Suzanne Thackston

Dark Horses Suzanne Thackston

A dappled gray mare with sweet grass-scented breath. An enormous black stallion with gleaming green eyes. A desperate chase in the night-thickened plains, a violent capture with hooves and teeth, a ravishing. The young goatherd Kiri knows, by the slamming of her heart and the trembling of her knees, that she is in the presence of gods. What she does not know is that what she has witnessed-the rape of Demeter by Poseidon-will result in offspring who will terrorize her mountain community. Children will be stolen from their beds and transformed into monsters, mad with fear and sorrow. Cold-eyed beasts will stalk shepherds at night. Ships will founder against swarms of the ravenous undead. Nothing will quell the mounting panic. It is up to Kiri, with the help of a bard, Lykeion, and the guidance of Hermes, to learn how to appease the goddess and bring peace back to the land. This retelling of an ancient and obscure myth brings to life the world in which Greek gods first walked among men and blessed them with stories.