Unicorns of Balinor is a series by Mary Stanton

Mary Stanton

Mary Stanton is an American author. She is most famous for her eight-volume children's fantasy series Unicorns of Balinor, about a young princess who must return to her kingdom to regain all of her memories, her throne, and to return peace to her world.Under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop she is the...

 for young reader

Young adult literature

Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...

s, especially those enchanted by creatures like unicorn

Unicorn

The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...

s, centaur

Centaur

In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...

s, and the like.
The story begins with a young girl, Ari, who is recovering in the hospital and suffers from memory loss after a mysterious accident. Her only prominent and familiar memory is a strong connection to Chase, one of the horses at the Glacier River Farm where Ari lives with her foster parents, Ann and Frank. However, Ann and Frank realise they cannot afford Ari's medical bills and decide to lease Chase for riding lessons to the obnoxious and spoiled Lori Carmichael. Heartbroken to see her horse being treated badly, Ari runs away with Chase and her faithful collie, Lincoln. They do not get far before the group, along with Lori, fall through the mysterious Gap, a pathway between worlds.

The group lands in Balinor, a magical land of unicorns, plagued by an evil and intangible entity known as the Shifter. Ari is revealed to be the missing Princess Arianna, heir to the throne of Balinor, and Chase is the unicorn known as the Sunchaser, Lord of the Animals. With help from Atalanta, a Celestial Valley Unicorn known as the Dreamspeaker, and Tobiano, an obnoxious paint unicorn, they are to first recover the Sunchaser's broken horn and then the Royal Scepter to defeat the Shifter and restore the balance of magic in Balinor.

Characters

• Arianna "Ari" Langley

Ari is left with amnesia when the Shifter cast a spell to make her forget who she was when the Dreamspeaker took her away into hiding. Ever since then, she has been in the hospital with two broken legs to show what she actually went through. Her only vivid memories were of her beloved horse named Chase; he is actually a unicorn whose horn was broken off on the day of the Great Betrayal. Her hair is the same color of Chase's mane and tail. She has sky blue eyes and is thirteen at the start of the series.

• Sunchaser

Known also as Chase, but only Ari and the people he knows best can call him Chase. Sunchaser is Arianna's Bonded unicorn. While in Balinor, he and Ari can speak through their minds as a more personal way to speak. He is also the Lord of the Animals. When they first returned to Balinor, Sunchaser was thought to be just a unicorn having lost his horn when it was shattered in a great battle. He is also kin to Atalanta herself and is brother to Rednal, leader of the red band. Chase is bronze-colored with deep mahogany eyes, has solid bronze hooves, and his mane and his tail are the same shade of Ari's hair. He is one of the largest unicorns, with a sharp ebony horn, and at the base of his horn is the ruby that holds his personal magic.

• Atalanta

A Celestial Unicorn known as the Dreamspeaker. Known also as the Lady of the Moon, Atalanta is a beautiful silver-and-violet unicorn who dwells in the Celestial Valley. Her mate is Numinor, the Golden One. When the Shifter first took over Balinor, Atalanta sent Chase and Arianna to Glacier River Farm to protect them from harm. Atalanta's nature is generally sweet, and she often visits Arianna in her dreams to warn her of danger, or to offer her advice.

• Moloth

Head of the Shadow herd, Moloth is a fierce shadow unicorn who is also the Shifter's right-hand servant. Able to change into a crow, Moloch has been used for many spy missions. At the end of Shadows Over Balinor Moloth and Chase engage in a fight which resulted in Chase, unwillingly and at Ari's request, letting the large coal-black unicorn go. The whereabouts of Moloth are currently unknown. When The Shifter went into hiding, Moloth did not join him, instead, a shadow unicorn a few ranks under him, Tiama, replaced him.

• Lori Carmichael

An ordinary girl from our world, Lori comes from a wealthy family and is somewhat spoiled. When Chase was to be sold to Lori's family, Ari ran away with Chase and Lori followed her. Lori ends up in Balinor with Ari and becomes one of her closest friends, though she still remains rather overbearing.

• Finn

Originally from the desert country known as Deridia, Finn is a faithful and trust-worthy companion of the Princess. He helps Arianna and the Sunchaser win the Trial by Fire and eventually becomes the Captain of the Royal Cavalry. He initially rides Rednal, but when Rednal had to return to the Celestial Valley, Finn started to ride the Royal unicorn Beecher instead.

• Dr. Eliane Bohnes

Ari's faithful nurse, who accompanied Ari, Chase, and Anale (Ann) and Frank to the Glacier River Farm to protect Ari. Before she was a wizard in Balinor who served in the royal palace. When Ari and Chase return to Balinor, Dr. Bohnes follows her to ensure that Ari remains well.

• Lincoln

A collie who is loyal to Arianna and Sunchaser. He turns out to be a frog-like creature named Gully who is the link between Balinor and earth, and is the only one capable of opening the doorway.

• Numinor

Leader of the herd of Celestial Unicorns, known as the Golden One. He is the mate of Atalanta.

• Rednal

A Celestial Unicorn, brother of Sunchaser. He is the leader of the Red Band of the Celestial Unicorns.

• Tobiano

A Celestial Unicorn, known also Toby. He tends to be very rude, especially to Lori. But even though he is rude he is loyal and true to the Celestial Valley herd and his friends.

• The Scepter

The royal scepter of Balinor, capable of speech and offers advice, though never provides any direct clear advice when Arianna requires it. The only way for anyone to ask it advice must be in question form. Its shaft has a lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color....

 unicorn with sapphire

Sapphire

Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...

 eyes atop it.In THE VALLEY OF FEAR, Ari gets it, one of the Six.

• Lady Kylie

Originally a lady-in-waiting

Lady-in-waiting

A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...

to the royal family of Balinor, Lady Kylie is revealed to be a follower of Entia and can take the form of a snake.

• The Shifter

Known as Entia, the most evil being in Balinor. His name, the Shifter, derives from his ability to shift into any form for a limited amount of time. When the moon is dark (as in Earth's new moon), it is called the Night of the Shifter's Moon, and nobody can use magic for positive means. Eventually, Entia was driven into hiding, with his new right hand, Tiama.

• The Old One

The Old Mare of the Mountain, a mysterious unicorn mare, the Beholder Of The Deep Magic. She is mentor to Atalanta.

Books

1. The Road to Balinor (1999)
2. Sunchaser's Quest (1999)
3. Valley of Fear (1999)
4. By Fire, by Moonlight (1999)
5. Search for the Star (1999)
6. Secrets of the Scepter (2000)
7. Night of the Shifter's Moon (2000)
8. Shadows over Balinor (2000)
   • Unicorns of Balinor (omnibus 1–3) (2006)