Black Unicorn [Turtleback]

Tanith Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1993

With her talent for mending things, sixteen-year-old Tanaquil reconstructs a unicorn which, brought to life, lures her away from her desert fortress home and her sorceress mother to find a city by the sea and the way to a perfect world.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tanaquil, whose only talent is the ability to fix things, lives in the isolated desert palace of her mother, the sorceress Jaive. When an inquisitive peeve--one of the palace pets--unearths a cache of strange, sparkling bones, Tanaquil uses them to piece together a unicorn's skeleton. A stray blast of Jaive's magic brings the creature to life, and it escapes to the desert, followed by Tanaquil and the peeve. Free at last from her mother's wizardry, Tanaquil embarks on a series of adventures that culminate in the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. A magical journey that mirrors a teenager's coming-of-age is hardly a new plot device, but experienced SF writer Lee allows events to unfold at their own pace, revealing unexpected twists along the way. The combination of self-assured storytelling and the near-tangible evocation of a quirky world will have much appeal for fantasy devotees. As in the novels of Robin McKinley ( The Hero and the Crown ; The Blue Sword ), an understated current of feminism runs throughout. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12-- Tanaquil may be the daughter of a sorceress, but she can't do any magic--or so she thinks--and she finds life in her mother's castle very dull and lonely. Her one skill, that of mending things, leads her to piece together a pile of old bones found in the desert and unknowingly bring back to life a black unicorn that needs Tanaquil to help it return to its own, more perfect world. In the process of doing this, Tanaquil finds a sister, and discovers what her own powers really are. The plot of The Black Unicorn is in no way as simple as this description. It is complex and twisting, and while readers may not be sure where they're going, they'll never be bored. Lee's lush and highly visual style and her down-to-earth sense of humor are a constant entertainment. Her imagination is boundless, whether in recreating the life of desert nomads or describing a castle full of magical devices all gone slightly awry. The static cover illustration, with rearing unicorn and silver-gowned heroine, does not begin to convey the special flavor of this stylish, humorous fantasy. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606051627
• ISBN-13: 978-0606051620
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,965,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Wonderful Book!, October 26, 1999

By 

Jessica ([e-mail]) (Columbia, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Unicorn (Mass Market Paperback)

I first read this book in junior high, and now I'm a freshman in college and I'm still re-reading it. This was the first Tanith Lee book I ever read, and it's probably the best one I've ever read (no easy feat).

The Black Unicorn is the subtle, humorous story of Tanaquil, the bored, cranky daughter of a powerful sorceress. She lives in her mother's fortress in the middle of a desert where no one ever comes, and is terribly, terribly tired of being there. One day Tanaquil "accidently" brings a unicorn to life, and Tanaquil finds herself on quite an adventure, together with a talking peeve whom she met in the fortress along for the ride.

Tanaquil is a wonderful character, one of my favorites of all time. She is smart, subtle, creative, strong, and realistic. Her little "sidekick", the desert peeve, is just as wonderful, and the book wouldn't be the same without it. The book is filled with all kinds of people and creatures and places and things, all of which are amusing and fully fleshed-out. Tanith Lee writes this story beautifully, with rich images, a sense of humor, and a real knack for the fantastic and the oddly magical mundane.

I'm really sorry to hear that this book is unavailable. If you like fantasies or fairy-tales, you should definitely try to find this book and its two sequels in a good library.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Book in the Unicorn Series, March 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Unicorn (Mass Market Paperback)

Tanaquil, the 15-year-old protagonist in "Black Unicorn," lives in a desert fortress with her inept sorceress mother, Jaive. Here Tanaquil collects fossils that she finds in the sand. Then one day she discovers the skeleton of a unicorn, and by putting the pieces together, the unicorn somehow comes back to life, leading her and her pet peeve (yes, it's actually called a peeve--a small, catlike creature that's somewhat akin to the beasts in "Biting the Sun") on one adventure after another, ultimately reuniting her with her unknown father and sister in a faraway city.

The title is somewhat misleading, in that "Black Unicorn" isn't predominantly about unicorns, but more of a young woman's quest. I really loved Tanaquil's little "sidekick," the peeve, who creates a lighthearted touch to the story, almost stealing every scene with its high-strung antics and broken English. This is an appropriate book for all ages, though ideal for young girls interested in fantasies/adventures. Plus it's short (188 pages) and easy to read. If you liked this one, then you'll probably like the following two in this series: "Gold Unicorn" and "Red Unicorn."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A strangely beautiful, funny-sad book, June 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Unicorn (Mass Market Paperback)

If one thing can be said of Tanith Lee, it's that she's versatile! From tales of darkness and vampires, to the most beautiful fantasies, she writes with flair. In the BLACK UNICORN, she focuses on Tanaquil, Daughter of a mighty sorceress. With no apparent magic of her own, the monotony of Tanaquil's life is only relieved by her interest and talent for mending things. Until, one day she finds mysterious fragments of beautiful bone in the desert, and puts them together to form a Unicorn, and her life changes forever.

This book probably contains one of the most delightful and enchanting charecters ever. The Peeve. A furry sand creature with the ability to talk in the vocabulary of a 2-year child, it's antics fill the book with gentle humour. A wonderful book, to be read again and again.