The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

Information

Goodreads: The Unicorn Quest
Series: The Unicorn Quest #1
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Little Free Library
Published: 2018

Official Summary

Claire Martinson still worries about her older sister Sophie, who battled a mysterious illness last year. But things are back to normal as they move into Windermere Manor… until the sisters climb a strange ladder in a fireplace and enter the magical land of Arden.

There, they find a world in turmoil. The four guilds of magic no longer trust each other. The beloved unicorns have gone, and terrible wraiths roam freely. Scared, the girls return home. But when Sophie vanishes, it will take all of Claire’s courage to climb back up the ladder, find her sister, and uncover the unicorns’ greatest secret.

Review

I’ve had The Unicorn Quest on my TBR list for years, and Krysta’s positive review and the rave reviews on Goodreads had me convinced I would love this. After all, it’s a story about sisters in a fantasy world with unicorns! (Well, there used to be unicorns.) Unfortunately, poor pacing and writing let me down, and I didn’t love this nearly as much as I’d hoped.

This is likely a case where younger readers will not mind the issues that I mind, but I thought the book was really choppily written. It’s one of those novels where something happens and as soon as it’s resolved, some other problem pops up. Literally in the next sentence. Imagine a scene (I’m making this up), where a character is drowning, and as soon as someone saves her a sea monster pops up, as a soon as the sea monster is defeated, the boat falls apart. And it goes on. I could have used a little more space in between each problem the protagonists faced.

I also thought the writing was underwhelming, a bit cliché and awkward at times. Again, I don’t think actual ten year olds will care.

I liked the sister relationship, but this is yet another book where the sisters barely interact with each other during the course of the novel, and readers have to assume a lot about their relationship from what the protagonist says about it while the other sister is off-page somewhere.

So, no, I won’t be reading the rest of the series, but it seems to be doing well, so I’m probably an outlier here.

Sorceline by Sylvia Douyé, Illustrated by Paola Antista

Information

Goodreads: Sorceline
Series: Sorceline #1
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Library
Published: 2018, 2022

Summary

Sorceline arrives at Professor Archibald Balzar’s school of cryptozoology determined to prove herself and earn a spot as one of the professor’s apprentices. Soon, however, students start disappearing. To solve the mystery, Sorceline will have to delve into her own past and uncover her own secrets.

Review

Sorceline drew me in first with the promise of a magical world filled with fantastic creatures, and then once again when I saw how beautiful the illustrations are. However, even though I loved learning about all the wonders of Sorceline’s world, I found the plot to be disjointed and the characters lacking complexity and depth. I imagine the target audience will love this title a lot because of the magic. Personally, though, I was hoping for more cohesion in the narrative.

The premise of the story is absolutely wondrous; Sorceline travels to an island full of creatures that would seem to exist only in fantasy or in myth. But they are real, and she possesses a remarkable ability to identify them. Indeed, she seems destined to be top of her class, if only the resident mean girl would stop stealing her answers to impress the professor. Then, the students begin disappearing–or, more accurately, transforming into glass. Sorceline and her friends must work together to solve the mystery, while still fulfilling their duties as caretakers and healers of magical creatures. The only problem? Gaps in the plot.

At several points during the story, I had to pause and think back because it seemed as if I had missed something. Assumptions were being made by characters, theories advanced, and actions taken that did not make sense to me and that did not seem connected to anything that happened before. Initially, I thought the mistake must have been mine and that I had been reading too fast. Eventually, however, I realized that the gaps in the plot were a feature of the book itself.

The characterization also is lacking a bit. The characters seem to be built around types, such as the mean girl, her best friend who enables her, the Goth loner, the best friend who supports Sorceline, etc. Their backgrounds and motivations, however, are not really explored, and their relationships lack complexity. Mostly the characters seem around to be the catalyst for drama, whether that means school rivalies, best friend fights, or something more sinister.

Sorceline enchants with its premise and, most of all, its gorgeous illustrations. The plot does lack cohesion, however, and the characters, at least in this installment, do not yet seem full developed. Still, I think tweens will enjoy the book and I have hope that the sequel may improve.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman

Information

Goodreads: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
Series: Skandar #1
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Library
Published: 2022

Summary

Skandar Smith dreams of leaving the Mainland to join the Island as a unicorn rider. All he has to do is pass the Hatchery exam, and he will be one of the chosen few to travel to the island and hatch a real, life unicorn. But not the type of unicorns people on the Mainland thought were cute (and imaginary). Real life unicorns are vicious, violent creatures who can control the elements, and share that magic with their bonded riders.

But the Hatchery exam does not go as planned, and Skandar finds his world shrinking–until a stranger knocks on his door at midnight and smuggles him onto the Island. People are disappearing, and a mysterious figure known as the Weave is stealing unicorns. And Skandar might be the only one who can save the Island.

Review

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief proved a bit of a rollercoaster read for me. While it starts out feeling a bit slow and rather derivative, over time the pace picks up and the action drew me in. I initially thought I would end up DNFing the book, but discovered that I eventually enjoyed it for what it is–a fun middle grade fantasy that does not try to do much of anything new, but does relish in bringing out all the old favorite tropes. A solid read I think tween readers especially will enjoy.

The main draw for Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is presumably the “twist” on unicorn lore–the book makes a big deal out of noting that unicorns in this world are not the cute, rainbow-pooping creatures trending in pop culture right now, but rather vicious monsters who can kill. There are actually numerous fantasy books were unicorns are presented as wild and dangerous, so it’s not that original. However, I will accept that today’s tweens are so immersed in the glittery kind of unicorns that this might seem incredibly weird and innovative to the target audience.

And that’s the main draw, initially. “Look how scary these things are!” the book shouts. “They shoot lightning! They can trample you to death!” The dangerousness of unicorns is so hyped up, I began to wonder exactly why the protagonist wanted a unicorn of his own. Unicorn riders are treated as international celebrities, and audiences gather worldwide to watch the riders and their unicorns fight it out to see who will be in charge of the unicorn Island. But…it all seems so bloodthirsty! Why should I sympathize with Skandar wanting a unicorn of his very own so he can try to kill or maim another rider just so he can be on TV?? But this is to wonder too much. I think it’s just supposed to be like Pokemon, where you watch “caring” humans battle and injure their beloved animals and cheer them on instead of reporting them to the authorities responsible for animal welfare. So, if you or your child likes Pokemon, maybe Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is for you!

Despite all the hype about these bizarrely non-sparkly unicorns, however, the beginning feels slow. I felt like I could have been reading just about any other middle grade fantasy and getting a similar experience. The worldbuilding tried for something unique, but making the boarding school be a series of treehouses did not feel all that innovative. Then, once the pacing picked up, it felt choppy, with Skandar and his friends too easily completing different tasks that should have been impossible for a bunch of new students with almost no training.

By the middle of the book, however, I did somehow find myself immersed. I began to get more interested in the question of who the Unicorn Thief was, and what their end goal is. The pacing was still a bit uneven, with Skandar and his friends again completing tasks with a bit too much ease. But I enjoyed the action and the drama for what it was, without worrying too much that the book and its elements do not particularly stand out from similar titles.

If you enjoyed middle grade fantasy, and are looking for your next read, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is worth a try!

The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

Information

Goodreads: The Unicorn Quest
Series: The Unicorn Quest #1
Source: Library
Published: Feb. 2018

Summary

When Claire and Sophie Martinson move into old Windermere Manor and discover a ladder that leads through the chimney to an enchanted world, Sophie tries to convince Claire that it was all a dream.  But then Sophie disappears in the middle of the night and Claire knows she can no longer ignore the truth.  Climbing up through the fireplace, she finds herself in a world where unicorn artifacts strengthen the magic of the four guilds.  But the Unicorn Harp has gone missing and Sophie seems to be the thief.  Can Claire solve the mystery in time or will she and Sophie both end up dead?

Review

The Unicorn Quest feels either like an old friend, or a rehash of a number of classic children’s fantasy novels, depending on the perspective of the reader.  A plethora of familiar elements compose the plot, from the secret passage hidden in an inherited family mansion to the entry into a magical world to the quest to find a missing family member and discover the true royal heir (no prizes for who that heir is).  Younger readers not as familiar with children’s fantasy may find all this a delight.  Older readers will instantly recognize a hodgepodge of other books and be able to predict the entire plot of the story without even trying.  Still there is something admittedly charming about The Unicorn Quest, perhaps because it feels safe and comfortable to curl up with a book who feels so intimately known from the start.

Writing a review for The Unicorn Quest, however, feels unusually challenging.  Perhaps readers can recall Bruce Coville’s The Land of the Unicorns, C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, and William Corlett’s The Steps Up the Chimney.  The book feels like a smash up of those, along with hints of some other titles like Susan Cooper’s Under Sea, Under Stone–basically any of those “children move to a mysterious house and find an ancient mystery hidden in it” books.  That being said, I feel like I have nothing to say about The Unicorn Quest because I must have said it when reviewing any of these other numerous books.

I suspect readers will generally be enthusiastic about The Unicorn Quest.  Readers always enjoy a good fantasy world hidden in an old home.  It gives us hope that we will find our own magical passage if only we keep looking.  And so my review comes down to this: If these types of children’s fantasies are your cup of tea, here’s another one to enjoy.

Movie Review: The Last Unicorn (1982)

Information

Director:  Jules Bass; Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Writers: Peter S. Beagle
Release: 1982

Summary

Upon learning that she is the last of her kind, a unicorn sets forth on a quest to find the others.  Joined by the inept magician Schmendrick and a woman named Molly Grue, the unicorn enters the halls of King Haggard, where lurks the fearsome Red Bull who once drove the other unicorns away.  But the longer she stays, the more the unicorn forgets who she is and what she seeks.

Review

The Last Unicorn follows the plot and dialogue of the Peter S. Beagle’s original novel fairly closely, the largest changes merely streamlining the action.  This can make watching the film seem a little odd–what does translating the story to a different medium do for the story, if so little changes?  And does the story work better on paper or on screen?  These types of questions hovered in the back of my mind during the entire viewing, detaching me somewhat from the story itself.  Even so, the film remains a moving and a poignant work.

Normally I prefer to think of the book and the film as separate entities–what works for one medium will not work for another, and I try to accept changes made from page to screen as long as the spirit of the work remains intact.  In this case, Beagle wrote the screenplay for the film based on his own book, so one feels fairly certain that everything the author thought essential to the story remains.  Still, one also wonders if time constraints may not have necessitated certain changes that were not particularly desirable.

For instance, the largest deviation from book to film that I noted (having read the book some months ago), was the deletion of the side adventure that enables Schmendrick and the unicorn to learn about the history of Haggard’s rule and the changes it has wrought upon the people and the land.  Arguably Haggard’s background story does little to further the plot and, if something had to go, it was a logical decision to choose that.  However, the loss of background information means also a loss of power for the emotional punch at the end.  Audiences have little idea just how sorry they should feel for Haggard, or how repulsed they should be at the lengths he has been willing to go.  They know only the small details he mentions in passing and the rumors that Schmendrick repeats–rumors they do not know whether or not to believe.  Not knowing about Haggard means, to some extent, not caring.

I also could not help but think that the book really does convey the heartbreak and the emotion of the story much more poignantly than the film.  The film gives us glimpses of the lives of the characters, but never delves into the hardships the characters have experienced or the pain.  Schmendrick, in this version, seems simply a kind fellow who wishes he had some more magic.  The audience never learns about all the years he’s spent searching.  And Molly Grue is almost more of an enigma.  The film shows a glimpse of her life, but a glimpse that is sanitized (for the children?).  Viewers may extrapolate from the little they see that Molly has had a wretched, hard, and dirty life all while longing for beauty–but the film simply doesn’t show how dirty her life must have really been.

The visuals, however, are quite striking, and I often caught myself thinking about how interesting they were, if not always beautiful.  If The Last Unicorn does not capture the ethereal beauty of a unicorn the way I imagined, at least it expresses a certain joy in the process of animation and experimentation.

But therein lies the real problem–the inability of the film to convey the indescribable beauty and presence of unicorns.  Drawing a white horse with a horn, even one that is graceful and somewhat dainty, simply doesn’t live up to the idea of a unicorn as presented in the book.  And hearing Mia Farrow’s voice issue from the unicorn isn’t my idea of how a unicorn sounds, either.  Some things perhaps simply cannot be convincingly depicted–and unicorns may be one of them.

If I ignore the book, however, The Last Unicorn stands solidly on its own as a beautiful and poignant film, a classic fantasy that blends sorrow and joy, life and loss, hope and defeat.  It never pretends that goodness comes without a cost, but it also never pretends that not doing the right thing is ever an option.  It is a solemn sort of story, but one that feels cathartic.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Information

Goodreads: The Last Unicorn
Series: The Last Unicorn #1
Source: Purchased
Published: 1968

Summary

A unicorn discovers that she is the last of her kind and so sets forth on a quest to find the others.  Along the way she is joined by Schmendrick, an inept magician, and Molly Grue, a woman who still believes in beauty despite her hard life.  Their journey leads them to the cursed castle of King Haggard, where dwells the fearsome Red Bull who once drove all the other unicorns away.  But more than monsters lurk in Haggard’s halls.  Once the unicorn enters, she, unchanging and immortal, will never be the same again.

Review

The Last Unicorn is one of those rare, beautiful books equally full of wonder and sadness.  From the first sentence, where the unicorn lives all alone in a lilac wood, you know this book is going to break your heart.  The beauty of the language and the story, however, are enough to make you want to read on anyway, no matter the emotional cost.

I always find it more difficult to review a book I loved than one I disliked or merely liked.  Finding the words to describe the rare, exquisite beauty of some stories can seem forced or cheap, or simply overused.  After all, can simply repeating “beautiful” really convey the specialness of some stories?  I suspect that those who read those stories and agreed will understand, and perhaps that is the best one can hope for sometimes.

I could go on about the way The Last Unicorn uses and plays with fairy tale tropes, the way it somehow still seems to believe in goodness and beauty even when it seems somewhat despairing.  The characters alone no doubt could provide material for a lengthy analysis.  And yet, I think this time, I would rather not.  Some stories strike too deeply for me to want to talk about them or analyze them, at least at first.  They just want to be held for awhile, and cherished.

So, if you are a lover of fantasy and you have not yet read The Last Unicorn, I simply urge you to give it a try.  There’s a reason it’s considered a classic in its genre.  A reason, perhaps, that borders on the ineffable.