Silver Thread

Heart Avamir is living on the run ever since she rescued the white unicorn mother, Avamir, and her unicorn colt, Moonsilver. It is her only hope for keeping the three of them alive, and protected from the evil Lord Dunraven's men. With the help of a large, abandoned cave, Heart feels confident that she will be able to keep the three of them safe from prying eyes, at least until the winter comes, when food will most likely become scarce. But when Moonsilver is shot by a hunter's poisoned arrow, Heart knows that the only way to save the young unicorn is to reveal herself to the world, and make her way to Ruth Oakes' (a kind healer) house, in an attempt to cure him of the poison and save his life. However, along the way, Heart's safety is threatened, as she is seen by various people in town, her old master, Simon, being one of them. Now, it is up to Heart to do her best to make it back to the cave, along with Moonsilver and Avamir, as well as a newfound friend in the form of a young pup named Kip, in an attempt to keep Avamir and Moonsilver's secret of being unicorns from slipping out, and to avoid Simon's greedy eyes from claiming the mare and her colt as being his and selling them to the yardsmith for pocket change. Heart worries that she will be unable to protect her newfound family, but with a tiny gift from Ruth Oakes, her thoughts change, and she realizes that with a little heart, bravery, and a lot of love, she can overcome anything, and protect the ones she loves. Since reading Kathleen Duey's MOONSILVER last year, I have often wondered what would become of Heart Avamir, and her charges Avamir and Moonsilver. I need not have worried, for Heart has continued on in the same direction she was heading when we last met up with her. As in MOONSILVER, Heart's bravery is still going strong. She is an intelligent, kind, lovable young girl, whose interest in keeping her unicorn friends safe is admirable. The character of Ruth Oakes, however, is one of the things that keeps this series going strong, for she is the type of elderly woman everyone wishes to meet at some point in their lifetime. And, with the new character of Kip being introduced to the series, Heart's animal family is quickly growing, making her a Dr. Dolittle of sorts. THE SILVER THREAD, being the second book in Duey's UNICORN'S SECRET series, is even more enjoyable than its predecessor, MOONSILVER, and keeps the reader hungry for more long after the last page has been turned. A mythical journey that leaves the reader craving more! Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer

This is my daughter's (age 7) favorite book. She has read it several times and does not seem to tire of it. Kathleen Duey's plot is interesting and suspenseful, but not frightening. Duey engages and reaffirms a young girl's fantasy about unicorns and animals in general (my daughter's favorite character is Kip the dog). It also amply demostrates the strength and resourcefulness of Heart, the young heroine of this series, a great role model for young girls. We will definitely buy the rest of the books in this series.

This is a great story (#2 in the series) to read to your kids at bedtime - not too scary and has a few illustrations to keep the kids interested. We're looking forward to the next one.