Nike's Great Race

Summary
The fourth book of the series focuses on Marta, a young farm girl who wants to compete in a dangerous competition to save her family's home. Along with the help of Nike, she will try her best to prove her worth.

Bovos
Marta Thomas owns a Bovo farm, so there are multiple bovos in this story. One Bovo is named Penelope, and she is Marta's favorite Bovo, and is curious and brave. Others are named Lucy, a strawberry Bovo,

Britt Jansdotter and Roald
Tiff's two friends are Britt and Karin. Both girls are rich like Tiff, and enjoy flying and competing as well. Britt is described to have long black hair, and is also as snooty as Tiff.

Harold Miltondotter
Harold is Tiff's father, and he owns the island that the Thomas's live on.

Karin Larsdotter and Dagna
Karin is also Tiff's friend, but she is somewhat kinder than her friends. She shows compassion to Marta, and tries to keep her friends from teasing her too much. She also foils Tiff's sabatoge in the Trials.

Malachi and Gypsy
Malachi is described as a young boy from Clonia, and area in Herd Shahazar territory, wth bronze skin. He is described as handsome, and a talented rider. His steed is Gypsy, a winged stallion.

Marta Thomas
In this story, Marta is a poor farm girl working on her family's Bovo farm. Her favorite horse is Nike, and she wants to fly a winged horse more than anything and compete in the Trials of Avensgaard. Her family's farm is struggling and is given the notice that they must pay their rent in two weeks or be evicted. She makes a wish on a shooting star, and wakes the next morning to find Nike standing outside her window. Nike informs her they are going to compete together in the Trials. She and Nike then train very hard to prepare. Together, they compete in the Trials, and despite attempts of sabotage by Tiff, win the event. She receives a prize of many horseshoes, which she uses to buy her family's island and plans to build a stable for her new horse friend Nike.

Mr. Bartholomew
Mr. Batholomew runs a fruit and vegetable stand at the Trails, and is a good friend of the Thomas family.

Mr. Olafsson
Mr. Olafsson is the judge at the Trails. He meets each rider and horse personally to register them.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Thomas run a Bovo farm. In the story, Mr. Thomas has recently slipped and fell over the ledge of their floating island, breaking his arm and leg. Mrs. Thomas is a cautious woman, but both she and her husband love and support their daughter.

Nike
After Marta wishes on a star, Nike comes to her and asks her to compete in the Trials as her rider.

Tiff Miltondotter and Alrek
Tiff is a girl who lives in the floating islands. Her horse is Alrek. Tiff is rude and full of herself, and often makes fun of Marta for her poverty. She tries to sabotage Marta in the Trails, but doesn't succeed.

Toby Thomas
Toby is Marta's new baby brother.

Winged Horses
As Marta lives in the Floating Islands, she sees many winged horses, often flying around and leaving trails of magic behind them all around the island.

Locations
A list of locations mentioned in this book are:
 * Bella and Bello Monuments
 * Horseshoe Bay
 * Mount Whitemantle
 * Naastrand Sound
 * Overgaard Skylands
 * Rolandsgaard Castle
 * Rolands Hold Arena
 * Starguide Lighthouse
 * Teardrop Falls
 * Trail's End
 * The World Tree (Drasilmare)