I started this series in elementary school, but it was not finished until earlier this year. When orphaned Cara and her grandmother are chased into a church by an assailant Cara almost recognizes, her grandmother tells her to jump off the steeple on the stroke of twelve and shout "Luster bring me home." Once in Luster, Cara is supposed to tell the queen "The Wanderer is Weary." The magical world of Luster is indeed the land of the unicorns, full of friends and adventures. Cara finds that this place is part of her own heart and swears to protect it against the Unicorn Hunters, or "Hunters." As she explores her ties to this magical place it becomes clear that her destiny has been tied to Luster all along, but all is not as it seems.
What I Love About These Books
I can't help it, Lightfoot will always be the ultimate unicorn to me. I genuinely like all the characters and was invested in Cara's struggles to define herself in the conflict. Bruce Coville's wisdom shines through in the voices of a couple of characters. One of my favorite quotes of all time comes out of this series. Watching young characters Luster has a piece of my heart and I was on the edge of my seat to make sure all my favorite characters lived happily ever after. Warning: Not all of them did.
Cautions
1) These books start out for kids, but the latter two are longer, more complex and much darker
2) The first two books deal with finding home and family, as well as defining one's self. Books 3 and 4 delve into the nature of evil and of a relationship with an imperfect creator
Series
Into the Land of the Unicorns
Song of the Wanderer
Dark Whispers
The Last Hunt
my sister and i totally ate that first book up when we were little! never read the rest of the series but you've totally inspired me to look into getting it for my sister for christmas. bingo!
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