Gold Unicorn

by Tanith Lee

Overview

The exciting sequel to the acclaimed Black Unicorn...

"A madly colorful and exuberantly fantastic tale."-Locus

"Fast paced and action packed... It is sure to be a hit."-Booklist

"Lee's language is wonderfully descriptive and lyrical; and as usual, her female characters are real and compelling." -Voice of Youth Advocates

Journeying across different lands, the young member Tanaquil and her familiar, a quarrelsome talking peeve, learn of the empress Veriam, who wishes to conquer from one sea to the next. Tanaquil is shocked to learn that the woman called "Conqueror" and "Child-Eater" is in fact her half sister, Lizra.

Remembering the powerful effect the black unicorn had on her people, Lizra has constructed a tremendous mechanical unicorn of gold as a symbol of her conquest.

The only problem is that it doesn't work-and Lizra commands Tanaquil to make the steam-powered unicorn move. Now Tanaquil must choose between assisting in brutal conquest or risking the ire of her powerful sister.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596879010
Publisher:	ibooks, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/08/2022
Pages:	162
Sales rank:	691,267
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.35(d)

About the Author

Tanith Lee (1947¿2015) was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of more than 90 novels (including Wolf Tower and The Flat Earth series), 300 short stories (such as "When the Clock Strikes," from the collection Red as Blood), a children's picture book (Animal Castle), and many poems. She also wrote two episodes of the BBC science fiction series Blake's 7. Lee was married to artist and writer John Kaiine.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6-10In this sequel to Black Unicorn (Atheneum, 1991), readers rejoin Tanaquil after a year of travel has broadened her knowledge of the world and of herself. Coming to terms with her gift for sorcery, the teen finds herself in the midst of a war between a conquering Empress and the lands she is besieging. The Empress, who turns out to be Tanaquil's misguided half-sister, has built a mechanical golden unicorn. Tanaquil senses its evil nature but cannot deny her gift; she breathes ``life'' into it, only to find that she has helped create a war machine. The plot then follows the golden beast into war, eventually leading Tanaquil into an unpleasant alternate world that is virtually the opposite of the perfect world she had discovered in the previous book. This novel is not as captivating or as smoothly constructed as the first one. However, readers who enjoyed that title will want to continue following the heroine's adventures, and Lee does introduce some new and interesting characters. Although the immediate conflicts are resolved, there is definitely room for a third volume. A foreword summarizes Black Unicorn.Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA

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