A Glory of Unicorns, compiled and edited by Bruce Coville, has been a staple on my fantasy shelf for years. Given me as a gift, it has continued to tickle my imagination whenever it needed a jumpstart.

A Glory of Unicorns is an anthology, containing twelve stories by as many authors. They are all entirely centered on unicorns, unicorn lore, unicorn believers, and unicorn by-products. They shimmer from page to page, wonderful and usually white. However, these aren't the usual boring white stallion with foam core horn, usually found lurking in fantasy books. Instead, each author has ingested the pop culture and old lore of the unicorn, and has written a story about their unicorn. One is ugly; one is made of fire; one is thin and old. Some of them talk, and some of them just exist for our benefit.

Unicorns have, throughout time, been carriers of peace, good tidings, and other fluttery sentiments, and these stories are no exception. The overall style is what saves it- these unicorns have taken on a little modern grit, and the message of peace is often borne, as is fit, into a place ravaged and war torn, or at least severely tried. The unicorns aren't always the central focus, either, but serve as catalyst or aid to a compelling human counterpart or cast of characters, so that flowing white manes like rippling moon gossamer don't end up eating the plot. While much of the material smacks of feel-good adolescent girl fiction, all of the stories actually have a leg on which to stand, and often a strong one at that.

Those plots stick with you, too. I have caught myself musing over a story that I can't quite place, only to remember that it is a part of this collection. Allegory or otherwise, the messages that are meant to last, last; the editor has been wise in his selection, because each story has a distinct hook that latches into your mind and stays there, drawing you back time after time.

Overall, this is the perfect gift for a younger relation, a dreamer of any age, or for yourself. It is ideal for reading in a grassy field on a sunny summer's day, as the smashed grass blades and earwigs in my copy can attest.

Genre: Fantasy
Plot: High
Giggles: High
Violence: Minimal and distant
Sex: Nonexistent
Language: Eloquent but inoffensive

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