Description:

From 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 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 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
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.