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Crossroads #1
Ветеринар для единорога
Первый роман трилогии «Перекрестки».
Юная выпускница ветеринарного колледжа Бидж Воган отправляется на практику и... попадает в страну, населенную единорогами, сатирами, дриадами.
Профессиональные проблемы - чем лечить подагру у грифона, личные проблемы - можно ли влюбиться в фавна... А главное - как спасти весь волшебный мир, которому угрожает катастрофа.
Юная выпускница ветеринарного колледжа Бидж Воган отправляется на практику и... попадает в страну, населенную единорогами, сатирами, дриадами.
Профессиональные проблемы - чем лечить подагру у грифона, личные проблемы - можно ли влюбиться в фавна... А главное - как спасти весь волшебный мир, которому угрожает катастрофа.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1994
7 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 8, 2016
What a neat idea! Crossroads is an odd little kingdom, the meeting place of many lands including our own IF you know how to get there. Getting back is a bit of a trick, too. There are maps, although they're tricky & need to be updated frequently. All sorts wind up in Crossroads & generally get along pretty well together, but there are always flies in the ointment.
BJ & several other vet students work there & learn a lot of great lessons without it being heavy-handed about it. They teach a lot, too. Best of all, there are a lot of secrets that make sense. None are all that hard to figure out & they add an interesting air of mystery to an already mysterious place. Several different threads run through the book, all masterfully handled. A few are left hanging to tie in the next book, but this one is quite complete in itself, something I really appreciate. The 'magic' was just that without any real explanation. I usually prefer more logic behind it, but in this case it wasn't needed.
The characters & animals were the best part. They were very well done, although I noticed one really annoying error where a 'filly' turned into a 'colt' a sentence or two later. I hate that. I think the word 'foal' should have been used, but otherwise it was really well done from what I could tell & I have a fair amount of experience with both animals & vets. (I'm greeted by name in too many vet offices. Yes, it's expensive.)
I need to get the other 2 books in this trilogy. BJ was a great character. She's full of surprising insights.
BJ & several other vet students work there & learn a lot of great lessons without it being heavy-handed about it. They teach a lot, too. Best of all, there are a lot of secrets that make sense. None are all that hard to figure out & they add an interesting air of mystery to an already mysterious place. Several different threads run through the book, all masterfully handled. A few are left hanging to tie in the next book, but this one is quite complete in itself, something I really appreciate. The 'magic' was just that without any real explanation. I usually prefer more logic behind it, but in this case it wasn't needed.
The characters & animals were the best part. They were very well done, although I noticed one really annoying error where a 'filly' turned into a 'colt' a sentence or two later. I hate that. I think the word 'foal' should have been used, but otherwise it was really well done from what I could tell & I have a fair amount of experience with both animals & vets. (I'm greeted by name in too many vet offices. Yes, it's expensive.)
I need to get the other 2 books in this trilogy. BJ was a great character. She's full of surprising insights.
April 27, 2016
Interesting idea: Veterinary students called in on some very special cases . . . as in unicorns and griffins. Loved most of the characters, loved the world(s). Kind of wish there was a little less veterinary medicine, and a little more character/world development. The two major plotlines (one a mystery back in the mortal world, and one a looming war in the fantastical Crossroads) kind of got short shrift for my money. I also wanted more of the characters, more more more! Especially as they got to know one another and began to let their barriers down. I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy, though, and so I'm hoping the next two will satisfy my cravings to see more fun at the Crossroads with characters I loved.
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March 10, 2022A classic fantasy with a modern twist—unicorns and griffins + drug addiction and gene therapy.
July 21, 2014
I actually like all of O'Donohoe's books that I’ve read, but THE MAGIC AND THE HEALING is my hands-down favorite. Like so many other excellent books, it hit the massive ocean of Available Titles and vanished with nary a trace, at least so far as I know. I never see it on lists of great books, but it seriously deserves to be pulled back into the light of day. There don’t appear to be ebook versions, unfortunately, but it is still available in print.
Do you happen to have a teenager around who reads fantasy and thinks she or he might like to be a veterinarian? Did you yourself ever think you might like to be a vet? For that matter, *are* you a vet? I loaned this book to my own vet; she loved it and gave it two thumbs up for the medical details.
My impression from an informal survey is that many many many girls and some boys at least toy with the idea of becoming a veterinarian. I know I did! Let me tell you, if you checked Yes for any of the above, you really must track down a copy of this book.
We get more than unicorns in this book. We have centaurs, fauns, werewolves, and the occasional sheep, all with their own particular medical issues, not to mention their own social customs and sometimes scary personalities. We also have a splendid griffin, the very one that made me want to put griffins into a novel of my own, a griffin who . . . okay, approaching spoilers, there, so never mind. But you will love the griffin. Really.
Anyway, as an additional rotation in veterinary school, Crossroads is hard to beat, though venturing into Crossroads does come with a certain amount of danger. Well, a lot of danger, actually, given the invading army and everything, but there we’re getting into spoilers again. Moving on, moving on.
So: BJ Vaughn is a great protagonist. She is intelligent, capable, and perceptive. In fact, I remember quite plainly how this book demonstrated to me the difference between intelligent, capable, perceptive characters and characters whom the author insists has those qualities, without actually providing evidence. When I first read this, I had just read something forgettable with a protagonist whom all the secondary characters treated as special for no obvious reason, so the contrast was dramatic. Actually, if you want a primer on How To Write Characters Who Really Are Unusually Perceptive, this book is a good choice.
We also have a large cast of excellent secondary characters, even aside from the Griffin and various centaurs and fauns and so forth. For example, Sugar Dobbs, the vet in charge of this peculiar rotation. Also Lee Anne, Dave, and Annie, BJ’s fellow students. I will note here, since it is unusual in modern fantasy, that these secondary characters are diverse in a broader sense than the one in which we use the term today: one is from a poor rural southern background and one is from a devout Christian background. Both are handled well and respectfully by the author and the story.
Although THE MAGIC AND THE HEALING is the first book of a trilogy, it can absolutely be read as a standalone; it closes beautifully. Though the two sequels are worth picking up if you like the first, in my opinion, this one is the strongest of the three.
Do you happen to have a teenager around who reads fantasy and thinks she or he might like to be a veterinarian? Did you yourself ever think you might like to be a vet? For that matter, *are* you a vet? I loaned this book to my own vet; she loved it and gave it two thumbs up for the medical details.
My impression from an informal survey is that many many many girls and some boys at least toy with the idea of becoming a veterinarian. I know I did! Let me tell you, if you checked Yes for any of the above, you really must track down a copy of this book.
We get more than unicorns in this book. We have centaurs, fauns, werewolves, and the occasional sheep, all with their own particular medical issues, not to mention their own social customs and sometimes scary personalities. We also have a splendid griffin, the very one that made me want to put griffins into a novel of my own, a griffin who . . . okay, approaching spoilers, there, so never mind. But you will love the griffin. Really.
Anyway, as an additional rotation in veterinary school, Crossroads is hard to beat, though venturing into Crossroads does come with a certain amount of danger. Well, a lot of danger, actually, given the invading army and everything, but there we’re getting into spoilers again. Moving on, moving on.
So: BJ Vaughn is a great protagonist. She is intelligent, capable, and perceptive. In fact, I remember quite plainly how this book demonstrated to me the difference between intelligent, capable, perceptive characters and characters whom the author insists has those qualities, without actually providing evidence. When I first read this, I had just read something forgettable with a protagonist whom all the secondary characters treated as special for no obvious reason, so the contrast was dramatic. Actually, if you want a primer on How To Write Characters Who Really Are Unusually Perceptive, this book is a good choice.
We also have a large cast of excellent secondary characters, even aside from the Griffin and various centaurs and fauns and so forth. For example, Sugar Dobbs, the vet in charge of this peculiar rotation. Also Lee Anne, Dave, and Annie, BJ’s fellow students. I will note here, since it is unusual in modern fantasy, that these secondary characters are diverse in a broader sense than the one in which we use the term today: one is from a poor rural southern background and one is from a devout Christian background. Both are handled well and respectfully by the author and the story.
Although THE MAGIC AND THE HEALING is the first book of a trilogy, it can absolutely be read as a standalone; it closes beautifully. Though the two sequels are worth picking up if you like the first, in my opinion, this one is the strongest of the three.
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August 30, 2025I got halfway through, but I couldn't finish this book.
Initially I was quite caught by it, loved the idea of a vet for magic creatures and the choice for not so easy very dark personal themes, but things got quite flat and it unfortunately bored me.
It was bold for the choice of the background of the protagonist, I appreciated it, but it got too heavy too soon and made me detach from the character.
The rest of the cast quickly gave me nothing vibes... I didn't care for any of them and I really wanted to like them as a team and as friends. The side story of the king guy went nowhere for me and his friend was annoying.
The medical checks on the creatures were interesting though, I like the unicorn getting his horn back and how they helped the centauress as she was giving birth, but nothing much happens, the pace is slow and flat. I really don't mind slow stories, but I need to find them still interesting to keep going.
I kinda lost it when the satyr girl went to church though, the idea of her finding Jesus was a bit funny.
Too bad, I wanted to like this book so much...
Initially I was quite caught by it, loved the idea of a vet for magic creatures and the choice for not so easy very dark personal themes, but things got quite flat and it unfortunately bored me.
It was bold for the choice of the background of the protagonist, I appreciated it, but it got too heavy too soon and made me detach from the character.
The rest of the cast quickly gave me nothing vibes... I didn't care for any of them and I really wanted to like them as a team and as friends. The side story of the king guy went nowhere for me and his friend was annoying.
The medical checks on the creatures were interesting though, I like the unicorn getting his horn back and how they helped the centauress as she was giving birth, but nothing much happens, the pace is slow and flat. I really don't mind slow stories, but I need to find them still interesting to keep going.
I kinda lost it when the satyr girl went to church though, the idea of her finding Jesus was a bit funny.
Too bad, I wanted to like this book so much...
June 24, 2012
Not exactly a cult classic, but maybe the secret former favorite of every woman who was ever a girl who loved to read fantasy and wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up. I don't fall into that category, but this was loaned to me by two people who did. I suddenly got the urge to re-read this, possibly because I stumbled across a mention of First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts.
When I was a teenager, I loved this because the idea of walking and (sometimes) talking mythical creatures was awesome. It's still pretty awesome. But now that I've known a few people with chronic illnesses, the heroine's struggle with Huntington's chorea is more interesting thematically.
This book isn't perfect, and there are occasional false notes. B.J. (the heroine) sometimes seems to figure things out too easily, too much, and to solve too many problems. There's a fine line between being able to do these things because she is at the center of the story and because she is intelligent and observant, and because the author wants us to think she is intelligent and observant. I think that occasionally O'Donohoe puts a foot wrong there. But this is still an interesting book to re-read from time to time. (I've been periodically re-reading this trilogy since April, and it's now June. Eep.)
When I was a teenager, I loved this because the idea of walking and (sometimes) talking mythical creatures was awesome. It's still pretty awesome. But now that I've known a few people with chronic illnesses, the heroine's struggle with Huntington's chorea is more interesting thematically.
This book isn't perfect, and there are occasional false notes. B.J. (the heroine) sometimes seems to figure things out too easily, too much, and to solve too many problems. There's a fine line between being able to do these things because she is at the center of the story and because she is intelligent and observant, and because the author wants us to think she is intelligent and observant. I think that occasionally O'Donohoe puts a foot wrong there. But this is still an interesting book to re-read from time to time. (I've been periodically re-reading this trilogy since April, and it's now June. Eep.)
July 15, 2011
Simply wonderful. Another one of those books I wish I'd written -- engaging, vivid writing, memorable characters, believable character changes/journeys, and above all a great premise, with vet students being called on to treat mythical animals. I've read in other reviews that there was too much focus on the vet medicine aspect and too little on the fantasy, but for me the balance was perfect. The author adds his own unique little touches to familiar creatures (unicorns, fauns, centaurs, griffins), satisfying our expectations of them without seeming stale or clichéd. I love the setting of Crossroads, and I plan to go back as soon as I can by tracking down the other two books.
March 8, 2009
I loved this book. It combines the best of fantasy with such serious and heartbreaking topics. I cannot wait to get the next one. It is like an adult version of Fablehaven( also WONDERFUL). I don't know how I missed this in the nineties. I am going to give a copy to our vets! AND I NEED a Flowerbinder.
March 5, 2019
I never really connected with this book. The characters seemed OK as far as they went, though the drama of the protag's illness never really captured me. The concept of becoming a veterinarian to fantasy creatures felt like it could have been far more compelling than it was. It just kind of fell flat somehow. The war, too, didn't seem to work out for me. I think my issue was that we learn so little about anything going on. The characters never really pierce the surface of Crossroads and we're left wondering how and why any of this happened.
May 7, 2009
Something just felt off about this book as I read it. I was interested in the characters and the world that was introduced, but it feels like the technical procedures were expanded upon to the detriment of character development and world-building.
Let me start with the things I did like about the book. I thought it was hilarious how the people in Crossroads learn their English from books, and how it affects their speech. I was interested in the network of roads and the idea that you need a map to find your way. I would like to have learned more about that part of the world. The world, and the creatures in it, are a very interesting and creative concept. I especially liked the centaur society and its brutal rules.
Now for the criticism. The veterinary side of it, while technically accurate for the most part, would be really boring to read for people who know the procedures, and possibly confusing for people who don't. I am a certified veterinary technician, but I don't need to hear about every step about a physical exam, even if it is on a werewolf.
The characters were a bit stereotypical, which I don't mind as long as there is something else that makes me like them. The religious nut, country bumpkin, crass guy, tortured soul. They were so categorized, yet undeveloped, so that when they 'grew' as people by the end of the book, I didn't really notice a change. I thought that was just how they were.
The one thing that really bothers me about the book is the flow. It read in a very choppy manner, and people would suddenly say something, and I would have to re-read the paragraph to make sure I hadn't skipped a line. People would just blurt out the most random things and then have a conversation about it, while I'm sitting here saying to myself "HOW did that come up?" They didn't talk like normal people. Especially when they were making jokes, which was really painful to read at times.
My overall opinion of the book was that it introduced a great framework for a world, but the story didn't do it justice.
Let me start with the things I did like about the book. I thought it was hilarious how the people in Crossroads learn their English from books, and how it affects their speech. I was interested in the network of roads and the idea that you need a map to find your way. I would like to have learned more about that part of the world. The world, and the creatures in it, are a very interesting and creative concept. I especially liked the centaur society and its brutal rules.
Now for the criticism. The veterinary side of it, while technically accurate for the most part, would be really boring to read for people who know the procedures, and possibly confusing for people who don't. I am a certified veterinary technician, but I don't need to hear about every step about a physical exam, even if it is on a werewolf.
The characters were a bit stereotypical, which I don't mind as long as there is something else that makes me like them. The religious nut, country bumpkin, crass guy, tortured soul. They were so categorized, yet undeveloped, so that when they 'grew' as people by the end of the book, I didn't really notice a change. I thought that was just how they were.
The one thing that really bothers me about the book is the flow. It read in a very choppy manner, and people would suddenly say something, and I would have to re-read the paragraph to make sure I hadn't skipped a line. People would just blurt out the most random things and then have a conversation about it, while I'm sitting here saying to myself "HOW did that come up?" They didn't talk like normal people. Especially when they were making jokes, which was really painful to read at times.
My overall opinion of the book was that it introduced a great framework for a world, but the story didn't do it justice.
January 24, 2012
This reads like such quintessentially 80s fantasy that I was astonished to see the 1994 copyright date. It's one of my favourite tropes -- normal people go into a fantasy world -- with the very interesting twist that the normal people are not The Prophesied Heroes (well, not exactly) but they're vet students who are there to do medicine on mythical creatures. Both the love of animals and the need to make difficult decisions comes through, and O'Donohoe put real work into the cultural anthropology of mythical speces, clearly basing his decisions on research about how similar real-world animals behave. It reminded me a little bit of Watership Down in that regard.
The writing was fairly clunky; it felt like a first novel, although I saw a mention somewhere that he did Forgotten Realms writing in the 80s, so maybe it's more that he learned bad habits writing formula. And the pacing was odd to me -- there were some clear plot strands but they weren't evenly developed, so when the huge denoument of the real-world mystery occured it wasn't actually either huge or surprising because it hadn't gotten enough time. In spite of this, though, I did really enjoy the book; it was not terribly good but very interesting, very enjoyable, and very ethical in a way that's all too rare. I'd picked it up thinking I'd be able to toss it into the bag for the used bookstore when I finished, but it's going back on the shelf.
The writing was fairly clunky; it felt like a first novel, although I saw a mention somewhere that he did Forgotten Realms writing in the 80s, so maybe it's more that he learned bad habits writing formula. And the pacing was odd to me -- there were some clear plot strands but they weren't evenly developed, so when the huge denoument of the real-world mystery occured it wasn't actually either huge or surprising because it hadn't gotten enough time. In spite of this, though, I did really enjoy the book; it was not terribly good but very interesting, very enjoyable, and very ethical in a way that's all too rare. I'd picked it up thinking I'd be able to toss it into the bag for the used bookstore when I finished, but it's going back on the shelf.
April 1, 2021
I loved this book. But it has some quirks and it’s definitely not for the beginner reader or for the faint of heart. I read it once as a tween and it flew right over my head. I read it again as an adult who reads a ton and I absolutely fell in love with it but I still struggled a little bit and had to reread a page or a paragraph every now and then. O’Donohoe’s style is very “infer from this what you can”. Meaning a lot of the important information to the plot comes out as background information. It’s up to the reader to put the pieces together. Almost like a mystery novel. If you like that Type of book and low fantasy novels like I do you’ll love this book. You might just have to reread it a few times to get it. It helps that the story is incredible enough to make me want to reread it again and again to catch all the little details I misses.
June 13, 2015
an occasionally unevenly-written "normal people end up in a fantasy land" sort of tale, only SWEET BABY MONKEY IT'S ABOUT VETERINARIANS TREATING UNICORNS AND WHATNOT.
BJ is a 4th year vet student in the middle of a brutal life upheaval that makes her question whether she can finish school. on the verge of walking out the door, she's invited by a large animal prof to join an ambulatory rotation, where she finds herself again by finding herself in an entirely different world. there's a somewhat superfluous bad guy plot tacked on the end, but that bit is easy to ignore in favor of the droll but deadly griffin and his ilk.
the fun of this for me was absolutely in the details. the afterword says that O'Donohoe's wife was a vet student during the writing of this novel, and her influence on accuracy of both the vet student experience and the practical realities of emergency equine surgery are utterly evident. this one is highly recommended for anyone who's both a fantasy lover and an IRL veterinarian.
BJ is a 4th year vet student in the middle of a brutal life upheaval that makes her question whether she can finish school. on the verge of walking out the door, she's invited by a large animal prof to join an ambulatory rotation, where she finds herself again by finding herself in an entirely different world. there's a somewhat superfluous bad guy plot tacked on the end, but that bit is easy to ignore in favor of the droll but deadly griffin and his ilk.
the fun of this for me was absolutely in the details. the afterword says that O'Donohoe's wife was a vet student during the writing of this novel, and her influence on accuracy of both the vet student experience and the practical realities of emergency equine surgery are utterly evident. this one is highly recommended for anyone who's both a fantasy lover and an IRL veterinarian.
July 21, 2010
There's a particular genre of fantasy novels that I call "disgruntled graduate student escapes to alternate universe." I suspect many of them are written by actual current or former disgruntled graduate students. This novel takes the genre and twists it around in new and satisfying directions. Our heroine, a veterinary student who recently experienced the death of her mother and flunked the first class in her life as a result, is invited to participate in a most unusual makeup class.... Read it, and the sequels.
September 19, 2007
The fantasy aspects were not terribly original but it was a new twist to combine them with vet medicine. (How to treat a werewolf with a tumor and other stories.) I found it sobering to read about a heroine with Huntingon's disease. Made the book a bit hard to get through.
January 6, 2008
Interesting premise with just an fair storyline.
October 1, 2017
Another book that I read countless times. I loved the crossover between reality, fantasy, and history.
May 19, 2022
Знаете, какое ощущение я одновременно и люблю при чтении книг, и ненавижу? Это когда начинаешь по-настоящему переживать за персонажей. Нет, не просто "ах, что же с ними дальше будет?", а так, как ты переживаешь за родных и близких. И вот читаешь, читаешь, а сердце просто готово выскочить из груди, и пусть даже там ничего такого не происходит, но ты так безумно надеешься на то, что у этого (или этих) персонажа все будет хорошо. И в груди так немножко аж покалывает. Говоришь себе: "Ну ты что, ненормальная? Ну это же буквы просто и ничего больше! Было бы из-за чего переживать!" Но все равно, кажешься даже самой себе чокнутой, но все равно переживаешь.
"Ветеринар для единорога" стал для меня именно такой книгой из смеси удовольствия и приступов паники. Роман выстроен, если говорить откровенно несколько странно. И мир какой-то странноватый. Это и не классические попаданцы, и не типичные путешественники по мирам. Вроде и идея не так, чтобы и нова, но автор складывает давно набившие оскомину части в достаточно странноватую мозаику. Есть современность и в этой современности есть ветеринарный колледж. Там есть профессор и есть его студенты-практиканты. А еще есть удивительный мир Перекрестка, совершенно особый, прекрасный и хаотичный. И ты попадаешь туда... и все, ты попал! И, черт побери, ты ко всем прикипел сердцем, ко всем одновременно! И это ж не чтение, а мука! Ну, вот посудите, как не переживать за фавна, который хочет стать ветеринаром и читает Хэрриота?! Кстати, дело тут совсем не в зашкаливающем уровне милоты - здесь его и нет, наверное, ну разве что кошки-цветочницы (сами потом почитаете!), а в том, что складывается ощущение, что там, на Перекрестке, ты дома, а все эти существа - твоя родня.
Что еще стоит отметить, так это то, что на фоне фэнтезийной составляющей автору удалось коснуться и важных "земных" тем - неизлечимые заболевания, самоубийство, наркомания, расизм, отношение к животным и т. д. Довольно неожиданная комбинация для романа подобного жанра. Но основное резюме, как ни крути, следующее: если вы любите фэнтези и обожаете романы Даррелла / Хэрриота, то, как у нас тут говорят, роняя штаны, бегите и читайте!
10 / 10
November 12, 2021
I recently came across this book and, having wanted to be a veterinarian and having loved James Herriot books as a young person, picked it up. I loved the concept -- veterinary students travelling to an alternate world and treating griffons, unicorns, and centaurs -- and appreciated the little nod to Herriot in the text (there are a few scenes that are definitely inspired by him -- centaur birthing scene! -- but the similarities stop there). I feel like the description of this book (as represented on Goodreads) did not really give me a good idea of what it was actually about: this is a book wherein the alternate world is under threat, and is less about "discovering the wonders of magic" than it is about a group thrown together trying to fend off a threat to their existence. There are things about this book that I liked, certainly -- I appreciated BJ as a protagonist and several of the Crossroads characters -- but I found the other veterinary student characters a bit flat, feel like I didn't learn much about core parts of the plot, and found some of the plot a bit ... cheesy. I also found the transitions a bit choppy (as in, the characters would be chatting and all of a sudden be in a completely different location: I'd have to go back and see if I missed something).
Content warnings: death, violence, murder, blood/gore, terminal illness, suicidal thoughts, medical trauma, medical content, death of a parent, drug abuse + addiction, grief
Content warnings: death, violence, murder, blood/gore, terminal illness, suicidal thoughts, medical trauma, medical content, death of a parent, drug abuse + addiction, grief
June 4, 2024
I fell in love with this book growing up and still love it to this day! Reading it again definitely brought back memories of reading late into the night because I was so hooked on finishing it.
Nick O'Donohoe does an amazing job with his world-building of Crossroads and the adventure that Dr. Sugar Dobbs and his group of vet students go on. This story is told from the perspective of vet student BJ Vaughan and her struggles with health and going on this adventure. She finds out that mythical creatures do exist and that she gets to treat and care for them on this rotation. But like all good things, Crossroads is under attack from a blood-thirsty enemy and the vet students learn that they are needed to help save Crossroads from destruction.
Nick O'Donohoe does an amazing job with his world-building of Crossroads and the adventure that Dr. Sugar Dobbs and his group of vet students go on. This story is told from the perspective of vet student BJ Vaughan and her struggles with health and going on this adventure. She finds out that mythical creatures do exist and that she gets to treat and care for them on this rotation. But like all good things, Crossroads is under attack from a blood-thirsty enemy and the vet students learn that they are needed to help save Crossroads from destruction.
October 7, 2017
Very good urban fantasy novel from an author I hadn't heard of before.
Grabbed off my shelf at random. It's a book about large animal vets, so
if you're squeamish about the details of delivering breach births from horses
and such then you may have to skip over a few parts. But it was fun to see
the usual fantasy creatures mapped into the world of veterinary medicine.
I also really liked the way the main character's personal trauma was handled.
It was in the background throughout the story and colored her experiences
without taking over the story.
Grabbed off my shelf at random. It's a book about large animal vets, so
if you're squeamish about the details of delivering breach births from horses
and such then you may have to skip over a few parts. But it was fun to see
the usual fantasy creatures mapped into the world of veterinary medicine.
I also really liked the way the main character's personal trauma was handled.
It was in the background throughout the story and colored her experiences
without taking over the story.
September 16, 2018
Reading this book was like eating a giant bowl of popcorn with my 11-year-old self. What it lacked in plot structure and character development it more than made up for in ruminations on centaur birth.
December 9, 2018
First time in a long time i stayed up late into the night to read. Science was excellent. There are some story gaps and several predictable reveals. The love story is a bit different and not as well developed as it could have been.i will definitely finish out this series.
May 27, 2020
These books randomly popped into my head the other night when I remembered reading them YEARS ago. Can't remember a thing about them, but I do recall staying up late reading. This must have been one of those random library picks back when I used to wander the actual shelves before Goodreads...
August 17, 2021
I really wanted to love this book. What a concept! The plot had so much potential.
Sadly, what i got was confusion most of the time, flat characters, and jarring pieces that felt like random side quests.
Sadly, what i got was confusion most of the time, flat characters, and jarring pieces that felt like random side quests.
February 24, 2018
My favorite book of all time. I've read the series over twenty times and never tire of it.
October 24, 2020
Highly recommend to anyone going through a difficult time. It's been a long time since I read them but I've been thinking recently of the books that helped me when things got rough.
September 5, 2023
Really nice fantasy meet real world story. Awesome for someone like me in the field of medicine. I can't wait to find the next book.
September 15, 2024
Very old, but very good!! It was a super fun read! It foes contain a lot of medical lingo, but as a veterinary professional, this was exactly the right mix
April 4, 2016
I thought this book was so good, I can't even put it into words, I'm not even kidding. I was first introduced to this book by my librarian, and I thought I'd check it out. (Besides, my first two initials are BJ and for a long time, I wanted to be a vet.) So when I first started reading the book, I started feeling dread. This was a book written in the 90s (and I don't usually read books written before the 21st century, or in other words, my time), it had terminology that I was not familiar with, and the copy I had was very small, with lots of words on every page. I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it, honestly. But by golly, I did it! No book is unreadable! I will admit that I started reading faster and got really into it when I read about Stefan and BJ. I really do ship it. (And there's sequels, so I can't wait to read what happens.) This book had everything and, I must say I really enjoyed it. This was unlike anything I've ever read before, but in a good way. I was really surprised that Owen was King Brandal and that the Griffin (or Asturiel) was Inspector General. That was crizazy. And I didn't even expect for DeeDee to be shooting up mythological creatures with morphine. I just thought she was a minor, minor character that there was really no purpose for. But once I found out, I kind of wanted to trample her too, Polyta. Sugarly was adorable. I honestly wasn't sure if he was going to make it. The foal died, and Sugarly was much bigger, so it really didn't occur to me that he would live. I think his name is absolutely perfect too, Lee Anne did such a good job with Sugar helping her birth him. Centaurs are definitely strange creatures. Stein had to burn down what was left of Steins. (So unfair.) I kind of thought Dave and Annie were going to have a relationship or something. I guess not. It was pretty cool that Nick O'Donohoe created this whole other world with all this history. I almost cried after BJ went to that bar with Dave and embarrassed herself, and then went home and threw a tennis ball against the wall and dropped it 17 times. And although, I didn't actually believe BJ was going to kill herself because there were sequels, but there were times when I was like "She's really gonna go through with this'. It was really strange, because although I myself, am depressed, I had never read a book where the main character/protagonist was going to commit suicide. It was really sad and scary. I loved when Stefan and BJ went to watch the unicorns. That was marvelous. And the dancing...the romance was beautifully written, except that they never got together for real! (That is kind of an outrage.) Reize was a weird guy, in my opinion. He worked for Morgan, but was friends with King Brandal (Curly) and he seemed to have a history with Brandal, and I'd like more elaboration on that. I also didn't expect for that tree guy that BJ found in that cave when she was looking for the flowerbinder to be The Seer that King Brandal consulted with in the beginning. There were many strange characters in this book. Vlatmir gave me the creeps, Melina was an oddball, the Griffin was a good guy and the Inspector General, Laurie was strange (mostly because she often smoked). Sugar was even kind of odd. He seemed that he was attractive & young, and most women took a liking towards him, so I'm just like 'What the hell are you doing with a wife that's pregnant?' I'm grateful that BJ met Dr. Boudreau. Thanks to her, BJ lived! I also really appreciated the clarification in the back of the book about Dr. Hitori. She was a terrible, insensitive doctor that just didn't give a crap. (She kind of scared me.) I was also worried about Annie's case when Vlatmir was being treated. He definitely didn't deserve treatment. The Wyr don't seem friendly at all. I felt like that war was kind of set up, though. They won. Hooray? I'm glad Morgan's gone, but with one wipe, that entire war is over, fought and won by the most unlikely of heroes? To me, it just seemed kind of quick that's all. It wasn't without it's casualties, but still. Well, I was super happy that BJ got offered and tok the job as vet for Crossroads. It sounds terrific. (I just can't help but wonder about her personal ties with people, like her brother.) I can't wait to read more, anyways. I recommend this book to fantasy readers.
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