Ariel

I ran into "Ariel" shortly after its publishing in 1986 or thereabouts. I was 16, a gangly adolescent who read too much. When I went to college, the book was lost. I'm 32 now and just found my copy in a box of things my mom sent from her attic -- I almost cried, I was so happy to see it again. Why? Because "Ariel" is special. It's about a young man in modern-day America trying to navigate his world after a traumatic Change that has rendered machines inoperative, guns impotent, and electricity defunct. Nothing more complicated than a Coleman lantern works in his world now -- cars stopped in their tracks, elevators fell instantly, and in general society fell apart. In exchange for these staggering losses, magic now works -- and magical beasts once found only in fantasy novels now wander the earth. One of these beasts, a young unicorn, joins up with the hero, and they go wandering. Eventually they find a quest to go on and meet lots of interesting people, including a bunch of Society for Creative Anachronism members who have found adjustment to the new world remarkably easy.The writing is easy to read and fluid; characterizations are excellent. I found the plotting very realistic as well, considering what the Change involves. The ending is not a bubbly, happy ending, but it's realistic and something I could live with. The deft humorous touches are enough of a presence to leaven the very serious tone of the book. (Let's face it, if unicorns did exist today, they probably WOULD like peppermint candies.) The unicorn, in particular, is a fascinating blend of the vulgar and the divine.In short, it's easy for me to understand why this work has such a cult following. It's what fantasy wonks have always dreamed of happening.

Just re-read this (the ebook version) after 15 years and it's still one of the best urban fantasy novels out there. Ariel is a magical yet down-to-earth fantasy with human and non-human characters you can believe in, even love. It's written with an intelligence and maturity that set it apart from your average book with a unicorn on the cover. The ebook version contains at least one chapter that did not appear in the print version, and a very cool afterword by Boyett. For years I'd buy every copy of Ariel I found in used book stores to give to friends. Now they're an endangered species. I recommend finding a copy of this book in whatever form and adding it to the list of books you'll re-read every decade or so.

I first encountered Ariel through a friend who got it at a used book store. He picked it up at random and bought it for a buck fifty. He read it and loved it and then lent it to me. To quote another great fantasy book... "Who can know when their life is about to change? Who can sense revelation in the wind?" This book became my favorite. I read it earnestly and repeatedly until I had to give it back. The book was circulated among everyone in my circle of friends and we all aree it's one of the best fantasy books around. I had first read it in 1988 and could not find my own copy until another friend found three in various bookstores in Austin, TX in 1997. This book is well worth the time it takes to hunt it down. The story revolves around the life of a young man, Pete Garey, who's life takes place after the change, where the laws of physics have been altered to where technology no longer functions and magic is standard. Pete befriends a young unicorn and the two share adventure and love in a hard post-apocalyptic world. There are several well-written characters and Boyett breathes new and more realistic life into dragons, griffins and unicorns. This book is a must for fantasy gamers, readers and live-action role players (such as sca-ers and amtgarders).

'Ariel' is one of those books which hold you long after you've read it. Aside from the 'fantasy becomes reality' premise of the book, the problem addressed is one that I've seen nowhere else in fantasy literature: how does a healthy teen-age male stay faithful to his unicorn (read: virgin pure). The characters in this book are marvelous, particularly Malachi Lee and, of course, Ariel the unicorn. Perhaps the only downside is that the book degenerates in the last third into a combination Mad Max takes Manhattan/Point Break/Really Bad kung fu flick. Don't get me wrong, this is a book you'll likely treasure. But you'll only be completely satisfied if you're into karate or hang gliding!

Boyett has thrown reality for a loop. The post-apocolyptic feel to Ariel is not only atypical, but entertaining (such as Washington DC going to war with NY.) The general feeling of "every man for himself" really hits home. You begin to feel very close to the characters of Pete and Ariel, as their friendship takes strange turns in every different direction imaginable. It truly shows you what it's like to fight for the ones you love and the causes you believe in. The friends they made along the way were wonderful, Malachi Lee being my particular favorite. There's nothing like a samurai swordsman with a sense of humor. As for the chosen quotes at the beginning of every chapter, they were very well thought out, and seem to go right along with the entire storyline. I've been reading this book over and over, time and again, for over 10 years now, and my copy is very dog-eared and well-loved. I hope to have it for the rest of my life, for Ariel was the start of my love of fantasy and sci-fi---I haven't stopped reading since. Boyett is truly in a league of his own. Ariel is has everything you could ever need in a book. From humor to bloody swordplay, from fantasy creatures to sorcery and necromancers. It has it all.