The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.

Those of us who love The Last Unicorn treasure that first sentence, and it truly is a marvel as an opening from both a reader’s and a writer’s perspective. The subtle fantasy nature of the story is evident from those first few words: “The unicorn lived in a lilac wood…” These words can open few other stories, even in the fantasy genre, and the fact of the matter is that a subtle opening is often forgotten for one of drama and bombast.

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