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Title | The Thirteenth Unicorn
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Author | W.D. Newman
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Cover Art | ---
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Publisher | 2011
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First Printing | 2011
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Title | The Black Dragon
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Author | W.D. Newman
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Cover Art | ---
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Publisher | 2012
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First Printing | 2012
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Title | The Final Prophecy
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Author | W.D. Newman
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Cover Art | ---
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Publisher | 2014
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First Printing | 2014
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Category | Middle-grade
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Warnings | None
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Main Characters | Ben, Casey, Louise, Amos, Hob, Nob, Gob, Marcus, Gabriel
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Main Elements | Dwarves, Elves, Dragons, Wizards
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Website | ---
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 The Thirteenth Unicorn
While spending the summer with their grandparents on a remote farm in South Carolina, Ben Alderman and his sister Casey uncover a hidden world of magic; a world their grandmother is secretly visiting. It is a world where elves and dwarves are locked in mortal combat against a witch who is trying to free the last surviving wizard from exile. The witch has been defeated once before but with the combined power of the wizard, no one will be able to stand against them. Much to Ben's dismay, he learns that he is the one foretold in the ancient elfin prophecies to bring about the downfall of the witch and save this exciting new world from destruction.
The Black Dragon
Ben, Casey, and their Grandma must join forces once again with Amos, the shape shifter, to save Camelot from the dragon that's bent on destroying it. But first, they must rescue their friends, Gabriel and Hob, from Kahzidar and recover the staff of Merlin!
The Final Prophecy
It's spring break and a visit to the Alderman farm leads to another exciting adventure in Camelot. Marcus, the elfin mage known as the Keeper, has been captured by Bellator, the mightiest of the twelve Immortals. Bellator is holding Marcus for ransom until Excalibur, the sword blessed by the Creator, is returned to him, but no one knows where the sword is located. Was the final prophecy of Venus given to provide hope in times of darkness or was it intended as a warning? Is Ben really the chosen one? Will he save Camelot... or destroy it?
I'd download this trilogy for free at Kobo.com so when I started reading I was prepared for it not to be very good. But sometimes with the free books you find something that is better than the books you have to pay for! This was a very enjoyable series. You have two kids from our modern Earth, who with their grandmother, discover a portal to a world filled with magic and discover that they may be key to fulfilling a prophecy to save that world.
The characters were fun and you very quickly got to liking them and worrying about what will happen to them next. The writing is clean and clear and the plot keeps the reader interested, I don't think I ever really got bored. And you find yourself caught up in the mystery of the prophecy, of unravelling it's meaning, after all prophecies always seem to be intentionally vague and can be interpreted in many different ways. There are twists and surprises along the way, and of course some wonderful world building.
Personally, I found it a bit weird to tie it very loosely into the Arthurian legend, with a sword called Excalibur (though it does explain where it came from, i.e. it's not of this world), and that there is land called Camelot with dwarves and elves but no knights, and a wizard called Merlin who comes from yet another world. But on the whole it worked, and younger readers probably won't even notice this quirk as anything unusual.
So I recommend this series highly, even for adults. With all that grimdark stuff out there, it's nice to read something a little more innocent and lighthearted, where the protagonists and their allies are for the most part happy well adjusted people, nothing dark or angsty, and with great quests to be completed by the most unexpected of heroes. And where you don't have to wield a sword to kill a dragon, nor topple a evil kingdom by force. Like I said, prophecies can have funny ways of fulfilling themselves!
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