Review: Rampant

Unicorns exist. We’re not talking the fluffy, sparkly, rainbow, magic beings you’re probably familiar with, though. No, although there are a few different species, all unicorns have a few things in common: venomous horns, sharp teeth, cruel minds, and a vicious bloodlust. Everybody thought unicorns were extinct hundreds of years ago, and so they faded into myth and unicorns became innocent inhabitants of bedtime stories.

But now, they’re back. And their one weakness is hunters: virgin female descendents of Alexander the Great.

Astrid Llewellyn always scoffed at her mother’s weird unicorn stories, until a unicorn attacks her boyfriend. Now, Astrid is swept away to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter. She is surrounded by other hunters with their own agendas, vicious and bloodthirsty unicorns plotting her death, and one very handsome art student who could destroy everything.

Entertainment: ★★★★★

Wow. This was fabulous. I don’t even know what to say here. It was an incredible read.

Plot: ★★★

Maybe not the most original plot of all time, but still plenty unique and amazingly exciting. My only disappointment was that, except for some very minor details, the plot was extremely straightforward and never really had any twists. But still, Rampant has a fascinating storyline.

Characters: ★★★★★

I completely identified with Astrid; I understood the way she thought and her reasons for doing what she does. I loved Giovanni, her maybe-boyfriend, her cousin Phil, and the other hunters. All of the characters seemed very real, with very real flaws and very real personalities. And I loved the way they all interacted with each other.

Writing: ★★★★★

I was completely swept up in the story. Astrid’s voice was emotional without being whiny, and honest without being boring. Everything moved along at the perfect pace, never bogged down in long descriptions or skipping important details. And I loved the unicorns! What an amazing twist on a usually-boring stereotype!

End Result: five stars.  A really excellent book.  Read it.