the Horse is literary fantasy at its very best—a novel that delves into our myths, legends, hopes, and fears; a coming-of-age fable set in our fondly remembered (if often fictional) past—an adventure more than capable of setting your hair on end. Year of the Horse tells the story of Tzu-lu, a child of Chinese immigrants unwillingly pressed into service by a gang of roughnecks bent on stealing a gold mine from a shadowy villain deep in the western wilderness. With Tzu-lu as our guide, we experience a landscape of legend, stand toe-to-toe with those larger-than-life heroes and villains of our shared American mythos, and learn the inescapable facts that have both enriched and plagued our nation from its inception. Resonating with echoes of Mark Twain, Larry McMurtry, and J. K. Rowling, this is a book of fabulous adventure and deep resonance. Allen gives readers a picture of how America sees itself, and in so doing he offers up both a heroic vision of the past and hope for the future.

"The characters are original and fascinating, the plot is compelling, and the extraordinary details of the journey across the West are every bit as harsh and gritty as must have been true of such journeys in fact." —Robert K. Massie, Pulitzer Prize–winning author

"Part Zane Gray, part L. Frank Baum, this read delivers the ultimate dose of escapism . . . Charming and full of heart." —Colorado Springs Independent