Finalist, Children's Literature, 1999 Saskatchewan Book Awards

A gripping tale of courage, loyalty, and the fight for hope in a world on the edge.

In the Kingdom of the Heartland, where magic is thought of as nothing more than centuries-old legend, Nels, a young flutist scraping by in a ragtag theatrical troupe, stumbles upon a deadly secret: a mysterious black unicorn carving, thrumming with ancient power. Thrust into his hands by a dying stranger, it makes Nels the target of the Red Horseman, a sinister agent of the Blood Empire, seeking to destroy the ancient Wall that is all that protects the Heartland from the rapacious forces of its ancient enemy.

Fleeing through a land scarred by destruction, Nels finds an unlikely ally in Dart, a cunning thief with a shadowy past. Together, they brave treacherous forests, ruined villages, and the terrors of a reawakening magic that could either doom or save their world. As the Wall weakens and monstrous fiend-soldiers close in, Nels must unlock the unicorn's power-a power tied to his heart and the bonds he dares to forge.

Can Nels wield the Dark Unicorn's magic to restore the Wall and save the Heartland, or will the Blood Empire's shadow consume them all?