In the center if Luster stands an enormous tree called the Axis Mundi, the Heart of the World. But now that tree is wounded, pierced through by magic. And through that wound marches an army of Hunters, led by the sinister and vengeful Beloved. And they are all determined to destroy each and every unicorn. As the unicorns gather to defend their lives, the human girl, Cara, is sent on a mission to meet a ferocious and mysterious dragon. Faced with perilous danger, Cara must make a desperate decision that will change her life forever.
With a deft hand and keen imagination, master storyteller Bruce Coville brings this riveting epic fantasy series to a rousing conclusion as the secrets of Luster are finally and satisfyingly unveiled.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 This final volume satisfyingly
concludes an exciting and intricately plotted series that began with Into the
Land of Unicorns (Scholastic) 16 years ago. In the parallel world of Luster,
inhabited by a large cast of familiar creatures such as unicorns and dragons,
along with unfamiliar beings such as Squijum, a squirrel/monkeylike creature,
and Dimblethum, a half human, half bearlike creature, Coville creates an epic
story of the fight for good versus evil with all of its inherent ambiguities.
Beloved's centuries-old vow to hunt down and kill all of Luster's unicorns
because one killed her father is finally about to come true. Only teenaged Cara,
with her mixed unicorn and human blood, granddaughter of the Queen of the
Unicorns, and of Beloved herself, can save them. Powerful beings older than the
land itself aid Cara in her quest to heal the rift and defeat Beloved. Despite
this volume's length, the pace is brisk, with one cliff-hanging adventure
following another right up to the climactic conclusion. Events from previous
books are mentioned in the narrative, making it not absolutely necessary to have
read the other books in order, although that would be ideal. Fans of the series
will be delighted. Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton
