The Unicorn Crisis

The Hidden Academy #1

by Jon Rosenberg

Someone has summoned a Unicorn to a field south of Stratford-upon-Avon causing David Ash's day to go straight to hell. Now he has to confront shotgun wielding drug dealers, murderous strangers and psychotic fairies and all to find out who stole one of Oberon's personal pets. He better do it soon, or it will mean an all out conflict between The Fairy Court and The Hidden Academy. Worse, as back up all Ash can muster is a soap opera loving Welsh elf and an American Summoner who doesn't trust him one inch. This would be bad enough, but, as the mystery unravels, Ash forms a nagging suspicion that the heart of this problem lies in his own worst nightmare, the one he's been trying to forget for over a decade.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Urban, Science Fiction Fantasy, Humor

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2011

Reviews

[wordsandmusic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and characters immensely, and devoured the book in two sittings, but was irritated from time to time by slips in proofreading; spellcheckers are not always our friend in this matter!

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now and again a book comes along that just has everything you need to make time stop while you cuddle up and read to your hearts content. This is one of those books. It has strong solid characters that are memorable with a lot of depth. The author has created villains that you might even feel sorry for and good guys that may annoy you from time to time. I loved the use of Shakespearean characters and Fae mythology and must admit that although Puck is a tiny bit psycho he is also extremely funny. I eagerly await the next installment and enjoyed the read a lot.

[Simon Densham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fun ride from start to finish. A solid story with charecters you cared for, I loved the second book and hoping for some more. It was the perfect train book for my morning trip to work. Highly recommed it

[Sarah Leenart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as an 'if you liked this book then you'll also like' from Amazon after wondering what to read in a similar style to Ben Aaronovitch. I was not disappointed. It took me a chapter or 2 to get into but after that I could not put it down. David Ash is an extremely likeable and unassuming character, determined to amend for his wrong doings of the past and therefore driven by a very clear sense of right and wrong and a powerful belief in the Hidden Academy, an age old institution set up by summoners to protect the world from all the things in the night that go bump and really do exist.

I loved the set up and premise of the world but it skirted a very fine line with being believable in all it's magical happenings under the noses of unsuspecting humans, but it just about pulled it off. I was guessing the whole way through as to who were really the bad and the good guys, something I love in a book. I also loved the fact that I had to use my brain to follow what was going on and to keep up with the story and the world in which it was set. I don't come across many books set in the UK and even less which are not set in London and this was another huge reason for my enjoyment. I loved the whole book and I will definitely be going on to buy the next 2 books which are currently available in the series. A great series starter, I really enjoyed this.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot....the main character seemed fairly normal considering, and we weren't made to wait forever to find out what awful deed he had done in his youth(pretty hate of mine, having hints dropped for too long).
I liked the mixing of magic, fairy and all manner of creatures, along with a bit of humour, mostly supplied by Llewellyn I think (who had me reading the first chapter in a suspect Welsh accent!).
Fun,and quick paced, will be looking out for more of these.

[Denise Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read fantasy novels, but this had good reviews and I fansied something different. It was really good. Well imagined and in an area I know well, so I could just picture those Unicorns battling in Stratford. Lovely reworking of some SHakespear characters and generally a really good read.

[Ceejay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book, and refreshingly different to many sci Fi/Fantasy books I have read. Suffice it to say that any book that Jon writes will be on my Kindle as soon after publication as possible. Something tells me he is going to be a busy and much read author in the future - actually that should be from now into the future.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first novel in a hopefully long series, if you like the Dresden Files or Felix Castor bookss then you have no excuse not to own this book!

Excellently written with a plot that steams right through to the finish, and the sequel is even better. Jon Rosenberg has been added to my list of authors to regularly check, just to see when the next book is out.

[Debi Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on Kindle whilst waiting for Ben Aaronovich to get his finger out and write more stuff about The Folly. I thought it had a silly title, but in actual fact the coincept of the story is pretty good.

Just one thing Mr Rosenberg, whilst your ideas are excellent, you left plenty of sepllign mitstseaks. Please make sure you have a good proofer for your next offering.

[alisonisreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a 97p eBook this was a real surprise of a read. I liked the characters and the plot; if you enjoy Ben Aaronovitch's books then this is definitely worth a look.

[Lynn Mcinroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating combination of modern England and mythology.

[Mel Horne · Rating 5 out of 5]

found this on kindle and loved it. Interesting fun exciting a real pleasure to read.

[Cst · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first thought was, that this is very basic urban fantasy. Then I kept reading.

Frankly, there is not that much in here. The setup is barely fleshed out enough to create the needed universe. Someone who has never read urban fantasy before might have problems, someone who knows the genre has the relevant infos after the first few pages, if not the synopsis. The characters never become real and the conflicts are insultingly simple.
While the story might not be much, the way it is told makes up for many shortcomings, even though it doesn’t always work.

This is urban fantasy at its most basic. Nevertheless, it is entertaining and I never felt it wasn’t worth the price.

[Andrew Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to an intriguing series

I first read these books a dozen years ago. I was trawling my Kindle Library and re-discovered the first three.
This one is, like the others, well plotted wi enough little twists to keep the reader guessing, well drawn and sufficiently relatable characters and the plot is well paced: right from the start it gets cracking, and the back story is nicely woven in to the novel, rather than a long slow build of an imagined alternate history.
Brilliant read if you enjoy fantasy thrillers.

[C Patrick Daily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather liked this book, the start of a series I'll have to follow to see if it gets better. I like the take on magic and while the idea of a secret society that protects people from harmful magic and its users is a trope in itself these days, that doesn't mean it's boring by any means. I love a good urban paranormal mystery and I hope the characters grow with the series, especially the protagonist and his guardian elf.

[Ted Bun · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining read.
Unicorns appearing where they are banned, Titania Queen of the Fairies vamping, while our hero, ably assistant by his 1000 year old elf companion and an eighty year old woman (who looks 30) tries to restore order to the West Midlands.
Fun fantasy ... I have book 2 on the go already!

[Ben Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking entry into a world where the impossible is not just possible, but damn right probable. Great characters with definite room for them all to grow as the series continues. The story rolls along at an excellent pace which makes a perfect tome to relax and enjoy something a little different than the usual fare out there.
Not sure what to pick up next then definitely give this a go.

[Robert Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not ground breaking

Good read, interesting characters but nothing that caught me and said I must read the rest of the series. I like fantasy and si-fi but maybe magic just does not float my boat. Might get round the the rest if I have some down time but to many more interesting series to be getting on with.

[Georgen Charnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good.

An awful lot happens in a very short period of time, though, leaving us feeling a little breathless and I had to check if I had the second book in the series and not the first (it is the first). I could have used a bit more character and universe development in between disasters, but it was fun to read.

[Elli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the idea behind this book but the grammar and spelling mistakes actually made me give up halfway through (luckily I came back to it during a reading dry spell). Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable - unless bad grammar bothers you. Not sure how this managed to slip through the editorial cracks? Once polished it would be utterly fantastic.

[Mike French · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the characters are kind of derivative from Jim Butcher and Ben Aaronovitch, the event justifies the tribute. A good, tough bit of work with enough complexity to keep me guessing without bringing in additional characters and keeping the plot and motives consistent.

[Cathleen Sarti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great magical system in today's world (set in England) with interesting characters and political intrigue

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun. I did enjoy this novel and look forward to subsequent books in the series.

[Lozza · Rating 3 out of 5]

In *desperate* need of a proofread (mainly punctuation-wise, but at one point, when expecting to see Isaac, he was surprised to see Isaac...) but an interesting read otherwise.

[Paul Beattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbled over this ages ago and have enjoyed reading through the series since.

[Elayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on my Kindle. it had 4740 screens but not sure how many pages this makes it - but would have liked it to continue as was enjoying it.
this book is written in the first person by a modern 30 year old man living in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, who just also happens to be a Summoner.
This book, and the series that follows, works on the premise that all fairy and folk or myths and legends are in fact truth. All the creatures we talk about from the Indian pantheon of gods, to the Greek gods and oracles, to Norse mythology, including fairies and elves, are in existence but in worlds parallel and connected either nearer or further, to ours. some worlds are close to us if we remember the characters in them and thus we have to have treaties or pacts with the inhabitants of these worlds to ensure the we all behave appropriately to each other, and that they remain in their own worlds and do not interfere in ours - and vice versa.
A Summoner can summon people or creatures from these worlds and banish them back. they can also summon everyday items such as sandwiches if they so wish. Not exactly magic as no spells are required just a trained mind and strength of will. but they should never use their powers for their own ends or aggrandisement.
Of course, there are dastardly enemies striving to upset the status quo and our hero has a trusty companion - from one of these parallel worlds - and also a trusted creature to help him defeat his enemies.
So a different take on magic and the good and evil battle that we all so enjoy, as these parallel worlds are not always our enemies but they are self-centred and anxious for their own gain and to re-draw treaties to their own better advantage.
This book was good enough that I bought the next two in the series immediately on finishing it.

[John Carter McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosenberg is a hell of a storyteller, and this is a strong first novel. He's created a good magic system, even if some elements are unclear and possibly contradictory: humans can't do magic; all they can do is summon things and beings from our dimension or elsewhere. There's an organization dating back to Plato's time, the Hidden Academy, which is more Border Patrol than Ministry of Magic: its job is to keep Earth for humans and not extradimensional gods or monsters, and to keep summoners from ruling over all.

One troubling aspect is that the whole thing works as a metaphor for anti-immigration:

SPOILERS FOLLOW


The story is basically about a nefarious plot by a magical European Union to subvert English sovereignty, with the Big Bad a for-real Brussels bureaucrat.


END SPOILERS


Rosenberg is no racist: there are several sympathetic POC characters, and the setting is a well-realized multicultural Manchester. But the metaphor does call for a bit of side-eyeing.


The book's biggest drawback is its lack of professional editing: a good editor could at least have introduced the author to the semicolon and cleared up some of the plural/possessive mess.

These problems might well have doomed another book, but Rosenberg tells his story with such verve, enthusiasm, and control that none of it matters: it's definitely a can't-put-down pageturner. I immediately bought and devoured the second book in the series on finishing this one.

[Marva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable take on modern magic and the world of the Fae (just over there, but you can't quite see it). The Summoners are the long-lived group of self-appointed magicians who have taken on the task of seeing that the creatures from the "other" worlds stay where they belong and don't harm regular, unwitting civilians. Ash finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy to take over the Institute of Summoners, while protecting a young woman who doesn't even know she has the power to bring across some very nasty characters while she's asleep.

I do wish Jon had joined a critique group. While many critiquers find it annoying to correct errors, there are some who dive into proofreading. I don't care to tell any writer that their plot needs changing or their characters suck. That'd only be my opinion. However, I'm quite happy to point out editing gaffes, and this book has plenty.

Jon, look at your ms again and fix those errors, otherwise you'll have people not bothering to buy after seeing the sample. I might have done the same, but the concept was intriguing enough (and the price low enough) for me to buy and read the book.

The plot, characters, and creative ideas in the book are what I'll score. I give high marks for that.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem found in the cheap ass section of he Amazon Kindle store for 99p. First in the Hidden Academy series.

David Ash is a summoner, the custodian for the West Midlands. He is called to get rid of a unicorn that has been inexplicably summoned to a field just south of Stratford Upon Avon. Everyone knows that unicorns are a) all mad and very dangerous, and b) all owned by Oberon, king of the fairies. So summoning one to this world can cause all sorts of problems. This is especially true when you realise that the girl with enough power to achieve this nasty deed, did it inadvertently in her sleep.

A fast paced, action movie of a book with a magical mystery theme. Very well executed. Very much a page turner. The only thing I found odd about it is the beginning. Ash alludes to his past so often and so consistently in the first few pages that I was actually convinced that I had mistakenly picked up the second in the series instead of the first and spent some time trying to find the missing book.

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a self-published e-book, the first in The Hidden Academy series. In a crowded market full of paranormal investigators, this was rather good. Good pace, well written narrative, good hard-boiled style, engaging and plausible characters and a well-rounded world make for a pleasant read. This was quite promising, in fact.

However, an edit would have picked up some misuses of similar-sounding words and a few grammatical niggles.

A story edit would also have helped this book become very good indeed. Much is made over several chapters of a forthcoming trial – but it doesn’t take place due to a sudden action scene. Then, many of the important denouments happen when the protagonist is out for the count – which is a bit of a fail in a first-person narrative.

That spoilt what was a good reading experience: like the protagonist, the readers misses out on the threads being pulled together at the end. That should not have happened.