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Unicorns of Balinor #2
Sunchaser's Quest
Now in Balinor, Arianna learns that she is a Princess and that the evil Shifter has seized control of the Palace and the Royal Family. Arianna must travel to the Palace with Chase, also known in Balinor as Sunchaser, to find the missing piece of his horn that will restore his power as Lord of the Animals.
122 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Mary Stanton
60 books320 followersMary Stanton was born in Florida and grew up in Japan and Hawaii, after which she returned to the United States and received a B.A. in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Minnesota.
Stanton’s career as a fiction writer began with the publication of her first novel, The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West, in 1984. A beast fable similar in tone and theme to Watership Down, it was published in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. The sequel to that novel, Piper at the Gates, appeared in 1989. She sold her first mystery to The Berkley Publishing Group in 1994.
In all, Stanton has written nineteen mystery novels, two adult fantasy novels, eleven novels for middle-grade readers (including the successful series, The Unicorns of Balinor), and three scripts for a television cartoon series, Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, as well as edited three short story anthologies. Her nonfiction articles on horse care and veterinary medicine have appeared in national and regional magazines.
Stanton's newest series, The Beaufort & Company Mysteries, was launched in December 2008 with the publication of Defending Angels. Set in Savannah, Georgia, the paranormal mysteries chronicle the adventures of Bree Winston-Beaufort, a young lawyer who inherits her uncle's law firm and its deceased clientele, whom she represents in appeals before the Celestial Court.
The second book in the series, Angel's Advocate, was published in June 2009, followed by Avenging Angels in February 2010.
Mary also publishes the Hemlock Falls and Dr. McKenzie mysteries under the name Claudia Bishop. See the Claudia Bishop web site for more information.
Stanton’s interests outside writing have remained consistent over the years. She is a horsewoman, a goat aficionado, an enthusiastic (if inept) gardener, and a fan of gourmet food, but not an expert. She has developed a writing program for teens and middle grade readers that has had considerable success in schools.
Stanton has been a dedicated reader all her life, with particular emphasis on biography, history, veterinary science, medicine, psychology and current affairs. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America.
Stanton’s career as a fiction writer began with the publication of her first novel, The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West, in 1984. A beast fable similar in tone and theme to Watership Down, it was published in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. The sequel to that novel, Piper at the Gates, appeared in 1989. She sold her first mystery to The Berkley Publishing Group in 1994.
In all, Stanton has written nineteen mystery novels, two adult fantasy novels, eleven novels for middle-grade readers (including the successful series, The Unicorns of Balinor), and three scripts for a television cartoon series, Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, as well as edited three short story anthologies. Her nonfiction articles on horse care and veterinary medicine have appeared in national and regional magazines.
Stanton's newest series, The Beaufort & Company Mysteries, was launched in December 2008 with the publication of Defending Angels. Set in Savannah, Georgia, the paranormal mysteries chronicle the adventures of Bree Winston-Beaufort, a young lawyer who inherits her uncle's law firm and its deceased clientele, whom she represents in appeals before the Celestial Court.
The second book in the series, Angel's Advocate, was published in June 2009, followed by Avenging Angels in February 2010.
Mary also publishes the Hemlock Falls and Dr. McKenzie mysteries under the name Claudia Bishop. See the Claudia Bishop web site for more information.
Stanton’s interests outside writing have remained consistent over the years. She is a horsewoman, a goat aficionado, an enthusiastic (if inept) gardener, and a fan of gourmet food, but not an expert. She has developed a writing program for teens and middle grade readers that has had considerable success in schools.
Stanton has been a dedicated reader all her life, with particular emphasis on biography, history, veterinary science, medicine, psychology and current affairs. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 21, 2019
Read this in the antho Unicorns of Balinor #1-3. Summary below of the anthology.
Finished book 1/10/19.
I have been reading this series out of order for a few years now. If I find the book at the library I get it. I love horses and the art work on this series is just great. =0)
I found this book at my local Russian pharmacy. They had created a small lending library in the store anyone can borough a book for free and then return it after you read it. Real great idea. So I found this book there. It was my pleasure to find out the antho had books 1-3 in it which I had not read. Score! All three books are 3 stars each overall series is 3-3.5 stars.
I love the main characters. I really really dislike Lori!!! If I could I would gag the b****! So yeah the characters are relatable totally to their readers. The young would learn some powerful life lessons reading this series. =0)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to self;
Spoilers;
Princess Arianna(Ari,sis,pal) &
Sunchaser(Chase, Unicorn,pal)
Lincoln(Linc,dog,pal)
Atalanta(Dreamspeaker,Celestial Valley Unicorn)
Numinor(Celestial Valley Unicorn,Golden One,Herd Leader)
Nana(Herd Caretaker Unicorn)
Lydiana(Unicorn,not weaned)
Viola-Rose(Unicorn,not weaned)
Toby(Balinor Unicorn)
Samlett(inn owner,resistance mem)
Bryanna(Balinor Unicorn)
Nathan(Lord Lexan's Unicorn)
Orrin(Lord Lexan's Unicorn)
Tace(her bro)
Bren(her bro)
Minge(jewelwright)
Lord Lexan(bro)
Lady Kylie(Shifter's Snake,Lord Lexan's sis,ex-Queens pal,2nd in Command Shifters Army,traitor,Shifters Counselor)
Finished book 1/10/19.
I have been reading this series out of order for a few years now. If I find the book at the library I get it. I love horses and the art work on this series is just great. =0)
I found this book at my local Russian pharmacy. They had created a small lending library in the store anyone can borough a book for free and then return it after you read it. Real great idea. So I found this book there. It was my pleasure to find out the antho had books 1-3 in it which I had not read. Score! All three books are 3 stars each overall series is 3-3.5 stars.
I love the main characters. I really really dislike Lori!!! If I could I would gag the b****! So yeah the characters are relatable totally to their readers. The young would learn some powerful life lessons reading this series. =0)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to self;
Spoilers;
Princess Arianna(Ari,sis,pal) &
Sunchaser(Chase, Unicorn,pal)
Lincoln(Linc,dog,pal)
Atalanta(Dreamspeaker,Celestial Valley Unicorn)
Numinor(Celestial Valley Unicorn,Golden One,Herd Leader)
Nana(Herd Caretaker Unicorn)
Lydiana(Unicorn,not weaned)
Viola-Rose(Unicorn,not weaned)
Toby(Balinor Unicorn)
Samlett(inn owner,resistance mem)
Bryanna(Balinor Unicorn)
Nathan(Lord Lexan's Unicorn)
Orrin(Lord Lexan's Unicorn)
Tace(her bro)
Bren(her bro)
Minge(jewelwright)
Lord Lexan(bro)
Lady Kylie(Shifter's Snake,Lord Lexan's sis,ex-Queens pal,2nd in Command Shifters Army,traitor,Shifters Counselor)
October 6, 2020
06 Oct 2020
Plot: Amnesiac princess, hornless unicorn, dog and spoiled brat are stuck in medieval land and must go on quest.
1. Okay so more stuff happens in this book and the presence of actual plot means it's somewhat more readable than the last one but not like, enormously so.
2. Again, I know this is FAR from the point but a village this size with no actual road shouldn't have a whole inn? Patronized by the nobility? What even is the worldbuilding here.
3. Chase is hornless-unicorn!Daredevil. I kid you not. That's part of his canonical superpowers. Along with being you know- gorgeous and the king of beasts and all that. I'm suspecting the author had a crush.
4. No real characterization- a couple of unicorns get decent lines but that's the closest we come to it. The world suffers from a serious case of monarchy worship. There's a screamingly obvious Bad Woman, because subtle this book is not. Chase is so over the top hothead-knight he's sometimes hilarious. The bitchy girl gets a personality transplant with no real buildup towards the end of the book which was disappointing. This is possibly the most useless wizard character I've encountered, which makes sense in a world where the magic is about as well defined as a new theory of philosophy.
5. Again, not the absolute worst, especially given the target group but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have read this if I weren't stuck in here with not many options.
Plot: Amnesiac princess, hornless unicorn, dog and spoiled brat are stuck in medieval land and must go on quest.
1. Okay so more stuff happens in this book and the presence of actual plot means it's somewhat more readable than the last one but not like, enormously so.
2. Again, I know this is FAR from the point but a village this size with no actual road shouldn't have a whole inn? Patronized by the nobility? What even is the worldbuilding here.
3. Chase is hornless-unicorn!Daredevil. I kid you not. That's part of his canonical superpowers. Along with being you know- gorgeous and the king of beasts and all that. I'm suspecting the author had a crush.
4. No real characterization- a couple of unicorns get decent lines but that's the closest we come to it. The world suffers from a serious case of monarchy worship. There's a screamingly obvious Bad Woman, because subtle this book is not. Chase is so over the top hothead-knight he's sometimes hilarious. The bitchy girl gets a personality transplant with no real buildup towards the end of the book which was disappointing. This is possibly the most useless wizard character I've encountered, which makes sense in a world where the magic is about as well defined as a new theory of philosophy.
5. Again, not the absolute worst, especially given the target group but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have read this if I weren't stuck in here with not many options.
October 19, 2014
I'm reviewing this series as a whole.
I originally read this series way back in 6th grade. I remember loving it, mostly because I loved both horses and fantasy. Going back as an adult, I see it's still good, but I also see some large issues that my younger self missed - or forgot.
1) Lori. Lori is so effing annoying. Stanton kept teasing me with the possibility that she'd finally go away, only for her to find some way to stick around and complain. Or almost get everyone killed.
2) The ending. Talk about anticlimactic. Stanton introduces a new evil for the last book, one considerably more powerful than the Shifter. Stanton then delivers the dullest ending ever. Practically nothing happens, including wrapping up all those loose ends. We never find out what happened to Ari's family or even Doctor Bones.
3) The writing was painfully repetitive. Each book has to rehash the same description every time we revisit a character. I contemplated making a drinking game where I'd take a shot every time I read about Chase's shiny bronze coat or how pretty the Dreamspeaker is. But then I'd be unable to write this review.
Overall, I'd recommend this to very young girls who love horses. If that was you back in the day, the nostalgia factor of rereading might be worth it.
I originally read this series way back in 6th grade. I remember loving it, mostly because I loved both horses and fantasy. Going back as an adult, I see it's still good, but I also see some large issues that my younger self missed - or forgot.
1) Lori. Lori is so effing annoying. Stanton kept teasing me with the possibility that she'd finally go away, only for her to find some way to stick around and complain. Or almost get everyone killed.
2) The ending. Talk about anticlimactic. Stanton introduces a new evil for the last book, one considerably more powerful than the Shifter. Stanton then delivers the dullest ending ever. Practically nothing happens, including wrapping up all those loose ends. We never find out what happened to Ari's family or even Doctor Bones.
3) The writing was painfully repetitive. Each book has to rehash the same description every time we revisit a character. I contemplated making a drinking game where I'd take a shot every time I read about Chase's shiny bronze coat or how pretty the Dreamspeaker is. But then I'd be unable to write this review.
Overall, I'd recommend this to very young girls who love horses. If that was you back in the day, the nostalgia factor of rereading might be worth it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2009
Loved it as kid, and it'd be great to reread it if I could. Sunchaser is every child's dream - a strong, shiny unicorn with awesome powers. Chase and Arianna makes a great pair, and we're given more of a glimpse into the world of Balinor than the first book.
What we see makes us want to know even more, and I couldn't wait to lay my hands on the third installment so that I could find out how the adventure continues.
What we see makes us want to know even more, and I couldn't wait to lay my hands on the third installment so that I could find out how the adventure continues.
February 21, 2010
I was obsessed with these books in elementary school. They're great for children, especially young girls, who like adventure and fantasy. Unfortunately, they're really short, just over 100 pages.
For book swappers: Note that this is the second book in the series. I don't have the first. The cover is ever so slightly worn. There is a hot chocolate stain on the edges of the last 20 pages, but it doesn't extend onto the page beyond a millimeter and there is no warping from the moisture.
For book swappers: Note that this is the second book in the series. I don't have the first. The cover is ever so slightly worn. There is a hot chocolate stain on the edges of the last 20 pages, but it doesn't extend onto the page beyond a millimeter and there is no warping from the moisture.
June 15, 2015
I have been looking in my usual stops for slightly used copies of this series and struggle. No wonder why. I will keep my copies as well. This is still a great adventure book and follows the feel of the first book. Characters are developing nicely.
This could have been a novel. There were time I wished it had slowed down and more meat put into the story, but I understand the target reading audience and know that would not work.
Recommend this to all young readers (even the boys).
This could have been a novel. There were time I wished it had slowed down and more meat put into the story, but I understand the target reading audience and know that would not work.
Recommend this to all young readers (even the boys).
September 3, 2013
Mary Stanton did an amazing job on Unicorns Of Balinor Sunchasers Quest. It was an amazing fiction story. I thought it was really entertaining. I liked that it kept putting in suspense and had me wanting more. One thing that i didn't like was the ending i felt it wasnt complete. Overall I would reccomend this book highly to others.
December 20, 2008
I just started this book. So far, I LOVE IT!!! <33
November 8, 2010
Sunchaser has lost his horn but got it back and thought there was no more quests.there was one more it was going home.my favorite part was the whole story or book.7yo Auryn
April 26, 2012
A nice, light fantasy read!
July 23, 2016
Quite a bit better than the first one.
May 19, 2017
I'm really enjoying this little series.
January 16, 2026
I take back what I said in my review of the last book. The author has done no research on horses. I'm pretty sure you do not use a currycomb to brush a horse's mane and tail and it certainly isn't made of wood. I don't think she has any understanding of what a horses withers are or how to ride a horse.
All that aside, this story has the opposite problem of the first one. Where nothing happened in the first book, way too much was shoved into this one. It was disjointed and showed just how poor the writing is. A lot of the scenes didn't make sense, some even on a sentence level. It's like whole sentences were cut and you are left to make large logical leaps about why a character does what they do or says what they say.
As for the plot, a lot is revealed and progressed, as I mentioned. Ari gets some of her memories back, Chase gets his horn back (which felt a bit too easy/convenient). We are introduced more to the actual world and villains, but it's still very poorly put together. I'm not saying children's books all need great world building and such, but they shouldn't be quite this bad.
The characters were slightly less stupid this time, but also still pretty stupid. I appreciate Lori getting a small character arc, but it's not much and there isn't any for the rest. There's a brief worry Ari has about Chase being the same as he is with his memories as without, but it felt very thrown in there in a couple places and wasn't satisfying as it wasn't explored even a little.
All that aside, this story has the opposite problem of the first one. Where nothing happened in the first book, way too much was shoved into this one. It was disjointed and showed just how poor the writing is. A lot of the scenes didn't make sense, some even on a sentence level. It's like whole sentences were cut and you are left to make large logical leaps about why a character does what they do or says what they say.
As for the plot, a lot is revealed and progressed, as I mentioned. Ari gets some of her memories back, Chase gets his horn back (which felt a bit too easy/convenient). We are introduced more to the actual world and villains, but it's still very poorly put together. I'm not saying children's books all need great world building and such, but they shouldn't be quite this bad.
The characters were slightly less stupid this time, but also still pretty stupid. I appreciate Lori getting a small character arc, but it's not much and there isn't any for the rest. There's a brief worry Ari has about Chase being the same as he is with his memories as without, but it felt very thrown in there in a couple places and wasn't satisfying as it wasn't explored even a little.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2020
This is one of those very fun, quick and easy reads. One that you can sit down and spend half hour, hour on and enjoy it. Without having to think too deeply about what you are reading and just genuinely enjoy the journey. It’s a nice journey and one that I found was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon, between reading textbooks and trying to cram other information into my poor brain.
I like that the first story in this series starts with a bit of a mystery as to Ari’s past and what happened in her “accident”. In this novel, they begin to remember their horrible past and find ways to move onto the future. There are so many instances where things are nicely revealed, and you can begin to build upon the history of the story. And can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next.
Probably one of the things that I really like about this novel is that it is got a world that is full of unicorns. And they’re integral to the connection between man and animal. It is such a sweet, innocent world. Something that is great in a children’s fantasy novel. The innocence that you associate with unicorns just flows off of the pages.
This is such a nice, pleasant read and I seriously wish that I was able to read it as a child. Its definitely one of those very childish, easy reading stories. But it was also cute and ridiculously innocent. Which is what all good young children books should be.
I like that the first story in this series starts with a bit of a mystery as to Ari’s past and what happened in her “accident”. In this novel, they begin to remember their horrible past and find ways to move onto the future. There are so many instances where things are nicely revealed, and you can begin to build upon the history of the story. And can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next.
Probably one of the things that I really like about this novel is that it is got a world that is full of unicorns. And they’re integral to the connection between man and animal. It is such a sweet, innocent world. Something that is great in a children’s fantasy novel. The innocence that you associate with unicorns just flows off of the pages.
This is such a nice, pleasant read and I seriously wish that I was able to read it as a child. Its definitely one of those very childish, easy reading stories. But it was also cute and ridiculously innocent. Which is what all good young children books should be.
May 19, 2018
Once again, when in a reading slump, returning to some childhood favourites can be the way out and up, and so much innocent fun in the process. It's interesting, rereading childhood favourites provides you with a uniquely non-judgemental experience, you remember why you loved them as a kid and overlook the problems you notice as an adult. It's completely different to reading a children's book you never read as a kid. Ah... unicorns. What magical, beautiful, bliss :D
October 27, 2019
Picking up right where book 1 left off, this book follows Ari, Lori, and friends as they explore Balinor - and beyond. The quest is to reassemble the horn of Ari's unicorn, Chase (a.k.a. the Sunchaser) while staying out of the bad guy's grasp. A lot of backstory is revealed. Kids will love it, but I enjoyed it, too!
February 6, 2022
I read these books as a kid and loved them so when I saw a deal on all 8 from kindle I had to go for it and re-read them. They don't hold up as well to an adult, but I'm still enjoying the series. I would probably get these for a family child (nibling or my own potential spawn) if they were into horses and unicorns.
Read
March 8, 2026those supporters should have been searching for that horn bit on their own. just because it's easier for the unicorn to find doesn't mean they can't look. just sayin', maybe don't risk your last hope like that.
November 18, 2017
***3.5 stars***
World Building: B+
Mythology: B
Plot-Twists: B
Villains: B
Girl Power: B+
Suspense: B+
Feels: B+
For you clean-readers: this book does NOT have mature content.
World Building: B+
Mythology: B
Plot-Twists: B
Villains: B
Girl Power: B+
Suspense: B+
Feels: B+
For you clean-readers: this book does NOT have mature content.
April 8, 2021
Having returned to Balinor with Lori in tow, Arianna learns her true identity as the princess and embarks on a quest to retrieve the last piece of Chase's horn in order to restore their bond and enable the humans and animals in Balinor to talk to each other.
This is the shortest book in the series, and if I have a complaint it's that it's almost too fast paced, Ari has most of the pieces of the horn at the beginning and really only has to find one. However I do somewhat understand that choice, since otherwise just tracking down the pieces of the horn could easily have taken up a series all it's own. The gradual process of getting her memories back also begins in this book and we get to see her struggling to come to terms with who she is, and what that means for her future; I liked Ari's internal conflict of dealing with the fear that magic could distance Chase from her, but she cares about him enough to take the chance anyway.
This is the shortest book in the series, and if I have a complaint it's that it's almost too fast paced, Ari has most of the pieces of the horn at the beginning and really only has to find one. However I do somewhat understand that choice, since otherwise just tracking down the pieces of the horn could easily have taken up a series all it's own. The gradual process of getting her memories back also begins in this book and we get to see her struggling to come to terms with who she is, and what that means for her future; I liked Ari's internal conflict of dealing with the fear that magic could distance Chase from her, but she cares about him enough to take the chance anyway.
September 15, 2021
This rating is solely based on childhood nostalgia. Would I love it now? Probably not, but I was in love with horses as a little kid, and this series was a big part of it.
February 7, 2024
lori and ari are gay. bye.
January 30, 2025
What even happened? That was the easiest quest I've ever read about. Go do a thing, yay, success!
April 16, 2024
***
Back in the land of Balinor, Ari discovers she is the Princess Arianna, and her beloved horse is a lord of the unicorns (and a unicorn himself) Sunchaser. They managed to escape from a great evil that has taken over the land, and they are the only ones who can bring peace back. Despite knowing all of this, Ari's memory hasn't returned, and they face a difficult quest.
This was a cute story, and better than the first book. Outsiders in a magical world, finding out about a terrible evil, it was fun. Lori was quite humorous as the grouchy, unwilling ally, as was the unicorn Toby. There is also a satisfying conclusion, and I would have (and should have) stopped here, but there was one more book in the copy I had.
Personal history: Borrowed the omnibus collection.
Unicorns of Balinor:
1. The Road to Balinor
3. Valley of Fear
Back in the land of Balinor, Ari discovers she is the Princess Arianna, and her beloved horse is a lord of the unicorns (and a unicorn himself) Sunchaser. They managed to escape from a great evil that has taken over the land, and they are the only ones who can bring peace back. Despite knowing all of this, Ari's memory hasn't returned, and they face a difficult quest.
This was a cute story, and better than the first book. Outsiders in a magical world, finding out about a terrible evil, it was fun. Lori was quite humorous as the grouchy, unwilling ally, as was the unicorn Toby. There is also a satisfying conclusion, and I would have (and should have) stopped here, but there was one more book in the copy I had.
Personal history: Borrowed the omnibus collection.
Unicorns of Balinor:
1. The Road to Balinor
3. Valley of Fear
March 19, 2018
*This review contains spoilers*
This book was a great sequel to the Unicorns of Balinor series. Arianna continues her adventures, and this time she must restore Chase's horn before he loses his ability to speak and communicate with her. This dynamic duo must unfortunately bring Lori, who still complains continually. One of my favorite characters is Atalanta, the Dreamspeaker unicorn who guides Arianna. I liked that the author put limitations on her powers. She can't make Arianna's memory come back; she can only guide her in that direction. I liked her position as the wisest unicorn of the herd, as it added a sense of mystery that I found appealing.
Stanton has a talent for creating a unique fantasy world and villains who are worthy opponents. The Shifter's eye still creeps me out, and so did Lady Kylie and her ambush at the inn. Another thing that bothered me slightly was that Arianna's memory returns a bit too fast. She remembers her past in just a couple of pages, and I think it would have been more interesting had this amnesia been teased out a bit more throughout the series. Also, she found the missing piece of Chase's horn way too fast. She and Chase make it across the moat, scan the ground for a couple of minutes, and behold! There lies the missing piece in the dirt surrounding the castle. You'd think that the Shifter would have thought of a better hiding place. It was for these reasons that I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. Otherwise, I thought it was a great edition to an intricate plot. Really creative and not sappy by any means!
This book was a great sequel to the Unicorns of Balinor series. Arianna continues her adventures, and this time she must restore Chase's horn before he loses his ability to speak and communicate with her. This dynamic duo must unfortunately bring Lori, who still complains continually. One of my favorite characters is Atalanta, the Dreamspeaker unicorn who guides Arianna. I liked that the author put limitations on her powers. She can't make Arianna's memory come back; she can only guide her in that direction. I liked her position as the wisest unicorn of the herd, as it added a sense of mystery that I found appealing.
Stanton has a talent for creating a unique fantasy world and villains who are worthy opponents. The Shifter's eye still creeps me out, and so did Lady Kylie and her ambush at the inn. Another thing that bothered me slightly was that Arianna's memory returns a bit too fast. She remembers her past in just a couple of pages, and I think it would have been more interesting had this amnesia been teased out a bit more throughout the series. Also, she found the missing piece of Chase's horn way too fast. She and Chase make it across the moat, scan the ground for a couple of minutes, and behold! There lies the missing piece in the dirt surrounding the castle. You'd think that the Shifter would have thought of a better hiding place. It was for these reasons that I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. Otherwise, I thought it was a great edition to an intricate plot. Really creative and not sappy by any means!
March 7, 2026
The brown young unicorns are more problematic than rainbow unicorns?
TF is this racism?
2/5, hopefully it's just a fluke
TF is this racism?
2/5, hopefully it's just a fluke
July 4, 2017
Series Notes:
The books are easy reading and much easier understanding to beginning readers so they may be a much better choice for younger crowds for whom they are more directed to. Also the author Mary Stanton does have a beautiful way with words when she describes the Celestial Valley while her imagination has done a great job with the forming of her unicorns within the story.
This book wasn't as repetitive and bland as the original book but I still cannot seem to get myself interested within the pages. In this one you basically start off where the last one ends in that she doesn't remember who she is, has an injured unicorn while they are in a place with a girl you just want to throttle. Flip that around to the Celestial Valley while you have the general idea of how the reading is going to be.
More or less I enjoyed the Celestial Valley scenes more than the actual story even though the actions of the unicorns or some of their habits if you will don't make any sense at all. And it irks me that the author uses the herd term instead of the term glory but then again it is young adult.
There is more action in the story than in the last one but you are still using the book as a stepping story to get into the series. And from what I have read this can be a read-alone book since it does cover the majority of the events already in the original book within this one while there is a nice little surprise ending....
The last thing I noticed is the covers of these books are so not matching the actual stories. It is a shame to me on that account.
The books are easy reading and much easier understanding to beginning readers so they may be a much better choice for younger crowds for whom they are more directed to. Also the author Mary Stanton does have a beautiful way with words when she describes the Celestial Valley while her imagination has done a great job with the forming of her unicorns within the story.
This book wasn't as repetitive and bland as the original book but I still cannot seem to get myself interested within the pages. In this one you basically start off where the last one ends in that she doesn't remember who she is, has an injured unicorn while they are in a place with a girl you just want to throttle. Flip that around to the Celestial Valley while you have the general idea of how the reading is going to be.
More or less I enjoyed the Celestial Valley scenes more than the actual story even though the actions of the unicorns or some of their habits if you will don't make any sense at all. And it irks me that the author uses the herd term instead of the term glory but then again it is young adult.
There is more action in the story than in the last one but you are still using the book as a stepping story to get into the series. And from what I have read this can be a read-alone book since it does cover the majority of the events already in the original book within this one while there is a nice little surprise ending....
The last thing I noticed is the covers of these books are so not matching the actual stories. It is a shame to me on that account.
July 23, 2014
The journey continues! The last book left off with Arianna, Chase, Lori, and Linc just arriving in Balinor, about to set off on a quest they don't even know they are destined for. This book is truly the beginning of Arianna's journey of self discovery. She is figuring out who she is and was before the "accident" and what her responsibilities are to the land of Balinor. I had forgotten that Dr. Bohnes shows up halfway through to deliver the ruby safely to our little crew (I even said out loud "well that was easy..."). Of course, we learn that Dr. Bohnes is actually from Balinor and has been taking care of Arianna her whole life, which makes her crossing back over a bit more believable. I wish that finding the last bit of Chase's horn was more difficult. They didn't really have to search too far. I do love the moment at the end where Chase is now his "true self", reunited with his horn, but in Ari's eyes he's just the same. Her gentle, loving, best friend. I can't wait for book 3...stuff gets REAL!
May 24, 2015
I received this series of books as a child through some program where they sent me one each month, and I remember enjoying them. I'm currently going through my bookshelves rereading books that I'm ready to pass on to new owners.
The story isn't too original, a magic kingdom at war with a lost princess as the heroine, but there's nothing really wrong with it, especially since it is for children.
The second book begins Ari, the heroin, and Lori, the most annoying brat I can imagine, time in Balinor. Lori is still horrible for the majority of the book and starts to show signs of change/redemption at the end but hasn't even come close to making up for how annoying a character she is to read, not sure if it's even possible.
I think some of my issues with the book is how rushed some of the information comes at you, and that may be because it's written for children.
There are worse books for a young reader, but there are also better. If you or your child is a horse lover, maybe give this series a try, if not, keep looking.
The story isn't too original, a magic kingdom at war with a lost princess as the heroine, but there's nothing really wrong with it, especially since it is for children.
The second book begins Ari, the heroin, and Lori, the most annoying brat I can imagine, time in Balinor. Lori is still horrible for the majority of the book and starts to show signs of change/redemption at the end but hasn't even come close to making up for how annoying a character she is to read, not sure if it's even possible.
I think some of my issues with the book is how rushed some of the information comes at you, and that may be because it's written for children.
There are worse books for a young reader, but there are also better. If you or your child is a horse lover, maybe give this series a try, if not, keep looking.
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