Zephyr Trails continues the story of Ellis Cady of Book 1 who discovers herself alone following the end of the Civil War. After the loss of her twin brother, she assumes his identity to safely travel alone, cutting her hair and wearing male clothing. She is an accomplished horsewoman.

Ellis is seeking her father, said to have finished out the war in a POW camp. As she studies her options and refines her skills, she takes on a number of jobs, working with a Wild West show and signing up for Pony Express rides.

I liked her connection to the characters in the Wild West show, but had a bit of a problem with the pace of the storyline, which seemed to bog down a couple times. The thread with the father becomes convoluted and she struggles with her own identity.

Does she find her father and re-establish some semblance of family? Or will she find her way west?

I read Zephyr Trails as a standalone, perhaps would have been better had I started with Ellis River?

Second in the trilogy about Ellis Cade. I absolutely loved Ellis River, the first book in the series, and this one is every bit as good. Ellis is still at her uncle's ranch in Missouri when she receives more clues about her father's possible survival after his Civil War imprisonment in Andersonville. Not sure if or how to pursue it, she is torn between family and new friends, finding her father or heading West, and is drawn to a local Wild West show and its troop, as well as a new Pony Express type start-up perfect for her skills. Ellis wrestles with the mystery of her father, and who she is in a complex, exciting, and emotionally satisfying story of new beginnings.
Nicki Ehrlich is a brilliant writer. Her prose is incredibly vivid, drawing you in to another time and place, its look and smell and sound. There is no past here, only now. Her characters are varied and believable. The strong are weak, and the weak are strong, and nothing is easy. The plotting flows organically from people's actions and decisions. Just a beautiful piece of work. Highly, highly recommended.

Nicki Ehrlich’s Zephyr Trails is engrossing and hard to put down! Picking up shortly after Ellis River, the reader is once again taken along for the adventure that is Ellis Cady’s life. While I am normally not a huge fan of “westerns”, Zephyr Trails is more a tale about finding oneself. Ellis Cady, a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, is an intricate and captivating character. The other individuals within her sphere are also well developed and equally intriguing. I never knew that a saga about a young woman on a journey through post-Civil War Midwest would hold my interest so tightly, but this one does…and I can’t wait for the next installment.

Zum Inhalt von "Zephyr Trails":

Die Grenze zwischen Freund und Feind verschwimmt, als Ellis Cady sich aufmacht, die neuen Grenzen des Nachkriegsamerikas zu erreichen.
Nachdem sie den Winter auf der Cady-Ranch im Süden Missouris abgewartet hat, erblüht im Frühjahr 1866 die Hoffnung. Ellis erhält die Nachricht, dass ein geheimnisvoller Mann in St. Louis ankommt. Wird sie ihren Vater lebend und wohlauf vorfinden oder seine Erinnerung endgültig begraben?

Ellis klammert sich an die trügerische Hoffnung, wo ihr Vater ist, und wird von der unerschrockenen Kunstreiterin Jimmie abgelenkt, einer Frau, die bei Levi Jacks Wild West Exhibition reitet. Dann weckt die Rede von der Wiedereinführung eines Kurierdienstes ähnlich dem Pony Express einen verblassten Traum. Seit der Verwüstung des Krieges müssen wichtige Briefe und Nachrichten immer noch durch eine von Indianern und Gesetzlosen beherrschte Westernlandschaft gelangen. Als eine unerwartete Epidemie droht, findet sich Ellis wieder im Sattel wieder – eine junge Frau und ihr Pferd auf einem gefährlichen Pfad.

Mein persönliches Fazit:

Das Buch war gut zu lesen, je mehr ich reinkam ins Englisch dieses Buches. Ich habe mit großer Spannung die Suche von Ellis Cady verfolgt, die sich auf die Suche nach ihrem Vater begibt. Sehr schön fand ich auch die Beschreibungen von Ellis und ihrem Pferd, dass beide füreinander da sind und sie sich aufeinander verlassen können. :-)

Zephyr Trails is the second novel by Nicki Erlich and continues the story of Ellis Cade which began in Ellis River. This is a beautifully written tale of life after the Civil War, more character-driven than action and, as such, it tends to follow a slower pace than the first book. However, that is not a bad thing. Sixteen-year-old Ellis is a strong resilient protagonist still dressing as a boy to be able to live as freely as possible at a time when women’s rights and freedoms were severely limited. But all of the characters, and there are a lot, many of whom we met previously as well as many new, are all well-drawn, with distinct personalities and back stories that make them come alive as individuals and make it easy to care about them. Even horses, and again there are many, are vividly drawn and distinct.

Ehrlich also provides a fascinating view of the changes in the country, the fascination with the west and the push westward, the wagon trains, the rise of the wild west shows, the building of the railways that meant the end to such iconic parts of the American story like the Pony Express. and the effects the war had on soldiers, both physical and mental, and the rise of lawlessness as many found it difficult to reenter this post-war society and felt a debt was owed.

Zephyr Trails is both entertaining and compelling and I found it almost impossible to put down. I had not realized that this is a trilogy but I am glad that there is more to come in Ellis’ story and look forward to reading more about Ellis’ saga as she makes her own way west.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Bay Feather Books in exchange for an honest review

I liked this novel. It was a quick read because I kept turning the pages to see what would happen next. I want to go back and read the author's first book before this.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Zephyr Trails is a great follow-on from Ellis River. I hadn’t realised this was a trilogy, so I was very excited to see there’s another book to follow. Although not a fast moving book, this one grabbed my attention, and I enjoyed experiencing a glimpse of life in post-Civil War America, a time when there was a lot of change, unrest and discrimination, and outlaws were running rampant.
Ellis Cady is on a journey to discover the whereabouts of her father who was imprisoned in the war. She continues to struggle to figure out who she is, so this is very much a journey of self-discovery as well. She stands firm about fulfilling her desire to travel West and won’t give in to peer pressure to settle down and marry. The story also deals with ptsd, something that little was known about at the time.
I recommend reading Ellis River before reading this one as it will all be a bit clearer and you’ll have more of an appreciation for the character of Ellis Cady and all she has endured to get where she is. I can’t wait to read book 3!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bay Feather Books, and the author, Nicki Ehrlich, for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest & unbiased review.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

While a little slow to start, I thought this book was beautifully written. Ehrlich did a fantastic job of truly conveying the emotions of the characters and painted the picture of the time period perfectly. I will definitely recommend this book to others and will be looking into other work by this author.

The war is over and Ellis is still looking for her Father.
It’s a good follow up to the previous one. I liked Ellis, her strength and desire to see California.
It’s kind of a slow movie book touching on several issues from that time. I’m looking forward to see if there’s more about Ellis.

Slow-paced. Had trouble connecting with the main character.

Releases June 25th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this 2nd book by this author, such a lovely story with strong characters. The challenges faced by Ellis in the journey to find her father is amazing and brave.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to Bay Feather Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

The short synopsis intrigued me because of the themes and the setting of this novel, however, I did not know what to expect, being unfamiliar with the writer’s work, and the setting. I liked this book very much! Ellis is a lovely character, and I enjoyed Libby and several other characters. Ellis’ journey is inspiring and rewarding. The ending was satisfying too.

This book is told in the third person, and the letters the characters write each other enrich the narrative, and its pacing.
The style is clear, and the plot is inclusive, informative, full of adventure, and good twists.