The Reality, Mythology, and Fantasies of Unicorns

by W.B.J. Williams

The Hunt for a Unicorn

The belief in unicorns as magical creatures is one that is rooted deeply in human history. They are featured in myths, legends, and folk tales from multiple cultures across the globe. In this volume, W.B.J. Williams, the author of the historical unicorn-themed fantasy "The Garden at the Roof of the World", takes us on a journey through time to the dawn of civilization, for a fascinating take on the unicorn and its origins. Step into the worlds of magic, science, mythology, and the arts on your very own hunt for a unicorn.

Genres: Nonfiction

Nook

First published September 15, 2021

About the author

W. B. J. Williams holds advanced degrees in anthropology and archeology. He is an avid historian, mystic, poet, and author who manages an information security program at a prominent New England start-up. He is noted for his bad puns, and willingness to argue from any perspective. He is endured by his beloved wife and two daughters, and lives in Sharon Massachusetts. When he is not at home or at his computer, he can often be found haunting the various used bookstores of Boston.

Find him on social media at:

https://wbj-williams.net/index.html
http://wbjwilliams.wordpress.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/wbjwilliams
www.twitter.com/wbjwilliams
https://mastodon.social/@wbjwilliams
www.facebook.com/wbjwilliams
https://www.instagram.com/wbjwilliams/
https://bsky.app/profile/wbjwilliams....
https://www.threads.net/@wbjwilliams

Reviews

[gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a brief overview of the origin & lore of unicorns spanning across history, places, and cultures, this is a great starting point. This book can also help you narrow down what type of unicorn interests you for future research, and it also provides many sources both primary and secondary as well as many depictions of unicorns throughout art. There is also an exploration on the unicorn vs lion & the unicorn's horn.

I am mostly interested in learning about the Medieval European unicorn, so a large portion of this book was not helpful in that sense, but it did give information for me to look further into. It was still interesting to learn about the mythology/depictions of unicorns throughout art, ages, and cultures.

[Leonid Korogodski · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, you thought that unicorns were pure fantasy? How about some mythology--and even some reality, as well? The author traces evidence for the unicorn in the paleontological records and concludes that a certain, now extinct, species may have survived into the historical time.

The book has an astonishing, truly encyclopedic breadth of mythological references--from Mesopotamia to Europe to India to China--although a more in-depth analysis of the original sources to determine which one influenced which and how is not the focus of this book. The links to the Sumerian culture are especially interesting and well researched, and some original hypotheses are formulated.

Three major themes are explored: (1) the myth of the endless battle between the lion and the unicorn; (2) how to hunt the unicorn (and now, virginity is not always involved--or even chastity, which is a quite different quality); (3) the special properties of the unicorn horn. The book even describes some known methods of breeding unicorn look-alikes: animals with their horns merged.

A definitive source for any unicorn enthusiast and anyone interested in mythology in general.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonwell Publishing for an ARC.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was an interesting read for me, because I've always been interested in unicorns. I've seen and read plenty of other "origin" texts, but they are usually about dragons or mermaids.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and I found it took me back to my college days because it reminded me very much of an academic paper. Lots of research and work was obviously put into this, but because of the format it may not be for everyone. I particularly enjoyed learning about the real animals that unicorns may have been based on. If you want a non-fiction type read about unicorns, I would check this out!

[Jennifer Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reality, Mythology, and Fantasies of Unicorns is a non-fiction compilation of research into the history behind the belief in unicorns around the world. The author holds advanced degrees in anthropology and archeology, and uses those skills to delve through history for single-horned creatures that gave life to tales of unicorns. It’s an impressive endeavor. The book is filled with references, descriptions, and images. The Reality, Mythology, and Fantasies of Unicorns is well written, with touches of whimsy that lighten what could otherwise have been a heavily scientific tome. I think it will appeal to a wide range readers.

[Lizz Axnick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a big snooze. The author talks about how he did a lot of research and "took lots of notes" into creating his novel, which is a story about a girl and a unicorn. The book reads like a mish-mash of notes and he certainly plugs his novel throughout.

I thought the depictions of unicorns over the years as well as possible origins for the legends was mildly interesting but the author kept cross-referencing himself (I will discuss this in a later chapter.... I discussed this in a previous chapter....). The book felt very unorganized both with chapters and the text itself. It could the formatting of the book on kindle but sometimes it felt like stream of consciousness writing and was hard to follow.

I was excited to read this book since I love all things mythology and unicorns but it felt more like a history lesson and a list of all the things the unicorn could NOT be. Unless you want to read something attempting to be academic about all the things the modern version of the unicorn is not, you want to pass on this book.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. Opinions in this review are my own.

[Anid Harker · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Review of an ARC via Netgalley)
Expectation: an analysis of how unicorn myths and imagery evolved from real animals that exist/existed to today's holographic rainbow glitterpocalypse horse.
Reality: an extended wikiepdia article with an attitude.
There are some very unacademic assumptions made here, any analysis present was superficial, and the design and formatting is lacking.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley, Dragonwell Publishing, and W.B.J. Williams for the ARC!

This was a quick, interesting read that explores the fascinating backstory of the unicorn. I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of information on this subject, and enjoyed learning about it through the author's clear and concise writing. The book is formatted into various chapters, some of which I enjoyed more than others. At times the writing felt a bit disjointed, each chapter feeling more like an individual entity than an interconnected book. Although there were many interesting tidbits - specifically the section on the reality of the unicorn and its representation in art through the ages - I felt like the middle of the book dipped into what felt like an info-dump with little engaging writing. There were also multiple formatting issues, which will hopefully be dealt with before the final publication. Despite this, overall I found The Reality, Mythology, and Fantasies of Unicorns an illuminating read on the history of unicorns. It does exactly what it says on the label.

[Nicole Criss · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️
Extremely messy writing. Information is poorly organized and seems to run all over the page. You will constantly feel as if you are rereading the same never ending passage as he cross references things he has said or will say. The text soon becomes boring and confusing. This is basically a plug for his fiction book that he constantly mentions.
The only reason I decided to give this two stars is because if you bother to read through this you will find information on other books to further explore Unicorns.

[Andrea C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing me the ARC.

I love unicorns, so it was logical for me to request book about them :)

Well, I cannot say that I loved this book, but I did not hate it either.
As non fiction it was well written, however I was missing something, maybe more about the literature which includes unicorns, at the end there was a very brief mention, but I would say that it was too brief.

For me solid 3 stars, of course recommending to every unicorn fan :)

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book, hoping for some light reading with a good dose of research. I got most of that - the cited items are picked for information, but not always accurate information.

This read is a bit tough - there isn't a real story for part of the book, and enough information that seemed stretched a bit more than needed made me set it down multiple times. I did love the pictures, and exploring how less well-known references were brought in

[Graisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you Netgalley, W. B. J. Williams and Dragonwell Publishing for the ARC.

An interesting summary of unicorn lore. I didn't realize there was so much evidence of them.

[K. Fox (Cahill) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and insightful, with a brief but concise, excellent history of unicorns

[J.A. Hoyt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun look at the myth of the unicorn!

[W.B.J. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were already a number of excellent books on unicorns, so when I set out to write this one, I wanted to add something new.
I started with the very real Elasmotherium, looking at both our reconstruction of the real unicorn, and at what is known about it.
I looked for the connection between Elasmotherium and humanity, in the art and histories that have survived.
I looked at the myths that have collected around unicorns as their very real presence slowly disappeared.
I looked at our efforts to depict unicorns in art and literature, and to recreate unicorns from our longing to bring back this profoundly inspiring beast in a rough copy of our memories.

There were other approaches to the material, but during a pandemic year, this was mine.

I hope you enjoy!