What do you think?
Rate this book
Rise of the Mythix #1
Golden Unicorn: Rise of the Mythix 1
Some heroes are legends. Some legends are real.
The tyrant known as the Soul Collector hunts down anything that is beautiful, unusual or unique.
Kelly Swift is trying hard to be an average teenager, to fit in. But every day her powers are growing: she can run faster than the wind, she can hear people's thoughts, she is not normal.
When her mother is taken by the Soul Collector, Kelly can't linger in the shadows any longer. But who is she really? Can she be the one in the prophecy? Is she...the Golden Unicorn?
The Golden Unicorn, the Minotaur and the Griffin -
Only these three united to a common purpose
can fell him who seeks to triumph over all...
The tyrant known as the Soul Collector hunts down anything that is beautiful, unusual or unique.
Kelly Swift is trying hard to be an average teenager, to fit in. But every day her powers are growing: she can run faster than the wind, she can hear people's thoughts, she is not normal.
When her mother is taken by the Soul Collector, Kelly can't linger in the shadows any longer. But who is she really? Can she be the one in the prophecy? Is she...the Golden Unicorn?
The Golden Unicorn, the Minotaur and the Griffin -
Only these three united to a common purpose
can fell him who seeks to triumph over all...
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
13 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Anh Do
186 books454 followersAnh Do is a comedian, artist and also one of the highest selling Australian authors of all time, with total book sales approaching 3 million.
Anh’s first book, The Happiest Refugee, is his enormously popular memoir recounting his perilous childhood journey in a tiny boat from war-torn Vietnam to Australia. The book became an instant hit and has won numerous awards including Australian Book of the Year.
Anh has since turned his attention to children’s book writing.
Weird Do is an illustrated series starring Weir (1st name), Do (2nd name), a kid with a very unfortunate name. Aimed at the 8+ market, these books have gone off the charts as national best-sellers, resulting in 14 books total and more on the way. The first Weir Do won the Australian Book Industry Award for Older Children (2014).
Other children's book series include Hotdog, the adventures of a sausage dog and also Ninja Kid, the escapades of a 10 year old Nerd who discovers he’s the world’s last ninja.
In 2019, Anh released Wolf Girl, a series about a little girl who gets lost in forest and befriends a group of dogs and an enormous Wolf who become her family. Then came Rise of the Mythix, which marks the first of a number of sagas described by Anh as ‘A superhero movie in a book’.
All of Anh Do’s books are mega bestsellers and all rate between 4-5 star averages on websites such as Goodreads and Amazon.
It’s clear that Anh is an exciting voice in literature, able to delight across age ranges and different genres with great success, and he isn’t planning to slow down any time soon.
Anh’s first book, The Happiest Refugee, is his enormously popular memoir recounting his perilous childhood journey in a tiny boat from war-torn Vietnam to Australia. The book became an instant hit and has won numerous awards including Australian Book of the Year.
Anh has since turned his attention to children’s book writing.
Weird Do is an illustrated series starring Weir (1st name), Do (2nd name), a kid with a very unfortunate name. Aimed at the 8+ market, these books have gone off the charts as national best-sellers, resulting in 14 books total and more on the way. The first Weir Do won the Australian Book Industry Award for Older Children (2014).
Other children's book series include Hotdog, the adventures of a sausage dog and also Ninja Kid, the escapades of a 10 year old Nerd who discovers he’s the world’s last ninja.
In 2019, Anh released Wolf Girl, a series about a little girl who gets lost in forest and befriends a group of dogs and an enormous Wolf who become her family. Then came Rise of the Mythix, which marks the first of a number of sagas described by Anh as ‘A superhero movie in a book’.
All of Anh Do’s books are mega bestsellers and all rate between 4-5 star averages on websites such as Goodreads and Amazon.
It’s clear that Anh is an exciting voice in literature, able to delight across age ranges and different genres with great success, and he isn’t planning to slow down any time soon.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 10, 2019
I read this in one sitting! This is the first time I have ever read a MG fantasy book written by Anh Do and wow he nails it! Such a great story and written so well that even targeted for a younger audience, this book can be enjoyed by older readers too. I loved the plot, how the characters developed even the illustrations were very impressive. I found this book helped me for my own MG book writing too (thank you Mr Do) highly recommended to readers from ages 9 and up.. very enjoyable and adventurous.
May 11, 2021
Re read for readers cup questions.
This is a great action, suspense novel involving unusual world building, and a blend of fantasy and hi-tech elements.
Just the first book, so lots to set up, but shows promise. Keen to try it on my readers. See what they think.
This is a great action, suspense novel involving unusual world building, and a blend of fantasy and hi-tech elements.
Just the first book, so lots to set up, but shows promise. Keen to try it on my readers. See what they think.
July 26, 2020
Hi so this book was the best it was soo good i feeling like this right now シ︎シ︎シ︎シ︎シ︎シ︎シ︎シ︎ i love unicorns and there was so much theme and action throughout this book and i will be just waiting for tha book i will be the firat one to buy it when it come back plsss i recvommened it to all of you
-ZeyZey
-𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕟: ℝ𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕩 1
-ZeyZey
-𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕟: ℝ𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕩 1
December 30, 2020
A great introduction to the fantasy genre for strong lower primary readers.
October 16, 2019
Golden Unicorn was fantastic. The only problem is is that it felt like a prologue, but it is definitely making me crave to know more. If you are stuck in a rut and need something quick to read, I highly recommend this, who cares if it is middle grade, this book has a sweet depth to it and it brought me back to the day I first read Percy Jackson.
Just saying, this book would have been phenomenal if it was written for the YA universe. I need more description and development please.
Just saying, this book would have been phenomenal if it was written for the YA universe. I need more description and development please.
October 16, 2019
Great read!
October 16, 2019
Great book!
December 18, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
I am an adult reading these, and I have rated this based on my own enjoyment and thoughts of it, as well as what I imagine my own kids would think. So the premise is fantastic. Who as a kid didn’t imagine that there was actually some amazing adventure out there in store for them? I certainly did. I also love the illustrations. I can just see how Ahn Do draws kids in. I mean we have a dystopian world ruled over by a megalomaniac who is only powerful because of the magical ring he stumbled across. He is truly an awful character and very easy to hate. He even has a variation of a bowl cut hahahaha! How I really knew this was good though was that I wished it was longer. I wished it was written more for an older audience and had more detail and content. So I know it is good quality and I enjoyed it despite wishing it was longer. I’ll enjoy watching the Mythix bring down old bowl cut that’s for sure.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
I am an adult reading these, and I have rated this based on my own enjoyment and thoughts of it, as well as what I imagine my own kids would think. So the premise is fantastic. Who as a kid didn’t imagine that there was actually some amazing adventure out there in store for them? I certainly did. I also love the illustrations. I can just see how Ahn Do draws kids in. I mean we have a dystopian world ruled over by a megalomaniac who is only powerful because of the magical ring he stumbled across. He is truly an awful character and very easy to hate. He even has a variation of a bowl cut hahahaha! How I really knew this was good though was that I wished it was longer. I wished it was written more for an older audience and had more detail and content. So I know it is good quality and I enjoyed it despite wishing it was longer. I’ll enjoy watching the Mythix bring down old bowl cut that’s for sure.
September 10, 2020
The Golden Unicorn, the first in the Rise of the Mythix series by Anh Do, is a futuristic new series.
A man found both the Holy Grail and Lucifer’s Ring, and ended up all-powerful with an evil heart. Ruling over the Northern Kingdom with fear, he turns anything – people, sunsets, things of beauty – into paintings.
So normality is a must, because then you won’t be noticed.
But Kelly Swift isn’t normal, with great speed and an unusual bump on her forehead. And that can cost her her life.
I love this book – with its comic book-like illustrations, powers and prophecy, and action. A promising series.
A man found both the Holy Grail and Lucifer’s Ring, and ended up all-powerful with an evil heart. Ruling over the Northern Kingdom with fear, he turns anything – people, sunsets, things of beauty – into paintings.
So normality is a must, because then you won’t be noticed.
But Kelly Swift isn’t normal, with great speed and an unusual bump on her forehead. And that can cost her her life.
I love this book – with its comic book-like illustrations, powers and prophecy, and action. A promising series.
May 7, 2023
Not terrible, not great, but is probably enough to keep a kid entertained.
Nothing new with a dystopian setting, a tyrant overlord and a teenager with powers on the run who is part of a prophecy to be the hero. But the way the story is paced and information is fed, it sets up a promise that you do want to find out what happens. You’d like to see the Unicorn girl and the archaeologist get their loved ones back. You’d like to find out who this Minotaur and Griffin are (and if their stories will- hopefully- be better than this one).
Narrative was not my cup of tea. Shallow dialogue and lots of back and forth physical action which to me does not make a compelling read.
Nothing new with a dystopian setting, a tyrant overlord and a teenager with powers on the run who is part of a prophecy to be the hero. But the way the story is paced and information is fed, it sets up a promise that you do want to find out what happens. You’d like to see the Unicorn girl and the archaeologist get their loved ones back. You’d like to find out who this Minotaur and Griffin are (and if their stories will- hopefully- be better than this one).
Narrative was not my cup of tea. Shallow dialogue and lots of back and forth physical action which to me does not make a compelling read.
Read
September 2, 2021Set in the future with a corrupt government ruling all - there is a prophecy that states when the time comes their will be chosen ones with special powers to free the people. What would you do if one day you started to realize you are changing and not sure how to control these new powers or why you have them?
Easier read for those just getting back into the habit
Easier read for those just getting back into the habit
July 9, 2020
Interesting move by Anh Do - very different from his beloved Weirdo books. The writing is still simple and the plot straightforward. It's like a comic book written as a novel. Real violence, so not to be taken as a next step for Weirdo fans.
January 3, 2023
Great story the idea is incredible but I find fault with some of the grammar/sentence structure which lets the book down for me. It feels a little rushed which is even more disappointing given the potential of such a great idea.
March 24, 2025
What do I like? It's like reading a comic and I feel it's perfectly pitched to its target audience. What I didn't like was that somehow part of the plot was too predictable and things seem to happen too often by chance.
August 31, 2020
This was a fun easy read that I think young teens would like. I would have liked more world building but I know that’s probably because I’m an adult reading it
November 12, 2020
Fun, interesting story, perfect for the target age group.
January 22, 2021
Eh, I have #2 so will read that soon.
June 22, 2021
Very well done book. My 9 year old is hooked.
Read
June 20, 2022This was a fantastic book. As for being a children's novel I'm not so sure. The collector and what he does and is capable of could be far too scary for young children.
August 17, 2022
love it just finished both of them soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo goooood
January 5, 2025
Another brilliant series from Anh Do. An interesting book and more of a challenging read but still with pictures which Mr 10 loves.
September 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I feel like Anh Do is one of the best authors of the books that i have read and I definitely will reread this book again
November 27, 2019
Before I get stuck in to my review I just want to say that this is a GREAT BOOK FOR KIDS! The reason for my 2 star review however is because of how I (a 22 year old bookseller) personally felt when reading this book.
I personally felt the book was disjointed. That the story didn’t flow from one page to the next. Perhaps that’s because I had an advanced reading copy or because I’m 22 and used to more descriptive books.
The second reason for my review was that I found it hard to get into and hard to follow. I felt that the world wasn’t really established in the first few pages and that made understanding the terminology a bit difficult. I also felt as if I didn’t know the characters and therefore found it hard to understand their decisions. But perhaps that’s because I’m 22 and used to more description rather than dialogue.
Do not let my review deter you from letting your kids read this book. It had action, heroes, villains, and fantasy. It has the potential to be one a good series for children.
I personally felt the book was disjointed. That the story didn’t flow from one page to the next. Perhaps that’s because I had an advanced reading copy or because I’m 22 and used to more descriptive books.
The second reason for my review was that I found it hard to get into and hard to follow. I felt that the world wasn’t really established in the first few pages and that made understanding the terminology a bit difficult. I also felt as if I didn’t know the characters and therefore found it hard to understand their decisions. But perhaps that’s because I’m 22 and used to more description rather than dialogue.
Do not let my review deter you from letting your kids read this book. It had action, heroes, villains, and fantasy. It has the potential to be one a good series for children.
November 8, 2019
To be honest, at first I wasn't really fussed with the colour palette of the cover but then I was very glad I looked beyond it. This is a cracking story that draws on some familiar tropes of graphic fiction - a rich, but orphaned, bullied and victimised villain (the Soul Collector) seeks magic and power to rise above his past only to be challenged by a young band of ordinary heroes who discover they have magical mystical powers. Comprising half text, half illustration this first installment of the series introduces us to Kelly Swift, the Golden Unicorn, whose powers increase dramatically over the first few chapters. Anh Doh has been very successful with his graphic works in the younger age groups and his older fans will love this new series. It will appeal to those who have an interest in the super hero world and also in mythology.
Suitable for 10+
Teacher notes:
https://www.allenandunwin.com/documen...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg7QR...
Suitable for 10+
Teacher notes:
https://www.allenandunwin.com/documen...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg7QR...
July 15, 2019
I received an ARC of this book.
A good new ficiton series from Anh Do aimed at capturing the minds of older kids than his Weir-Do series. This is about mythological beings finding their way into the real world. They are young adults who live in a world where it is not good to be special because special people disappear. So these kids keep their emerging talents secret and hidden so as not to be discovered.
In the Golden Unicorn, we meet Kelly who is becoming something more than just a girl. When her secret is out, The Collector comes calling. Kelly stands up to him and so begins the Rise of the Mythix. I look forward to seeing where this series takes us. The black and white illustrations by Chris Wahl are excellent.
I recommend this series for kids who are 10+. It has the potential to grow into something, depending on how the new characters are integrated into the story.
A good new ficiton series from Anh Do aimed at capturing the minds of older kids than his Weir-Do series. This is about mythological beings finding their way into the real world. They are young adults who live in a world where it is not good to be special because special people disappear. So these kids keep their emerging talents secret and hidden so as not to be discovered.
In the Golden Unicorn, we meet Kelly who is becoming something more than just a girl. When her secret is out, The Collector comes calling. Kelly stands up to him and so begins the Rise of the Mythix. I look forward to seeing where this series takes us. The black and white illustrations by Chris Wahl are excellent.
I recommend this series for kids who are 10+. It has the potential to grow into something, depending on how the new characters are integrated into the story.
October 2, 2019
Anh Do's Rise of the Mythix centres around the evil Soul Collector who's greed is slowly destroying the world. His army of KG officers control the Northern Kingdom watching for anyone who goes against the system and they monitor everything. Teenager Kelly Swift has a secret she loves to run at a really fast pace, she keeps her secret hidden afraid to be noticed by the guards. When an unusual bump turns into a horn on her forehead, her destiny is revealed.
How can she escape from the ruthless Soul Collector who collects oddities and treasures from around the world? With the help of Stanley Solomon the Chief Archaeologist who's uncovered an ancient prophecy about three teenagers who can change the course of history, Kelly Swift's about to embark on an amazingly dangerous journey.
Perfect for hi-lo readers, action-packed, another great series from Ahn Do.
How can she escape from the ruthless Soul Collector who collects oddities and treasures from around the world? With the help of Stanley Solomon the Chief Archaeologist who's uncovered an ancient prophecy about three teenagers who can change the course of history, Kelly Swift's about to embark on an amazingly dangerous journey.
Perfect for hi-lo readers, action-packed, another great series from Ahn Do.
October 28, 2019
Book 1 in the Rise of the Mythix series sees Kelly Smith develop supernatural abilities as she grows and then sprouts a unicorn horn in her forehead.
This threatens her freedom as she is pursued by the tyrant known as the Soul Collector who hunts down anything that is beautiful, unusual or unique and imprisons or immortalises the object or person withing a painting. Kelly proves to be the first of three mystical creatures being reborn to battle the Soul Collector. #2 and #3 will follow the deeds of the remaining team.
An easy read for primary age readers with lots of action and numerous detailed black and white illustrations to support the text.
This threatens her freedom as she is pursued by the tyrant known as the Soul Collector who hunts down anything that is beautiful, unusual or unique and imprisons or immortalises the object or person withing a painting. Kelly proves to be the first of three mystical creatures being reborn to battle the Soul Collector. #2 and #3 will follow the deeds of the remaining team.
An easy read for primary age readers with lots of action and numerous detailed black and white illustrations to support the text.
November 2, 2019
This was better than I expected and much better than the front cover. A really good action story with a strong female character called Kelly, who discovers she is a unicorn, with unicorn powers. She lives in a land controlled by the Soul Collectors, who collects unusual things and now he wants Kelly. Totally involved and engrossed. Would be a good lit circle book.
December 30, 2019
I will admit I don’t know if I would have picked this up / enjoyed it if it wasn’t Anh Do.
An interesting beginning to what will presumably be a trilogy. The art / illustrations were definitely my favourite part!!
Full review to come soon on www.theteacherslibrary.org
An interesting beginning to what will presumably be a trilogy. The art / illustrations were definitely my favourite part!!
Full review to come soon on www.theteacherslibrary.org
July 20, 2023
2 1/2 stars. This was a really quick read owing to the illustrations. It's an adventure which will attract reluctant readers aged 8 or 9. It's plot-driven; things just "happen" and the "heroes-vs-villains-adventure" isn't held up by details or much explanation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews