It was on a Kindle screen on my bed where I first discovered the woman who would become one of the most loved and influential authors in my reading life. Having depleted my normal list of equine-related books on FreeTime, I searched through the Kindle Library for a new book series to enjoy. On any other day, I would have dug out a book from our shelf, but as we were in the process of moving, the books had long since been packed.
Curious, I searched the word “foal” in the engine and waited to see what would come up. I ended up seeing two books titled Starfire and Stormbound, part of something called “The Guardian Herd Series”. I had seen Starfire briefly at our local library, but I had never read it. Intrigued by the epic covers showing battling winged horses—most notably a black horse with a white star—I clicked “download” and began to read.
I began reading a tale about a foal named Star, who was destined to become the most powerful pegasus in the fantasy world of Anok—if he could survive to his first birthday. The herds of Anok wanted to kill Star because they thought he was going to be a destroyer, like the black foal before him, Nightwing, so every day of Star’s life became a struggle to survive until his birthday so he could gain the power of the starfire.
I was hooked.
The Beginning of the Black Foal
According to Alvarez, the idea for The Guardian Herd series came one afternoon in 2012. While driving in the car, she had a daydream about a herd of pegasi migrating across the sky—and one pregnant white mare trying hard to keep up caught her attention. The white mare would later become Lightfeather, the legendary mother of the black foal Star. By the time she got home, she had mentally outlined Starfire.
Alvarez wrote a chapter every day for her daughter, who latched onto the idea and asked for more every day. Starfire was published in 2014 and was the first book in the quartet following Star’s adventures. A second series was released in 2017 following his friends Hazelwind and Echofrost, Riders of the Realm. While there are no new Guardian Herd books on the horizon (yet), there is a plethora of fanfiction from adoring TGH fans on theguardianherd.com and hundreds of photos of fanart. The series was ultimately a success.
An Author of Many Talents
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez doesn’t just write about flying pegasi, although that’s what she’s most known for. Her The Guardian Herd and Riders of the Realm series were published by Harpercollins, probably one of the largest publishing companies in the world.
But Alvarez also self publishes her own books, not a small task for anyone. Besides her MG book The Pet Washer, Jennifer also writes several YA thrillers, featuring more gray and immoral characters than her other books.
Jennifer, like so many others, started writing at a young age and actually self published a book at the age of nineteen. The novel was a flop and has since fallen into non-existence. Clearly, she has recovered from those days!
What We Can Learn
So, what can we learn from Alvarez’s style?
First, we can learn about good suspense. Alvarez keeps you on the edge of your seat with every chapter, and not just because there is danger. Even in the moments of calm, Alvarez knows how to keep the story moving. More than once I’ve stayed up late at night to read because I wanted to figure out what would happen next.
The first book is a great example of how your book doesn’t have to be perfect to publish. Starfire is probably the slowest of the quartet, with a lot of paragraphs given away to Star’s thoughts about his backstory. While these are certainly necessary to the reader, they do slow down the book. However, it quickens after a few chapters, and throughout the series it gets better.
The second thing we can learn is: villains can be sympathetic! The antagonist after Starfire is Nightwing, the former black foal from four hundred years ago. This guy almost destroyed the entire pegasus race, and the fear of him has stuck with the herds for centuries. His silver starfire torches pegasi with a huff of his breath.
But he’s still sympathetic.
We don’t really delve into Nightwing’s personality until Windborn, but if you read the newer versions (the ones that have a short story in the back) you’ll come across a short story called Nightwing’s Journey. Reading it fills in SO much of Nightwing’s backstory that you wouldn’t know about if you didn’t read it. It makes him more sympathetic, and you begin to feel sorry for him.
Now it takes a really great villain to do that.
Conclusion
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez’s book series has sold thousands of copies and is by far one of the most popular animal fantasy. If you have read the Warriors series by Erin Hunter or love horse books, you’re sure to love Alvarez’s Guardian Herd series. Her writing and the themes she weaves in show the craftsmanship of a truly skilled author.
To learn more, go to jenniferlynnalvarez.com