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quirkycatsfatstacks's review
3.0
Book Summary:
Did you grow up on fairy tales and unicorn stories? Well, this anthology isn't a collection of those tales. This anthology will show the world the darker side of unicorns. Some would even argue that it is the more accurate portrayal of their history.
Included in this anthology, you'll find The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory, The Brew, Falling of the Unicorn, A Hunters Ode to Bait, Ghost Town, A Thousand Flowers, The Maltese Unicorn, Stampede of Light, The Highest Justice, The Lion and the Unicorn, Survivor, Homeward Bound, Unicorn Triangle, My Son Heydari and the Karkadarnn, The Transfigured Hart, and Unicorn Series.
My Review:
Oh. Well, this wasn't quite the anthology I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong! I wasn't expecting The Unicorn Anthology to be all bright and bubbly (though I don't mind happier unicorn tales, to be clear). I really like darker, more fae-esque takes on unicorns.
That said...I only loved a few of the shorts in here. I was initially drawn to this anthology because of a.) unicorns and b.) a few authors (Caitlin R. Kiernan, Carrie Vaughn, etc.), but that wasn't enough to keep me invested.
My biggest problem is that I didn't connect to a lot of the stories. Or I didn't enjoy the implications they made (looking at you, the story that implies lesbian sex doesn't count as losing your virginity).
Here's the good: Survivor by David Smed, The Highest Justice by Garth Nix, and The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen (I knew she wouldn't let me down!).
Side note: This anthology is a recent(ish) publication of a bunch of older short stories. Most of them had previously been published somewhere else, so you don't need to read this anthology to access them all. This nicely compiles a few thematically appropriate shorts into one anthology.
Highlights:
Anthology of Short Stories
Unicorn-centric shorts
Urban Fantasy
Trigger Warnings:
Suicide
Rape/Drugging
Thanks to Tachyon Publications and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Did you grow up on fairy tales and unicorn stories? Well, this anthology isn't a collection of those tales. This anthology will show the world the darker side of unicorns. Some would even argue that it is the more accurate portrayal of their history.
Included in this anthology, you'll find The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory, The Brew, Falling of the Unicorn, A Hunters Ode to Bait, Ghost Town, A Thousand Flowers, The Maltese Unicorn, Stampede of Light, The Highest Justice, The Lion and the Unicorn, Survivor, Homeward Bound, Unicorn Triangle, My Son Heydari and the Karkadarnn, The Transfigured Hart, and Unicorn Series.
My Review:
Oh. Well, this wasn't quite the anthology I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong! I wasn't expecting The Unicorn Anthology to be all bright and bubbly (though I don't mind happier unicorn tales, to be clear). I really like darker, more fae-esque takes on unicorns.
That said...I only loved a few of the shorts in here. I was initially drawn to this anthology because of a.) unicorns and b.) a few authors (Caitlin R. Kiernan, Carrie Vaughn, etc.), but that wasn't enough to keep me invested.
My biggest problem is that I didn't connect to a lot of the stories. Or I didn't enjoy the implications they made (looking at you, the story that implies lesbian sex doesn't count as losing your virginity).
Here's the good: Survivor by David Smed, The Highest Justice by Garth Nix, and The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen (I knew she wouldn't let me down!).
Side note: This anthology is a recent(ish) publication of a bunch of older short stories. Most of them had previously been published somewhere else, so you don't need to read this anthology to access them all. This nicely compiles a few thematically appropriate shorts into one anthology.
Highlights:
Anthology of Short Stories
Unicorn-centric shorts
Urban Fantasy
Trigger Warnings:
Suicide
Rape/Drugging
Thanks to Tachyon Publications and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
hbutler398's review
3.0
Some of these stories are sick and twisted. I was expecting to read wholesome unicorn tales, but I was WRONGGGG. Despite this change in my expectations, I still enjoyed these stories.
bibliophiliadk's review
2.0
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
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
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
awyxm's review
2.0
Doesn't really capture the essence of unicorn-ness. I think the problem is that too many of the stories use too hard of worldbuilding, and hard worldbuilding isn't suited to unicorns, since it demystifies them. I've read a lot of stories with harder worldbuilding applied to dragons, and it works with them. This is because a demystified dragon is just a big lizard, ad demystified unicorn is just a horse with a horn glued on. The problem is that big lizards are a lot cooler (in my opinion) than horses with horns.
The best story in the book is My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle. It is about Indian unicorns (called karkadann), which are nasty creatures that like to impale elephants for fun. It has hard worldbuilding, but works since it's creatures, while looking like unicorns, don't really invoke the same feelings (I think) unicorns are meant to invoke.
The best story in the book is My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle. It is about Indian unicorns (called karkadann), which are nasty creatures that like to impale elephants for fun. It has hard worldbuilding, but works since it's creatures, while looking like unicorns, don't really invoke the same feelings (I think) unicorns are meant to invoke.
eriophora's review
5.0
The Unicorn Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman
Unicorn
**THIS ARC WAS PROVIDED COURTESY OF Tachyon Publications via NetGalley IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**
Future Publication Date: April 19th, 2019
Execution: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Key Descriptors: unicorns, LGBT+, friendship, sex, violence, virginity
Applicable /r/Fantasy Bingo Squares: Novel Published in 2019, Five SFF Short Stories
Review: When we think of unicorns, I think we often forget the two more “vulgar” concepts they are linked to: sex and violence. We hunt the unicorn for its horn. We kill it, imposing our mastery over the innocent. Unicorns will only accept the hand of a virgin – by opposing sex, they become a symbol of it; this is particularly true given the somewhat phallic nature of the horn.
If you’re coming in to this anthology expecting it to be filled with glitter and happiness, I have some bad news: that’s definitely not what you’ll be getting. However, if you’re hoping instead for a much more adult look at what the unicorn has historically symbolized, you will be in for a real treat. Beagle and Weismann have put together an anthology that showcases every aspect of the unicorn, all the way from adorable friendship and coming of age right on over to joy of mastering and destroying innocence. I found it damn impressive and fascinating to read – I’ll confess, I had anticipated a bit more glitter and happiness than what I found between these pages, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
I think my favorite in the collection was “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn. Vaughn’s story features not only gorgeous prose, but also a protagonist unusual by unicorn story standards: a young maiden who is an active participant in the unicorn hunt. She wants the kill just as badly as does the man using her as bait; she craves the challenge, the domination, the thrill of using her desirability to lure in the beast.
“Her feet and legs were caked with mud, the hem of her gown black with the stuff, even though she held it off the ground. She was wet as a drowned kitten, but smiling and shining, moving a slow dance like she was born to this damp world – as innocent as the rain. Rain which gave life, and which flooded and drowned. This, he thought, was why men paid more for virgins.
The old unicorn was also aroused.
She had him then.”
I had shivers reading this. What an amazing scene – using innocence intentionally in seduction and turning the unicorn trope right on its head.
Also worth a mention is “Falling off the Unicorn” by David D. Levine and Sara A Mueller. This was a surprisingly adorable coming of age story featuring the cutest LGBT romance you can imagine. I had such a good time reading it and rooting for our young protagonists! Many of the stories had LGBT themes, but this one, I think, did it best. That said, “The Brew” also deserves an honorable mention, if only for this quote:
“It was just so hard to put the two lives together. At the time I felt that the first life was just a lie. I felt that everyone who loved me had been lied to. But now – being gay seems to be all I am sometimes. Now sometimes I want someplace where I can get away from it. Someplace where I’m just Bobby again.”
This was such an interesting and relatable take on being part of a minority. While I personally am not, this is a sentiment I’ve absolutely heard echoed by many of my openly LGBT+ friends. In the current out and proud climate, it’s easy to lose yourself by trying to put this one small piece of you forward all the time.
I could easily go on and on about every story in this anthology; there wasn’t a single dud amongst them, and I have great things to say about every page. Gorgeous prose for gorgeous unicorns, surprising violence and sexuality, and trope reversal abound. I strongly recommend this to anyone, and perhaps especially to those who think they’re not a fan of unicorns!
The Unicorn Anthology can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.
If you liked The Unicorn Anthology, you might also enjoy:
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Unicorn
**THIS ARC WAS PROVIDED COURTESY OF Tachyon Publications via NetGalley IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**
Future Publication Date: April 19th, 2019
Execution: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Key Descriptors: unicorns, LGBT+, friendship, sex, violence, virginity
Applicable /r/Fantasy Bingo Squares: Novel Published in 2019, Five SFF Short Stories
Review: When we think of unicorns, I think we often forget the two more “vulgar” concepts they are linked to: sex and violence. We hunt the unicorn for its horn. We kill it, imposing our mastery over the innocent. Unicorns will only accept the hand of a virgin – by opposing sex, they become a symbol of it; this is particularly true given the somewhat phallic nature of the horn.
If you’re coming in to this anthology expecting it to be filled with glitter and happiness, I have some bad news: that’s definitely not what you’ll be getting. However, if you’re hoping instead for a much more adult look at what the unicorn has historically symbolized, you will be in for a real treat. Beagle and Weismann have put together an anthology that showcases every aspect of the unicorn, all the way from adorable friendship and coming of age right on over to joy of mastering and destroying innocence. I found it damn impressive and fascinating to read – I’ll confess, I had anticipated a bit more glitter and happiness than what I found between these pages, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
I think my favorite in the collection was “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn. Vaughn’s story features not only gorgeous prose, but also a protagonist unusual by unicorn story standards: a young maiden who is an active participant in the unicorn hunt. She wants the kill just as badly as does the man using her as bait; she craves the challenge, the domination, the thrill of using her desirability to lure in the beast.
“Her feet and legs were caked with mud, the hem of her gown black with the stuff, even though she held it off the ground. She was wet as a drowned kitten, but smiling and shining, moving a slow dance like she was born to this damp world – as innocent as the rain. Rain which gave life, and which flooded and drowned. This, he thought, was why men paid more for virgins.
The old unicorn was also aroused.
She had him then.”
I had shivers reading this. What an amazing scene – using innocence intentionally in seduction and turning the unicorn trope right on its head.
Also worth a mention is “Falling off the Unicorn” by David D. Levine and Sara A Mueller. This was a surprisingly adorable coming of age story featuring the cutest LGBT romance you can imagine. I had such a good time reading it and rooting for our young protagonists! Many of the stories had LGBT themes, but this one, I think, did it best. That said, “The Brew” also deserves an honorable mention, if only for this quote:
“It was just so hard to put the two lives together. At the time I felt that the first life was just a lie. I felt that everyone who loved me had been lied to. But now – being gay seems to be all I am sometimes. Now sometimes I want someplace where I can get away from it. Someplace where I’m just Bobby again.”
This was such an interesting and relatable take on being part of a minority. While I personally am not, this is a sentiment I’ve absolutely heard echoed by many of my openly LGBT+ friends. In the current out and proud climate, it’s easy to lose yourself by trying to put this one small piece of you forward all the time.
I could easily go on and on about every story in this anthology; there wasn’t a single dud amongst them, and I have great things to say about every page. Gorgeous prose for gorgeous unicorns, surprising violence and sexuality, and trope reversal abound. I strongly recommend this to anyone, and perhaps especially to those who think they’re not a fan of unicorns!
The Unicorn Anthology can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.
If you liked The Unicorn Anthology, you might also enjoy:
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
raitalle's review
3.0
Some of these stories I loved, some of them didn't quite do it for me, so I feel like the entire collection comes out to three stars. I did definitely like the collection overall. I do think a unicorn anthology could have used a few more straight up happy endings, but I can appreciate that Beagle's The Last Unicorn itself isn't a straightforward fairy tale ending, and I understand it. The main issue is, in a series of short stories, it actually starts to feel a little repetitive, even with stories that otherwise have a good variety.
kleonard's review
1.0
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.
stephbookshine's review
5.0
*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the authors, Tachyon Publications and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Like many, I have always loved the idea of unicorns, but this anthology made it clear to me that I have no real idea of what they are or mean. There are sixteen stories here, and each author is able to spin something completely new from the bare bones of what is commonly known of the mythical beasts; which really amounts to not much more than: horns and virgins.
This given, it should be unsurprising that there is a focus on sex and not-sex; purity and innocence, retained and lost, given, taken or held tight. these are not fairytales for children. There is darkness here: sexual assault, violence, miscarriage, blood, death.
Many of the unicorns depicted, though not all, are indeed magical. Nearly all of them are wild animals. Some are merely catalysts for human actions, or repositories for (magical or not) horns that can be taken and used by humans. Being used is a theme that recurs in the anthology.
Obviously the theme of virginity and purity comes up repeatedly, and I understand why this wouldn’t sit well with a modern reader, smacking as it does of a fixation on oppressing women through control of their sexual behaviours. However the unicorn myth is an old one, and the ‘virgin attraction’ is one of its staples, so I feel that the authors here explore the mythology fairly and present the ideas in some new and refreshing perspectives.
I read Peter S. Beagle’s foreword with a little dismay. As a fan of his writing, with The Last Unicorn on my favourite books of all time list, and In Calabria and The Overneath in prominent spots on my to-be-read shelf, I was a little saddened to see him distancing himself from the perception of him as ‘the unicorn writer’ (although I do understand his reasons). I was therefore heartily gladdened to find that this didn’t stop his story, ‘My Son Heydari and the Karkadann’, from being my favourite in this collection. Unicorn man or not, Beagle has a talent for showing us the fantastical in ways we haven’t seen or thought of before.
You won’t just find fantasy in this anthology. There is sci-fi, detective noir, some horror elements, coming of age tales, allegories and even a poem. Therefore it does, for me, what every good anthology should: it provides something for everyone. Not every story may be to your personal taste, but they are all well-written and imagined, and so something should. There will always be those that merely see a grey mare, but if you’re lucky you may find your very own unicorn (story).
The moment they see the unicorn boy – the shine of his skin, the pearlescent spiral of his horn, his silken hair pale as moonlight – they want him. It’s no wonder he prefers virgins. Their uncertainty makes their plucking hands almost gentle. Some of them are even sweet. Afraid.
– A. C. Wise, ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’ in The Unicorn Anthology, ed. Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/17/the-unicorn-anthology-ed-peter-s-beagle-jacob-weisman/
Like many, I have always loved the idea of unicorns, but this anthology made it clear to me that I have no real idea of what they are or mean. There are sixteen stories here, and each author is able to spin something completely new from the bare bones of what is commonly known of the mythical beasts; which really amounts to not much more than: horns and virgins.
This given, it should be unsurprising that there is a focus on sex and not-sex; purity and innocence, retained and lost, given, taken or held tight. these are not fairytales for children. There is darkness here: sexual assault, violence, miscarriage, blood, death.
Many of the unicorns depicted, though not all, are indeed magical. Nearly all of them are wild animals. Some are merely catalysts for human actions, or repositories for (magical or not) horns that can be taken and used by humans. Being used is a theme that recurs in the anthology.
Obviously the theme of virginity and purity comes up repeatedly, and I understand why this wouldn’t sit well with a modern reader, smacking as it does of a fixation on oppressing women through control of their sexual behaviours. However the unicorn myth is an old one, and the ‘virgin attraction’ is one of its staples, so I feel that the authors here explore the mythology fairly and present the ideas in some new and refreshing perspectives.
I read Peter S. Beagle’s foreword with a little dismay. As a fan of his writing, with The Last Unicorn on my favourite books of all time list, and In Calabria and The Overneath in prominent spots on my to-be-read shelf, I was a little saddened to see him distancing himself from the perception of him as ‘the unicorn writer’ (although I do understand his reasons). I was therefore heartily gladdened to find that this didn’t stop his story, ‘My Son Heydari and the Karkadann’, from being my favourite in this collection. Unicorn man or not, Beagle has a talent for showing us the fantastical in ways we haven’t seen or thought of before.
You won’t just find fantasy in this anthology. There is sci-fi, detective noir, some horror elements, coming of age tales, allegories and even a poem. Therefore it does, for me, what every good anthology should: it provides something for everyone. Not every story may be to your personal taste, but they are all well-written and imagined, and so something should. There will always be those that merely see a grey mare, but if you’re lucky you may find your very own unicorn (story).
The moment they see the unicorn boy – the shine of his skin, the pearlescent spiral of his horn, his silken hair pale as moonlight – they want him. It’s no wonder he prefers virgins. Their uncertainty makes their plucking hands almost gentle. Some of them are even sweet. Afraid.
– A. C. Wise, ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’ in The Unicorn Anthology, ed. Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/17/the-unicorn-anthology-ed-peter-s-beagle-jacob-weisman/
paladinjane's review
3.0
This collection of previously published stories offers a wide exploration of style and theme, far more than one might expect in a collection of stories about unicorns. In these stories, you can find interdimensional travel, time travel, noir mystery, unicorn riding competitions, and a grifter with a heart of gold, a zombie queen, and an American soldier in the Vietnam War, to name a few. These are modern takes on the unicorn myth, and I enjoyed the variety in them.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a lot of sexual content in these stories, often subverting the virgin aspects of the unicorn mythology. Other stories touch upon other aspects of unicorns’ affinity for purity, whether it’s magical healing or purifying water.
My favorite stories were “Survivor” and “The Highest Justice.” “Survivor” follows a young Vietnam soldier who gets a unicorn tattoo, only to discover that it protects him from death, at a terrible cost. “The Highest Justice” follows a princess and her undead mother, traveling with the unicorn who continues to revive the dead queen, on their way to confront the dissolute king.
Content warning: rape and racial slurs, in multiple stories
Table of Contents:
“The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” by Carlos Hernandez
“The Brew” by Karen Joy Fowler
“Falling Off the Unicorn” by David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller
“A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn
“Ghost Town” by Jack C. Haldeman II
“A Thousand Flowers” by Margo Lanagan
“The Maltese Unicorn” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
“Stampede of Light” by Marina Fitch
“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix
“The Lion and the Unicorn” by A. C. Wise
“Survivor” by Dave Smeds
“Homeward Bound” by Bruce Coville
“Unicorn Triangle” by Patricia A. McKillip
“My Son Heydari and the Karkadann” by Peter S. Beagle
“The Transfigured Hart” by Jane Yolen
“Unicorn Series” by Nancy Springer
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a lot of sexual content in these stories, often subverting the virgin aspects of the unicorn mythology. Other stories touch upon other aspects of unicorns’ affinity for purity, whether it’s magical healing or purifying water.
My favorite stories were “Survivor” and “The Highest Justice.” “Survivor” follows a young Vietnam soldier who gets a unicorn tattoo, only to discover that it protects him from death, at a terrible cost. “The Highest Justice” follows a princess and her undead mother, traveling with the unicorn who continues to revive the dead queen, on their way to confront the dissolute king.
Content warning: rape and racial slurs, in multiple stories
Table of Contents:
“The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” by Carlos Hernandez
“The Brew” by Karen Joy Fowler
“Falling Off the Unicorn” by David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller
“A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” by Carrie Vaughn
“Ghost Town” by Jack C. Haldeman II
“A Thousand Flowers” by Margo Lanagan
“The Maltese Unicorn” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
“Stampede of Light” by Marina Fitch
“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix
“The Lion and the Unicorn” by A. C. Wise
“Survivor” by Dave Smeds
“Homeward Bound” by Bruce Coville
“Unicorn Triangle” by Patricia A. McKillip
“My Son Heydari and the Karkadann” by Peter S. Beagle
“The Transfigured Hart” by Jane Yolen
“Unicorn Series” by Nancy Springer
adancewithbooks's review
2.0
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.