Jan, the prince of the unicorns, is high-spirited, reckless-and the despair of his mighty father, Korr. Reluctantly, Korr allows Jan to accompany the other initiate warriors on a pilgrimage. Soon Jan's curiosity leads him, along with his friend Dagg, and their mentor, the female warrior Tek, into the greatest dangers-deadly gryphons, sly pans, wyverns, pards, and renegade unicorns. Yet time after time they are rescued, leading Jan to wonder: Am I the heir to a special destiny?
"The language is poetic, with wonderful rhythm and sweeping images...The world is a compelling one, and Jan is a dramatic hero."—Booklist
Wow, I haven't read this for a long, long time, and I'm glad I reread it now. Meredith Ann Pierce has always been a major inspiration for me, and this book was probably one of my first favorite reads and favorite fantasy books.
At first, things seem a little stilted and awkward, probably because it's written in a very different language style than a lot of books written today (including fantasy - at least most of the ones I've read). :S I don't know that much about books in the 80s, and if there was a defined decade "style", but the book's language seems pretty distinct. Lyrical, evocative, and mesmerizing.
The plot is less amazing (unicorns traveling to somewhere and back, the mystery of the "firebringer" that's actually pretty obvious), but the way the story's told just makes it so beautiful.
