Secret in the Stone by Kamilla Benko - OPTIONAL

Secret in the Stone (Unicorn Quest #2) by Kamilla Benko, 320 pages. Bloomsbury, 2019. $17. 

Language: G Mature Content: G Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

After Claire learns she is a Gemmer princess, she and her sister Sophie travel to the Gemmer guild in the mountains. She hopes to harness her magical abilities to call forth the unicorn to restore Arden's waning magic. But some of the officials don't believe her and appear to have ulterior motives. A war between the guilds is brewing and the return of evil Queen Estelle is imminent. Claire is more desperate than ever to find the unicorn and restore peace. She is about to find out that the unicorn is much closer than she imagined.

Since unicorns are popular right now, this series will likely find fans. The world building is well done, and there’s even a map of the kingdom. As with book 1, there’s magic, villains, warring factions, and twists. Unfortunately, the sequel isn’t as polished. Many of the characters that helped drive the first book, have limited appearances in the sequel. There are several rushed twists at the end that feel more tacked on than well thought out. Once again the unicorns are talked about rather than actually present. Purchase only if you have unicorn fanatics.   

Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist