The Well of the Unicorn
core novel 1948 The Well of the Unicorn
Record
| First published | 1948 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.42 (898 ratings, collected 2026-08-27) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780345283597 |
Synopsis
The Well of the Unicorn, published in 1948, is set in the land of Dalarna under the harsh taxation and rule of the occupying Vulkings, and follows Airar Alvarson, one of the region's dispossessed yeomen, after he is stripped of his family's land for failing to pay the Vulkings' levies. Left with little but his grievance, Airar falls in with a magician who becomes his mentor and guide, and through him is drawn into the underground resistance movement known as the Iron Ring, which is working to throw off Vulking rule. As Airar moves from a powerless dispossessed farmer toward a role in the growing rebellion, the novel follows his political education alongside the resistance's efforts to organize scattered opposition into something capable of challenging the occupying power.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Well of the Unicorn
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Fletcher Pratt
Notes
- A dispossessed yeoman rises through resistance warfare against occupying forces to become a leader grappling with questions of honor and governance. First published under the pseudonym George U. Fletcher; later reissued under Pratt's own name. Critic David Pringle included it among the 100 best fantasy novels (Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels, 1988). This is a separate, solo work from the Harold Shea novels Pratt co-wrote with L. Sprague de Camp.
Sources
← The Well of the Unicorn dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.