Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee

Ever wish you had the talent to fix things so they would never again be broken? Tanaquil, the protagonist of Black Unicorn has that skill. Estranged from her sorceress mother, Tanaquil longs to leave the walls of her palace home and venture out in the world. With the help of a bothersome peeve, Tanaquil stumbles on the sparkling bones of a unicorn. In repairing the skeleton, the unicorn comes to life and leads Tanaquil on an excellent adventure.

Tanith Lee is one of my favorite SF/F writers for her poetic prose and amazing ability to craft unique worlds that jump off the page and haunt the halls of my mind. This was my first introduction to her works, and I've been a fan ever since. Black Unicorn has the quality I demand of all first books in a series: it stands on its own. I didn't need to read the other two books (though I did) to feel satisfied with the ending. It remains one of my favorite books to this day, transcending the YA category to rightfully claim the title of poetic literature.