The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

FROM THE PUBLISHER

SHE WAS MAGICAL, BEAUTIFUL BEYOND BELIEF - AND COMPLETELY ALONE...

The unicorn had lived since before memory in a forest where death could touch nothing. Maidens who caught a glimpse of her glory were blessed by enchantment they would never forget. But outside her wondrous realm, dark whispers and rumors carries a message she could not ignore: "Unicorns are gone from the world."
Aided by a bumbling magician and an indominable spinster, she set out to learn the truth. But she geared even her immortal wisdom meant nothing in a world where a mad king's curse and terror incarnate lived only to stalk the last unicorn to her doom. . .

This is one of my all time favorite books, a book that is worthy of multiple readings. It's a classic as far as I am concerned, and no self-respecting fantasy genre addict would skip it! Read it, just go out and get it. Working in a library, I am well informed about the new books coming out. I am sad to say I think we have hit a rut in the book world. There is nothing I am extremely excited about on the horizon. Everything seems to be a sequel - because apparently every book needs a sequel, even those that suck! Now there are some non-series books coming out but they all seem to be clones of books that already exist. Time to read what came before and jump into the classics. This book is a great place to start.