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Search for the Star
(Unicorns of Balinor #5)
by
Deep in the lair at Blue Mountain, Naytin the dragon safely guards the Indigo Star. The jewel's magic has always protected the indigo herd. Until now.
The evil Shifter has captured the Indigo Star and gained control over the band of unicorns. As the Shifter's darkness creeps through Balinor, now not even the unicorns are safe.
The indigo unicorns are fading, and so are their
...morePaperback, 114 pages
Published
November 1st 1999
by Scholastic
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Despite what I said in my By Fire, By Moonlight review, the plot of this came back to me very quickly as I started reading it--though the fact that I so completely forgot it offers quite the hint into what kind of impression it made on me when I first read the book.
In Search for the Star, Princess Arianna of Balinor has recovered her Scepter and passed the trial by fire and the ordeal by moonlight, so things are seemingly back to normal in Balinor. Seemingly. Because the oh-so-very-evil Shifter ...more
In Search for the Star, Princess Arianna of Balinor has recovered her Scepter and passed the trial by fire and the ordeal by moonlight, so things are seemingly back to normal in Balinor. Seemingly. Because the oh-so-very-evil Shifter ...more

Five down...3 (?) to go. Seriously if my 7 year old daughter didn't adore these books, I would never turn another page. There are gaping plot holes. It's like the story was written with no plan. We're halfway through the series now, you'd think there be a general direction by now. Instead it's a muddled mess. That all being said, my 7 year old thinks these books are awesome and takes no notice of the glaring shortcomings.

We see more of Balinor in book 5, and are faced with the interesting dilemma of Atalanta's magic fading. Reading these as an adult, you have to just put on your 7-year-old cap and leave judgement at the door. These are sweet, horsey stories, for girls who've just started reading, and Ari's character is a strong enough role model in my opinion. Lori still makes me chuckle.

Series Overview
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.
So far in my opinion this is probably one of the better books within the series but still a plain read for me. Ar ...more
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.
So far in my opinion this is probably one of the better books within the series but still a plain read for me. Ar ...more

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The ease and speed with which Ari overcomes her obstacles and minor things such as deep wounds, exhaustion, hurricane-force storms, and fields of burning earth, the trips into "danger" may as well be deemed a skip through lollipops and rainbows. (In a near literal sense, it already is.) Princess Arianna is a Mary Sue to be reckoned with, which is saying something, considering I've read and ripped apart Twilight and The Hunger Games.
Perhaps the series may improve the further I reread; the Shifter ...more
Perhaps the series may improve the further I reread; the Shifter ...more

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.
There are worse books for a young reader, but there are also better. If you or your child is a horse l ...more
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.
There are worse books for a young reader, but there are also better. If you or your child is a horse l ...more

I have now made it through 5 of the 8 Balinor books! I clearly remember the 4th book being my favorite, and the 5th being my least favorite...and that still stands. This one was the hardest to get through so far, and I feel like things could have moved a little quicker. Stanton seems to enjoy leaving the main action of the story until the last 30 or so pages, often making the build up monotonous. I do remember loving the 6th installment though, so we will see what happens.

Absolutely loved the 5th installment! It has been a long time since I've read it, but I can still remember how vivid and exciting the writing was. Ari's adventures are un-put-down-able, and the meeting with the unicorns of the rainbow was amazing. All those colours, different personalities and characteristics so wonderfully described. Stanton has a wonderful, captivating style.

Dec 10, 2009
Claire
added it
ONE OF BEST BOOK SERIES EVR- below molly moon tho! REALLY KL COVER!!!

A little better than the previous installment. Would have loved this when I was 8.
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Mary 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 pub ...more
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 pub ...more
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Unicorns of Balinor
(8 books)
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