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annashiv's review against another edition
5.0
Better than the last one. It's so well written and everything I love. At this rate, this just might be my favorite series of all time.
katjacatbeans's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
millennial_dandy's review against another edition
3.0
A lovely sequel to Into the Land of the Unicorns.
The poem at its heart, 'The Song of the Wanderer' is beautiful and poignant and perfect for anyone who would define themselves as a wanderer.
The story picks up exactly where the first book left off and while it does a lot to push the overarching narrative forward, Song of the Wanderer is definitely more invested in building up gaps in the lore left over from Into the Land of the Unicorns, and it does so beautifully. The only problem is that it does this job so well, it made me wish that Grandmother Morris (Ivy) was the main character of the series rather than Clara, who in this installment comes across yet again as very much an Alice in Wonderland archetype, to the detriment of my personal enjoyment. Though she does have her moments of heroism, these instances of what should have been character development are often undermined by how little they actually change her and seem to exist to build her up as a hero only when the plot calls for it.
The other problem I had with this installment was the sheer number of characters. Immersive fantasy is no stranger to ensemble casts, but the bulk of characters here did nothing but water them all down to the point that I would often forget who a given unicorn was and how they fit into the story.
That all being said, Song of the Wanderer really shined when focusing on its titular character and her mythos as well as the mythos of Beloved and the Hunters and I sincerely hope that future 'chronicles' will put the focus here as well and/or actually allow Clara to develop into someone more interesting than she proved herself to be here.
The poem at its heart, 'The Song of the Wanderer' is beautiful and poignant and perfect for anyone who would define themselves as a wanderer.
The story picks up exactly where the first book left off and while it does a lot to push the overarching narrative forward, Song of the Wanderer is definitely more invested in building up gaps in the lore left over from Into the Land of the Unicorns, and it does so beautifully. The only problem is that it does this job so well, it made me wish that Grandmother Morris (Ivy) was the main character of the series rather than Clara, who in this installment comes across yet again as very much an Alice in Wonderland archetype, to the detriment of my personal enjoyment. Though she does have her moments of heroism, these instances of what should have been character development are often undermined by how little they actually change her and seem to exist to build her up as a hero only when the plot calls for it.
The other problem I had with this installment was the sheer number of characters. Immersive fantasy is no stranger to ensemble casts, but the bulk of characters here did nothing but water them all down to the point that I would often forget who a given unicorn was and how they fit into the story.
That all being said, Song of the Wanderer really shined when focusing on its titular character and her mythos as well as the mythos of Beloved and the Hunters and I sincerely hope that future 'chronicles' will put the focus here as well and/or actually allow Clara to develop into someone more interesting than she proved herself to be here.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
Very good, and definitely tougher (and also better, IMHO) than the first book.
eliseofsoleanna's review against another edition
4.0
The second installment in the Unicorn Chronicles expands so well on the story of the first book and solves my biggest problem which was glossed-over worldbuilding. Luster felt ten times more alive here than it did in Book 1, with new characters rounding out the different types of creatures and people living here. I don't think this book flowed as well as Book 1 and dragged in a few places due to monotonous and repetitive writing, but that's my only complaint. Some might call the ending plot twist bonkers but I love this series so much I'm willing to let it slide.
eliseofsoleana's review against another edition
4.0
The second installment in the Unicorn Chronicles expands so well on the story of the first book and solves my biggest problem which was glossed-over worldbuilding. Luster felt ten times more alive here than it did in Book 1, with new characters rounding out the different types of creatures and people living here. I don't think this book flowed as well as Book 1 and dragged in a few places due to monotonous and repetitive writing, but that's my only complaint. Some might call the ending plot twist bonkers but I love this series so much I'm willing to let it slide.
mzmegara's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
catpicozzi's review against another edition
5.0
My nostalgic heart picked this up to read again and wasn't upset one bit. How beautiful!