Rampant

Had heard about this book on various blogs, but my initial thought was: killer unicorns? Yeah, right! But people kept raving about it, so decided to take a look. The first page had me hooked, and I stayed up much too late to finish reading it! This is one of my favorite types of books, in that it grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go! Astrid is the main character, who grew up thinking her mother was more than a little crazy because she insisted that they were descendants of unicorn hunters. Then one night her new boyfriend is attacked by a unicorn! Before she knows it, Astrid is shipped off to Rome to begin her training as a unicorn hunter. Unfortunately, the training turns out to be trial & error as the order was disbanded way back when the unicorns were thought to be extinct, and it's left to a bunch of teenagers (and one young man) to try to figure things out. While the idea of killer unicorns and virgin hunters may be a little out there, Diana does a great job of making it all seem entirely possible. It doesn't hurt that Astrid is a skeptic as well, and we come to terms with the situation together. All in all, this was a great read and I recommend that everyone give it a chance. Had an interesting well-paced plot, good writing, and believable characters. Plus, I adored Bonegrinder, the baby unicorn! Gave it my highest rating as I didn't want to put it down despite having to work the next day.

This was such an amazing book, it's really hard to describe how I felt about it. To begin with, I thought the topic sounded so far fetched- I mean killer unicorns, come on! From the first page I was hooked. There was already a lot of action and I was learning things about unicorns I never in my wildest dreams would have believed. Peterfreund presents the idea of killer unicorns in a way that makes you believe in them. Her writing style has a nice flow, and the historical facts were great. I learned more about Alexander the Great and the Goddess Diana then I ever have in history class! Unicorns have always been something I would love to read about and this book just made me want to find out all I could about unicorns. Fast paced, exciting... this book had it all. Rampant took me longer to read then normal, because I was so caught up in school work and everything, but every free chance I had I was reading it. The ending left me wondering if there's going to be a sequel! I really hope so. As I was reading I would shout out in surprise, stand up in shock (yes spilling my somewhat surprised cat onto the floor), and cheer with joy. I love books that draw emotions from me, and this book definitely did. I've been reading a jumble of book genres lately, but fantasy is one of my favorites, and this book was a refreshing look at how great fantasy can be. I would highly recommend this to anyone- even people who haven't liked fantasy before. Rating; Plot: 10/10 Characters: 9/10 Ending: 9/10 (only because I'm wondering if there's a sequel...?) Enjoyment: 10/10 Cover: 10/10 (Wow! So glad they decided on this cover- love it!) ___ Overall= 48/50 = 96%

Diana Peterfreund's Rampant is a story about young high school girl, Astrid, who's a descendant froma long line of Unicorn hunters but since they've been extinct for centuries she's had no real reason to ever try her hand at hunting. In fact, she's having a hard time even believing her mother's ancestor stories until her boyfriend is attacked by one mid makeout one night. That night and that unicorn force Astrid to move to Italy to train as the unicorn hunter her mother believe she's meant to be but it is not all it is cracked up to be when Astrid realizes the ethics and morals involved if she is to step into the shoes of a hunter and take hold of her destiny. Killer Unicorns. That is what Rampant is about. No, it's not the only thing, but it is nonetheless centered on a concept that is unique and original. It was hard to get around the idea of killer unicorns for the sole reason that I have grown up around the idea of happy go-lucky unicorns and to make a 180 into the dark and twisted world Diana Peterfreund's Rampant took me a few pages. Right from the start Diana throws us into the gnarly world of killer unicorns, sex, and death. Diana doesn't spare us the nitty gritty and goes for it with the highest of bravery. The romance is not in any way safe or easy and the relationships are difficult and troubled. The characters are tough and clever who deal with `real' issues even among killer unicorns. Best of all, Diana makes this concept believable and with ease threw me deep into the book knowing that I will be able to swim through this book enjoying every minute. What I most admire Peterfreund for is the brilliant re-imagination of the unicorn myth blending mythology and history and new found ideas into a seamless plot arc with deep and multi-dimensional characters. Though at times the plot took a toll on me (meaning, the world building was extensive, but needed) I was still captivated and immensely intrigued by Astrid, Phillipa and Giovanni's adventure. The supporting characters left me apathetic to their outcome. Perhaps because the stage needed to be set and they were merely extra bones in the whole skeleton of the story that eventually will be used more and we'll be able to learn more about them. I am looking forward to the sequel and cannot wait to see what Astrid's future hold. How will Astrid and Giovanni's relationship grow, and how will Phillipa's role shape the remaining of the story. But most of all I am intrigued to see what the unicorns are planning and how the myth is retold in this modern world setting.

If you've raised your eyebrows over the idea of killer unicorns, drop 'em and buy Rampant today. It's innovative and rich, one of the most contemporary-feeling urban fantasies I've read. The mythology is solid, the characters relatable, and the universe full and detailed. I read this novel in one sitting, and now I'm stuck waiting another year for the sequel! But that's okay- it'll be worth the wait!

The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great. Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years. Or not. Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods -- thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom -- Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries. However, at the cloisters, all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to -- perhaps most dangerously of all -- her growing attraction to a handsome art student... and a relationship that could jeopardize everything. What image comes to mind when you think of a unicorn? Rainbows and green meadows? Goodness and purity? Well these my friends, are not the unicorns we discover in the world of Rampant! These unicorns can kill you with their venomous acid breath or rip a hole in you with their poisonous horns. Yeah, not too pleasant... I was caught up in this book from the first few pages. Astrid's adventure starts in chapter one and the roller coaster continues all the way to the last page. She is a strong willed, head strong character whose only weakness seams to be the will of her mother. For years Astrid's mom has been telling her about vicious unicorns and her families destiny to destroy them. When a strange course of events leads Astrid to Rome she starts to realize that maybe her mothers stories aren't so crazy after all. There she meets other girls who share a similar legacy as her own and together they train to battle the deadly unicorns. When the motives of a wealthy benefactor come in to question, Astrid must take things into her own hands in order to fulfill her promise to an unlikely co-conspirator. Lots of action and actually, quite a bit of gore! Diverse characters including the cloisters resident unicorn (because there are many different breeds, some much smaller and with different intentions towards the girls) her name...Bonegrinder, a breed of unicorn called Zhi that worships the hunters. Of course we have the love interests who at one point, are the center of a huge tragedy. The love story is always an essential part of the story :) but the best part of Rampant is the story surrounding the girls and their unicorn hunting legacy...it's captivating! Wonderful writing and a great story...paranormal action/romance at its best! Perfectly suited for 7th grade and up!