The Unicorn War

This fifth and final volume of Lee's Unicorn Saga (The Unicorn Peace, etc.) proceeds like an expert chess match: brilliant strategies are enacted as political intrigue and daring battles abound, but the characters have about as much color and life as plastic pieces being pushed about on a board. Soon after young Weatherwards are kidnapped from their outposts, the Mage of Strand, Jarrod Courtak of the Magical Lands, finds himself pitted against his former allies, the Emperor Varodias and his bastard son, Malum of Quern. Jarrod must enlist the aid of his unicorn friends to help win this war-and, in so doing, discover a way for the unicorns to gain a safe haven among humankind. Many loose ends from the previous volumes are neatly tied, so loyal followers of these adventures are likely to be pleased, but anyone hoping for something original, exciting or magical will probably be disappointed by what is, ultimately, a lackluster work. (July)