The Unicorn Quest Begins An Enchanting New Fantasy Series
Climbing a ladder up an old chimney leads to a magical world of unicorns in The Unicorn Quest, by Kamilla Benko, an enchanting fantasy that will delight young readers!
The Unicorn Quest
Hardcover $16.99
The Unicorn Quest
In Stock Online
Hardcover $16.99
Eleven-year-old Claire has always depended on her big sister Sophie for adventure and companionship; before she grew sick, Sophie brought zest to everything the two girls did. Now that Sophie is better again, Claire hopes things will go back to normal. Maybe this summer spent going through all the treasures stored up in the mansion the family has just inherited will bring them back together. But Sophie instead finds her way up an old ladder in the giant chimney into a magical world, and leaves Claire behind. At last Claire summons her courage and climbs up after her, only to find that Sophie has disappeared there as well.
Eleven-year-old Claire has always depended on her big sister Sophie for adventure and companionship; before she grew sick, Sophie brought zest to everything the two girls did. Now that Sophie is better again, Claire hopes things will go back to normal. Maybe this summer spent going through all the treasures stored up in the mansion the family has just inherited will bring them back together. But Sophie instead finds her way up an old ladder in the giant chimney into a magical world, and leaves Claire behind. At last Claire summons her courage and climbs up after her, only to find that Sophie has disappeared there as well.
Claire, suspected of knowing where Sophie has gone, is thrown in over her head, and must figure out as quickly as possible how this magical world of Arden works, so that she can find her sister and bring her home. The four magical guilds of Arden co-exist in an uneasy peace after a devastating war years ago, in which stories say the last queen died trying to save the last unicorn. Each guild, the Tillers, Forgers, Spinners, and Gemmers, has their own area of magic, and each covets the unicorn artifacts that strengthen their powers. The chimney opened up into a Tiller village, where plant magic is practiced, and the villagers imprison Claire.
Fortunately, she makes friends with Nett, a Tiller boy, and Sena, a Forger girl in exile. Together they set out in infiltrate a Forger town, to make a magic mirror that will show them where Sophie is. But others are hunting for Sophie as well. Anvil Malchain, a dangerous treasure hunter, and the secretive Royalist faction, who hope to bring the last queen back to life, want her too. And the tensions between the guilds mean that if the kids are found in another guild’s territory, they’ll be imprisoned.
Facing dangers both magical and human, Claire at last reaches the place where she is convinced she’ll find Sophie. But even greater danger awaits her instead. The history of Arden is more complicated than the stories suggest, and Claire and Sophie are the tipping points that will either strengthen the peace and restore the unicorns, or plunge Arden back into war.
The land of Arden is a fascinating place to explore alongside Claire, and young fantasy fans will appreciate all the details of its enchanting magic. The supporting characters are vividly real people with interesting stories of their own that readers will quickly care about. The driving force of the story, though, is Claire’s need to find her sister again, and anyone who loves stories of complicated relationships between siblings will find this part of the story compelling as all get out. Claire grows tremendously in self-sufficiency as she journeys, overcoming her insecurities and facing her fears while never losing sight of her goal.
This is the sort of book that young readers will take to their hearts, and reread repeatedly! Fortunately, although a satisfactory ending is reached, there’s clearly another book planned that promises more page time for the unicorns, and more adventures, and I can’t wait.
The Unicorn Quest is on B&N bookshelves now!