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Ascendant (Killer Unicorns #2)

by Diana Peterfreund (Goodreads Author)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 1,347 ratings · 244 reviews

Astrid Llewelyn is now a fully trained unicorn hunter, but she can't solve all her problems with just a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend, Giovanni, has decided to leave Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend's powers seem to be mysteriously disintegrating, and Astrid can't help but feel that school, home, and her hopes of becoming a scientist are not...more

Hardcover, 392 pages

Published September 28th 2010 by HarperTeen

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Sep 08, 2011 Reeva rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 17, 2010 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unicorns, bea-2010, for-review, own, signed

As much as I would love to write a full-review of Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund, there's still a lot of months until it is out, so I think it's more prudent to give a quick and dirty mini-review, and NO, not that kind of dirty.

Ascendant is a direct sequel to the super-awesome Rampant, which I actually really enjoyed. With Ascendant, the intros and exposition is pretty much out of the way so the book gets right on down to business. There is absolutely more sexual tension, more unicorns, more act...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

In RAMPANT, Diana Peterfreund introduced us to the darker side of unicorns and Astrid, the unicorn hunter. In ASCENDANT, Astrid's adventures continue. Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid is given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and go to France to help in discovering the Remedy.

Unfortunately, leaving Rome doesn't solve Astrid's problems.

She is put in charge of a herd of Einhorns and discovers there's more to the unicorns than she thoug...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Paradoxical rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

I had mixed feelings when I read Rampant, where I teeter between loving the premise and disliking the execution. Ascendant turned out much the same way for me. It's difficult to articulate why I don't like this book more--there are unicorns! There are killer unicorns, which is something that never fails to make me happy (shush, this makes perfect sense to me). There are also a bunch of virgin girls running around killing unicorns, which sort of just made me shrug. There's also the push and pull...more I had mixed feelings when I read Rampant, where I teeter between loving the premise and disliking the execution. Ascendant turned out much the same way for me. It's difficult to articulate why I don't like this book more--there are unicorns! There are killer unicorns, which is something that never fails to make me happy (shush, this makes perfect sense to me). There are also a bunch of virgin girls running around killing unicorns, which sort of just made me shrug. There's also the push and pull of a society coming to terms with unicorns actually being real! And wanting to eat people! As well as typical troubled teenage feelings.

That said, there are a lot of times when I feel what could have been a truly awesome premise and book has been made into something less enjoyable. Astrid's an interesting character, but I don't think I like her very much. Or rather, I like her, but sometimes the decisions she makes just make me unhappy all around. The other characters are varied and have their own reasons and feelings, but they hold very little of my interest, which mainly involves unicorns and Astrid's interactions with unicorns.

I was rather unhappy with the entire Brandt angle, and I've never been all that pleased with Giovanni, so I just rather disliked any romantic aspects and the consequent feelings about said romantic entanglements. I did, however, like Astrid's confusion and uncertainty over her feelings about the unicorns, and her eventual self discovery and firming of her opinions about that subject--though that took up just about the entire book.

The Big Bad in this book wasn't really. Said villain did have several villainous aspects, but overall they weren't... terrible. Which just made me just the teensiest bit fonder of the book.

Overall, I'm uncertain how I feel about the series. I was a bit "eh" with Rampant, and I can't say that Ascendant is so much different. The beginning of this book took me forever to get through because I couldn't believe some of what was said or done, but from the middle onwards, it wasn't bad. It wasn't all that great either. So, overall, 2-3 stars for this book, rounding down to 2. (less)

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May 19, 2013 Megan rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 01, 2013 Monica&spikey rated it 4 of 5 stars

What, I ask you, is the point of a two-book series?
Torture, I tell you. That’s the point. Torture.
Yes, authors hate us, the readers, so they offer us these two-book contraptions, more than a novel, yes, but less than a full-fledged series. A tantalizing taste, but not a full meal.
Teasing us. much like Brandt did with the einhorns.
Speaking of Brandt and Einhorns, I’ll get to reviewing the book.
Loved it. there. as if I’ll ever read a book I don’t love.
I will tell you, there are some things in th...more

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May 16, 2012 Snickerdoodle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Two stars.

Mainly to make up for my intense confusion.

This is my thought process:
Wait...

Astrid is going to England? No, France. No, Germany. BRANDT? THAT JERK-FACE? Why is Astrid talking to him? ARGH I NO WANT LOVE TRIANGLE! *goes into corner* *comes back* Okay, no big love triangle. Wait...she's going with him to Gordian? Did she forget that the CEO of this company paid someone to rape her cousin and try to rape her? That he kidnapped her friend and experimented on her?

Lesbian people! I love les...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, disabled-character, queer-characters, ya

Astrid Llewellyn was raised by a mother obsessed with unicorns. But to hear her tell it, unicorns aren't the fluffy, innocent creatures of myth, but savage, blood-thirsty monsters. And to everyone's surprise, it turns out Astrid's mother was right. The unicorns' last hidden preserve has been lost, and now they're out into the world again. And they're hungry for fresh meat.

Luckily, it turns out that Astrid really has inherited unicorn hunting abilities. She and a small group of other young women...more Astrid Llewellyn was raised by a mother obsessed with unicorns. But to hear her tell it, unicorns aren't the fluffy, innocent creatures of myth, but savage, blood-thirsty monsters. And to everyone's surprise, it turns out Astrid's mother was right. The unicorns' last hidden preserve has been lost, and now they're out into the world again. And they're hungry for fresh meat.

Luckily, it turns out that Astrid really has inherited unicorn hunting abilities. She and a small group of other young women band together. But their funds are low, public opinion on them is split (because despite their best efforts, the unicorn attack rate continues to rise) and none of them are completely committed to the painful and short life of a hunter.

Astrid wants to be a doctor someday, but she's also one of the few people who can defeat or even control unicorns. She feels a duty to postpone her education and personal ambitions in order to find a solution to the unicorn problem, but it's a struggle. I like Astrid--her interest in medicine feels genuine, not just a slapped-on bit of characterization, and her moral quandries were actually difficult decisions. The combat scenes are exciting but easy to understand, and the supporting cast is unique and interesting. But overall, the first half of the book is pretty pedestrian.

Then Astrid gets hurt. (view spoiler) The last third of the book is shattering but excellent.(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-scifi, young-adult, sexuality

I really enjoyed Peterfreund's first Killer Unicorn book so I was looking forward to this title. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much. I can't really explain why exactly because when I break it down into its pieces, I don't find anything to complain about. Peterfreund's writing is nothing fancy but it's the right balance of descriptive and economical. Her dialogue is witty and enjoyable. Astrid really develops as a character throughout this one and I like the journey that she sets on....more

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Jan 14, 2012 BookChic Club rated it 5 of 5 stars

Usually sequels can be a letdown because they just aren't as good as the original. This wasn't the case with Ascendant. It felt like such a natural continuation of the storyline and of Astrid's emotional journey of being a unicorn hunter and what it really means to be one.

There are so many twists and turns with this book, just like with Rampant, but unlike Rampant, there aren't that many action scenes going on. Now that all the hunters are trained, and because of other circumstances happening, t...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Rachael Sherwood rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I didn’t write much for Rampant, but after finishing Ascendant I think this series deserves more than a one sentence review. I am so glad that when I first picked up Rampant that I had no idea it was about killer unicorns. I am sure I would have skipped it, and I’d be missing out if I had.
The series follows Astrid Llewellyn, a unicorn hunter descended from one of the most famous hunters of all time. In this world, unicorns are not friendly glorified ponies. They are intelligent predators that hu...more

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Jun 12, 2011 qingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was the second book of the Killer Unicorns series by Diana Peterfreund. I read the first book in eighth grade, I guessed, and totally loved the book. I didn't know that there was a second book until I accidentally found it in the library. I was eager to get started reading. but the book turned out pretty disappointing to me. Astrid's boyfriend (Giovanni) had moved back to New York, leaving Astrid behind. They wanted to have a long-distance relationship, but it turned out not going so w...more This book was the second book of the Killer Unicorns series by Diana Peterfreund. I read the first book in eighth grade, I guessed, and totally loved the book. I didn't know that there was a second book until I accidentally found it in the library. I was eager to get started reading. but the book turned out pretty disappointing to me. Astrid's boyfriend (Giovanni) had moved back to New York, leaving Astrid behind. They wanted to have a long-distance relationship, but it turned out not going so well. Later, Astrid went to France to help out in the Gordian headquarter and she found out that the people in the headquarter had already found the cure to unicorn horn attack. But those cures were very rare and that her own ex-boyfriend was the one who had gathered that they had so far. Astrid was there to control the unicorns that they wanted to experiment on. But on finding out the truths and seeing how the unicorns suffer, she set them free and planned on returning all the cures that the Gordian people had "stole" from the other hunters. I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first one because in the book, Astrid and Giovanni broke up after the accident that caused Astrid to have the need to be close to the unicorns in order to function normally. I expected that those two would be together forever, overcoming hardships together. This little detail really made me dislike the book. It was like a dream that had turned into a nightmare. I couldn't relate to the book at all because in this world, unicorns were believed to be kind and nice. However in the book, unicorns were killers that could only be killed by female hunters that were descendants of Alexander the Great. This book was like a fairy tale gone bad, where unicorns were creatures that you don't wish to meet. I would recommend this book to people that liked to read about the side of unicorns where they were not what they seemed to be. Diana Peterfreund had created a great series connecting Alexander the Great, the Goddess Diana, and evil unicorns that would make little kids question about their love for unicorns. (less)

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May 28, 2011 Chibineko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesomeness, bittersweet, cool, harperteen, killer-unicorns, magic, unfinished-series, young-adult

After finishing this book I'm more convinced than ever that HarperTeen needs to put out another book in this series. (As of this review there's technically no other books under contract, but hopefully that will change!)

There's a lot to love in this book. Not only do we have the wonderful idea of killer unicorns but we're beginning to see that all is not hunky dory in Astrid's world. She's just now beginning to discover the true drawbacks of the profession of unicorn hunting. She can have a boyfr...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, fantasy, series, young-adult

I LOVED Rampant, so very, very much. It had kick ass girls, awesome killer unicorns, and didn’t stray away from hard subjects. The main characters would talk both about the right time to have sex and the morality of killing an endangered species. Even if said species was eating a couple of humans.

So, needless to say, I was very excited for this book. And, while I was in no way disappointed with it, the book as a whole was a little melancholy. I guess the first book was too, but as it ended with...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

There is good news and bad news about Ascendant, the second in Peterfreund's YA series about unicorn hunters. The bad news is that this appears to be the second book in a trilogy, but as of yet, the third book has not been picked up for publication. This is a sad thing because I've really been enjoying this series, and there are definitely questions raised in Ascendant that need a third book to answer. The good news is that, while Ascendant was clearly written and succeeds much better as the sec...more There is good news and bad news about Ascendant, the second in Peterfreund's YA series about unicorn hunters. The bad news is that this appears to be the second book in a trilogy, but as of yet, the third book has not been picked up for publication. This is a sad thing because I've really been enjoying this series, and there are definitely questions raised in Ascendant that need a third book to answer. The good news is that, while Ascendant was clearly written and succeeds much better as the second book in a trilogy, it still works without the third book (though I hope it eventually happens). I enjoyed spending time with Astrid again, and was fascinated by the questions raised by this novel; aside from some serious pacing problems in the last third of this book, I really enjoyed it.

The other piece of good news is that there are further unicorn stories in the anthologies Kiss Me Deadly and Zombies vs. Unicorns, which originated in a debate sparked by Peterfreund's bloodthirsty unicorns. How cool is that?!

At the beginning of Ascendant, Astrid Llewelyn is a fully trained unicorn hunter at the Cloisters in Rome. The world has become aware of the the new presence and bloodthirsty nature of the unicorns, and the hunters have become celebrities of a sort. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that the Cloisters are in dire financial straits, and that the numbers of hunters are declining. Astrid herself is becoming increasingly ambivalent about the ethics of hunting unicorns, particularly with the end goal extinction, so when the opportunity arises to exchange slaying unicorns with helping to find an antidote for unicorn poison, she leaps at the chance. Astrid moves to the Gordian headquarters in the French countryside, where she comes face to face with a new breed of unicorns and her ex-boyfriend. Can Astrid stay true to her current boyfriend, loyal to the Cloisters, and retain her virginity/hunting abilities, and does she even want to anymore?

What I really like about this series, apart from the novelty of the bloodthirsty unicorns, the kickass heroine (and her similarly kickass colleagues), and the deeply researched mythology, is the fact that Peterfreund isn't afraid to raise complicated questions for which there are no easy answers. In Rampant, the unicorns are established as a clear menace to humanity. They have a poison for which there is only one, extremely rare cure; they eat human flesh; and only the presence of the magically gifted hunters pacifies them enough for humans to be safe. But is their dangerous nature reason enough to hunt the unicorns to extinction? Astrid's cousin and best friend Phil doesn't think so, despite having seen the destruction the unicorns cause. If the Remedy can be isolated and reproduced, the damage caused by the unicorns might be minimized, so Astrid joins her former enemies to help with this process. Of course, while aspects of her life in France seem idyllic, helping Gordian Pharmaceuticals is not the easy out Astrid expected.

Something else Peterfreund does here that I really like is giving her heroine magical powers that she doesn't really want. That might not seem like much, given how many characters there are with special powers who just want to be normal. But Astrid doesn't want normalcy for its own sake; she has actual ambitions, specifically to be a doctor, and her unicorn hunting gets in the way. Being sent to the Cloisters made her into a high school dropout, as well as dooming her to a life of virginity, though I appreciated that the former was what really got Astrid's goat. I've had enough of YA novels where the heroine spends her time moping over her romantic potential (though Astrid would have more reason to do this than most); I like characters who have their own interests, tastes, and ambitions. And though there are a lot of characters to develop, Peterfreund does this with many of the other hunters as well.

Ascendant is really about a 3.5 for me; if its sequel is forthcoming, that will probably bump me up to a 4. What I didn't like about the novel was its huge shift in pacing towards the end. The beginning and middle of the novel didn't really strike me as slow-going, more introspective, with its emphasis on what was going on inside Astrid's head rather than outside it. I wasn't bored at all, drama was developing, but rather slowly. Then, about 100 pages from the end, wham bang! There was game-changing crisis after crisis, and I felt like I was getting whiplash from all the excitement. Having gotten used to the slower pace, this section felt very rushed. It seemed like Peterfreund had a page limit she had to get under, used too much of it up in the beginning of the novel, and had to squeeze in everything at the end. Which somehow wouldn't have bothered me as much if the third book were in fact forthcoming; this rushed part at the end had a lot of plot development, but very few answers about the questions plaguing me throughout the novel. The last third of the book was so dense I felt that surely Peterfreund could have squeezed in an answer or two while she was at it.

Despite its flaws, and the fact that it may remain an unfinished trilogy, I highly recommend the Rampant series to lovers of YA fantasy. The first novel is action packed, the second more thought-provoking, and the series as a whole stands out for its determined heroine and its original take on fantasy tropes.(less)

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Jan 17, 2011 Doug rated it 3 of 5 stars

This sequel to Rampant is not the sort of book to make a lot of concessions. The opening scene, in which narrator/hereditary-unicorn-slayer Astrid Llewellyn matter-of-factly harvests her dead prey, serves as a litmus test for Peterfreund's dark, historically informed take on unicorn legends. I imagine that more than a few gentle souls will decide to read no further.

If you have little patience for books that spend a lot of pages recapitulating introductions to characters and plot points of previo...more

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Jan 06, 2011 JoLee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, childrens-young-adult

One of the major outcomes of reading Zombies vs. Unicorns was that it made me wonder why I still hadn't read Diana Peterfreund's sequel to Rampant , Ascendant . So, I got right on it. I enjoyed this second book even better than the first. Granted Rampant wasn't what I was expecting (whatever that was) and now I had a better idea of what this killer unicorn world was like.

In this second novel Astrid is really struggling to balance the opposing forces in her life--the magic and the mundane, guys...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Astrid Llewelyn is a reluctant unicorn hunter. There aren't very many due to the fact that only descendants of Alexander the Great that are virgins are eligible for the task. Recruitment has been slow since many potential hunters make themselves ineligible for the job to avoid the danger that is being advertised in the news, mostly by Astrid's attention seeking mother. Astrid lives in a nunnery in Italy with her fellow hunters. She would rather be in a lab, trying to find a way to replicate the...more Astrid Llewelyn is a reluctant unicorn hunter. There aren't very many due to the fact that only descendants of Alexander the Great that are virgins are eligible for the task. Recruitment has been slow since many potential hunters make themselves ineligible for the job to avoid the danger that is being advertised in the news, mostly by Astrid's attention seeking mother. Astrid lives in a nunnery in Italy with her fellow hunters. She would rather be in a lab, trying to find a way to replicate the Remedy, a powerful cure for poisons and sickness. An opportunity arrises for her to continue her education when Gordian Pharmaceuticals, now led by Isabeau Jaeger, offers her a position guarding a herd of einhorns as well as tutoring, new clothes, a room in a mansion, and a way out of putting her life in danger every day. She accepts the job, but it's not as easy as it seems. Her ex-boyfriend, Brandt, is around her all the time, distracting her from Giovanni, her boyfriend going to school in New York. She also finds that her work with the einhorns isn't so easy when experiments are done on them as she grows to know and like them. Should she walk away and not be involved with the torture of these animals? Is it any different from killing them like she's been doing?

I was afraid that Ascendant would be a lackluster sequel to Rampant because the first book was so dynamic and compelling that maybe it was too hard to follow up with something better. I was pleasantly surprised and proven to be wrong. Ascendant turned out to be almost as good as the first. It has much more moral complexity than the first book. On one hand, unicorns are violent, wild animals that attack and kill humans. Unicorn hunters are people's only protection. On the other hand, unicorns are an endangered species and, as with all animals, they are aggressive because they feel threatened. There is also the added issue of animal testing and at what point is it considered unnecessary torture.

The first book pretty much stayed in Italy and the cloister where Astrid lives. This book widens that view to other countries and gives a nice look at how killer unicorns are effecting the rest of the world. Instead of being mocked or ignored, the hunters are finally being taken seriously after people witness the devastation that can happen when the creatures go unchecked. I also like the change of scenery to France with Gordian Pharmaceuticals.

Astrid is an excellent, strong female protagonist. Even though she makes mistakes that sometimes end up hurting her friends, she is still a sympathetic and relatable character. Although she is physically strong, she is also intelligent and has ambitions beyond slaying unicorns. One of my favorite things about her is that even though she's a peaceful person, she feels that it's her obligation to stay a hunter and fight to save human lives. It's easy to choose the selfish route, but Astrid stays a hunter despite her doubts. After reading books like Hush, Hush, Fallen, and Nightshade, it's refreshing to read a book about a girl who isn't defined by her relationship with a man and doesn't let men overpower her.

The pacing of the first half is a bit slow, with a lot of Astrid's internal struggle to figure out who to trust and what is right and wrong. It was still enjoyable to read, but it went on a little bit too long for me. About three quarters through the book, a bombshell is dropped that really shocked me. After that I devoured the rest of the book quickly and I'm eager to read more. I've heard that a third book isn't planned at the moment, but I really really hope that another one gets written because I need to know what happens next. I highly recommend this series to anyone.(less)

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Oct 05, 2010 Phoebe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastic-kiddy-lit, loved-it, chick-lit, wishlist

Ascendant is a rare breed even among unicorns--a sequel that improves on the first volume's vision.

Everything that worked well in Rampant is present here: a small army of well-developed characters, a strong voice that's never grating, an absolutely fearless heroine who is nevertheless absolutely human, a fascinating mythology. But rather than defaulting to formula, as many sequels do (Catching Fire and Pretties come most immediately to mind), Ascendant spins an entirely new story. And, while som...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 3 of 5 stars

There's so much good about this book, but I feel like it was ultimately disappointing. I really liked the 1st book, and I liked this one too, but it was just so depressing. I realize it can't be all sunshiney rainbows when dealing with such huge issues, but I still wish there could have been more happiness for Astrid despite all the things she has to struggle with. I also feel like so much of this book is rushed, with characters being thrown out and never heard from again, and other situations s...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, genre-youngadult, genre-speculative, setting-contemporary

If allowed, I'd probably give this book a 3.5.

I really love this series (and oh, do I hope it becomes a proper series and gets more books). I love the idea of killer unicorns. I love Astrid. I love lots of the little details, and I love many of the secondary characters. But I couldn't help being a little disappointed with Ascendant. ~*~spoilers below~*~ ~*~ridiculously long book review~*~

Basically, I like all the elements in this book, but almost none of them quite worked. It felt like there wer...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Bianca Duarte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before I start with this review I just want to thank Waste Paper Prose (Susan) for letting me participate in this Mini Blog Tour.

Ascendant really took me by surprise. As in I loved it very much. I was hesitant at first to continue reading it. I mean, it's a novel about unicorn hunters who hunt down vicious unicorns. That really brought my spirits down but I loved it at the same time.

If you want a novel that will suck you in with action, adventure and a little unicorn killing then Ascendant is t...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Tzippy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like fantasy

Shelves: supernatural-fantasy-paranormal-etc, young-adult, sequels, series, reviewed, i-own-paper-version, setting-italy, mixed-feelings, action-adventure

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As part of a theoretical trilogy, this book is great. I loved Rampant, and this book definitely furthers the plot and adds interesting elements. And I read in an interview that Diana Peterfreund didn't know until very late in the game that she wouldn't be able to write a third book immediately...but still, this book does not hold up as a possible last book in the series. It's possible that I missed some details (I've only read it once so far, I usually go back and read books another time to see...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Peterfreund surpassed my previous expectation for this series. Her writing is absolutely phenomenal, the text is clear and the romance sizzles. After twenty pages I was hooked. Astrid is exceptional, but not perfect which is one of the many reasons why I found this book to be so amazing. In Rampant and Ascendant real injuries occur, unlike most YA fiction texts. The characters exhibit what it’s like to be human… with a slight twist.

It is clear that Peterfreund has done much research in, not only...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Raven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list

Really more of a 3.5. I didn't enjoy this as much as Rampant, but it was still a fun read. Didn't really get into it until about halfway through. It lacked action and read more as a drama than action adventure fantasy. I could have just read the first one and been perfectly happy with how it ended, this sequel really wasn't needed, but I must say I'm not sad I read it.

The whole idea of killer unicorns is quite amusing, yet Peterfreund pulled it off very, very well. This original idea was execut...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Aurora Celeste rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

The sequel to Rampant. It's a great read about a girl who is tapped to kill Unicorns. Yeah, that's right, kill Unicorns, because they're cold-blooded human predators who menace populations and threaten humanity. A great premise, and it's carried out so well, with a voice that's unique and enjoyable, and examines all the angles of the benefits and drawbacks of having a human-killing population that can only be hunted by virgins (which, due to society, are mostly teenage girls) and all the mind-be...more

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Jul 20, 2011 P.M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

After surviving her own death, Astrid has had enough of killing unicorns. She accepts a cushy job from Isabeau, Marten's widow, which allows her to get an education, get paid to do it, and watch over a herd of captive einhorns. She makes a mistake when she begins to name the imprisoned unicorns: Stretch, Jumps, Fats, Blotchy, Breaker, and the newborn Angel. She must also solve the puzzle of Brandt and his position with Gordian Enterprises. When you add in Cory's mysterious illness, Giovanni's se...more

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Oct 05, 2010 AH rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Killer Unicorn lovers everywhere

Shelves: first-reads, young-adult, fantasy, zzread-oct-2010, unicorns

Beware of the Killer Unicorns! 4.5 stars!

There I was, dancing with glee. I won a book about killer unicorns! Killer Unicorns, of all things, in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

When you think of unicorns, what do you think of? Do you think of majestic beasts, full of magic, sparkles, and rainbows? Or do you think of blood-thirsty, fanged, poisonous creatures that enjoy killing? If you chose the latter, well, those are the unicorns you’ll find in Ascendant.

Ascendant takes place in our world, exc...more Beware of the Killer Unicorns! 4.5 stars!

There I was, dancing with glee. I won a book about killer unicorns! Killer Unicorns, of all things, in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

When you think of unicorns, what do you think of? Do you think of majestic beasts, full of magic, sparkles, and rainbows? Or do you think of blood-thirsty, fanged, poisonous creatures that enjoy killing? If you chose the latter, well, those are the unicorns you’ll find in Ascendant.

Ascendant takes place in our world, except there is an infestation of killer unicorns terrorizing humanity and other smaller creatures. A small dedicated group of unicorn hunters are dispatched to deal with this menace. Theirs is a dangerous job, a thankless job, a job that requires virginity.

Ascendant is the second book of Diana Peterfreund’s Killer Unicorn series. It continues the story of Astrid and her band of virginal unicorn hunters. The girls are known as the Order of the Lioness and they live in Rome in the Cloisters. The hunters share a special magical and telepathic connection with the beasts. They are able to sense the unicorns, their thoughts, and feelings. Astrid is able to calm unicorns. The magic lasts as long as the girls remain virgins.

Astrid has hopes and dreams of her own. She wants to have an education. She wants to study science and become a doctor. When Astrid is offered a chance to do just that by Isabeau at the Gordian Company, she jumps at the chance. Astrid’s duty was to tend to a herd of unicorns.

As this is a young adult book, there is one overriding theme – the absence of a parent. Yes, Astrid’s mother is mentioned, but all she does is long distance parent. Astrid’s mother seems to be a talent agent rather than a mother, seeking ways to make money from her daughter’s skill. When Astrid goes to work for Isabeau, Isabeau becomes a surrogate mother. But again, Isabeau was using Astrid for her unicorn wrangling skills.

I have read many young adult books this year, but this book was by far one of the best. First of all, the story – Killer Unicorns – How original is that? If you go to the author’s website http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/books... she has a whole section on unicorn research. Absolutely fascinating! Second, there are some interesting themes involved in this book – environmentalism and animal testing. Is it OK to kill off an entire species? Can we kill a few animals in order to create an antidote to their venom?

If you are tired of reading about vampires, werewolves and zombies, then why not try a book about killer unicorns? I’m going to find book 1 – Rampant and immerse myself in the world of killer unicorns.
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Nov 11, 2010 Cristy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unicorns, favorites, series

Wow, not what I was expecting.. really great read, but very different then the first book. First off Ascendant has a much heavier, more serious vibe then the "lighter" depth of Rampant, book one.
We really get a taste of the woman and warrior that Astrid is becoming, as she grows and matures in Ascendant. She is faced with some big ethical issues and decisions of morality, right and wrong and her place in it all. Once again, Diana Peterfreund's writing is captivating and fluid, as she continues...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 01, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In Ascendant, we return to the Cloisters in Rome, where Astrid Llewelyn and the other girls around her are fully trained unicorn hunters. Since the world has discovered the existence of the mysterious–and deadly–unicorns, the hunters have become celebrities, in a way. Astrid’s mother is at the forefront of this newfound popularity, but she really has no idea what the hunters are facing: possible death at every turn, no semblance of a life, a world that is falling apart around them, and being see...more In Ascendant, we return to the Cloisters in Rome, where Astrid Llewelyn and the other girls around her are fully trained unicorn hunters. Since the world has discovered the existence of the mysterious–and deadly–unicorns, the hunters have become celebrities, in a way. Astrid’s mother is at the forefront of this newfound popularity, but she really has no idea what the hunters are facing: possible death at every turn, no semblance of a life, a world that is falling apart around them, and being seen as freaks to everyone outside their safe haven.

When things begin to change all around Astrid–her best friend’s diminishing powers, her boyfriend’s departure, and new rules imposed on the unicorn hunters–she takes an unexpected opportunity to get away for a while. She becomes involved with the very company that was sabotaging the efforts of the unicorn hunters just a short while ago. The company is under new leadership (since the previous leader was killed by a giant unicorn), and Astrid thinks things are changing for the better. She takes a place guarding captive unicorns, she begins to study science, and she spends each night in a comfy bed instead of in a tree waiting to kill murderous unicorns.

Life is better for Astrid outside of the Cloisters, and she begins to question what she’s been doing for the past several months. As she grows closer to the unicorns she guards, she becomes convinced that is not strictly necessary to kill each unicorn she encounters. What if they can be controlled? What if not all of them are violent? What if they’re just doing what they must to survive?

As events unfold, and Astrid learns of several secrets being kept, both the unicorn hunters and the animals they hunt are in more danger than ever. Can Astrid save the unicorns, those she loves, and herself without losing who she truly is? Is it even possible? Read Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund to find out.

While Rampant added unicorns to the long list of things that scare me, Ascendant redeemed these creatures a bit. With Astrid’s help, I came to understand the beings a bit better, and I’m not quite so scared of them anymore. (Yes, I know this is a work of fiction, but some of us would rather live in a fantasy world than deal with the realities of life. Cut me some slack.) I hope to understand these unicorns a bit more in the future, but, according to Diana Peterfreund’s website, http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/, there are no current plans for a third book in this series. Hopefully, that will change soon. There are a lot of questions that need answers. Even without these answers, though, I think both Rampant and Ascendant are excellent books with strong female characters. My inner feminist is rejoicing.

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About Diana Peterfreund

Diana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she’s concerned, she’s just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote...more

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Books by Diana Peterfreund

For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #1)

Secret Society Girl (Secret Society Girl, #1)

Under the Rose (Secret Society Girl, #2)

Rites of Spring (Break) (Secret Society Girl, #3)

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“Gordian pays you to sleep with unicorn hunters. That's the definition of a whore.” — 3 people liked it

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Ascendant (Killer Unicorns #2)

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