The Unlikely Ones [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1999

A young girl who hides beneath a mask, a crow, a toad, a goldfish, and a kitten make an unlikely band of unheroic heroes. Yet each needs the other to discover the secret that can restore them to health and happiness.

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

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Baen (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671578448
• ISBN-13: 978-0671578442
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,342,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this while it's back in print-don't miss it this time!, April 21, 2002

By 

Dawn Smoker (Mechanicsburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unlikely Ones (Mass Market Paperback)

This is another story that reads like a fairy tale.
In a faraway cave a dragon lies in deep despair, for his life's quest had been to gather 5 priceless gems, and they have been stolen. He cannot return to his homeland without them.

In a dank cottage, 5 unlikely heroes are enslaved by an evil witch through very painful pebbles embedded in their flesh. They are Thing, a twisted girl deemed so hideous that she always wears a mask, Corby, the black crow, Puddy, the toad, Moglet, the timid kitten, and Pisky, the golden fish. They have no memory of their past and have learned over time to communicate amongst themselves.
When the villagers band together to burn the witch, our heroes escape and set out to solve the mystery of how to remove the pebbles that are causing them such agony. Along the way they meet two others harmed by the witch. The first is a hornless unicorn, whose whose horn was destroyed and companion was slain by the witch. The second is a knight cursed by the witch because he spurned her. His curse is to have rusty armor, a blunt sword, and all desire unfulfilled until he weds the ugliest creature in the land.
Many adventures follow and each member of the group meets a challenge that only they can face, until the mystery of the pebbles is solved. Unlike most books, the fulfillment of the quest is not quite the end, as in the real world each one must find their own happiness in the end.
A very good book with a bittersweet ending.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Mix of Characters, August 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unlikely Ones (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book many years ago, when it first came out. I loved is so much that I have reread it several times. Mary Brown created a fabulous world with wonderful characters, many of whom were animals. To this day, I still remember the book, and I have my original paperback copy of the book. Thing, the central character, is a young woman who is the friend and protector of animals who have had a jewel bonded to their bodies, and she can speak their various languages. Thing spends most of the time caring for them, and orchestrating the escape from the witch who has them under her spell. They meet up with other characters, including a cursed knight and a unicorn with a broken horn. The ultimate goal is to have a dragon reverse the spells. If you love this book, as I did, you will love "Pigs Don't Fly."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Novel of Fantasy and Adventure, January 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unlikely Ones (Hardcover)

If you want a book that has adventure and danger, humor and sorrow, despair and enlightenment, then you must read this book! I first read this book many years ago and I've reread it so many times I have worn out my original hardback. Mary Brown captures perfectly the trials and tribulations of a small band of misfit adventurers who struggle to overcome their individual debilities - and with the support of their magical friends, break the witch's curse forever! My favorite authors include Stephen Donaldson, Mercedes Lackey, and ofcourse J.R.R. Tolkien. In THE UNLIKELY ONES, Mary Brown has created intriguing and likeable characters; human, animal and magical, who struggle to overcome overwhelming obstacles and their own inner demons to show us that love and friendship can overcome anything! This is a charming tale filled with love; poignant and strong. You won't be disappointed.