Black Unicorn

by Tanith Lee

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689315759
• ISBN13: 9780689315756
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 138 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

First Book in the Unicorn Series

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."

A marvalous book!

This book was MARVALOUS! Although there was one fault, it was that the introduction on the front flap gave the ending away; soo, DON'T READ THE FRONT FLAP IF YOU LIKE SUSPENCE! Once again I must say this was a MARVALOUS, EXELLENT, EXTRAORDINARY, GRAND, GREAT book!

Adventurous (Very)

I love reading fantasy books especially Unicorns. I have read all three the;Black, Red and Gold Unicorns. They are so cool! I am thirteen and if you need the perfect gift for an eigth grader here is the "Book". I think that this is the bomb. It is very intriguing, suspenseful, and it really keeps you hanging on to the edge of your seat 'till the very end!

Wonderful, Wonderful Book!

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.

A strangely beautiful, funny-sad book

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.