Secret in the Stone (The Unicorn Quest #2)
Kamilla Benko
Bloomsbury Children’s
February 19, 2019
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About SECRET IN THE STONE
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?
My Review
Sister books are so much fun. Sophie and Claire’s relationship felt super realistic to me. There’s a bit of a competitive edge. Sometimes Claire feels caught in Sophie’s shadow, or like Sophie doesn’t believe in Claire’s ability to be a hero in her own right. And Sophie pressures herself to be the leader and have all the answers because she’s the oldest.
SECRET IN THE STONE took some interesting turns. I don’t want to give things away, but there were two things in particular that I didn’t see coming at all, and they changed the book. I would have been curious to read the next novel in the series, but after those two things happened, I’m super interested to see where the story goes.
I liked that there’s a theme about trying new things and how harmful it can be to make assumptions about other people or hold on to grudges or judgments about others. Generally, each magic group remains separate from other groups in the story. Romances or relationships between people of different types are strictly forbidden. Under this system, magic has started to fade or die, which makes Claire wonder if isolating each type of magic has something to do with its diminishing. I thought that was a cool element to the story and a neat way to start conversation about how valuable it is to have relationships with people who are different than we are.
Overall, I enjoyed reading SECRET IN THE STONE. I liked the sister relationship and the unexpected twists the story took. Click the link to check out my review of THE UNICORN QUEST (book one in the series)
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Representation
None.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
I think all the characters are white/straight.
Romance/Sexual Content
Sophie and a boy like each other and blush and act a bit awkward around each other.
Spiritual Content
A unicorn healed Sophie and saved her life with its magic in the first book in this series, and that moment is referenced in this one, too. Other characters have magical abilities as well. Claire learns to make gems glow with her magic. Other characters can manipulate plants or metals. Deep shadows called wraiths chase the girls and try to overwhelm them.
Violent Content
Some situations of peril. One of Claire’s friends is convicted of a crime, and Claire believes she may be sentenced to death. Some characters seem to be plotting to go to war
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.
