Fire in the Star

The Unicorn Quest #3

by Kamilla Benko

After a lifetime of being the younger sister--of letting Sophie fight her battles, of following her on countless Experiences and through a fireplace into a magical land--it's finally Claire Martinson's turn to lead. And she'll do anything to keep her big sister safe: resist the wraiths' cold shadows, experiment with new and dangerous magic, become a thief in disguise.

When Claire discovers that "only a queen can defeat a queen," she knows she must steal and reforge the ancient Crown of Arden to stand a chance against the darkness that threatens the world and her family. Because Queen Estelle d'Astora, desperate to reclaim her power, will stop at nothing to gain the support of the four guilds--even if it means killing the last unicorn. Claire will need every friend she's made to help her as the fate of Arden hangs in the balance . . . But the secrets of the unicorns are deeper than anyone could have ever imagined. Does Claire have what it takes to ignite the long-buried magic of this world and wake the fire in the stars? Or will the true salvation of Arden rest on one final and heartbreaking sacrifice?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Unicorns, Childrens, Magic, High Fantasy, Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published February 18, 2020

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! When I picked this up yesterday I was on page 33. I then finished the rest of this 366 page book. This was EVERYTHING! So much action, adventure, suspense, & I just loved it. These just got better & better each book. There was always something happening, keeping you gripped by the story, to where I never felt I could put it down . I HAD to keep going. The ending is beautiful & bittersweet at the same time. While I like my book endings 100% happy, in this case..it’s ok. It wasn’t unhappy by any means, I just wished for something that in reality, wasn’t possible I guess. & that’s ok. Man, I can’t get over how amazing this trilogy was. All parts of the world & all the guilds we met along the way, all come together in here for a final conclusion. & it was EPIC. There were many twists & I am still blown away by the writing talent. This was an intense, fast paced read..full of excitement, adventure, friendship, sister love, & many great underlying messages. I love this world & these characters so much. I will miss them just as much, but it looks like I will get to see more from the world soon! On the authors website it looks like there will be a new book(trilogy maybe?)set in this world w/some characters we met in this book-& it will be The Unicorn Academy. I’m so excited for that! Highly recommend the whole trilogy! Absolutely stunning cover(s) by Vivienne To. Love!💜

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books were not my favorite, they were a little slow at parts of it, but overall they were pretty good, my favorite of the series was the 2nd.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I just really wish that Sophie and Claire weren't split up in the end it was so sad! Everything else was amazing 5 star book!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has my heart. The two sisters have my heart. The series was beautifully written, the plot was clear and the characters had substantial individual personalities. The ending was a bit disappointing and I have so many questions but it was amazing nevertheless. I started reading this series in and around fifth class so I had forgotton a lot that happened beforehand but I actually understood the majority of the events. I know it says 8+ but I believe this book would be great for 11-15 year olds.

[♡Hannah♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best I have ever read. I love unicorns and fantasy lands, but the thing I love the most is the bond between Claire and Sophie.

[Kasey Giard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a finale! I love sister books, so this series has been lots of fun to read. I love that it’s the little sister who’s the star of the books, too. I really enjoyed watching Claire find her gifts and her confidence and her place in the world.

FIRE IN THE STAR brings together a lot of characters from the earlier books, but it’s pretty easy to keep track of everyone as the story kind of refreshes you on who’s who as you read.

I also really loved that in the story, Claire and her allies all need each other, need to work together to save Arden. It meant learning to value one another, trust each other, put aside past grievances, and find a way to work together. Definitely a feel-good story in that sense.

This has been one of my favorite middle grade series, and I really can’t wait to see what Kamilla Benko writes next. She’s an author I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any middle or late elementary school-aged readers.

If you like books by Jessica Day George, you really need to check out The Unicorn Quest series.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole reason why Claire came to the magical land of Arden was always because of her older sister Sophie. Now in the last book of this trilogy, that reason has still not changed, even more so, Claire is on a quest to not only save Arden, but save Sophie. Desperate for her sister to stay safe, Claire embarks on her lone journey to find the last unicorn. Peril after peril await her, from a human eating spider to a queen who will stop at nothing to see the Martinson sisters completely defeated. Will Claire be able to save Sophie in time? Will she be able to save Arden?

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all three books in this series aloud to my 7 year old who loves all thing unicorns. I really enjoyed this series too. Some things definately went over her head, but over all she did follow the story well. This is definately more suited for 11-15 yr olds. The ending was done beautifully and I would read this again.

[joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the ending wrapped up a little too nicely and it was a bit anticlimactic but overall I enjoyed this one. The series is all about magic and sisters and unicorns and it's so sweet. I would definitely recommend this one.

[Jill Furedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started off similarly to the second book, in that all the questing friends are once again separated in the first part - even the sisters this time. Which I realize is causing them to win allies (and potential enemies) in different parts of the land, and different factions, etc. But I did still kind of want to see them back together. I did like the new land Claire explores in Needle Point and the Spyden adventure, and meeting Lyric and Kleo and their mom. But halfway through the book we finally get some of the gang back together again. And they really cram the adventures in - collecting pieces of the crown from the 4 groups, fighting the bad guys and fighting the bad magic, and still learning about this world and their own magic, and trying to bring unicorns back to Arden and trying to save Sophie (from issues in both worlds), and trying to unite warring factions. And Claire pieces stuff together, as she's done before - sure that she's heard details that add up to answers (no chance I'd have come to some of these conclusions, but sure, I'll go along for the ride!). The end of the book brings everything and everyone together nicely. And is it a spoiler to say - yes, we finally get unicorns in book 3 of Unicorn Quest (I mean, it's in the name of the series, so I feel like that should be expected). As I stated in the reviews of the other books, I thought this was a really fun series - I liked the world, I liked the characters, I liked the adventures. I did a quick online search to see if this was optioned for TV or movies and don't see anything so far. Bummer. But I'm happy to have another fun series to pass on to the kiddos whom I gift books to every year, at any rate. I'll look forward to seeing what comes next for this author.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling end to a wildly magical series. The theme of sisterhood ever present in these books was heartwarming.

Edit: I am reading this series again, and it was an even better read than the first time. This tale of sisters and friendship was crafted with great care. The gem throughout the series but for this book in particular, is the dialogue between the sisters. It is accurate, believable, and evocative.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intense final book in The Unicorn Quest trilogy does not disappoint. As the story opens, Claire has left her sister, Sophie, and friends behind in Woven Root in an effort to find a way to stop her sister's transformation into a unicorn. But facing off with a deadly Spyden is only the beginning of her troubles as she also seeks the Crown of Arden in an effort to crown a queen to take on Estelle who threatens to become queen again and wipe out the last unicorn. But the Crown is in four pieces and Claire only has three days to get her hands on all four pieces. Complicating matters is the fact that the first piece she finds is a fake. With the help of her friends and allies, can Claire find a way to defeat Estelle and her wraiths and return unicorns to the land?

Benko concludes her series with a bang. The book contains plenty of excitement. I also found the twists and turns to be interesting as Claire and Sophie try to defeat the former queen and save each other. I also enjoyed the twist of Sophie turning into a unicorn, it made for an intriguing story line. I also enjoyed Claire and Sophie and their friends.They made great characters. The series as a whole does a fine job creating a fantastic and interesting world for the girls to visit. With plenty of ethical dilemmas and challenges facing the characters the books move along at a brisk clip making for an entertaining, yet thoughtful read. The themes revolve around difficult choices, friendship, family, and unity in the face of great threats. All in all, a wonderfully enjoyable series about light vs. dark, friends vs. foes, and love vs. sacrifice.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the whole series out loud to my 8 year old. She really liked it and in general I think it's a wonderful story with good world building, magic system and characters, adventure, friendship, betrayal and action. The writing is a bit too wordy sometimes, which is tiresome when you read it out loud.

The last book had a sad ending and while my daughter thought it made sense and was satisfied, my heart sank as a parent that Sophie gets left behind.

The ending and the many references to sophie's illness lead me to my theory that the entire story is an allegory for coping with death. Claire's sister got sick and died and she tells herself this story that she didn't really die, she went to a magical land where she had to save the day and then she couldn't return because she turned into a unicorn. It's even more sad in this light, but definitely still worth the read.

[Tirzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 is finally here and we have come to the end of Claire and Sophie's journey...at least, what is written down of their journey!

I did not remember a lot from the previous two books, but most of it gradually came back to me as I progressed through the book. Magic, unicorns, wyverns - need I go on? This trilogy is replete with the elements that make an exciting magical adventure. Currently, I am in a state of denial over the ending; in time, I know I will get over it. I recommend for middle school readers as it is a great fantasy read that displays the power of friendship and sibling love.

[Snakestar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all this was a really good book but I was really disappointed with the ending (as in like, the last 2 chapters).
In this book Claire decides to go to the only permanent Spinner town to ask for guidance regarding how to defeat Estelle and how to make Sophie normal again. She learns that only a queen can defeat the queen and immediately thinks of crowning Nadia. Obviously this is easier said than done.
I did tear up at some parts but normally I wouldn't have so... I wouldn't say it's an emotionally challenging book or anything like that.
If you have read The Secret in the Stone then I advise that you read this. I really really liked it, I just wish the ending was different.

[Juliet Brambrink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my daughter, a perceptive 8-year-old. She says, “It makes you feel mature, but it’s a children’s book.”

This book is the conclusion of the series, which follows the Martinson sisters as they attempt to save the kingdom of Arden by bringing back unicorn magic. It’s a well-written and engaging story throughout. It’s a bit much for a third grader, we did it as a read-aloud. And the ending is definitely not “happily ever after,” although Hailey and I definitely had different ideas of (redacted)’s ultimate fate.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 of The Unicorn Quest. This series is perfect for those that must deal with loss. The book is heart-touching. It is the perfect ending to the trilogy and completes what it starts out to do. If you are wanting a fun exciting series that would help those dealing with losing someone close to them, then this series and especially this book. I loved the continued focus as over and over the question is asked, why can’t things just stay the same. A very appropriate novel for younger readers as well. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a perfect ending to the series!

I continue to love Claire and Sophie’s relationship, and even though they spend a lot of the book apart, it still shone from every page which was lovely.

I really enjoyed the finale too - I think it was cleverly woven together and had just the right amount of sense to it all - not too easy and not too hard.

The ending is wonderfully bittersweet and just perfect. This really is a lovely series, I highly recommend it.

[Nyah Pelke · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. This book was incredible. You need to read the entire series, and I promise you will fall in love with it. Even if you don't like unicorns (I don't) You will love this series. It has magic, mystery, friendship, and plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing. This book is so worth it. Shout out to Daisy Hansen for recommending it to me!!

[Adel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Incredible!

This book was one of the best books I ever read. It has all the things a good book needs; adventure, suspense and magic. I also recommend the other books in the series, book 1 and 2, though this one is probably the best. I loved it, it's Incredible!

[Amanda King · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I loved it!

I like to read books that I can enjoy with my 10 year-old daughter, and this series is a gem! Her name is Claire and she has curly hair and loves to draw, just like Claire in the story. This one was perfect for her!

[Brittney Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the other ones. I love it for the great writing, amazing character development, and crazy plot twists.

I don't have much to say about it in a good way. It had everything you'd expect from a 5 star book and was a great series.

[Jen]

I've enjoyed reading this series to my daughter, who has loved it. I think if she rereads it a little older she'll get more out of it as we did have to talk through many things throughout, but she definitely understood as much as she needed to. She LOVES Claire.

[Annaliese · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was slow in the beginning, like the first two books, but definitely the most action packed of all three of them.

Even though I’ve read it before, I didn’t expect to cry at the end! The author has such a beautifully descriptive writing style and the ending just touched my heart

[Glasstown Entertainment · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful ending to a heartfelt, magical series.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME! Though I'm kinda sad 'cause this is the last book and in the end, Sophie - oops! no spoilers! Sorry!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent ending to the trilogy. Wraps the story up nicely, plenty of action, twists and turns.

[Caitie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending to an incredible series!

[The · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great tale of magic and sisterhood. I am the only one who want to know more about what their parent's were doing?

[Tameka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't ruin the ending for anyone. But, believe me when I say that you want to yourself a good box of tissues before you start reading the ending of this book! 🥰🦄👧🏻👧🏻