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The Secret of the Unicorn Queen #4
Into the Dream
Sheila McCarthy returns to the magical kingdom of Arren, only to discover that Mardock, the evil wizard, has found a way to make the unicorns disappear
123 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Suzanne Weyn
208 books649 followersSuzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl, she was very interested in theatre and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities. Even today, if she goes too long without seeing the ocean, she starts feeling restless.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
Suzanne now lives in upper New York State with her husband, two teen daughters and Abby the cat. Her house is at the edge of the woods and is nearly 200 years old. She graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton and received her master's degree from Pace University. She teaches part-time at City College in New York.
Suzanne's other books for Simon Pulse include South Beach Sizzle, a romantic comedy written with Diana Gonzalez. Her novels for the Simon Pulse line "Once Upon a Time" are The Night Dance: A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince, and The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumplestiltskin. She very much enjoys rethinking these classic tales from an original point of view, always looking for the real psychological underpinning of the story. Suzanne is currently doing revisions on her fourth book in the line, which will be coming in 2009.
Suzanne's other recent novels are include The Bar Code Tattoo (2004) and its sequel, The Bar Code Rebellion (2006). The Bar Code Tattoo was selected by the American Library Assoc. (ALA) as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and was a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction. It is currently translated into German and was nominated for the 2007 Jugenliteraturpreis for Young People's Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 24, 2015
I started reading "Secret of the Unicorn Queen" when I was around 12-years-old. These are the books that made me fall in love with scifi/Fantasy. Take a normal girl (Shelia), and drop her into a parallel universie with unicorns, a cute boy and an evil tyrant who must be defeated and you've got the makings of a great story. Plus Shelia, has her back-pack full of your basic normal school stuff but that "normal sutff" equates to life-saving magic in the Unicorn Queen's relm.
These books are safe for girls of all ages and that's one of the reasons I love them so much.
Book four, has Shelia returning back to the relm of the Unicorn Queen after being home for a few weeks. When she returns homes she's a different girl -- stonger and more confident but she can't get her friends in Arren. She goes agains Dr. Reit and sneaks back to Arren to find her friends much changed!
These books are safe for girls of all ages and that's one of the reasons I love them so much.
Book four, has Shelia returning back to the relm of the Unicorn Queen after being home for a few weeks. When she returns homes she's a different girl -- stonger and more confident but she can't get her friends in Arren. She goes agains Dr. Reit and sneaks back to Arren to find her friends much changed!
May 1, 2021
I love reading be about sheila the warrior princess and all her adventures in a parallel universe. Time stands still when she returns home. As must read for all ages!
September 18, 2022
It’s been fun revisiting this series. I had forgotten the main character defeats the evil wizard with a water pistol. So bad it’s good.
March 13, 2014
Synopsis: "When Sheila McCarthy first landed in the magical kingdom of Arren, all she could think about was how to get back home. But surrounded by her new friends, the beautiful unicorns and their courageous Unicorn Queen, she soon realized that hanging out in an enchanted land and doing battle with an evil wizard beat going to high school any day....
Sheila has been home for a month - and not a day passes that she doesn't wonder what's going on in the magical world of Arren. When Dr. Reit shows her the improvements made in his transporter, Sheila sees her chance. She sneaks into his laboratory and plunges through the portal - back to Arren and into her most dangerous adventure ever!
Her old enemy, the evil wizard Mardock, has found a way to make the unicorns disappear - and Sheila and her warrior friends must journey to an exotic land of pyramids and evil spells to save them. But Dr. Reit has followed her through the portal - and is captured by the dreaded sorcerer himself!"
My Review: I kind of wished that the series had concluded after the last book. At times during this book it felt like a repeat of previous events. The Unicorn Warriors are once again faced with the same battle and same enemy they have previously fought. I did like how some of the dynamics between the characters had changed with the time apart. Though again so many of the characters I had come to enjoy took a back seat if they made an appearance at all. I am kind of finding the series to be up and down for me. Maybe it is because there are so many authors involved with their own writing voices and at times it seems their own agendas for the storyline and characters.
Sheila has been home for a month - and not a day passes that she doesn't wonder what's going on in the magical world of Arren. When Dr. Reit shows her the improvements made in his transporter, Sheila sees her chance. She sneaks into his laboratory and plunges through the portal - back to Arren and into her most dangerous adventure ever!
Her old enemy, the evil wizard Mardock, has found a way to make the unicorns disappear - and Sheila and her warrior friends must journey to an exotic land of pyramids and evil spells to save them. But Dr. Reit has followed her through the portal - and is captured by the dreaded sorcerer himself!"
My Review: I kind of wished that the series had concluded after the last book. At times during this book it felt like a repeat of previous events. The Unicorn Warriors are once again faced with the same battle and same enemy they have previously fought. I did like how some of the dynamics between the characters had changed with the time apart. Though again so many of the characters I had come to enjoy took a back seat if they made an appearance at all. I am kind of finding the series to be up and down for me. Maybe it is because there are so many authors involved with their own writing voices and at times it seems their own agendas for the storyline and characters.
February 7, 2026
I remember this book as being one of my favorites in the series, and that feeling has remained as I re-read this series. I really enjoy when portal-style fantasies acknowledge the disappointment and boredom a character must feel when they return home from an amazing to adventure to continue on with high school and mundane daily life. Sheila's drive to get back to Campora was really relatable, because I as the reader really wanted her to get back to Campora. I wanted the story to continue.
(I also really enjoyed her picking up modern-day gifts for everyone)
I am not sure how I feel about Zanara-Ki, except that her characterization is very token-Asian and relies on some pretty racist stereotypes. I am sad that so many characters had so little to do (I miss Myno and Nanine and darling Pelu). The pissing contest between Darian and the Hickorite dude was PAINFUL and I am getting sick of Laric swooping in for last minute rescues. The writing is still terrible and the dialogue is even worse. Plus, Mardock is just laughable at this point. He is so easily tricked that he has ceased as efficacy as a villain.
But, what can I say, I love these silly books, regardless how campy they are. <3
(I also really enjoyed her picking up modern-day gifts for everyone)
I am not sure how I feel about Zanara-Ki, except that her characterization is very token-Asian and relies on some pretty racist stereotypes. I am sad that so many characters had so little to do (I miss Myno and Nanine and darling Pelu). The pissing contest between Darian and the Hickorite dude was PAINFUL and I am getting sick of Laric swooping in for last minute rescues. The writing is still terrible and the dialogue is even worse. Plus, Mardock is just laughable at this point. He is so easily tricked that he has ceased as efficacy as a villain.
But, what can I say, I love these silly books, regardless how campy they are. <3
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October 3, 2014Haven't read since a young child. Loved it then.
September 29, 2015
One of my favorite childhood series. I think I read this series all the way through at least five times.
December 31, 2010
My favorite series from my childhood. I probably re-read it every 2-3 years.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews