The fine line between friends and enemies blurs as Ellis Cady sets out to reach the new frontier of post-Civil War America.

After waiting out winter at the Cady ranch in southern Missouri, hope blooms in the Spring of 1866. Ellis receives news of a mysterious man arriving in St. Louis. Will she find her father alive and well, or finally put his memory to rest?

Grasping at the illusive promise of her father’s whereabouts, Ellis is distracted by the intrepid trick rider, Jimmie, a woman who rides with Levi Jack’s Wild West Exhibition. Then, talk of reinstating a messenger service akin to the Pony Express rekindles a faded dream. Since the war’s devastation, important letters and messages still need to get through a Western landscape governed by Indians and outlaws. When an untimely epidemic threatens, Ellis finds herself back in the saddle, a young woman and her horse on a perilous trail. - Description from Amazon.

I do like this series and can't wait for the third book. You should start from book one, Ellis River, as there is a progression to characters. What 15 year old Ellis Cady sees and goes through is a journey not many would be able to do. I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Nicki Ehrlich and enjoyed talking to her about her books. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and I did buy the first two books and have them signed by the author.

Zephyr Trails by Nicki Ehrlich is the sequel to Ellis River and continues the story of Ellis Cady. The Civil War is over and Ellis, now sixteen, is staying with her aunt and uncle in Montana. The life is good but Ellis is restless. She wants to move west. She also misses her brothers, both killed during the war and her father who had been imprisoned during the war and whereabouts now unknown. Then she hears of a man recently arrived in St Louis who may be her father. And so she sets out on a new journey to find him leading her to many new adventures.

Zephyr Trails is a well-written coming-of-age historical novel providing a fascinating portrait of life after the Civil War. Ellis makes for a very likeable and strong protagonist as she struggles with her fears for her father as well as the restrictions placed on women at the time and her desire to head west. The other characters, and there are many, are diverse and interesting with distinct voices and backstories. I did find this book a bit slower than the first but that isn’t a bad thing because the pace allowed me to feel even more immersed in the period and setting of the story.

I listened to the audiobook of Zephyr Trails narrated by Rebecca Stern who does an excellent job of bringing the story to life. I should note that I read an eARC of this book last year and the fact that I jumped at the chance to listen to the audiobook while rereading it should tell you how much I enjoyed it. It is part of a trilogy and I am really looking forward to reading more in the final chapters of Ellis Cady’s adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bay Feather Books for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review

This story felt like a series of excerpts from the life of the young rider, Ellis. The thread throughout was her search for her missing father, but the story felt a little disjointed to me.
I think that if you’re a huge horse fan, and fond of the post-civil war period in the US, this story would appeal to you. Otherwise, it’s pretty much a narrative about what Ellis does on a daily basis, her family and the friends she makes. There’s no real mystery to solve, and there’s no tension that you’d get with a thriller. I struggled to engage with it on an emotional level.
It’s the second book in a series (and I imagine there are more coming), so maybe I’d have been a little more invested if I’d read the first book, which I gather is about her experience of fighting in the civil war while disguising herself as a man.
I’m grateful to NetGalley and Bay Feather Books for the chance to listen to an ARC of the audiobook, which published on 20 June.
This one wasn’t really my cup of tea, so three stars from me.

Interesting book with plenty of action and good characters. This is a look at the country after the Civil War. A young woman seeks to find her father as well as determine her future. The most interesting tidbit I learned was that the Pony Express sought to employ orphans under the age of eighteen because of the danger of the job.

I thought this was a stand alone but it is part of a triology although I have not read any other books and could follow. Zephyr Trails is about a family after the Civil War. This family raised and sold horses before the war. So horses are a very special part of this story Ellis lost her twin to the war and her father who has finished his imprisonment due to the war. Provides a fascinating view of the changes in the country post war, 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. Well researched packed with information it is a bit slow but has some good content, 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher.

“Zephyr Trails” is the sequel to “Ellis River”; it is a story of self-discovery, as well as, Ellis’s journey to discover if her father is alive or dead. Against the backdrop of post-civil war, outlaws, unknown and new challenges propel Ellis on an adventure. Continuing to adopt her deceased twins identity she hops from job to job testing the waters of what she might want to do with the rest of her life while searching for the whereabouts of her father. It’s hard to remember that Ellis is only 16 when following this story, but war stole her naivety and innocence long ago. This is for lovers of historical fiction, horsewomen, affinity to nature and strong willed women. While not fast moving the story line is still intriguing enough to keep you coming back. I’m really looking forward to following these characters into the final book of this trilogy whenever it is finished.

If you liked Painted Horses by Malcom Brooks this might be for you.

Thank you #NetGalley, Bay Feather Books and Nicki Ehrlich for a copy for consideration and review.

This was a solid 3.5-star read for me. While I personally enjoyed Ellis River more, this was still a great follow-up, and I was glad to return and continue Ellis's journey to finding her father. I really enjoyed the narration—although they didn’t keep the same narrator from the first book, the new voice still fit the character well and felt cohesive with the overall tone. I just found out there’s going to be a third book, and I’m definitely ready for it!