The Midnight Unicorn

Dark Unicorns #1

by Alice Hemming

An epic unicorn fairy tale filled with adventure, magic and a fight like no other...

In a faraway kingdom, two girls live separate lives. Growing up in the wilderness of the west, Alette is the daughter of a sorcerer. In the warmth of the east, Audrey is the daughter of a baker. The girls could not be more different... and yet something draws them together.

Are they connected by the unanswered questions of their pasts?

Or by the identical pendants they both wear around their necks?

Whatever it is, the girls are on a collision course that cannot be avoided, as a past they never knew they had leaves them hurtling towards a future they could never have dreamed of.

Danger, mystery and enchanted unicorns await them.

Their story began once upon a time. But how will it end?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Unicorns, Fairy Tales, Childrens

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2019

About the author

Alice Hemming is the author of over fifty books for children, including the bestselling Dark Unicorns series (Scholastic), and picture book, The Leaf Thief with illustrator Nicola Slater (Scholastic 2020), which has sold across the world and been translated into nineteen languages. Alice lives in Hertfordshire, UK with her husband and two children, and works in a writing shed at the top of her garden.

Reviews

[Emmeyzing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best book EVER on Earth. It's a must read. Favorite book ever. So magical, so mysterious, so enchanting. Every page i read i couldn't put it down. Alette has so much in common with me, i think that may be a big reason why i was so gripped to the book. But Maneo? Hmm..let's just say i wasn't expecting that...or the secret of Queen Bia...

[Zehra · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me four days to finish this book and it was AMAZING.It had a really good storyline and i like how the main characters are two strong female princesses.I find in a lot of fantasy a girl is helpless and waiting for a boy to come save her.THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOO WRONG, US GIRLS DO NOT NEED SAVING, WE CAN COPE IF YOU GAVE US THE CHANCE.I also loved the twist nearing the end which makes you go WHAT?

Anyway,if you're into adventure and enjoy a good mix of loss,love and labour then read The Midnight Unicorn.

[Samantha Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was an interesting new fairytale that I liked the idea of from the start, but it took me a bit to relate to the main characters at the beginning- perhaps the first quarter of it- so that's why the lower stars. To be fair though the plot and character development all got a lot better as the story went on, so it held my interest and turned out to be a good book.

[Teodor Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le-am iubit pe Alette și pe Audrey și am adorat atmosfera magică a acestei cărți. Un basm care poate fi iubit de oricine indiferent de vârstă.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Midnight Unicorn has the feel of reading a glorious fairytale, maybe Sleeping Beauty? It begins like most fairytales in a faraway kingdom, a new queen has been crowned and the women of the village are chatting while their children are playing nearby. One young boy breaks away from the others, climbs a tree and falls into a fast-moving river. Remarkably he shows up on shore, unharmed, professing to having been saved from drowning by a unicorn. From that day forward he was known as the Boy River.

The story then skips ahead five years to Queen Bia having given birth to twin girls. Concerned that her brother, Zelos might have plans to take the throne and harm the princesses, the Queen separates the two girls, sending one to grow up in the west as Alette, the daughter of a sorcerer, and the other to the east, Audrey to grow up as the daughter of a baker. Each daughter is given half of an identical pendant that will become one when they can be reunited.

So, the two girls grow up not knowing about each other. Their circumstances couldn't be any different. One long and strong, given the name meaning Truth, while the other smaller but given the name meaning Strength. All the while, both girls feeling as if a part of themselves is missing. The story then jumps ahead thirteen years, alternating between Alette and Audrey, each beginning to sense that the something missing from their lives is a person. Someone who resembles them, which leads Alette to question her father, Maneo, the sorcerer and eventually leads them on a journey to find Audrey. From there the two sisters learn the whole story of why they were separated at birth and the dangers that lie within the city of Essendor. As I said before, this has a very magical fairytale like feel to it. The unicorns were also a nice touch and I appreciated that this could be read as a standalone, but why would you want to? Come on, it's unicorns and a quest to reclaim a kingdom from their tyrannical uncle. Plus, there's River, the boy who sleeps under the stars, and can speak to animals. Such a sweet, free-spirited boy. Overall, this was a very satisfying story, it ticked off all the things I enjoy in a good fairytale, the two sisters reuniting and learning about each other was super fun and I liked how the story resolved.

**A huge thank you to Kane Miller Publishing for the paperback review copy**

[Leah's Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally didn't quite enjoy this book as it was kind of boring and dragged on in some chapters, there was a plot twist at the end however it wasn't as big as i was expecting. I wouldn't recommend the book.

It's about two twin princesses (Alette and Audrey) who were separated at birth. The protecter unicorn has disappeared along with the king and queen as the queens' twin brother Zelos came to rule. Maneo, Alette and Audrey are on a journey to claim the throne, however they meet some obstacles on the way, betrayals and reveal the hidden past.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a middle grade book, I'm an adult. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was just a pretty meh book overall. A decent enough beginning and I flew through the first half but that second half DRAGGED. Like it's a fairytale but the "good" twin and the "not nice" twin were too stereotyped. There was a twist at the end but it was so out of left field I hated it. And what was the point of being able to transform into unicorns when in the end it didn't matter? I'm just way too old for this I think. :/

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read this a couple of years back, I really enjoyed the magic of it, the fantasy and the uniqueness of it.

These 2 girls drawn to each other even though they’ve never met…something about their past entwines them. And the midnight unicorn…well I’m not giving any spoilers away I’m afraid. 😝

It’s a beautiful little fairytale and I thoroughly enjoyed it ✨💖✨

[Daria Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐
Tema copilăria,familia ,iubirea

[laila Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

SOOO good!! great plot + ending. would love her other books xoxo

[Chloe Mcgrory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!
Would be easy to finish in 2/3 days if you had the time.
Great twist towards the end and satisfying conclusion.
An all rounder

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it, a wholesome fairy tail.
worth the read!

[Poppie Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the description, i was highly anticipating this book. I was highly disappointed. The storyline is stretched out and could be half the book. the alternative POVs from the two sisters is great at the begining when they are not together but a bit pointless throughout the rest of the book. the mystery is uncovered very quickly and the majority of the book is the journey to the kingdom. Nothing in how the powers work and the only mention in the history is between their mother and uncle which gives a little but of a backstory. The ending could of been a lot better a bit of a fluff to be honest and could of been better. i dont think i enjoyed a bit of this book and it was a chore to read.
I would recommend this to children below the age of 12 as they may enjoy the bonding between the two sisters. If you expecting this to be a YA novel or similar to the retellings of the disney classics be highly disappointed.
Sorry to the author

[Starz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute book with lovable characters and a great plot. The story also gave me major Frozen vibes which is a plus.

[Aleisha Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a fun and interesting read. It was good to get me through a 24 hour readathon

[KBooks - · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great adventure! I loved how even though they are so different they make each other stronger! 👭🏽🐰🐝🍎

[Beth Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just absolutely adored this book! I'm 18 years old and although i thought oh no its going to be a children's book i think as long as you have quite a young mind and are a child at heart this book will be perfect for adults too and it was such a nice easy book to read before bed. First of all, i loved the structure of the narrative changing from Alette to Audrey's perspective and I think this gave a really good insight to their thoughts and their own experience of the events. The story itself seemed very fast paced at the beginning so i almost wish it was slightly longer just to give more of a setting but i think this cleverly reflects the short amount of time that the twins had with their mother. I also love the characters although Audrey can be sooooo annoying sometimes, I feel as though Alette is the cool character which everyone loves but Audrey has her own caring quirks which you learn to love in the end. Ive read reviews of people complaining about the story of the journey being too long which doesn't make sense because every story is a journey whether that is literal or metaphorical but I think this really helps us explore their powers and relationships as time goes on and i love the challenges they face along the way. However, in comparison to this very lengthy story, i feel like there was this huge build up to what i expected to be a huge climax of the story and the "battle" between the twins Maneo and Zelos was kind of disappointing. However i did love the twist with Maneo although it did make me really sad because i was so emotionally invested in him as a character. And I'm still torn on whether i like the ending, I'm happy its a happy ending and that everyone comes together in the end but I'm not sure how i feel about Alette denying the throne.. I completely understand that it wasn't her thing and she'd rather be alone whereas Audrey is more of a people person but I just wished she had chose to stay in the castle after retrieving Storm but could still maintain her independence and love for the outdoors. I also wish that Alette and Maneo had a happier ending as he was her respective father, but I appreciate the female independence shown in the book. As someone who has lost contact with both biological parents myself, i can completely relate and sympathise with Alette and if she was a real person, i would TOTALLY be her friend!

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not overly impressed.

I was reading it in advance for my 10yo since she received it for Christmas and I thought it could be a fun, quick read.
It was, but it also missed the mark numerous times.
Characters didn’t hold true to the characteristics previously demonstrated, especially during the Surprise twist ending, and that is a total book-ruiner for me. Characters must hold true, even when everything else falls apart. As much as I like happy endings, they must be earned.

There were some other storylines that didn’t quite hold up, either (Bramble, for one) - they needed either more detail and support or significantly less attention. Most likely the former.

That said, I don’t see much in this one that could be concerning for a 10yo. There is magic, so for those who object to that, it would be a pass.

[Tara Martin & Co · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book full of action and adventure for early teens who are into magic/enchantment reading.
It is about twin girls (princesses) separated at birth to protect them from an evil uncle. They come back together 13yrs later to try and reclaim their throne. - The girls share a *magical* secret passed on by their mother.

Controversies from the book to be considered for your child:
The "older" more dominating twin has a disrespectful attitude toward her guardian (father authority) throughout the whole book.
There is relatively mild violence resulting in (a) death.
And obviously- it is a book of magic. Sorcery, enchantments, and spells abound!

Looking forward to reading the next book to see where the story goes!

[Luciana Farinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book it quite interesting. Though i am personally not a fan of the whole ‘unicorns and kingdoms’ thing, this book kept me hooked throughout.
I recommend it partially because it is one of the only fairy tales that have actually kept my attention throughout the story, though also because it is, in fact, quite i nice book with the whole ‘sibling’ relationship thing, though unrealistic because most siblings nowadays do nothing other than argue with one-another about the simplest of matters.

[Bunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. A simple style of writing but after a few chapters some really nice depth to the characters. The ending was good (no spoilers) and I really enjoyed the imagination of the author. Only giving a 3 not a 4, as I felt the dialogues could have been a bit more complex, although I appreciate this was written for a younger audience.
Good for older kids, young teens and adults too. I've already bought the next one...

[Chimene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun children's book that see royal twin girls get seperated at birth, to find their way back to each other and take their rightful place.

A good range of characters and a few plot twists - entertainment between the more demanding and complex reads of late.

And a positive message within the pages for young readers- that quiet and reserved doesn't mean incapable. Appearances can be deceiving.

Tempted to read book two.

[Karolina Stream · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a beautifully written fairy tale for young adults. I noticed a few dissatisfied reviews and prepared for the worst. However, I believe they didn’t realize that it is written for 11+. Expecting some simplicity, I still very much enjoyed it as a grown up and most definitely will be passing it along to my 12 year old. This fairy tale has a few interesting twists along the way that are bound to keep you reading and excited to find out the final outcome.

[Lisa C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I probably should have read a description before diving in since I expected to read about unicorns. However, this story is a medieval kingdom setting about princess twins separated at birth for their own protection. It has a very similar feel to the movie ‘twitches’ if anyone has seen the old 90s TV movie 😂😂
Especially with the addition of magic, sorcerers, reunions and enchantments. Definitely worth the read.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I git this book for Christmas and really enjoyed reading it, however upon reading I realised it wasn't quite my cup of tea but it is written very well. I recommend reading if you are younger than 15 otherwise it's not intended for you. But if you like magic and a little mystery this is a lovely little tale to tide you over for a while.

[Jessica Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new young adult fiction series sold by my company, so I wanted to read them to be able to give knowledgeable reviews.

This would definitely be fantastic for a young reader, probably ages 10/11 and up. Set in a magical kingdom long ago, where things like unicorns, trolls, sorcerers, and elves are part of daily life. Full of magic, adventure, life lessons, and heart!

[Aine Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book I could never put it down. It got to the point where I was supposed to read six pages but I read 20 .I was amazed when I found out that maneo the good guy turned out to be the bad guy and that alette replaced her mother as midnight unicorn 🦄 This auther doesn't know when to stop !!!!(that is really good. )

[Heidi Selas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appearances aren't always what they seam. That's the moral and focus of this story. I totally enjoyed reading the travels the twins embarked on and how different they are from each other. The book was fast paced and fun, but I feel like there should've been more action at the end to make it more exciting, but it seemed fitting for the twins.

[Aozguch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy.
It's been a while since I've read it, but I still hold it dear.

I find the theme of strength and weakness to be very well illustrated by the two main heroines, Alette and Audrey. Alette and Audrey are good characters in general, and complement each other very well, bringing this book up and above.

[Amanda Eggert]

This book was good. It had a lot of twists in it. I really enjoyed reading it and finding out what really happened to the King and Queen. It is just sad that they didn't get to see their daughters grow up and see what they would do with their lives and their powers.