Sun Blind

The Secret of the Unicorn Queen #2

by Gwen Hansen

Sheila must choose between what may be her last chance to return to earth and her desire to help Illyria, the Unicorn Queen, free a group of unicorns trapped in the fortress of evil King Dynasian

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade, Unicorns, Fiction, Adventure

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 1988

Reviews

[Sam Wescott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-reading these books for the first time since middle school and, phew, they are not very good. This one in particular was weaker than the first. My guess is that that's because the first book got to rely mostly on introducing characters and building up the world, while this one had to deal with actual plot and dialogue, which is decidedly trickier.

Most of the plot felt kinda made up on the spot. There were a couple of scenes that were completely unnecessary (what was that bit in the woods with Valan???) and there were quite a few miraculous saves (*coughcough* giant eagles and Dr. Reit *cough*) that felt pretty cheap. It is also worth noting that this installation has a different author than the first book, oddly enough.

All that being said, this book knows that it is pretty much just campy fantasy with some unicorns and magic and stuff. There is a ton of novels in this genre of this quality level and I am really happy to see one of them that features so many women in roles of power and influence. On to the next!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could hardly put down volume 1 of The Secret of the Unicorn Queen. This one, I felt less inclined to pick up. The second volume was written by a different author, and she got some of her facts wrong. For example, in volume 1, Sheila threw her flashlight at Dynasian’s sorcerer because the battery was dead and she had no way to replace it in this other world. It was useless to her, so she threw it away. It was gone for good. But in volume 2, she has it back again and there is no mention of its battery being dead. She also refers to Dr. Reit’s Molecular Acceleration Transport Device as a “time machine.” It is not a time machine. She did not travel through time; she was transported to another planet.

The plot of this book was predictable, and not a lot actually happened. The one good thing about it is that the characters all remained in-character; however, only a couple of them actually ever acted or spoke, and the rest were just named to be there. The focus of this story seemed to be the budding relationship between Sheila and Darian, but they did more arguing than anything. This volume was a bit of a let-down, but I’m going to finish the series and hope the next change in authors is an improvement.

[Charty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues the adventures of Sheila in the world of the Unicorn Queen. I’m enjoying the strong feminist forward vibes but there’s not much advancement with the plot, save Dr Reit is able to manifest more solidly in the world and is able to lend a hand. Otherwise it’s kinda status quo. Laric? Still an eagle. Evil tyrant? Still king. Evil sorcerer? Still evil. Sheila’s nemesis? Still Dian (she’s the worst) so yeah. Maybe the next book will go somewhere.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fantasy books, so I’m looking forward to book 3!

[Natalie Fahmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading this series of 6 books over and over again.

[Evil Twin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A MG fantasy novel I first read and loved as a kid back in the 80s. Gets three stars for nostalgia’s sake.

[Rileyrugrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading "Secret of the Unicorn Queen" when I was around 12-years-old. These are the books that made me fall in love with scifi/Fantasy. Take a normal girl (Shelia), and drop her into a parallel universie with unicorns, a cute boy and an evil tyrant who must be defeated and you've got the makings of a great story. Plus Shelia, has her back-pack full of your basic normal school stuff but that "normal sutff" equates to life-saving magic in the Unicorn Queen's relm.
These books are safe for girls of all ages and that's one of the reasons I love them so much.

Book 2 was my favorite. Lots of action and adventure, and just a smackerl of romance (if you blink, you'll miss it -- which is why it's good for young girls.)This series is full of girl power! Shelia's all about using her head and her resources. Smart girls rock! These books teaches young girls to be proud of who they are.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: Sheila continues to ride with the Unicorn Queen and her riders in their quest to free the unicorns. She is still waiting for Dr. Reit to find a way to bring her home to her own time, but must face new dangers and enemies until she can return home.

My Review: This was another action packed adventure in the series. I think it would be appropriate for both boys and girls as is full of both swords & battles and fantasy & a dash of age appropriate romance. I enjoyed the story and how Sheila manages to escape dangerous situations and aid in the struggle of the Riders. While we got to know Darian and Laric a little more in this book, many of the other characters are still a little vague. I do like how the unicorns are developing strong personalities themselves. The ending of this one was quite surprising and I look forward to the next book.

[Katrina Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absorbed this book quickly and was left disappointed because my library did not carry the third book. The second book was just as good as the first and when they re-released both into one book a few years ago I went out and bought it to add to my collection.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

read it in grade school

[Klaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about shelia and she still tries to find a way home. I couldn't put it down!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Justine Hedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite series from my childhood. I probably re-read it every 2-3 years.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the first book, but they really filled you in, so you weren't totally clueless. There was action, adventure, and suspense. Even though it's kind of old, it was an enjoyable tale.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite childhood series. I think I read this series all the way through at least five times.