Author: Sarah Tolmie
Publisher: Tor.com
Released: March 1, 2022
Received: NetGalley
Warnings: Slavery, sex slavery

If you love horses, magical tales, or stories stemming from Iceland, then you’ve got to look into All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie. Admittedly the title of this story is very on the nose, but that is far from being a bad thing.

Follow a Norse trader as he travels through Iceland. His story is full of magic, wonder, lore, and whispers. Everything has a balance and a cost, especially when trading in horses. Eyvind can promise you the truth in that statement.

“Every horse in Iceland, like every person, has ancestors who sailed here in a ship…their sturdy kin can be seen…working around farms and fjords…[these] little horses of the North, strong as oxen…”

Is it possible for a book to be everything and nothing like you expected at the same time? If so, then that description applies to All the Horses of Iceland. I knew that this would be a horse book (obviously), and based on the description, I also knew that it would be more. And yet I was unprepared for the depth and turn that this book followed.

Eyvind of Eyri is a horse trader, a calling that provided the opportunity to travel all over Iceland searching for deals, buyers, and horses. It also opened the door for so much more, as readers are quick to discover.

The foundation of All the Horses of Iceland is excellent. The world is beautiful and carefully laid out, detailing even the trade route and history of the region. From there, the world is infused with color as characters and the plot rises to the surface. There were times when this became a lot, but I don’t think this was a bad thing.

Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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