Ember Spark and the Unicorn's Secret

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Pub Date 24 Apr 2025 | Archive Date 23 Apr 2025
Simon and Schuster UK Children's | Simon & Schuster Children's UK

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Description

The third title in this magical SERIES filled with adventure, wonder and edge-of-your-seat excitement, set in a world of daring dragons and magical maladies by the best-selling author of Sky Song, Abi Elphinstone . . .
‘This new fantasy series for younger readers is bubbling with action and imagination… A joy.’ The Daily Mail

'Elphinstone has the confidence to embrace fantasy's most popular tropes - unicorns, dragons, dark-hearted villains - and make them thoroughly her own.'  TheTelegraph

Ember Spark, vet to magical beasts, is whisked off on a surprise flight, destination unknown! Soon she and her friend, Arno, find themselves deep in the Amazon rainforest. And with a new arch-villain tracking their every move, only a unicorn’s secret can save them...

Praise for Ember Spark:
‘A total masterclass in high-action, high-stakes, high-fun adventure.’
Emma Carroll, author of Letters from the Lighthouse
 
‘Quirky and magical, this wonderful adventure proves what everyone should know – Abi Elphinstone is a writer to be cherished.’ Phil Earle, author of When the Sky Falls
 
‘Ember Spark herself is a wonderful heroine – she’s brave, curious and always up for an adventure.’ Katie Tsang, author of the Dragon Realm series
 
‘I adored Ember Spark. Abi is a master storyteller . . . she’s created a thrilling adventure fizzing with heart and magic and wonder.’ Zohra Nabi, author of The Kingdom over the Sea
 
‘Kids are going to go wild for this joyful, moving, thrill-ride of a book, guaranteed to leave you smiling. Every word is magic.’ Lauren St John, author of The White Giraffe series

‘Sure to ignite any reader’s imagination and warm their heart. Wonderful and wonder-filled!’ Andy Shepherd, author of The Boy who Grew Dragons

'Utterly charming, wonderfully wild and sprinkled with gutsy characters, dastardly villains & magical creatures galore . . .' Jo Clarke, author of The Travelling School Mysteries
 
 'Ember Spark is bursting with adventure, magic & that very special Abi Elphinstone sparkle . . .' Mel Taylor-Bessent, author of The Christmas Carrolls

The third title in this magical SERIES filled with adventure, wonder and edge-of-your-seat excitement, set in a world of daring dragons and magical maladies by the best-selling author of Sky Song...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781398537989
PRICE £7.99 (GBP)
PAGES 224

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Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

Ember is the small but mighty superhero I love reading about. Her fantastic adventures while being an apprentice vet for magical beasts are perfectly written.

In this adventure, Wmber and Arno are on the trail of the next magical beast stealing villain when they are snatched into the sky and taken to the rainforest in Brazil. There they meet Tabitha Bone, creator of Glamtastic, new beauty products made from magical beasts. She wants to take all their magic and leave them for dead. Ember and Arno must make some bold decisions, trust in each other am and boldly go into the jungle in search of a riddle, a secret and each other.

Meeting Tuggety Vine is a revelation for Ember, as she is just like, Gutsy z wonder,her favourite superhero. Tuggety helps E,her to realise that promises are made to be kept. She helps her see that superheroes don’t work alone as well.

Enchanting, adventurous and perfect!

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This is one series I can say with my whole heart I absolutely adore. Ember Spark’s adventures continue to get more and more magical as the series progresses and Unicorn’s Secret is no exception. Abi Elphinstone has created a universe with so much possibility, fun, action and comradery that I hope there are plenty more adventures of Ember Spark to come!

I have to admit, I did find myself wondering who TB could possibly be at the end of the last book, and I was made up to find out their identity. It was a direction that I could’ve never seen the book going but I am so glad I did as there’s a much bigger lesson for children and adult readers alike to learn there. Additionally, their villainous demeanour and characterisation make them the perfect archenemy for this sequel, and I LOVED it. Supported by Armpit and Monkfish, they were a trio I enjoyed seeing our own trio go up against.

A surprising turn I didn’t foresee but liked wandering along with was the friction between Ember and Arno in this book and how they navigate that. With Ember having become used to being the hero, it was interesting watching her understand that sometimes the hero isn’t always the hero and superheroes don’t work alone. I think there were multiple lessons younger readers can take from this about sharing responsibility, handling jealousy, taking accountability and moving on. This was a brilliant development point from Abi Elphinstone.

Finally, where would this series be without the new characters we’re introduced to in every book. Tenterhooks, Rascal, Tuggerty Vine, and more, alongside a deeper look into Ember’s father, were wonderful additions to the series. When supported by the returning faces and creatures, it made this world feel truly endless with possibilities and I cannot wait to see where Ember Spark heads off to next!

Ember Spark and the Unicorn’s Secret is the DREAM third instalment in this miraculous series. Ideal for readers aged 7-9, I think this will be a brilliant Spring/Summer read for any animal lover, adventure grabber, and fantasy fan alike! If you haven’t yet, go preorder while I ponder whether I’m too old to see a unicorn!

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Ember and Arno are back for their third adventure. This time, it's the start of the Christmas holidays and after a trip to see Rusty, the pair are on their way to meet Ember's dad for lunch when they are kidnapped and flown to the depths of the Amazon rainforest, where the evil Tabitha Bone hopes to use their skills with magical creatures to develop her wonder skincare company. The pair will need to have their wits about them if they are to save the creatures and themselves.
Anybody who knows me, will know how much love I have for Abi's books and this series captured my heart from the first book. (You can read my review of Ember Spark And The Thunder of Dragons here and Ember Spark And The Frost Phoenix here) so the chance to read an early copy of Ember Spark And The Unicorn's Secret was too great to resist.

Once again, the book is full of love and joy, wrapped up in Abi's uniquely wonderful way of writing (I will always adore the names she creates for characters). However, this time, danger lurks from the beginning, with a kidnapping and a a host of magical creature's lives at stake as well as their own. Ember and Arno are opposites who compliment each other perfectly: whilst Ember is feisty and loves the thrill of adventure, Arno is measured and prefers to plan everything, and it's this combination that helps them to navigate the danger they face.

It was wonderful to be back with so many familiar characters as well as getting to know some new ones. There are some truly dastardly characters that readers will love to hate Ember Spark And the Unicorn's Secret is everything I hoped it would be and more: full of magic and possibility, reading it is like being wrapped in a warm embrace, catching up with a friend you haven't seen in a while, and the perfect escape from reality.

Publishing 24th April, Ember Spark And The Unicorn's Secret is a book that needs to be pre-ordered.

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I am a huge fan of Abi Elphinstone and was really looking forward to the third installment of Ember Spark. I think this one might just be my favourite. Set in the rainforest, Ember and Arnold go on another adventure to save magical creatures.
Thoroughly recommend.

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I was pleasantly surprised by how accessible the language is in this book. I am a fan of the author and her works usually are more suitable for UKS 2 students or up but this one is surprisingly less challenging. The story is fun and exciting and the heroine is absolutely adorable.

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This book could very well be the high point in the childrens Easter holidays. I offered them Easter eggs or the new Ember Spark book and without a seconds delay they all answered Ember Spark ! I really could not have let them read it before the holidays as apparently they need sleep and with all of Abi Elphinstones books, the children forget this and read through the night. All of them thought it was the best book they had ever read (I suspect even grumpy grandad enjoyed it , he said that he was helping the younger ones but they all have reading ages beyond ours). All in an excellent read for all ages.

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