Into the Land of the Unicorns (Unicorn Chronicles Series #1) by Bruce Coville

From the Publisher

One unicorn dwells on Earth.

The Unicorn Chronicles.

THE UNICORN CHRONICLES

BOOK I

Into the Land of the Unicorns

As each chime sounds, Cara climbs faster up the steep bell tower. Eleven! She must be on the roof when the next bell tolls. Twelve! With a deep breath, and only half believing she will survive, Cara jumps off the church roof and into Luster, land of the unicorns.

In Luster, Cara meets many wonderful creatures, but the most magnificent of all is Lightfoot, a rebellious young unicorn. Cara's band of friends comes to include a hairy creature named the Dimblethum and the monekey-like Squijim. Together, they set out to reach the Unicorn Queen before the mysterious man who is following them does - to prevent the destruction of all unicorns forever.

"Coville weaves traditional unicorn myths into his accessible fantasy...[with] an ending that hints at the next adventure."—Booklist

Publishers Weekly

Coville's (My Teacher Is an Alien) mild fantasy, the first in the projected Unicorn Chronicles, opens promisingly, with a suspenseful chase scene, but somewhat dissipates its force. A nameless hunter pursues Cara and her grandmother into an empty church, where the grandmother gives Cara her amulet-along with the bewildering instructions to jump from the church tower at the twelfth toll of the bell. The girl lands in Luster, the land of the unicorns, and tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the amulet even as she continues to elude the hunter. Aided by a young unicorn and an assortment of odd creatures, including Dimblethum (``He looked like a bear that had started to become a man but hadn't finished the process'') and Squijum (``a cross between a monkey and a squirrel''), Cara embarks on a number of dangerous adventures. The plot jumps from one episode to the next, and can be confusing. But drama builds with the revelation that the hunter is none other than Cara's father (who long ago abandoned her); no stock villain, he is given plausible motives for his inimical deeds. Cara's loyalties are severely tested, leaving plenty of room for a sequel. Fantasy fans might be content with the headlong pacing, but most will hope that future installments will include more fluid writing and less convoluted plot lines. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Cara follows her grandmother's cryptic instructions and winds up in Luster, the land of the unicorns. "This mild fantasy, the first in the Unicorn Chronicles, opens promisingly... but somewhat dissipates its force," said PW. Ages 9-12. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

In a fantastic world that she quite literally jumps into from a church tower in our world, young Cara finds herself in Luster, the world of the unicorns. Creatures called the Dimblethum and the Squijum aid her in her quest for the Old One-the Unicorn Queen. An elderly red dragon is also instrumental in her success, although she doesn't seem to care for humans much, and Cara must also help her. If Cara is unsuccessful, all the unicorns will be hunted down and killed by hunters from our world. Before Cara can find the Queen she must go through various trials. Exciting and fast-moving, this story will appeal to younger readers of fantasy like Five Children and It, The Amulet or Coville's own Sarah's Unicorn who want a little more detail about fantasy, but who aren't yet ready for Tolkien. Older readers will enjoy identifying the villain. This is a fascinating book. 1995 (orig.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-When Cara Hunter leaps from a church's bell tower clutching her grandmother's magic amulet, she falls into the land of Luster, home of the Dimblethum, delvers, dragons, the Squijum, and lots of unicorns. Since her grandmother told her to guard the amulet and to deliver an important message to the unicorn Queen, Cara embarks on a journey to her court. She is accompanied by her friends, chief among them Lightfoot, an adolescent unicorn who is having a difficult time with his family. The voyagers are attacked by delvers, Firethroat the Dragon, and Cara's father, who abandoned her when she was three. The loose ends will presumably be the starting point for the next entry in the series. The most striking aspect here is the story within a story. Coville combines all of the known myths about unicorns into one smooth retelling about a woman named Beloved whose life in ways mirrors Cara's own; this tale creates the foundation for the entire novel. The characters are well drawn and the dialogue flows nicely. The plot, particularly the twist involving Cara's father, will be predictable to seasoned fantasy aficionados, but as a whole, the book should find a favored and well-deserved place on most shelves.-Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA

Product Details