Like Locadio's Apprentice, Yarbro's second novel for young adults is also a historical novel set in the Roman Empire during the first century; it too is about a young person's coming of age.

In Four Horses for Tishtry, the main character is a young slave girl (the Tishtry of the book's title) from Armenia, who, through her spectacular stunt riding in the Roman arenas, hopes to buy freedom for herself and her family.

This female protagonist is portrayed as a vigorous, ambitious, and proud young woman whose spirit and ability should appeal to readers both young and old. In addition to being of interest to those who like historical fiction, the book should also appeal to devotees of the horse story, for Yarbro, as usual, offers a mix of genres in her fiction, just as she does in two other novels for young adults: Floating Illusions...