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The Unicorn Anthology
“What a treasure trove!”
—Sarah Beth Durst, author of Queen of the Blood
Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Karen Joy Fowler, Carrie Vaughn, Carlos Hernandez, Nancy Springer, and more.
Unicorns: They’re not just for virgins anymore.
Our intrepid unicorn experts have selected sixteen fantastical stories to radically expand your equine experience. From gloriously uplifting to utterly outrageous, here are spectacular tales of royalty and the undead; innocents and con artists; love and revenge; time-travelers, tattoos—and, obviously, unicorn beer.
—Sarah Beth Durst, author of Queen of the Blood
Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Karen Joy Fowler, Carrie Vaughn, Carlos Hernandez, Nancy Springer, and more.
Unicorns: They’re not just for virgins anymore.
Our intrepid unicorn experts have selected sixteen fantastical stories to radically expand your equine experience. From gloriously uplifting to utterly outrageous, here are spectacular tales of royalty and the undead; innocents and con artists; love and revenge; time-travelers, tattoos—and, obviously, unicorn beer.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2017
52 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Peter S. Beagle
222 books3,870 followersPeter Soyer Beagle (born April 20, 1939) is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. He is also a talented guitarist and folk singer. He wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place , when he was only 19 years old. Today he is best known as the author of The Last Unicorn, which routinely polls as one of the top ten fantasy novels of all time, and at least two of his other books (A Fine and Private Place and I See By My Outfit) are considered modern classics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 11, 2019
2 mildly pleased ★★✩✩✩
⇝Overall.
Obviously, with a collection of short stories - may they have a common topic - it is always hard to know what to expect. Unicorns, even though one of the most famous myths around - they have been mentioned by the men who wrote the bible and before that -, but are still suspiciously rare in the literary world. Compared to elves, magicians, warlocks, demons and even angels, at least I myself have not encountered them very often. Exactly this is also the reason that I only have a loose concept of unicorns in general - the virgin part being the most prominent.
Sadly, this book didn't manage to grip me as I hoped it would. There were definitely some good stories in there. The better ones managed to give a clear image of what a unicorn's magic is capable of and how that magic can change the people it comes in contact with. Other stories, however, were totally confusing and downright disturbing. I also found myself skipping maybe two or three of them because they didn't spark any interest at all. In my opinion, this is the challenge many short stories do not overcome. Their shortness requires them to be gripping from the beginning, even in their own way. I missed precisely this in a lot of the short stories.
⇝Virginity is not as real as y'all like it to be.
What bothered me most was the reoccurring theme of the virgin. First of all, virginity is barely even a physical characteristic. The glorified virginal membrane is not a thin piece of skin - as commonly believed by the un-/miseducated but a hymen, something that is actually expanded, not pierced by penetration. It can even repair itself partially, which is why some women might feel a bit uncomfortable after long breaks of penetration. Second, virginity does not decide over the value of a woman. In this sense, it is just another social construct society uses to control women. It derives from ancient outdated traditions and biblical oppression. Not entirely on-topic, but still important.
__________________
Writing Quality + ease of reading = 2*
pace = 2*
plot development = 2*
characters = 1.5*
enjoyability = 2*
insightfulness = 3* (I did learn a lot about the unicorn myth)
______________________
This eArc was provided via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book is for you if… let's be fair, it probably isn't. 4 months after reading and reviewing this I still think it's a total disaster, which is why I lowered my rating.
⇝Overall.
Obviously, with a collection of short stories - may they have a common topic - it is always hard to know what to expect. Unicorns, even though one of the most famous myths around - they have been mentioned by the men who wrote the bible and before that -, but are still suspiciously rare in the literary world. Compared to elves, magicians, warlocks, demons and even angels, at least I myself have not encountered them very often. Exactly this is also the reason that I only have a loose concept of unicorns in general - the virgin part being the most prominent.
Sadly, this book didn't manage to grip me as I hoped it would. There were definitely some good stories in there. The better ones managed to give a clear image of what a unicorn's magic is capable of and how that magic can change the people it comes in contact with. Other stories, however, were totally confusing and downright disturbing. I also found myself skipping maybe two or three of them because they didn't spark any interest at all. In my opinion, this is the challenge many short stories do not overcome. Their shortness requires them to be gripping from the beginning, even in their own way. I missed precisely this in a lot of the short stories.
⇝Virginity is not as real as y'all like it to be.
What bothered me most was the reoccurring theme of the virgin. First of all, virginity is barely even a physical characteristic. The glorified virginal membrane is not a thin piece of skin - as commonly believed by the un-/miseducated but a hymen, something that is actually expanded, not pierced by penetration. It can even repair itself partially, which is why some women might feel a bit uncomfortable after long breaks of penetration. Second, virginity does not decide over the value of a woman. In this sense, it is just another social construct society uses to control women. It derives from ancient outdated traditions and biblical oppression. Not entirely on-topic, but still important.
__________________
Writing Quality + ease of reading = 2*
pace = 2*
plot development = 2*
characters = 1.5*
enjoyability = 2*
insightfulness = 3* (I did learn a lot about the unicorn myth)
______________________
This eArc was provided via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2019
TWO WORDS: POINTLESS AND RIDICULOUS
DNF at 51%
Yeah, those two words really do describe this book quite well. It was supposed to be an anthology consisting of stories about unicorns, but while unicorns do figure in these stories, the stories aren't actually about unicorns (yes, there is a difference!). That was the first disappointment with this book. The second was the fact that all the stories I read were slightly ridiculous in each their own way. However, when I got to the one with the unicorn horn dildo I had to stop reading. That I just could not take seriously...
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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DNF at 51%
Yeah, those two words really do describe this book quite well. It was supposed to be an anthology consisting of stories about unicorns, but while unicorns do figure in these stories, the stories aren't actually about unicorns (yes, there is a difference!). That was the first disappointment with this book. The second was the fact that all the stories I read were slightly ridiculous in each their own way. However, when I got to the one with the unicorn horn dildo I had to stop reading. That I just could not take seriously...
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
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January 8, 2019As person who really likes unicorns I thouht I would love this anthology, but honestly, not so much...
The book offers a compendium of different unicorn tales, collected by Peter S. Beagle. All the tales offer a different looks at these mythical creatures, from being hunted to extinction for the power of their horn like rhynos, to having the horns used to craft dildos, to different types of stories. On one hand, is nice the book collects this different array of stories, as it offers a mix of differents ways to see a unicorn, and different ways in which people relate to it, but on the other hand i just confirmed again that books of short stories/anthologies don't seem to work well with me on the majority...
The book offers a compendium of different unicorn tales, collected by Peter S. Beagle. All the tales offer a different looks at these mythical creatures, from being hunted to extinction for the power of their horn like rhynos, to having the horns used to craft dildos, to different types of stories. On one hand, is nice the book collects this different array of stories, as it offers a mix of differents ways to see a unicorn, and different ways in which people relate to it, but on the other hand i just confirmed again that books of short stories/anthologies don't seem to work well with me on the majority...
March 21, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the review copy in exchange for an honest review
2,5 stars
TW: Rape / Drugging / Suicide
When I started this anthology I guess I had different expectations. I thought this anthology was going to focus more on unicorns. However a lot of these stories just use unicorns in the background. That could have been really interesting if the plots hadn’t overall been so filled with virgins and the same old unappealing ideas. Some of the writing also wasn’t stellar.
The foreword by Peter Beagle mentions that some of these stories were older (think eighties) and that a lot of them were already used in other anthologies. There is little new to be found here. While I think some older stories certainly can be very current in today’s society, in some ways a bunch of these really don’t fit.
I would also like to add that Peter Beagle clearly doesn’t want to be known as the unicorn guy from his foreword and that really didn’t make it that appealing to start this book.
If you do plan on picking up this book I think there are about three stories that make it worth your while out of sixteen. That is Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch, The Highest Justice by Garth Nix and The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen.
Separate Stories
The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory / 2 stars
Bad writing. Bland. Lying about death to a child is never a good idea.
The Brew / 2 stars
The story was unappealing. There was no actual unicorn in it. Just a nudge to it. The mc is also in the Netherlands as she tells the story and makes a weird reference to black pete we have and ties it to Christmas. No we don’t have black elfs as the author called it. We have black pete, a racist figure tied to Sinterklaas that is a children’s holiday at the start of December. Don’t refer to something you don’t know anything about.
Falling of the Unicorn / 3 stars
Decent story. LGBTQ+, Lesbian relationship.
A Hunters Ode to Bait / 2 stars
Disgusting relationship at the end where the hunter who BOUGHT his virgin bait at the age of 12-13 ends up with her. Initial idea I liked (though the whole bait has to be virgin makes me roll my eyes).
Ghost Town /3 Stars
This was decent story. Nothing outstanding.
A Thousand Flowers / 2 stars
TW: Suicide
A confusing story that has the point of view changed 3 times in first person point of view without much of a hint towards it going to change.
The Maltese Unicorn / 3,5 stars
TW: Rape / Drugging
Compelling story of an mc that works in a book store and does odd jobs for a supernatural person in the city.
Stampede of Light / 4 stars
Compelling story about being seen
The Highest Justice / 4 stars
A story where the unicorn is more in the foreground has to be applauded in this anthology.
The Lion and the Unicorn / 3 stars
Just a decent story
Survivor / 2 stars
All I can say is meh here.
Homeward Bound / 2,5 stars
While the idea was interesting the writing was bland and boring.
Unicorn Triangle / 3 stars
I liked the idea but the story was cut off way too early to really draw you in.
My Son Heydari and the Karkadarnn / 3 stars
A Peter Beagle short story which was decently written. I got the impression it was set in Africa though and I don’t think he should have nessecarily gone there.
The Transfigured Hart / 4 stars
A beautiful story about two children finding friendship amidst finding the beauty of a unicorn.
Unicorn Series / 1 star
Nope, all the nope.
2,5 stars
TW: Rape / Drugging / Suicide
When I started this anthology I guess I had different expectations. I thought this anthology was going to focus more on unicorns. However a lot of these stories just use unicorns in the background. That could have been really interesting if the plots hadn’t overall been so filled with virgins and the same old unappealing ideas. Some of the writing also wasn’t stellar.
The foreword by Peter Beagle mentions that some of these stories were older (think eighties) and that a lot of them were already used in other anthologies. There is little new to be found here. While I think some older stories certainly can be very current in today’s society, in some ways a bunch of these really don’t fit.
I would also like to add that Peter Beagle clearly doesn’t want to be known as the unicorn guy from his foreword and that really didn’t make it that appealing to start this book.
If you do plan on picking up this book I think there are about three stories that make it worth your while out of sixteen. That is Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch, The Highest Justice by Garth Nix and The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen.
Separate Stories
The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory / 2 stars
Bad writing. Bland. Lying about death to a child is never a good idea.
The Brew / 2 stars
The story was unappealing. There was no actual unicorn in it. Just a nudge to it. The mc is also in the Netherlands as she tells the story and makes a weird reference to black pete we have and ties it to Christmas. No we don’t have black elfs as the author called it. We have black pete, a racist figure tied to Sinterklaas that is a children’s holiday at the start of December. Don’t refer to something you don’t know anything about.
Falling of the Unicorn / 3 stars
Decent story. LGBTQ+, Lesbian relationship.
A Hunters Ode to Bait / 2 stars
Disgusting relationship at the end where the hunter who BOUGHT his virgin bait at the age of 12-13 ends up with her. Initial idea I liked (though the whole bait has to be virgin makes me roll my eyes).
Ghost Town /3 Stars
This was decent story. Nothing outstanding.
A Thousand Flowers / 2 stars
TW: Suicide
A confusing story that has the point of view changed 3 times in first person point of view without much of a hint towards it going to change.
The Maltese Unicorn / 3,5 stars
TW: Rape / Drugging
Compelling story of an mc that works in a book store and does odd jobs for a supernatural person in the city.
Stampede of Light / 4 stars
Compelling story about being seen
The Highest Justice / 4 stars
A story where the unicorn is more in the foreground has to be applauded in this anthology.
The Lion and the Unicorn / 3 stars
Just a decent story
Survivor / 2 stars
All I can say is meh here.
Homeward Bound / 2,5 stars
While the idea was interesting the writing was bland and boring.
Unicorn Triangle / 3 stars
I liked the idea but the story was cut off way too early to really draw you in.
My Son Heydari and the Karkadarnn / 3 stars
A Peter Beagle short story which was decently written. I got the impression it was set in Africa though and I don’t think he should have nessecarily gone there.
The Transfigured Hart / 4 stars
A beautiful story about two children finding friendship amidst finding the beauty of a unicorn.
Unicorn Series / 1 star
Nope, all the nope.
January 26, 2019
The Unicorn Anthology falls outside my typical wheelhouse. Almost everything I read is tied one way or another to history which means I’m as surprised as anyone over my decision to read an anthology rooted in fantasy and myth.
Having said that, I found the experience of this collection unexpectedly enjoyable. I liked some of the stories more than others, notably “The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” by Carlos Hernandez, “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn, “Survivor” by Dave Smeds, and “Homeward Bound” by Bruce Coville, but appreciate the book as a collaboration of unique and creative voices.
As a footnote, I think it important to mention that while the collection itself is new, none of the stories it contains are unique to this volume so it is highly likely that fans of unicorn lit will find familiar stories between these pages.
Having said that, I found the experience of this collection unexpectedly enjoyable. I liked some of the stories more than others, notably “The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” by Carlos Hernandez, “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn, “Survivor” by Dave Smeds, and “Homeward Bound” by Bruce Coville, but appreciate the book as a collaboration of unique and creative voices.
As a footnote, I think it important to mention that while the collection itself is new, none of the stories it contains are unique to this volume so it is highly likely that fans of unicorn lit will find familiar stories between these pages.
December 2, 2019
2.5/5, rounded up because there were a couple really good stories in here, and they don't deserve to get a ton of hate for the less-than-stellar ones surrounding them.
I hate to be the one to say it, but The Unicorn Anthology simply does not do justice to the mythological awesomeness of the unicorn. I'm not saying that all the stories in it were bad--there were actually a few that were truly awesome--but as a whole, the quality was uneven, which significantly dampened the book's enjoyability.
I don't want to go analyze this story by story here, so instead, here are some quick notes:
THE GOOD:
- "Survivor" by David Smed completely blew my mind. Unlike most of the collection, which had more or less positive endings, this piece takes unicorn lore to a traumatized Vietnam vet and turns a "blessing" into something out of a horror story.
- Garth Nix's "The Highest Justice" is an elegantly simple fusion of unicorns and zombies in a more or less medieval setting, and it feels like both a complete story and a precursor to something greater--wholly satisfying on its own, but also sitting as a nice setup for future work, should he choose to revisit this world.
- In "The Transfigured Hart," Jane Yolen brings a truly childlike delight to the topic of unicorns, with characters that are kids who actually feel like kids. It is magical and heartwarming and I really wish the collection had more stories with actual kids in them...
- Of course, Peter S. Beagle's contribution to the collection is a good deal of fun...but he deliberately focuses on beastly unicorns by another name, in a non-European country, resulting in a clever inversion of the typical unicorn tropes
THE BAD
*Note: I'm not going to name specific stories here, since some of these are spoilers
- So many stories are preoccupied with virginity. I get that it's an integral part of unicorn mythos, but in a contemporary collection, there is so much room to explore what that does or doesn't mean (since, after all, virginity is a social construct)...and this collection fell flat, looking mostly at classic definitions. In fact, one story suggests that lesbian sex doesn't count as losing one's virginity, which has some unpleasant implications, I think (though the characters themselves were very concerned, saying that it mattered a lot to them and it should to a unicorn as well).
- The writing was kind of...unimpressive in several of the stories. They read like something out of an early fiction workshop, with poor development of characters and/or plots that make exactly zero sense.
THE UGLY:
- A girl falls in love with a man who literally bought her as a child so he could use her virginity to catch unicorns. He's so much older, and he freaking OWNS HER. That is beyond messed up.
- "A Thousand Flowers." The story had such potential--a unicorn rapes a princess (inversion of tropes? Okay, I'll bite...), and an innocent man is framed for it--but the rest of the story just falls apart. It switches perspectives so many times, the ending makes no sense, and it is honestly a hot mess.
- A dildo made out of a unicorn horn. Yes, that is literally a crucial part of one of the stories, and I kind of (by which I mean very much) hate it. And then, one woman uses it as a strap-on to rape another woman. What the actual fuck??
Overall, an unimpressive collection, but with a few gems hidden in the rubble. If you're a fan of dark, gritty fantasy, you might enjoy this more than I did, and if nothing else, fantasy fans should definitely check out the few stories I mentioned under "The Good." But as a whole, I feel really let down; there are so many big themes to explore with unicorns (innocence, righteousness, beauty, hidden danger...), but The Unicorn Anthology just didn't deliver.
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: rape, sexual assault, violence toward children and animals, Stockholm Syndrome
I was provided with an eARC of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my review in any way.
I hate to be the one to say it, but The Unicorn Anthology simply does not do justice to the mythological awesomeness of the unicorn. I'm not saying that all the stories in it were bad--there were actually a few that were truly awesome--but as a whole, the quality was uneven, which significantly dampened the book's enjoyability.
I don't want to go analyze this story by story here, so instead, here are some quick notes:
THE GOOD:
- "Survivor" by David Smed completely blew my mind. Unlike most of the collection, which had more or less positive endings, this piece takes unicorn lore to a traumatized Vietnam vet and turns a "blessing" into something out of a horror story.
- Garth Nix's "The Highest Justice" is an elegantly simple fusion of unicorns and zombies in a more or less medieval setting, and it feels like both a complete story and a precursor to something greater--wholly satisfying on its own, but also sitting as a nice setup for future work, should he choose to revisit this world.
- In "The Transfigured Hart," Jane Yolen brings a truly childlike delight to the topic of unicorns, with characters that are kids who actually feel like kids. It is magical and heartwarming and I really wish the collection had more stories with actual kids in them...
- Of course, Peter S. Beagle's contribution to the collection is a good deal of fun...but he deliberately focuses on beastly unicorns by another name, in a non-European country, resulting in a clever inversion of the typical unicorn tropes
THE BAD
*Note: I'm not going to name specific stories here, since some of these are spoilers
- So many stories are preoccupied with virginity. I get that it's an integral part of unicorn mythos, but in a contemporary collection, there is so much room to explore what that does or doesn't mean (since, after all, virginity is a social construct)...and this collection fell flat, looking mostly at classic definitions. In fact, one story suggests that lesbian sex doesn't count as losing one's virginity, which has some unpleasant implications, I think (though the characters themselves were very concerned, saying that it mattered a lot to them and it should to a unicorn as well).
- The writing was kind of...unimpressive in several of the stories. They read like something out of an early fiction workshop, with poor development of characters and/or plots that make exactly zero sense.
THE UGLY:
- A girl falls in love with a man who literally bought her as a child so he could use her virginity to catch unicorns. He's so much older, and he freaking OWNS HER. That is beyond messed up.
- "A Thousand Flowers." The story had such potential--a unicorn rapes a princess (inversion of tropes? Okay, I'll bite...), and an innocent man is framed for it--but the rest of the story just falls apart. It switches perspectives so many times, the ending makes no sense, and it is honestly a hot mess.
- A dildo made out of a unicorn horn. Yes, that is literally a crucial part of one of the stories, and I kind of (by which I mean very much) hate it. And then, one woman uses it as a strap-on to rape another woman. What the actual fuck??
Overall, an unimpressive collection, but with a few gems hidden in the rubble. If you're a fan of dark, gritty fantasy, you might enjoy this more than I did, and if nothing else, fantasy fans should definitely check out the few stories I mentioned under "The Good." But as a whole, I feel really let down; there are so many big themes to explore with unicorns (innocence, righteousness, beauty, hidden danger...), but The Unicorn Anthology just didn't deliver.
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: rape, sexual assault, violence toward children and animals, Stockholm Syndrome
I was provided with an eARC of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my review in any way.
May 10, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I love horses, unicorns, mythology, and anything by Peter S. Beagle, so I may be biased but fully enjoyed reading through this collection.
My first thought is to say that this is not a children's book! I would see a unicorn on the cover and buy it for a kid or teen without thinking, but there is some surprising adult content and strong themes throughout.
My favorite stories were "Ghost Town" by Jack C. Haldeman, and "The Transfigured Hart" by Jane Yolen. They were well developed stories and packed a lot of character into a short work! The forward was also a great read, I feel for him but Beagle will always be one of those unicorn guys!
Other stories felt half finished, such as Garth Nix's story where I was dying to know what he was doing with the male guard character. Nix is a huge draw for any title or collection and while his story was altogether unique and disturbing, it just left me wanting more.
Recommended for those who want to try a few different takes on unicorn stories!
I love horses, unicorns, mythology, and anything by Peter S. Beagle, so I may be biased but fully enjoyed reading through this collection.
My first thought is to say that this is not a children's book! I would see a unicorn on the cover and buy it for a kid or teen without thinking, but there is some surprising adult content and strong themes throughout.
My favorite stories were "Ghost Town" by Jack C. Haldeman, and "The Transfigured Hart" by Jane Yolen. They were well developed stories and packed a lot of character into a short work! The forward was also a great read, I feel for him but Beagle will always be one of those unicorn guys!
Other stories felt half finished, such as Garth Nix's story where I was dying to know what he was doing with the male guard character. Nix is a huge draw for any title or collection and while his story was altogether unique and disturbing, it just left me wanting more.
Recommended for those who want to try a few different takes on unicorn stories!
March 15, 2019
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this short story collection eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
So ye scalawags, many of ye likely know about me first love, horses, before the sea stole me heart. So of course I was also obsessed with unicorns, too. Peter S. Beagle's, the last unicorn is one of me favourite books along with the joyful animated movie of the same name. So when I saw that there be a new unicorn anthology out, I knew I had to read it. Many of these stories have appeared in other places and were not new to me. For me this anthology was uneven. But I do have several from this collection that are now new favourites:
“The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” (Carlos Hernandez) - I absolutely loved this reporter's article of the first time she gets to see a unicorn in the wild. The ending was unexpected and poignant. Beautiful
“The Brew” (Karen Joy Fowler) - This is about what happens when ye brew something using unicorn horn and how the mixture changes the life of two young teens. The use of memory in this story was lovely. Apparently this story was in immortal unicorn volume 2 but I don't remember reading it back then. Glad to be reintroduced.
Falling Off the Unicorn” (David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller) - This story is about an older teen riding the unicorn show circuit at the top level. It explores the main character, Missy's, conflicting relationship with the sport. Plus there is a lovely romance.
“A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” (Carrie Vaughn) - I love other works by this author but this story just gave me the creeps and I did not like it. It is a sensual look at the use of a young virgin as bait, hunting unicorns, and the changing relationship between the hunter and his bait. Ugh.
“Ghost Town” (Jack C. Haldeman II) - This was so good. It is about a guy who ends up in the middle of nowhere and what he discovers about himself in this ghost town. Bascially a lovely story about turning points and life-defining choices.
“A Thousand Flowers” (Margo Lanagan) - I previously read this story in zombies vs. unicorns. This was still a miss for me. I actually enjoyed the writing style immensely and was drawn into the mystery. But the plot faltered, narrators changed, and the beastiality in this was not to me taste.
“The Maltese Unicorn” (Caitlín R. Kiernan) - This is set in New York City in May of 1935. The main character works for a mob boss who happens to be a demon. The unicorn in this is a dildo of power. I could have done without the sex scene but I did like the worldbuilding. Just weird.
“Stampede of Light” (Marina Fitch) - I loved this story! This is the tale of what happens to lost children and the teachers who make a difference. I thought the unicorns in this were awesome. This may have been me favourite of the collection.
“The Highest Justice” (Garth Nix) - This was another story from zombies vs. unicorns. I loved rereading it. It deals with a dead queen, her daughter, and a unicorn who helps out.
“The Lion and the Unicorn” (A. C. Wise) - This was an odd story that I didn't like. The unicorn and lion are trapped as slaves. The lion is trying to escape. The unicorn is basically used for sex via rape. It was an uncomfortable story.
“Survivor” (Dave Smeds) - I read this story in immortal unicorn volume 2. The unicorn is a tattoo with unexpected consequences. I enjoyed rereading this one.
"Homeward Bound" (Bruce Coville) - This was another miss for me. I usually like Coville's writing but I didn't connect with this story at all.
“Unicorn Triangle” (Patricia A. McKillip) - I am not a McKillip fan so this one was bound to not be for me. But I found that I did love the beginning up to the half-way point before it bombed. I consider that a win.
“My Son Heydari and the Karkadann” (Peter S. Beagle) - I enjoyed this story about unicorns in Persia. The unicorns hate elephants. Humans hate the unicorns. This be the story of what happens when a young boy tries to help one of the beasts.
"The Transfigured Hart" (Jane Yolen) - Tachyon Publications previously released this story as a novella which I adored. See that review here!
“Unicorn Series” (Nancy Springer) - This is a poem in eight parts. I don't really get poetry but thought this was pleasant enough.
Out of the 16 stories I liked 6 of the new ones and still loved 3 of the tales known previously. I didn't like 6 of the new ones and 1 previously read before. So about half of this collection floated me boat. In addition to the stories, there is also a lovely introduction by Peter S. Beagle on what it be like to be known as the "unicorn guy". If ye haven't read any of these stories previously then I do think this could be a good place to start. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .Thank you Tachyon Publications!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
So ye scalawags, many of ye likely know about me first love, horses, before the sea stole me heart. So of course I was also obsessed with unicorns, too. Peter S. Beagle's, the last unicorn is one of me favourite books along with the joyful animated movie of the same name. So when I saw that there be a new unicorn anthology out, I knew I had to read it. Many of these stories have appeared in other places and were not new to me. For me this anthology was uneven. But I do have several from this collection that are now new favourites:
“The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” (Carlos Hernandez) - I absolutely loved this reporter's article of the first time she gets to see a unicorn in the wild. The ending was unexpected and poignant. Beautiful
“The Brew” (Karen Joy Fowler) - This is about what happens when ye brew something using unicorn horn and how the mixture changes the life of two young teens. The use of memory in this story was lovely. Apparently this story was in immortal unicorn volume 2 but I don't remember reading it back then. Glad to be reintroduced.
Falling Off the Unicorn” (David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller) - This story is about an older teen riding the unicorn show circuit at the top level. It explores the main character, Missy's, conflicting relationship with the sport. Plus there is a lovely romance.
“A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” (Carrie Vaughn) - I love other works by this author but this story just gave me the creeps and I did not like it. It is a sensual look at the use of a young virgin as bait, hunting unicorns, and the changing relationship between the hunter and his bait. Ugh.
“Ghost Town” (Jack C. Haldeman II) - This was so good. It is about a guy who ends up in the middle of nowhere and what he discovers about himself in this ghost town. Bascially a lovely story about turning points and life-defining choices.
“A Thousand Flowers” (Margo Lanagan) - I previously read this story in zombies vs. unicorns. This was still a miss for me. I actually enjoyed the writing style immensely and was drawn into the mystery. But the plot faltered, narrators changed, and the beastiality in this was not to me taste.
“The Maltese Unicorn” (Caitlín R. Kiernan) - This is set in New York City in May of 1935. The main character works for a mob boss who happens to be a demon. The unicorn in this is a dildo of power. I could have done without the sex scene but I did like the worldbuilding. Just weird.
“Stampede of Light” (Marina Fitch) - I loved this story! This is the tale of what happens to lost children and the teachers who make a difference. I thought the unicorns in this were awesome. This may have been me favourite of the collection.
“The Highest Justice” (Garth Nix) - This was another story from zombies vs. unicorns. I loved rereading it. It deals with a dead queen, her daughter, and a unicorn who helps out.
“The Lion and the Unicorn” (A. C. Wise) - This was an odd story that I didn't like. The unicorn and lion are trapped as slaves. The lion is trying to escape. The unicorn is basically used for sex via rape. It was an uncomfortable story.
“Survivor” (Dave Smeds) - I read this story in immortal unicorn volume 2. The unicorn is a tattoo with unexpected consequences. I enjoyed rereading this one.
"Homeward Bound" (Bruce Coville) - This was another miss for me. I usually like Coville's writing but I didn't connect with this story at all.
“Unicorn Triangle” (Patricia A. McKillip) - I am not a McKillip fan so this one was bound to not be for me. But I found that I did love the beginning up to the half-way point before it bombed. I consider that a win.
“My Son Heydari and the Karkadann” (Peter S. Beagle) - I enjoyed this story about unicorns in Persia. The unicorns hate elephants. Humans hate the unicorns. This be the story of what happens when a young boy tries to help one of the beasts.
"The Transfigured Hart" (Jane Yolen) - Tachyon Publications previously released this story as a novella which I adored. See that review here!
“Unicorn Series” (Nancy Springer) - This is a poem in eight parts. I don't really get poetry but thought this was pleasant enough.
Out of the 16 stories I liked 6 of the new ones and still loved 3 of the tales known previously. I didn't like 6 of the new ones and 1 previously read before. So about half of this collection floated me boat. In addition to the stories, there is also a lovely introduction by Peter S. Beagle on what it be like to be known as the "unicorn guy". If ye haven't read any of these stories previously then I do think this could be a good place to start. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .Thank you Tachyon Publications!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
April 24, 2019
No soft, cuddly unicorns here!
Maybe my expectations were too high. Or maybe some of the writers ideas about unicorns and mine didn't mesh. Although I didn't expect to read about my granddaughters' favorite pillow representations of soft cuddly unicorns that are straight out of Disney, I was unprepared for many of the raw facets presented.
Unfortunately quite a few of these tales just didn't excite me. I knew this collection was going to be unconventional but it seems I over anticipated my enjoyment. At moments I felt I'd wandered onto some sort of darkly modern gothic TV set.
I was taken but not captured by the twist in Carrie Vaughn's “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait.”
I would say my favorite was “The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix but then I've always enjoyed his writings.
A Tachyon ARC via NetGalley
Maybe my expectations were too high. Or maybe some of the writers ideas about unicorns and mine didn't mesh. Although I didn't expect to read about my granddaughters' favorite pillow representations of soft cuddly unicorns that are straight out of Disney, I was unprepared for many of the raw facets presented.
Unfortunately quite a few of these tales just didn't excite me. I knew this collection was going to be unconventional but it seems I over anticipated my enjoyment. At moments I felt I'd wandered onto some sort of darkly modern gothic TV set.
I was taken but not captured by the twist in Carrie Vaughn's “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait.”
I would say my favorite was “The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix but then I've always enjoyed his writings.
A Tachyon ARC via NetGalley
December 29, 2020
How could I resist a collection of stories about unicorns, especially when I've actually heard of some of the authors!
A couple of stories were written in present tense but the one by Carlos Hernandez had a very interesting premise; unicorn poaching for their horns! Imagine, Americans not realising we've still got unicorns in England. *shakes head*
As you would expect with a themed anthology, there was a variety of takes on the subject. We had a unicorn rodeo and of course you have to be a virgin to handle one of the creatures! Unicorn hunters of various kinds, unicorns mating with human women and the subsequent offspring, unicorn magic and mythology that may or may not come from actual legends.
The stand out stories for me were Falling Off the Unicorn by David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller, A Hunter's Ode to His Bait by Carrie Vaughn, A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan and My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle, which had some excellent stoytelling.
I liked some of the others fairly well and only found myself skimming a couple of them. The compilation wraps up with some poetry, which feels natural for this particular theme. Not a bad collection as anthologies go.
A couple of stories were written in present tense but the one by Carlos Hernandez had a very interesting premise; unicorn poaching for their horns! Imagine, Americans not realising we've still got unicorns in England. *shakes head*
As you would expect with a themed anthology, there was a variety of takes on the subject. We had a unicorn rodeo and of course you have to be a virgin to handle one of the creatures! Unicorn hunters of various kinds, unicorns mating with human women and the subsequent offspring, unicorn magic and mythology that may or may not come from actual legends.
The stand out stories for me were Falling Off the Unicorn by David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller, A Hunter's Ode to His Bait by Carrie Vaughn, A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan and My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle, which had some excellent stoytelling.
I liked some of the others fairly well and only found myself skimming a couple of them. The compilation wraps up with some poetry, which feels natural for this particular theme. Not a bad collection as anthologies go.
July 29, 2019
I've always liked unicorns, and in spite of all the fantasy I read I feel like I don't get to see unicorns much. This was a decent collection - some of the stories I really liked and would rate 4 or 5 stars. Several I didn't care for, and would rate 2 or 3 stars. But that is pretty much what I expect from most anthologies.
Some of the highlights for me were :
"Stampede of Light" (Marina Fitch), which has the theme of children lost in the school system and teachers who go the extra mile to help.
"The Transfigured Hart" (Jane Yolen) about two children who find and desire to tame a unicorn.
"Homeward Bound" by Bruce Coville and "A Hunter's Ode to His Bait" by Carrie Vaughn also stood out to me.
Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Some of the highlights for me were :
"Stampede of Light" (Marina Fitch), which has the theme of children lost in the school system and teachers who go the extra mile to help.
"The Transfigured Hart" (Jane Yolen) about two children who find and desire to tame a unicorn.
"Homeward Bound" by Bruce Coville and "A Hunter's Ode to His Bait" by Carrie Vaughn also stood out to me.
Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
July 26, 2019
Curated by Peter S. Beagle, legendary author of The Last Unicorn, The Unicorn Anthology is a collection of mostly quite short stories by some of the biggest names in fantasy today, including Garth Nix, Patricia A. McKillip, Jane Yolen and Beagle himself. There’s a huge variety here, from a sweetly charming tale of two children stumbling on something magical in the deep woods (The Transfigured Hart) to a darkly twisted story of what, frankly, I can only call the sexual abuse of a child (The Lion and the Unicorn). That one and The Maltese Unicorn are most definitely not suitable for children, and The Lion and the Unicorn could be dangerously triggering for CSA or sexual assault survivors. A Thousand Flowers skirts around the implication of bestiality (is it bestiality if the creature is mythical?)
I wouldn’t be letting a youngster obsessed with unicorns read this collection freely. Probably a third of the stories deal with very adult themes. Those warnings aside, all of the writing is stunning, evocative prose - in the case of Nancy Springer’s contribution, poetry - which can’t fail to move you. I think my favorite was Falling Off The Unicorn, in which show unicorns must be ridden and trained by virginal women or risk goring, and two young women find themselves testing just what the unicorns consider ‘cheating’ in their newfound feelings for each other.
I’m giving the collection as a whole five stars, but with the proviso that some of the stories deal with deeply triggering themes and I think it’s suitable for aware adult readers only.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
I wouldn’t be letting a youngster obsessed with unicorns read this collection freely. Probably a third of the stories deal with very adult themes. Those warnings aside, all of the writing is stunning, evocative prose - in the case of Nancy Springer’s contribution, poetry - which can’t fail to move you. I think my favorite was Falling Off The Unicorn, in which show unicorns must be ridden and trained by virginal women or risk goring, and two young women find themselves testing just what the unicorns consider ‘cheating’ in their newfound feelings for each other.
I’m giving the collection as a whole five stars, but with the proviso that some of the stories deal with deeply triggering themes and I think it’s suitable for aware adult readers only.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
May 5, 2019
I've been on a run with anthologies lately, which is great because I usually LOVE anthologies. When the opportunity arose to review The Unicorn Anthology, I was excited! I guess I expected you know, shiny, white, magical, unicorns. Instead, this was quite the dark anthology with rape, suicide, and death. A lot of death. Which is typically fine when I'm expecting a lot of death like a horror anthology, but this just smacked me upside the head.
Most of the stories fell under three major themes: the way outdated and overdone, "unicorns only like virgins", a transformation of some sort, and innocence or righteousness. I tended to like the last category, feel meh about the middle, and LOATHE the first. The stories also vary in how the unicorn is interpreted and how in the forefront it is, which means just barely in some of these interpretations.
There are spoilers involved so read on at your own peril.
Read more at Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
Most of the stories fell under three major themes: the way outdated and overdone, "unicorns only like virgins", a transformation of some sort, and innocence or righteousness. I tended to like the last category, feel meh about the middle, and LOATHE the first. The stories also vary in how the unicorn is interpreted and how in the forefront it is, which means just barely in some of these interpretations.
There are spoilers involved so read on at your own peril.
Read more at Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
July 5, 2019
This has what may be the most off-putting introduction I've ever read. The editor spent the whole time explaining why he didn't want to be know as the Unicorn Guy. But then he edited a book of unicorn stories. Weird.
Most of the stories in this collection weren't very good. A few started out fine but didn't go anywhere, and I don't like stories that set you up and then just end. (The first one, for instance, could have made a great opening for a novel, but as a short story it left me hanging.) Several others were too dark or odd for my taste.
Stories worth reading:
Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch - Really good, though it's not about unicorns. This may have resonated more with me because I'm a teacher, but I thought it was excellent. It made me think of Zenna Henderson's work.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - Nice story, maybe more kids/YA, as one would expect from this writer. The combination of unicorn, princess and zombie was unique, but the ending let it down just a bit.
Survivor by David Smeds - Really good story, thought-provoking and unusual. The unicorn could have been anything, but other than that it was excellent.
The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen - I might have liked this better if I'd read it sooner, but by the time I'd waded through the other stories I was burning out. It's also longer - it felt too long for the plot to me. And it had a kids/YA feel again, which is what Yolen writes.
Warning: There's some crude sex in a couple of these stories. Not my thing at all. It's a very uneven collection and I can't figure out who the target audience is.
Most of the stories in this collection weren't very good. A few started out fine but didn't go anywhere, and I don't like stories that set you up and then just end. (The first one, for instance, could have made a great opening for a novel, but as a short story it left me hanging.) Several others were too dark or odd for my taste.
Stories worth reading:
Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch - Really good, though it's not about unicorns. This may have resonated more with me because I'm a teacher, but I thought it was excellent. It made me think of Zenna Henderson's work.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - Nice story, maybe more kids/YA, as one would expect from this writer. The combination of unicorn, princess and zombie was unique, but the ending let it down just a bit.
Survivor by David Smeds - Really good story, thought-provoking and unusual. The unicorn could have been anything, but other than that it was excellent.
The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen - I might have liked this better if I'd read it sooner, but by the time I'd waded through the other stories I was burning out. It's also longer - it felt too long for the plot to me. And it had a kids/YA feel again, which is what Yolen writes.
Warning: There's some crude sex in a couple of these stories. Not my thing at all. It's a very uneven collection and I can't figure out who the target audience is.
December 31, 2018
Lots of people will buy this book, in part because of Peter Beagle's name. But they shouldn't. And it's a damn shame that Tachyon has pushed Beagle to co-edit it and write an Introduction. As his Introduction states, eloquently and bitterly, Beagle has become "the unicorn guy." It's not what he wanted; he thinks his best work is still his first novel, the ghostly romance A Fine and Private Place. But he's been hemmed in by the unicorn-lovers and especially those who would capitalize on them. This book is an attempt to do just that--cash in on the unicorn-lovers, who may or may not know Beagle's views on the matter. A lot of these stories are good, but many of them are from other, readily available anthologies, such as Zombies vs. Unicorns, which is very-well represented here (by which I mean: just go read Zombies vs Unicorns instead of this book).
I won't even get into the problems of all of the pieces in which "virginity" is given actual consideration in the course of the story.
Leave Beagle alone. Go read his unicorn book, and his other books, and the other books that this anthology borrows from. But don't keep asking him to be "the unicorn guy" anymore.
I won't even get into the problems of all of the pieces in which "virginity" is given actual consideration in the course of the story.
Leave Beagle alone. Go read his unicorn book, and his other books, and the other books that this anthology borrows from. But don't keep asking him to be "the unicorn guy" anymore.
June 18, 2020
DNF
This book had a lovely introduction by Peter S. Beagle in which he talks about how at first he didn't want to be 'the unicorn guy' but eventually came to terms with it when he realized how much The Last Unicorn meant to some people which in turn meant a lot to him.
Unfortunately, things went downhill after that. I read about a third of the stories that were half forgettable and half featured gems like "lesbians on unicorns but make it boring", "grooming but it's totes romantic y'all", "suicidal bestiality" and of course "noir but also magical-demonic dildos made from unicorn-horns" and then skipped to the two authors I knew: Beagle, whose story was nice but not exactly outstanding and Patricia McKillip whose story was also completely forgettable. (I also shortly considered reading the Jane Yolen story but stopped myself just in time).
This book had a lovely introduction by Peter S. Beagle in which he talks about how at first he didn't want to be 'the unicorn guy' but eventually came to terms with it when he realized how much The Last Unicorn meant to some people which in turn meant a lot to him.
Unfortunately, things went downhill after that. I read about a third of the stories that were half forgettable and half featured gems like "lesbians on unicorns but make it boring", "grooming but it's totes romantic y'all", "suicidal bestiality" and of course "noir but also magical-demonic dildos made from unicorn-horns" and then skipped to the two authors I knew: Beagle, whose story was nice but not exactly outstanding and Patricia McKillip whose story was also completely forgettable. (I also shortly considered reading the Jane Yolen story but stopped myself just in time).
July 4, 2017
Entirely disturbing.
May 4, 2019
My video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvzfU...
As this is an anthology, I tried to write a short review for all of the 16 short stories. Also, these stories was not specifically written for this anthology but seems to be coming from different years and previously been published/seen in other works.
The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory by Carlos Hernandez
Having read one book previously by him that centered around parallel worlds and had a main character named Gabi I found this quite funny! Lol! Either way, since this is more scientific than magical this really has the “what if” vibe about it. That what if unicorns came into this world as in the story, would it be like this? Yes. I believe there is a lot of truth in this one. I like the science parts of it, but the plot with the girl could have had more of an exploration to it. The end did not give the emotional punch it wanted. 3/5 stars.
The Brew by Karen Joy Fowler
This one was soooo weird. We start a story, and within that story we get a flashback/another story, and in that story we go into another story? My head was spinning. If it had been executed in a good way, this could’ve worked! But it was just weird and confusing. I liked the idea of the whiskey and the background for it. Some sentences were just really weird and vague, and I found myself rereading them trying to understand what they really meant. Not really for me. 1.5/5 stars.
Falling Off the Unicorn by David D. Levine & Sara A. Mueller
This one had a f/f romance in it! And they were really cute together! It also had magic yay! And the unicorns were basically ponies, because if you were too tall you couldn’t ride them lol. BUT apparently they only let themselves be ridden by virgins… and here it seemed like either lesbian sex didn’t count or they unicorns actually didn’t care about virgins after all? I don’t like the whole definitions of what “losing your virginity” entails. And here the story feeds into that and it rubbed me the wrong way. Either way, I liked how Misty stood up for herself in the end! 2.5/5 stars (loses appeal because of the what counts when having sex and losing your virginity? -.-).
A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait by Carrie Vaughn
Why are all these unicorn stories so sad?! Like I just want a fluffy fairytale with magic and unicorns. Is this too much to ask?! But no I get another story where unicorns are getting killed and they love virgins. So this little girl is bait…and likes it? BUT: I sorta liked this one xD It was dark and ominous, but how old was that dude compared to the girl LOL?! 3/5 stars.
Ghost Town by Jack C. Haldeman II
This story was more focused on a con man going on a spiritual journey to find the right way for his life than it was about unicorns. But at the same time, doesn’t unicorns represent the pure and magical in the world? So that a man could find the better part of himself through magic (and a brief meeting with a unicorn) isn’t that … off? I still wasn’t that interested in the story, I just didn’t really care for the main character wops. 2.5/5 stars.
A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan (trigger warnings: stillborn/baby death, suicide)
And I thought the other stories in this anthology was weird… This wanted to be weird, and it knows it’s weird. So it works? Maybe. I have no idea. This one was also really dark and had some earing themes in it. The writing however was not something for me, and I lost the meaning in all the long sentences. It also changed POV’s two times, and the first time it was so sudden I had no idea it even happened. So yeah, that was off for me. The story itself has interesting parts, but overall a bit too weird and confusing for me. 2.5/5 stars.
The Maltese Unicorn by Caitlín R. Kiernan (trigger warnings: rape)
SERIOUSLY. ALL THESE. ARE. SO. WEIRD. In this one there is magic, there are demons who can use them and possibly humans I’m not sure? There wasn’t enough details about it and I wanted more! The main character was interested in girls, so yay for that, but other than that I everything was soooo weird. I liked how the story was written though, with the beginning and going back to explain why it they had ended up like that. But the events were so weird? This is the kind of story I could imagine could’ve worked if it was longer and had more time to be fleshed out, also: WHY THE RAPE?! SO UNNECESSARY. 2.5/5 stars.
Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch
In this one children are being kidnapped by a weird lady in a schoolyard lol. I’m not kidding WHY ARE THESE SO WEIRD. The story touched about the themes of loneliness that children often feel when they are being neglected/have no friends etc. That is a really real problem we have in the world. But the whole unicorn part was … weird. I have seriously lost count how many times I have written weird in this review. But yeah, nothing really special here in this one… 2/5 stars.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix
Wooo Garth Nix’s story! At the time of typing I have never actually read anything by him, so this will be my first Garth Nix experience! Finally a story with a princess and a unicorn like I had expected was in this anthology lol! I mean there was one other with a princess but that one was… odd. So this one we have a princess walking with the queen who was poisoned and they are going to… I guess you have to read it yourself to know? I liked this one because it wasn’t weird af and the princess and the unicorn was sweet! I actually could’ve had more in this story/world, but it was also sorta typical but that was fine at this point lol xD 3/5 stars!
The Lion and the Unicorn by A.C. Wise trigger warnings: rape
Another weird one, but I liked it?! It was intriguing and really dark. Here a unicorn-boy has been enslaved and since he is so beautiful people cannot control themselves around him. He is chained to a bed and is being raped so NOT NICE. But the story isn’t supposed to be nice either? I liked the background we got from him, and it was really really dark. I seriously wanted more from this story, IT WAS SO SHORT. The shortest one yet. The writing was also something I really liked so I’m just sad it wasn’t longer and a full length novel? Obviously it had horrible circumstances, but it was a good story! 4/5 stars.
Survivor by Dave Smeds
Omg xD In this one the MC gets a unicorn tattoo and goes to war, and the people who die around him lives in his tattoo?! It also had some length to it, but I was actually really curious to see where the story would go. You also ask yourself the question: is people actually living inside of him or is he imagining it? I thought the ending was a bit too open, but overall this wasn’t so bad! 3/5 stars.
Homeward Bound by Bruce Coville
Here the MC’s father died and he has to live with his uncle, who has a unicorn horn on his wall. And the MC has been obsessed with it for years and he WANTS TO REACH IT AND TOUCH IT.
As this is an anthology, I tried to write a short review for all of the 16 short stories. Also, these stories was not specifically written for this anthology but seems to be coming from different years and previously been published/seen in other works.
The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory by Carlos Hernandez
Having read one book previously by him that centered around parallel worlds and had a main character named Gabi I found this quite funny! Lol! Either way, since this is more scientific than magical this really has the “what if” vibe about it. That what if unicorns came into this world as in the story, would it be like this? Yes. I believe there is a lot of truth in this one. I like the science parts of it, but the plot with the girl could have had more of an exploration to it. The end did not give the emotional punch it wanted. 3/5 stars.
The Brew by Karen Joy Fowler
This one was soooo weird. We start a story, and within that story we get a flashback/another story, and in that story we go into another story? My head was spinning. If it had been executed in a good way, this could’ve worked! But it was just weird and confusing. I liked the idea of the whiskey and the background for it. Some sentences were just really weird and vague, and I found myself rereading them trying to understand what they really meant. Not really for me. 1.5/5 stars.
Falling Off the Unicorn by David D. Levine & Sara A. Mueller
This one had a f/f romance in it! And they were really cute together! It also had magic yay! And the unicorns were basically ponies, because if you were too tall you couldn’t ride them lol. BUT apparently they only let themselves be ridden by virgins… and here it seemed like either lesbian sex didn’t count or they unicorns actually didn’t care about virgins after all? I don’t like the whole definitions of what “losing your virginity” entails. And here the story feeds into that and it rubbed me the wrong way. Either way, I liked how Misty stood up for herself in the end! 2.5/5 stars (loses appeal because of the what counts when having sex and losing your virginity? -.-).
A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait by Carrie Vaughn
Why are all these unicorn stories so sad?! Like I just want a fluffy fairytale with magic and unicorns. Is this too much to ask?! But no I get another story where unicorns are getting killed and they love virgins. So this little girl is bait…and likes it? BUT: I sorta liked this one xD It was dark and ominous, but how old was that dude compared to the girl LOL?! 3/5 stars.
Ghost Town by Jack C. Haldeman II
This story was more focused on a con man going on a spiritual journey to find the right way for his life than it was about unicorns. But at the same time, doesn’t unicorns represent the pure and magical in the world? So that a man could find the better part of himself through magic (and a brief meeting with a unicorn) isn’t that … off? I still wasn’t that interested in the story, I just didn’t really care for the main character wops. 2.5/5 stars.
A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan (trigger warnings: stillborn/baby death, suicide)
And I thought the other stories in this anthology was weird… This wanted to be weird, and it knows it’s weird. So it works? Maybe. I have no idea. This one was also really dark and had some earing themes in it. The writing however was not something for me, and I lost the meaning in all the long sentences. It also changed POV’s two times, and the first time it was so sudden I had no idea it even happened. So yeah, that was off for me. The story itself has interesting parts, but overall a bit too weird and confusing for me. 2.5/5 stars.
The Maltese Unicorn by Caitlín R. Kiernan (trigger warnings: rape)
SERIOUSLY. ALL THESE. ARE. SO. WEIRD. In this one there is magic, there are demons who can use them and possibly humans I’m not sure? There wasn’t enough details about it and I wanted more! The main character was interested in girls, so yay for that, but other than that I everything was soooo weird. I liked how the story was written though, with the beginning and going back to explain why it they had ended up like that. But the events were so weird? This is the kind of story I could imagine could’ve worked if it was longer and had more time to be fleshed out, also: WHY THE RAPE?! SO UNNECESSARY. 2.5/5 stars.
Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch
In this one children are being kidnapped by a weird lady in a schoolyard lol. I’m not kidding WHY ARE THESE SO WEIRD. The story touched about the themes of loneliness that children often feel when they are being neglected/have no friends etc. That is a really real problem we have in the world. But the whole unicorn part was … weird. I have seriously lost count how many times I have written weird in this review. But yeah, nothing really special here in this one… 2/5 stars.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix
Wooo Garth Nix’s story! At the time of typing I have never actually read anything by him, so this will be my first Garth Nix experience! Finally a story with a princess and a unicorn like I had expected was in this anthology lol! I mean there was one other with a princess but that one was… odd. So this one we have a princess walking with the queen who was poisoned and they are going to… I guess you have to read it yourself to know? I liked this one because it wasn’t weird af and the princess and the unicorn was sweet! I actually could’ve had more in this story/world, but it was also sorta typical but that was fine at this point lol xD 3/5 stars!
The Lion and the Unicorn by A.C. Wise trigger warnings: rape
Another weird one, but I liked it?! It was intriguing and really dark. Here a unicorn-boy has been enslaved and since he is so beautiful people cannot control themselves around him. He is chained to a bed and is being raped so NOT NICE. But the story isn’t supposed to be nice either? I liked the background we got from him, and it was really really dark. I seriously wanted more from this story, IT WAS SO SHORT. The shortest one yet. The writing was also something I really liked so I’m just sad it wasn’t longer and a full length novel? Obviously it had horrible circumstances, but it was a good story! 4/5 stars.
Survivor by Dave Smeds
Omg xD In this one the MC gets a unicorn tattoo and goes to war, and the people who die around him lives in his tattoo?! It also had some length to it, but I was actually really curious to see where the story would go. You also ask yourself the question: is people actually living inside of him or is he imagining it? I thought the ending was a bit too open, but overall this wasn’t so bad! 3/5 stars.
Homeward Bound by Bruce Coville
Here the MC’s father died and he has to live with his uncle, who has a unicorn horn on his wall. And the MC has been obsessed with it for years and he WANTS TO REACH IT AND TOUCH IT.
Read
February 25, 2019Because who else but the author of The Last Unicorn would you ask to (co-)edit an anthology on this theme? In his introduction Beagle works his way around from vague exasperation at forever being associated with unicorns, to confessing he's loved them at least since he was four and is awed by them still. But they do have that slight problem that, while endlessly fascinating as a symbol or an image, there aren't ever so many stories you can tell around them, and those which do exist fall into certain categories such as to make a single-topic anthology feel prone to repetition. Whether you're in a classic historical-fantastic setting, the modern world, or a demon-haunted noir New York, the unicorn represents purity. It may redeem or be despoiled, or some hybrid of the two. It can bring justice, forgiving or fatal or merely poignant. That old, awful notion of the unicorn hunt can be used to dig into patriarchy (or as in one story here, matriarchy, which of course is not necessarily any kinder to young women's sexuality), or simply to remind us of the human knack for betrayal in the cause of power and profit. But aren't those all parts of a whole, variations on a theme even tighter than you'd find in an anthology where every story is meant to be about dragons, or swords, or vampires? Indeed, one of the stories at the outer limit of inclusion feels more like a vampire story, as a unicorn tattoo keeps its bearer alive and vigorous, but only at a price. Others are more ghost stories with a unicorn motif, and Beagle's own contribution is a borderline cheat, centring as it does on a regional variation of the myth which is clearly a rhino, and every bit as ornery as that suggests. One of the most successful of the variorum efforts comes from Caitlin R Kiernan, a writer I'm only recently and gradually forgiving for her run on The Dreaming, whose story here largely won me over with her horribly innovative use for the unicorn's precious horn – though I did cavil a little at how its powers still function even when it's entirely coated in another material. Still, it's not that any of the other pieces are bad per se; Jane Yolen's in particular is absolutely beautiful. It's just that even a few months was too short a span in which to read them all without a degree of frustration at the growing overfamiliarity. And that was largely down to my having it as a Netgalley ARC, with politeness imposing a certain obligation not to take too long about it. If you like unicorns, get yourself a copy without that worry, and dip into it every so often over a few years, I think you'll enjoy this. Me? Well, I suppose I got my own lesson about trying to grab hold of unicorns without pure enough intentions. Consider it well learned.
April 2, 2020
Read for the 2020 PopSugar reading challenge. This is "An anthology." There are unicorns.
When I picked out this book, what I imagined it might be like was things like the first story in this volume, titled "The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory." In this story, the premise is that the Large Hadron Collider caused some slight blending with parallel Earths and among the side effects is that some unicorns came to "our" Earth. A skeptical journalist and a game warden try to stop some poachers. I thought, this volume seems fun.
What followed were a whole bunch of stories that were weirdly obsessed with the "unicorns only like virgin girls" aspect of unicorn mythology. They were not all this way, but most of them were. Not being a connoisseur of such things myself, I don't know if that is, in fact, the #1 point of it all or if that just happened to be what fascinated these various authors. But seriously, it was Weird and I did not care for it.
The scattered other ones that were interesting included: A story about how a Scottish guy obsessed with Bonnie Prince Charlie found his way into late 20th century America, a Vietnam War soldier gets a tattoo of a unicorn, and in old times, a merchant from somewhere in the Middle East tells a story about a "karkadann" that fits thematically in this volume for obvious reasons. That last one was written by "the unicorn guy" Peter Beagle himself.
As far as I understand it, these were all existing short stories that were collected by Beagle for this volume, and were mostly or entirely not stories that were freshly written for it. I wonder if they might have been more united in theme beyond "unicorns" if this has been the case.
When I picked out this book, what I imagined it might be like was things like the first story in this volume, titled "The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory." In this story, the premise is that the Large Hadron Collider caused some slight blending with parallel Earths and among the side effects is that some unicorns came to "our" Earth. A skeptical journalist and a game warden try to stop some poachers. I thought, this volume seems fun.
What followed were a whole bunch of stories that were weirdly obsessed with the "unicorns only like virgin girls" aspect of unicorn mythology. They were not all this way, but most of them were. Not being a connoisseur of such things myself, I don't know if that is, in fact, the #1 point of it all or if that just happened to be what fascinated these various authors. But seriously, it was Weird and I did not care for it.
The scattered other ones that were interesting included: A story about how a Scottish guy obsessed with Bonnie Prince Charlie found his way into late 20th century America, a Vietnam War soldier gets a tattoo of a unicorn, and in old times, a merchant from somewhere in the Middle East tells a story about a "karkadann" that fits thematically in this volume for obvious reasons. That last one was written by "the unicorn guy" Peter Beagle himself.
As far as I understand it, these were all existing short stories that were collected by Beagle for this volume, and were mostly or entirely not stories that were freshly written for it. I wonder if they might have been more united in theme beyond "unicorns" if this has been the case.
April 8, 2019
Rating anthologies is always hard. **The Unicorn Anthology**, fittingly edited by *Peter S. Beagle* contained stories that touched me, and stories that just passed some time. Different strokes for different folks, and all that. Most stories tended to be dark and tragic, unsurprisingly enough. There are a couple of very good stories in there, so if the whole mythical realism thing interests you, check it out. (An ARC in exchange for a review was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.)
May 21, 2019
A well chosen collection with some really terrific stories among them, something for all different tastes. Really interesting to see how consistent unicorn lore is, yet how many different interpretations there are here. In a college classroom it could be used effectively to show different treatments of the same subject, different writing styles, experiments with deconstructing literary tropes and so on.
partly-read
February 10, 2019Peter S. Beagle tends to be thought of - as he tells us in his introduction - as "the unicorn guy", because of his best-known book. That's not how I think of him, though. I think of him as a lit-fic author who uses fantasy tropes, but whose books tend to be dark and tragic, with imperfect people messing up their lives by their bad decisions and turning a potentially wonderful world infused with magic into something sordid and unpleasant.
And that is pretty much what this anthology gives us, which is why I couldn't finish it. All of the stories, as far as I read (72%), are well written (though, as usual, Caitlin R. Kiernan needs more copy editing), but they pretty much without exception take the unicorn, symbol of purity and innocence, and show it being corrupted in some dark, nasty way.
DNF not for quality, but for taste. It's as if a gourmet chef has, with great skill, prepared a unicorn's liver for me. I can admire the technique in the abstract, but I don't want to eat it.
And that is pretty much what this anthology gives us, which is why I couldn't finish it. All of the stories, as far as I read (72%), are well written (though, as usual, Caitlin R. Kiernan needs more copy editing), but they pretty much without exception take the unicorn, symbol of purity and innocence, and show it being corrupted in some dark, nasty way.
DNF not for quality, but for taste. It's as if a gourmet chef has, with great skill, prepared a unicorn's liver for me. I can admire the technique in the abstract, but I don't want to eat it.
June 18, 2024
As a collection of short stories revolving around the theme of unicorns, there was a large variety to the tones and themes of these stories. My favourite ones were the ones where an actual unicorn was present as a being. Some of them dealt more with unicorn horns as a magical object, but we never actually saw a unicorn. Some of those also were pretty disturbing thematically. The stories with actual unicorns made up for those, though, earning a 3 star review from me for the collection.
February 18, 2019
Really solid collection of unicorn stories! Review to come!
February 22, 2019
This anthology of sixteen tales portrays unicorns in a way you may not have experienced before. When as an author you're typecast by a popular character, it can make writing challenging. Such is the experience of Peter S. Beagle, the unicorn guy. Thus his introduction is one of the most enjoyable, insightful, and "life is humorous" ones I've read in years. Even more so for me as my introduction to his work was not with The Last Unicorn, but with another tale, Summerlong. It sets the tone for a wonderful anthology of stories by many well known names in fantasy. Each takes the bright shiny virgin and a white unicorn story and examines it in a different and unique way. While they have all been published previously, not all are easy to access today. This is an enjoyable collection for those looking for different stories of unicorns.
I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review. The FTC wants you to know.
I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review. The FTC wants you to know.
April 21, 2019
Unicorns are a mystical, magical creatures. In this unique anthology of unicorns story, there is a different look at unicorns. If you want original stories, read this! They are written about lost innocence, first love but also about hunting unicorns for their horns. One of my favorite stories is by Jane Yolen “The Transfigured Hart” about a horse-loving girl and a bookish boy shared an obsession with a white creature in the forest. There is an argument between them about if the white creature is a white deer or a unicorn. Who is right? Read this delightful story and find out! Read thee other stories to discover unicorns that are not only special but different! A delightful book to read!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
October 25, 2024
Rating each of these stories by how cool the unicorn is:
The Properties of Unicorn Ivory: 3/5
- Unicorns are extradimensional creatures from another parallel world who have slipped into ours due to scientific meddling with the fabric of reality. Cool as shit, but they aren't magical, so losing a point for that.
The Brew: 0/5
There is no unicorn in this one, just the remains of horn dust laced in whiskey. Disappointing.
Falling Off the Unicorn: 1/5
Unicorns are mundane creatures used in dressage type contests, however you can't ride them if you've ever had sex, or even kissed someone: except, for some reason, if that sex was lesbian sex, in which case it doesn't count? The implications are annoying. Story could have been about horses and it wouldn't have made a difference.
A Hunter's Ode to His Bait: 2/5
Unicorns are ancient magical beings but they're easily killed if you have a virgin to lure them in. Boring.
Ghost Town: 2/5
The unicorn doesn't even show up until the end and it's just there to show how magical the world has turned for a moment. The story would have worked just as well about anything other than a unicorn so it felt extraneous.
A Thousand Flowers: 3/5
The unicorn isn't awful and is very cool when you see it first but then it's like...weird. Did the unicorn try to frame a human being on purpose or was that just bad luck on the part of the first narrator? It would have been a better story to read from the princess's POV. I wanna know more about this girl who wants to have a carnal relationship with a unicorn.
The Maltese Unicorn: -50/5
There is no unicorn in this one. There's just a unicorn horn that has been carved into a dildo. And a sexual assault. So tw for that.
Stampede of Light: 0/5
There aren't any actual unicorns in this one. The weird evil lady just embroiders them to steal kids. She genuinely could have embroidered any creature, dragons, ducks, whatever, and it wouldn't have changed the story. Why is this in a unicorn anthology.
The Highest Justice: 5/5
Oh this unicorn is COOL. Silent but has character and is also both magical and ancient but well woven into the world. Very good.
The Lion and the Unicorn: 2/5
There is a half-human half-unicorn boy in this one and also there's a lot in it that I wish I had been trigger warned for. So tw for yet more sexual assault.
Survivor: 1/5
There's no unicorn in this one there's just a unicorn tattoo that has magic powers I guess.
Homeward Bound: 3/5
Perfectly acceptable magical, ethereal unicorn. Half the story is human though.
Unicorn Triangle: 3/5
Another unicorn turned human, but the unicorn is very lyrically written. Loses points because the story itself just, straight up ends before the most interesting stuff actually happens.
My Son Heydari and the Karkadann: 3/5
I'm not the biggest fan of violent unicorns, but I think this one is decently interesting and cool.
The Transfigured Hart: 1/5
This is not a unicorn, this is an albino deer that seems to maybe become a unicorn for like, two pages for some reason.
Unicorn Series: 2/5
These are poems and the unicorn is a metaphor.
Overall: 2/5. I'm gonna be honest, when I pick up a book called "The Unicorn Anthology" I really expect it to have, you know, actual unicorns in it.
The Properties of Unicorn Ivory: 3/5
- Unicorns are extradimensional creatures from another parallel world who have slipped into ours due to scientific meddling with the fabric of reality. Cool as shit, but they aren't magical, so losing a point for that.
The Brew: 0/5
There is no unicorn in this one, just the remains of horn dust laced in whiskey. Disappointing.
Falling Off the Unicorn: 1/5
Unicorns are mundane creatures used in dressage type contests, however you can't ride them if you've ever had sex, or even kissed someone: except, for some reason, if that sex was lesbian sex, in which case it doesn't count? The implications are annoying. Story could have been about horses and it wouldn't have made a difference.
A Hunter's Ode to His Bait: 2/5
Unicorns are ancient magical beings but they're easily killed if you have a virgin to lure them in. Boring.
Ghost Town: 2/5
The unicorn doesn't even show up until the end and it's just there to show how magical the world has turned for a moment. The story would have worked just as well about anything other than a unicorn so it felt extraneous.
A Thousand Flowers: 3/5
The unicorn isn't awful and is very cool when you see it first but then it's like...weird. Did the unicorn try to frame a human being on purpose or was that just bad luck on the part of the first narrator? It would have been a better story to read from the princess's POV. I wanna know more about this girl who wants to have a carnal relationship with a unicorn.
The Maltese Unicorn: -50/5
There is no unicorn in this one. There's just a unicorn horn that has been carved into a dildo. And a sexual assault. So tw for that.
Stampede of Light: 0/5
There aren't any actual unicorns in this one. The weird evil lady just embroiders them to steal kids. She genuinely could have embroidered any creature, dragons, ducks, whatever, and it wouldn't have changed the story. Why is this in a unicorn anthology.
The Highest Justice: 5/5
Oh this unicorn is COOL. Silent but has character and is also both magical and ancient but well woven into the world. Very good.
The Lion and the Unicorn: 2/5
There is a half-human half-unicorn boy in this one and also there's a lot in it that I wish I had been trigger warned for. So tw for yet more sexual assault.
Survivor: 1/5
There's no unicorn in this one there's just a unicorn tattoo that has magic powers I guess.
Homeward Bound: 3/5
Perfectly acceptable magical, ethereal unicorn. Half the story is human though.
Unicorn Triangle: 3/5
Another unicorn turned human, but the unicorn is very lyrically written. Loses points because the story itself just, straight up ends before the most interesting stuff actually happens.
My Son Heydari and the Karkadann: 3/5
I'm not the biggest fan of violent unicorns, but I think this one is decently interesting and cool.
The Transfigured Hart: 1/5
This is not a unicorn, this is an albino deer that seems to maybe become a unicorn for like, two pages for some reason.
Unicorn Series: 2/5
These are poems and the unicorn is a metaphor.
Overall: 2/5. I'm gonna be honest, when I pick up a book called "The Unicorn Anthology" I really expect it to have, you know, actual unicorns in it.
July 2, 2019
I was lucky enough to receive a digital proof of this and my inner little girl was squealing when I was. Unicorns have been a favourite of mine for the longest time, and I was always sore that they were never featured in fantasy as often as dragons. Like, these beautiful babies are cool too?!
I enjoyed these stories and was surprised that most were set in a more modern setting, I was going into it expecting knights and castles and other medieval period settings. Despite this, it was definitely an interesting take and I was mostly pleased with it.
I only had to bypass a one or two stories where the writing didn't really click with me, or I wasn't engaging with the story and just decided to move on (i.e. Falling off the Unicorn - which, can I just mention, talks about the bra size of a twelve year old girl? That squicked me out A LOT.)
Other than that, it was enjoyable and I enjoyed getting introduced to new authors, as well as being introduced to some I'd heard lots about but hadn't had the opportunity to delve into previously.
I enjoyed these stories and was surprised that most were set in a more modern setting, I was going into it expecting knights and castles and other medieval period settings. Despite this, it was definitely an interesting take and I was mostly pleased with it.
I only had to bypass a one or two stories where the writing didn't really click with me, or I wasn't engaging with the story and just decided to move on (i.e. Falling off the Unicorn - which, can I just mention, talks about the bra size of a twelve year old girl? That squicked me out A LOT.)
Other than that, it was enjoyable and I enjoyed getting introduced to new authors, as well as being introduced to some I'd heard lots about but hadn't had the opportunity to delve into previously.
December 31, 2018
3.75 out of 5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yay! I made it 55 books this year. I'm ecstatic. I'm glad this was my last book of the year. I actually received a beautiful unicorn necklace for Christmas from my mom.
This is a collection of short stories.
The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory by Carlos Hernandez was a completely plausible (or almost) explanation of how unicorns came to inhabit the land of our friends across the pond. It's also a sad and gruesome tale of what would most likely happen if a unicorn were ever to be discovered. A cautionary tale.
The Brew by Karen Joy Fowler was a wistful tale of two kids with a plan to break into an old, drunk man's basement that results in a story that branches out into their own.
"Nothing is so beautiful as that which is about to fade."
Falling Off the Unicorn by David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller was a completely unnecessary inclusion, in my opinion. One of my least favorite stories in the collection.
A Hunter's Ode to His Bait by Carrie Vaughn was another cautionary tale of what men would do to lure unicorns, but with a twist: the maiden is willing and becomes bitterly obsessed with hunting unicorns. Will she fall in love ever? Will she and the hunter bag the legend among legends, the beastly, humongous unicorn?
"He did not fear. But he was getting old, finding himself wishing for some of the roofs he had shunned. Perhaps that is nearly the same as fear."
Ghost Town by Jack C. Haldeman II was an eerily beautiful short about a particular town in the southwest that a wanderer passes through.
A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan was hard for me to follow. First, there were the typos (I understand...uncorrected proof), but then the first person narrator changed multiple times. It was all very muddled and confusing.
The Maltese Unicorn by Caitlin R. Kiernan was a borderline erotic noir-ish story in which I realized that if this made it to the book, Mr. Beagle possibly hates unicorns. Or perhaps he hates the adults who clung to The Last Unicorn as a kind of wormhole to their lost, magic, innocent childhood. Or perhaps, like myself, it was simply a matter of not being able to stop reading the story, regardless of the sad aftertaste.
Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch was a mysterious, heart-wrenching story of what happens to forgotten children. One of my favorites in the book.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix was a hopeful story about how justice may be served if there were unicorns in the world. Captivating, full with dead queens, bad kings, and witches.
The Lion and the Unicorn by A. C. Wise was an ugly, brutal tale of what happens to human unicorns in the hands of lustful humans. Definitely my least favorite in the book.
Survivor by David Smeds. I have to say, after reading this story, I Goodreaded David (Dave) Smeds and what else he's written and added a few things to my to-read list. A Brutal, beautiful story of a young man who gets a unicorn tattoo stateside while he's serving during the Vietnam War, and finds that he can't die. Unfortunately, this does not mean he cannot have his heart broken, and the immortality does not extend to those close to him. One of my favorite stories in the book. Perhaps my favorite one, period.
Homeward by Bruce Coville was an interesting story about a boy obsessed with the horn his uncle says came from a narwhal.
Unicorn Triangle by Patricia A. McKillip was about a unicorn turned into a girl. Wildly confusing, especially at the end.
My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle was a unique tale of a boy and an injured beast, and the tentative bond they briefly share. Told by the father after the fact, he is rough with the son, but is fascination and love for his son shines through.
The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen was one of the more tender stories of an albino deer sought by two individual youths who come together to save it before hunting season opening day.
Unicorn Series by Nancy Springer was a series of micro poetry thrown in at the end which I can only assume means that it was done to meet a page count quota. Some were good, but it was a bit disjointed.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yay! I made it 55 books this year. I'm ecstatic. I'm glad this was my last book of the year. I actually received a beautiful unicorn necklace for Christmas from my mom.
This is a collection of short stories.
The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory by Carlos Hernandez was a completely plausible (or almost) explanation of how unicorns came to inhabit the land of our friends across the pond. It's also a sad and gruesome tale of what would most likely happen if a unicorn were ever to be discovered. A cautionary tale.
The Brew by Karen Joy Fowler was a wistful tale of two kids with a plan to break into an old, drunk man's basement that results in a story that branches out into their own.
"Nothing is so beautiful as that which is about to fade."
Falling Off the Unicorn by David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller was a completely unnecessary inclusion, in my opinion. One of my least favorite stories in the collection.
A Hunter's Ode to His Bait by Carrie Vaughn was another cautionary tale of what men would do to lure unicorns, but with a twist: the maiden is willing and becomes bitterly obsessed with hunting unicorns. Will she fall in love ever? Will she and the hunter bag the legend among legends, the beastly, humongous unicorn?
"He did not fear. But he was getting old, finding himself wishing for some of the roofs he had shunned. Perhaps that is nearly the same as fear."
Ghost Town by Jack C. Haldeman II was an eerily beautiful short about a particular town in the southwest that a wanderer passes through.
A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan was hard for me to follow. First, there were the typos (I understand...uncorrected proof), but then the first person narrator changed multiple times. It was all very muddled and confusing.
The Maltese Unicorn by Caitlin R. Kiernan was a borderline erotic noir-ish story in which I realized that if this made it to the book, Mr. Beagle possibly hates unicorns. Or perhaps he hates the adults who clung to The Last Unicorn as a kind of wormhole to their lost, magic, innocent childhood. Or perhaps, like myself, it was simply a matter of not being able to stop reading the story, regardless of the sad aftertaste.
Stampede of Light by Marina Fitch was a mysterious, heart-wrenching story of what happens to forgotten children. One of my favorites in the book.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix was a hopeful story about how justice may be served if there were unicorns in the world. Captivating, full with dead queens, bad kings, and witches.
The Lion and the Unicorn by A. C. Wise was an ugly, brutal tale of what happens to human unicorns in the hands of lustful humans. Definitely my least favorite in the book.
Survivor by David Smeds. I have to say, after reading this story, I Goodreaded David (Dave) Smeds and what else he's written and added a few things to my to-read list. A Brutal, beautiful story of a young man who gets a unicorn tattoo stateside while he's serving during the Vietnam War, and finds that he can't die. Unfortunately, this does not mean he cannot have his heart broken, and the immortality does not extend to those close to him. One of my favorite stories in the book. Perhaps my favorite one, period.
Homeward by Bruce Coville was an interesting story about a boy obsessed with the horn his uncle says came from a narwhal.
Unicorn Triangle by Patricia A. McKillip was about a unicorn turned into a girl. Wildly confusing, especially at the end.
My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle was a unique tale of a boy and an injured beast, and the tentative bond they briefly share. Told by the father after the fact, he is rough with the son, but is fascination and love for his son shines through.
The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen was one of the more tender stories of an albino deer sought by two individual youths who come together to save it before hunting season opening day.
Unicorn Series by Nancy Springer was a series of micro poetry thrown in at the end which I can only assume means that it was done to meet a page count quota. Some were good, but it was a bit disjointed.
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