GOLD UNICORN (Dragonflight Series)

Byron Preiss / Atheneum, 1994. 1st Edition Printing Unknown. Hardcover. New/New. Mark Zug B&W illustrations. CONDITION: UNREAD 1994 Ryron Preiss/Atheneum hardcover (black boards) & dust jacket, first edition (so I'm told), no printing available. B&W illustrations by Mark Zug. CONTENT: In this sequel to Black Unicorn, readers rejoin Tanaquil after a year of travel has broadened her knowledge of the world and of herself. Coming to terms with her gift for sorcery, the teen finds herself in the midst of a war between a conquering Empress and the lands she is besieging. The Empress, who turns out to be Tanaquil's misguided half-sister, has built a mechanical golden unicorn. Tanaquil senses its evil nature but cannot deny her gift; she breathes "life" into it, only to find that she has helped create a war machine. The plot then follows the golden beast into war, eventually leading Tanaquil into an unpleasant alternate world that is virtually the opposite of the perfect world she had discovered in the previous book. This novel is not as captivating or as smoothly constructed as the first one. However, readers who enjoyed that title will want to continue following the heroine's adventures, and Lee does introduce some new and interesting characters. Although the immediate conflicts are resolved, there is definitely room for a third volume. Grades 6 - 10.