Stormy Normy Goes Reining - Leisa Fail - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Leisa Fail

ILLUSTRATOR: Amy Rennie

SERIES: The Adventures of Stormy Normy, #3

GENRE: Middle-grade Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: November 7, 2025

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A children’s chapter book featuring a brumby horse as the narrator. Nice use of the Australian setting, great animals and horsey info. A bit rushed in its execution at times. A slightly bittersweet story, but told positively. The third book of the Stormy Normy series. Better if read in series order.

Plot Preview:

After becoming the champion of the Tom Quilty endurance race, Stormy is now ready for the next phase of his adventures with his owner Charlie. They are training for ‘reining’, which is a whole other ballgame and requires completely different skills. Stormy is quite frustrated at messing up, but as a wise friend reminds him, we don’t achieve anything if we don’t push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Unfortunately, while things do start to go well, there is also some bad news in store.

The story comes to us in Stormy’s first-person perspective.

I first met this adorable brumby horse named Stormy Normy in April 2024 in the book titled ‘Stormy Normy Finds His Forever Home’. I met him once again earlier this year as a slightly older horse gearing up for a tough race in ‘Stormy Normy and the Tom Quilty Gold Cup’. And now finally, I get to see adult Stormy learning some more skills while still remembering his earlier life lessons. These three books cover his journey from birth to retirement, from adolescent confusion to adult realisation, from an underconfident brumby to a champion. It has been a series of grit and growth, once that every horse-loving child can enjoy.

Stormy is still as likeable as ever. His determination to win, his frustration at not getting things immediately, and his admiration for his human Charlie all come out well. It is nice to see Stormy know his mind at last, unlike the earlier books where he simply focussed on what others wanted from him. For a change, we also see several scenes that show Charlie interacting with Stormy, helping us know their bond better.

Just like the earlier books of the series, this novel also brushes aside the darker part of horse ownership such as branding, racing stress, and “putting to sleep”. It is aimed at middle-graders, so I can see why these topics are quickly glossed over, though I also appreciate their inclusion.

Several other animals also are a part of Stormy’s story. Some of them are returning characters from the earlier novels. (I was delighted to see Willow and Patches again.) One is a new character, and an important one at that. This character teaches Stormy a new responsibility, something that many children will be able to relate to: the pressure of being a big brother. Stormy’s grumbling acceptance of his new status as the “older responsible sibling” will resonate with many human elder siblings. 😅

There are several other life lessons in the book. I like how these lessons come not just from Stormy’s self-realisation through experience but also from the wise horses (and dog) around him. It goes to show that we can learn some things for ourselves, but we also need others for guidance. Some of the important themes covered by the book include the pressures of winning, the quest for perfection, the frustration of not getting something right despite our best efforts, the fear of trying something new, the use of meditative techniques to get over anxiety, and the importance of gratitude. Every lesson is an important one for children (and even for adults!) All of these are presented in an easy-to-understand language.

The book is set in Australia, and it makes great use of Aussie topography. The author clearly knows Australia (and horses) well, and this is amply visible in her writing.

Just like Book Two offered details of endurance training, this book provides details about reining. I have never heard of reining in this context before, so I struggled a bit with the terminology at times. There is a little explanation along the way, but some of the horsey content still galloped over my head. Kids who know horses might fare better than this city woman did.

The writing is a little simplistic, which might not be an issue for kids. It leans more towards telling than showing, and skips over some essential details that could have increased the impact of the story. I felt that the competition details, especially Stormy’s emotions during the same, could have been elaborated upon a bit more. Another point where I expected an emotional reveal from Stormy was when he hears adults talking about his illness. One particular line in this scene necessitated a shocked reaction from Stormy, but he barely even reacts. That said, I must also acknowledge that I can see this indie author’s growth as a writer. Over the three books, her style has evolved for the better.

There are some cute illustrations of Stormy at random intervals in this book.

Overall, this is a sweet story of a brumby who reached for the stars and made his human proud. Horse-loving children would surely enjoy his adventures. The writing style issues I mentioned are noticeable mainly from my adult perspective and won't bother the target age group.

While this is the third book of the series, it does work as an independent novel. However, the series is essential the story of one horse from birth to adulthood, so the subsequent books do refer to earlier events and characters. As such, it would be better to read the series in the right order.

I like that this book brought Stormy’s story to a happy close. It is a nice book to bid adieu to Stormy Normy’s adventurous life. But this isn't goodbye. The author is working on a special fourth book, which will reunite Stormy with a special character from Book One; stay tuned!

Recommended to little horse lovers looking for an equine adventure story. Better if they have read and enjoyed the earlier two books. The story will work for ages 6-10 years.

My thanks to author Leisa Fail, Storm Publications, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Stormy Normy and the Tom Quilty Gold Cup”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.