Unlikely Ones

by Mary Brown

Book Overview

Thing, a young girl who hides beneath a mask, and her handicapped companions--a crow, a toad, a goldfish, and a kitten--set off on a desperate quest to find the Dragon of the Black Mountain. "A... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 067165361X
• ISBN13: 9780671653613
• Release Date: November 1987
• Publisher: Baen Books
• Length: 10 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Get this while it's back in print-don't miss it this time!

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.

A Wonderful Novel of Fantasy and Adventure

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.

A Wonderful Mix of Characters

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."

Excellent

Simple, straightforward fairytale ingredients, three-dimensional, next-door characters, and humor combine to make this a refreshing, unique, and necessary addition to fantasy list. Not one unnecessary word. That's very, very rare in this genre. Mary Brown is a very talented writer (there are many out there) AND she is very careful, meticulous in fact, in what finally gets published (very few out there take the time).This a story that transcends the fantasy category and is destined to become a classic. I will certainly reread it and reread it and . . . (you get the idea).

the unlikely ones

I found this book to be extremely enjoyable and very diverse in imagination. I love the combination of dragon, wizards, witches and unicorns, and the "talking" animals. Mary Brown has written this novel so well that you really can imagine you're there and part of it. My 13 year old daughter has also read and enjoyed it, and in fact, wanted to call her new kitten "Moglet", after the cat in the story.