Errant by Diana Peterfreund

Set in the Killer Unicorn universe, this novella takes place in 18th century France.  It is a tradition of the nobility to  hold a unicorn hunt before a wedding to prove the virginity of the bride.  When Sister Brigitta of the Order of the Lioness arrives with her unicorn, she is surprised to discover not only is the bride of the bloodline, she also has the power as well.  Together the two find a way to save Elise from the men trying to control her life.

I really enjoyed the story.  At first it was frustrating because neither Gitta nor Elise has any interest in trying to understand each other, but once they come to see the other's point of view was great.   I liked the whole story and I think it added something to the story that was started in Rampant and Ascendant.  It was interesting to see in this world how unicorns are accepted and something known even if they are scarce.  And how the world generally views unicorns and unicorn hunters. 

Ascendant (Killer Unicorns #2) by Diana Peterfreund

Astrid is having trouble coming to terms with her ancestral calling.   On one hand, she can't let the unicorns slaughter innocent people.  On the other, she doesn't feel right hunting the unicorns to extinction.  So when Astrid is offered a job protecting a herd, she views it as a chance to get away from the Cloisters and try to understand the animals better.  But she also learns that everything comes at a price and someone is always the loser.

As one, the unicorns bowed before me, touching their horns to the earth, and I released my hands.  I was a goddess.  I was Diana, the Huntress, the Mistress of the Animals.  p.215

I actually found this one a little more compelling than Rampant.  It explores the moral implications more of taking a virtually extinct and once thought mythical creature and either hunting it to extinction or using it like a lab rat.  Neither are really going to work, but how do you solve a problem like man-eating unicorns?  Astrid doesn't know but then neither does anyone in her world.  And Astrid does not think a lot of herself and her powers so I liked seeing her explore them more along with her ability to "communicate" with the unicorns.  There is understandably some killing and a lot of action, but it was nice to not to have it hunt, kill all the time like in Rampant.  Astrid certainly has a lot of questions that need answering as do I.  The ending set up nicely for another book but without a dreaded cliff-hanger.

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Pearl is a fun-loving, blood-drinking sixteen year old bad girl vampire.  That is until she is stabbed by a unicorn.  Suddenly she is a different kind of vampire, one who can walk in the sunlight and has a reflection.  But she is also turning into a different kind of girl, much to her family's displeasure.  Now they have given her the task of luring a large meal to the Fealty Ceremony and, for Pearl, that means going to high school.

I loved Pearl in a weird way.  I love that she was so badass and so out to prove herself and that doesn't change even after the unicorn incident.  I love that it was a unicorn of all things that stabbed her.  So random and fun.  But I loved Pearl's gradual transformation the best and the fact that she went to the library of all places as soon as she could walk in the sunlight.  Her fascination with daylight was almost touching.  It's something everyone just takes for granted but as a vampire she had no experience with it.  Pearl was awesome, even in high school.  She was just the coolest.  And Evan, the boy, was super sweet and I liked him too.  It is a romance-light book which works for the story being told.


The story was really fun and I liked this book.  The vampires and the unicorns, it's a weird combination but it works in this book.  I did have a little laugh at the Vampire King of New England because I mean, come on, what kind of title is that? But the world was built nicely and everything made sense and there were some good light hearted laugh out loud moments in the midst of Pearl's identity crisis.  And prom, of course.

From the publisher
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish date: 9/13/2011

Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1)

Forget beautiful, innocent pure unicorns.  In Astrid's world, unicorns are deadly beasts who like hunting humans.  Good thing they are extinct.  Except they're not.  One attacks her boyfriend and suddenly Astrid is shipped off to hunter's training camp in order to learn how to kill the reemergence of the unicorns.  But Astrid is not happy with this turn of events and neither are the unicorns.

To Marten, to my mother, to all of them I was just a girl with a bow.  An assassin, good only for what she could kill.
And I wasn't even particularly good at that. p.194

I liked the concept.  It was clever and certainly turned an preconceived notion on its head.  Unicorns are bloodthirsty murderous creatures! Say what?  But that's what it is and it is a very good idea.  Astrid as the main character could be characterized Buffy the Unicorn Slayer light since her powers don't work all the time.  But there is the same amount of whining and badassness that Buffy exhibits through most of the series.  I can't say I blame either of them, what with all the kill kill death stuff going on, but it gets tiresome.  Buffy had the same effect so I can't say anything really since that is my favorite show.  But the girls, the hunters, in this story, are varied and that's nice.

I liked the ending with some resolution for this book and a nice setup for the next.  Not a cliffhanger, which I hate, but it leaves you looking for more.  I need more of what is going to happen with the unicorns and more back story and more of the awesomeness of Bucephalus (minor spoiler or maybe major?) and Bonegrinder.  I *think* I know where this is going and I'm hoping I'm wrong.  I want to be surprised.  There are several little mysteries set up for which I'd like the answers.  The ending was good, but at the same time it was a little blah.  The resolution for the "bad guy" was too quick but maybe it was like killing the Anointed One when it's the Master that really needs to be killed.  So I'm hoping for more in that direction.  I guess you could say that I'm hoping for more in general.