Claire Martinson and her sister Sophie have decided to stay in Arden--the magical land they discovered by climbing up a chimney in their great-aunt's manor. If what they've learned is true, the sisters are the last descendants of the royal family, and only a true heir of Arden--with magic in her blood--can awaken the unicorns.
Since Sophie has does not have magic, the land's last hope rests on Claire. The sisters journey to Stonehaven, a famed Gemmer school high in the mountains of Arden, so Claire can train in the magic of stone. As Claire struggles through classes, Sophie uncovers dangerous secrets about the people they thought they could trust. With Arden on the brink of crumbling, can Claire prove she is the prophesied heir and unlock the magic of the unicorns before it's too late?
Kamilla Benko spent most of her childhood climbing into wardrobes, trying to step through mirrors, and plotting to run away to an art museum. Now, she visits other worlds as a children’s book editor. Originally from Indiana, she currently lives in New York with her bookshelves, teapot, and hiking boots.
I'm so pleased that I came across this series, as it has quickly become a firm favourite of mine. It has many things I typically find irresistible - adventure, a magical world, unicorns - but it is Kamilla Benko's writing that really elevates it from something I'm guaranteed to enjoy to something I truly love. She has woven a beautiful story filled with characters I adore in a world that feels like it could (should!) actually exist. If I was still school age, these would be books that I would be feverishly encouraging my friends (or, frankly, anyone who cared to listen) to read, while I myself reread and then reread again!
Also, while it doesn't affect my rating, I adore the covers. I have the UK version, which is stunning, but I like the US one as well. 💖
An absolutely beautiful sequel. Kamilla Benko manages to pack this book with action, magic, adventure, AND, simultaneously, all the feelings. Benko is an incredibly eloquent, thoughtful writer who understands what makes books for children truly amazing. I am in awe of her ability to understand the minds of kids and craft something so lovely, while also being so fun. I can't wait to read whatever she has next!
Wowza! I loved this one just as much, if not more than the 1st! Can’t say much about what’s happening in this, since it’s the 2nd book. But there’s so much adventure, magic, friendship, sisterhood, & hope. We saw new parts of the world this time, & they were just as amazing & fascinating as ever. The writing is so good! I feel like this world is really out there for me to find one day. I would have been obsessed w/this as a kid, & I could see myself playing “pretend” using this world & characters often lol I am also so attached to these characters. I adore Claire, & Sophie even feels like my own sister sometimes annoying me in that sister way. Such a well thought out storyline w/such detail & creativity..I’m just amazed. I need her to write 17373782 more books lol & all the twists & turns near the ending! Loved! Plus, that ending itself! So glad I have book 3 right here w/me ready to go after that! Lol If you’re looking for action, magic, adventure, & a whole lot of heart this is for you. So fun too! Fast paced, & such quick reads. Even though they’re not short books, you can’t put them down! Highly recommend! Another stunning cover by Vivienne To of course. Beautiful!💜
I absolutely love this series! It’s so much fun and I, even as an adult, don’t get annoyed by the characters - which is rare for me when reading books for this age range right now! The sisters have so much depth, the world is not too complex so I don’t feel like I need a degree to understand it, and the writing is just so vivid. Highly recommend for readers of all ages!
If you had to choose between going home or staying in a magical land to save the day, what would you do? Sophie and Claire, who are descendants of the royal family of Arden, have decided to stay and fight for the friends that they have made. Since Sophie doesn't have any magical powers, saving the land falls on Claire's shoulders. In book one, they released a unicorn and they are desperately trying to bring back more to save the land. They go up into the mountains to the Geemer school so that Claire can sharpen her magical skills. Both girls are struggling and it is seeming more and more like maybe they don't belong in this land. They find out that they have been set up and have been falsely put into prison. Thanks to some friends they are given a way to escape, but can the sisters work together to escape? They soon find out that people are not who they seem, and those they trusted turn out to be their biggest enemies. And not to mention the fact that when Claire blows the magical flute that a true heir is supposed to blow to bring back a unicorn, nothing happens. Are Claire and Sophie actually the true heirs? Can they bring back the unicorns to save the land or will they lose their own lives trying? Read this incredible second book in The Unicorn series that leaves you with and insane cliffhanger leaving you wanting book three!! Don't miss this one!!
I absolutely loved book one and book two does not disappoint! This book is full of action, suspense, magic, friendship, and family. Do not miss this book and it will leave you desiring more!!! Follow me:
Another fantastic journey to this gorgeous world, and I can’t wait for more.
The sister relationship was again lovely, and more nuanced this time round, which I really enjoyed. I also like that we get to see more of the magic system.
Plenty of twists and turns too, nothing toooooo stellar, but they were really good and kept the pace up.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this title.
Wow.
In the Secret in the Stone, sisters Claire and Sophie travel to Stonehaven so that Claire can begin her training as a Gemmer. In doing so, the sisters hope to awaken precious stones called Moontears that will bring back unicorns and restore magic to the world of Arden, undoing the damage done by their ancestor Queen Estelle. Things... don't go well. In fact, things get even more complicated and dangerous the longer the girls stay in Stonehaven, with no one to trust.
There is definitely no "sophomore slump" for Ms. Benko. This book was filled with even more twists and dramatic reveals than the first book in this series, The Unicorn Quest. Also, this isn't your mother's siblings-from-our-world-go-on-adventure-in-magic-land story. Despite the fact that this book is centered around sisters Claire and Sophie being princesses of the kingdom of Arden with the goal of bringing back unicorns, this is not a light and fluffy fantasy adventure. It's actually quite a bit dark from an adult's point of view, but just dark enough for upper elementary and middle school students to enjoy.
A delightful and exciting followup to The Unicorn Quest, I'm eager to see what lies in store for Claire, Sophie, Nett, Sena and all of Arden in the next book!
ok so this world is so much more than I was expecting, and so much less about unicorns. Loving being immersed in this portal fantasy world full of magic and deception.
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.
After liking the first book in the series so well and deciding it's one I'll be gifting to kids - likely this year for Christmas, I figured I better read the rest. As in the first book, it's more quest than unicorns. Although this takes a long pause for Clarie to go to Gemmer school and to moonlight in lessons trying to restore unicorns to Arden. I liked the school and the classes, but I did miss the questing buddies from book one, who don't show up until more than halfway through this book. The school setting in the crumbling rock palace is a great one for exploring though of course it brings to mind other magical schools in recent fiction. It does have enough interest of its own though. Possibly better is the next place they encounter - Woven Root. The sisters do meet different people along the way as per usual - students at the school, the Scholar, Commander and Grandmaster at Stonehaven and Nadia at Woven Root (I'd have liked to learn more about Bramble after the Unicorn Cream incident and other inventions). But then they are off again, this time to the Drowned Fortress, finally meeting up with more people we met in book one, for good and/or bad. And of course secrets are revealed before the book ends that change the quest for the next book. I like this world. Of course I was a unicorn fan as a kid, so that plays a part. Narnia is the go-to comparison of travelling magical worlds, and I was a fan of that too (and Madeline L'engle and everything else us children of the 80s were reading). And I'm still a fan of these types of books (yes of course Harry Potter, and Fablehaven, and so many more.) So I'm hoping these books will similarly enchant my niece and nephew and other kiddos I pass them onto. On to book 3...
In this sequel to the Unicorn Quest, which I read and really enjoyed in March, we see Claire and her sister Sophie navigating life in Arden- where they have stayed to try and save the land- and the secrets they uncovered about who they really are in book one. I continued to really like Claire, and I thought her development was great. I also enjoyed seeing more of Sophie, who was not present for most of book one, and I found her and Claire`s complicated relationship really interesting. I was also a huge fan of the world again, and it was especially wonderful to learn more about the Gemmers (who like Sophie were largely heard about and not seen in the Unicorn Quest) and see things introduced in book one further explored. My favourite thing in this series is definitely how epic the twists are though; the climax of this was packed with so many that had me utterly shook, especially as there were so many in so few pages. It made for an utterly thrilling climax! I`m absolutely desperate to get my hands on book three; can it please just be February already?! 4.5/5
Sisters Claire and Sophie are still hanging out in Arden in book 2 of the Unicorn Quest. At the end of book 1, they freed a unicorn from stone and came away with a magical moon-tear necklace they hope will restore the unicorns. Claire learns she is a gemmer guild princess, descended from a royal lineage. Together she and Sophie travel from the Sorrowful Plains to the Citadel, home of the gemmer guild. She hopes to practice her gemmer skills and 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 after all and the return of evil Queen Estelle is imminent. Claire is more desperate than ever to find the unicorn. As it turns out, she doesn't have to look very far.
Since unicorns and mermaids are popular right now, this series will likely find fans. The ending has no closure, so I'm sure book 3 is in the works. The world building is well done with all the different guild villages, and there's even a map to help you sort it out. As with book 1 you will find magic, villains, warring factions, and twists. Nothing has been resolved, and in fact, things have only gotten more complicated. Sister Sophie has a big and very strange role to play in the next book. I'm not really liking the direction this series is going, so I'll be jumping off here.
Claire and Sophie have traveled to the Gemmer city so Claire can learn her magic. Claire's struggling with her classes and Sophie is struggling with that the fact that she's lacking magic until suddenly they are deemed imposters by the Gemmers. Now on their own, Claire and Sophie have to find the unicorn and unravel the mysteries surrounding Arden. But no one is who they seem and it's hard to know who or what to trust. When good intentions turn into a powerful danger for Arden, Claire and Sophie have no idea what they are up against or how to help their friends who are in grave danger... This book felt a little like a stepping stone for the next book, but there was still enough action to keep me engaged. The relationship between Sophie and Claire is well written and enjoyable to read. I look forward to reading the next book!
From the first book, it turns out that Claire and Sophie are actually princesses of the magical land of Arden. Having discovered this place through the fireplace of their late Aunt's estate, the two sisters now bear the heavy responsibility of saving Arden from dying out. Only the magic of unicorns can bring life back to the land and its people, and only through the blood of the sisters can the unicorns be awakened. With the kindom heavily divided between the different guilds, and Claire's magic unreliable while Sophie's magic is non-existent, will the sisters be able to survive their quest let alone manage to save the land of Arden?
This second book was a good follow up to the first one with a few surprising twists to the story! Again, I just loved the sister bond between Claire and Sophie.
I loved this book. Personally, I think that when an author puts the character in a different world or group of people that have a special talent, the reader then can imagine that he/she has that special talent. The Unicorn Quest is a great example of this. If you are put off by the fact that the series is called "The Unicorn Quest", please don't be. The unicorns are mysterious magical beasts and not some animated series version of unicorns. My only fault with this book is that a few of the characters in the previous book don't appear until the last couple of chapters. This left me wondering where they were for the whole beginning of the book. Besides this, "The Secret in the Stone" was a great read and I would heartily recommend it.
My favorite part was when all of them escaped the fortress, including Sena who they had come to rescue. I like how Sena and Nett came back in this book, and I hope that in the next book, they will join Claire in trying to fix everything, or join Sophie in trying to find Claire maybe. I also hope that Lapis and Zuli are in the next book as well. My least favorite part was when Sophie and Claire kept arguing so much. I was surprised when Sophie was turning into a unicorn as a side effect of being cured by the unicorn. I did not expect that the unicorn was trapped, or that Claire would break the crystal flute, or that Terra was actually the queen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Claire and Sophie's magical adventures continue in the land of Arden with some old and new friends as well as old and new foes. The beginning started out slow for me, but it eventually picked up and never slowed down - the ending is even a cliffhanger (one reason for 2020 to come quickly). Similar to the first book, there are some surprise twists of which I didn't see coming except for one that I started forumlating early on but then got distracted with other plot events to think further on it. I enjoy this series and recommend it to fans of middle grade fantasy.
I have become very fond of Claire, Nett , and Sena, who all are dedicated to helping the people they care about. There are a few jumps in the plot that bugged me, but not enough to stop me reading. Claire and her sister Sophie have traveled to a magical land, rather like Narnia. It appears that they have a genetic link to it, which means lots of factions are interested in them. However, it also means they are dealing with rules and mythology they have little knowledge or understanding of. Impatiently waiting for the sequel!
In this second book in "the Unicorn Quest" series sisters Claire and Sophie continue their quests in the magical land of Arden. Claire's magic is with stone, but Sophie appears to have no magic at all. Can that be true? When Claire attempts to learn more about her own abilities the two are put in danger and must make a daring escape. Unfortunately this leads them into further danger. Can they unlock the key to returning unicorns to the land? This book has some surprises at the end that sets readers up nicely for book #3.
The story of Sophia and Claire in Arden continues. There are a number of plot twists and surprises in this book. I liked it okay, but it just didn’t capture and hold my attention like the first book did. It’s possible that I didn’t get as into it as the first one because life was just a bit more distracting while I was trying to read this book. 🤷🏻♀️
The ending definitely points to the sequel (which has already been released, but our library does not currently have it). I may read it someday, but I’m not just chomping at the bit for it.
Book 2 of The Unicorn Quest. The girls are still trying to find the unicorn. We get to be with the Gemmers for a good portion of this one and get to see a little more in depth the magic and how it works. The bond between the sisters grows and without giving too much away we feel more the sense of dealing with the loss of a sister and how the allegory fits to the remaining sister to deal with life and death. A strong second novel and a as great builder for the conclusion.
Got this book as an extra leftover from when our students were given books. I love unicorns so I thought it would be worth the read. And it was! Even though I realized quickly it wasn't the first book, I still enjoyed it.
I loved all of the fantasy to the book, and the intrigue, the only part I had a hard time with is the ages of the girls. I felt they should have been older with everything they were dealing with.
I read this to my kids and while they thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm not sure its one of those multi generational type books. Mostly when I was reading it I was thinking that sometimes you have to let things work out for your characters so its a surprise when it doesn't work out. But basically in this book everything they try fails until *magic*. Which I guess is a lesson in never giving up but still gets kind of old after a while.
This book was pretty cool there were just a few minor things that I did not enjoy, but that's just me. This book had an ending that made you wonder what on earth happened to Claire, where she went, and also what was going to happen to Sophie? I do suggest though that you read this series in order, otherwise this will most likely be very confusing.
I read the book and when I finished it I was like, oh no, there’s no third book! I’m so happy and excited for the third book to come out. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure books and fantasy books.
I really love this book because as soon as I picked it up I couldn’t stop reading. It’s about two girls called Sophie and Claire they go on adventures to find the last unicorn and get a few surprises on the way.I also loved this book because Sophie and Claire find out secrets about them selves.
Read out loud to my daughter. Great adventure for ages 5-9. My daughter said that what she likes most is how descriptive it is so she can imagine how everything looks and is happening. We can't wait for the 3rd book.