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...
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Sep 08, 2011
Reeva
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Nov 18, 2010
April
rated it: 
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 unicor More...
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 unicor More...
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Dec 16, 2011
Jennifer
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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 More...
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 More...
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Nov 26, 2011
Paradoxical
rated it: 
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
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Jan 20, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
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.
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Jan 14, 2012
BookChic
rated it:
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 ha More...
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 ha More...
Aug 30, 2011
Rachael
rated it: 
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 th More...
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 th More...
Jun 12, 2011
qingling
rated it:
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
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May 28, 2011
Chibineko
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Mar 31, 2011
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 More...
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 More...
Feb 22, 2011
Kim
rated it:
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 s
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Jan 17, 2011
Doug
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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 point More...
If you have little patience for books that spend a lot of pages recapitulating introductions to characters and plot point More...
Jan 06, 2011
JoLee
rated it:
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 mu More...
In this second novel Astrid is really struggling to balance the opposing forces in her life--the magic and the mu More...
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Dec 04, 2010
titania86
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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
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Oct 05, 2010
Phoebe
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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. An More...
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. An More...
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Sep 12, 2011
Katie
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Oct 12, 2010
Bianca
rated it:
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 kil More...
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 kil More...
Oct 05, 2010
Tzippy
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Jan 24, 2011
Alexis
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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 More...
It is clear that Peterfreund has done much research More...
Dec 23, 2010
Aurora
rated it:
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
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Jul 20, 2011
P.M.
rated it:
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
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Oct 05, 2010
AH
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
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Nov 11, 2010
Cristy
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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, More...
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, More...
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Nov 01, 2010
Kelly
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 23, 2011
BAYA
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Ascendant, the sequel to Rampant, is actually a more fully developed story than the first in the series. The premise behind the story is that unicorns of myth are actually man-eating beasts that threaten humankind. Astrid, a unicorn hunter, starts to question her role as a killer of unicorns. Instead she wants to be a healer. She is able to pursue this passion to a certain degree while she helps with rediscovering the recipe for the Remedy, a cure-all. However when she sees the condition of
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Oct 17, 2010
Rachael
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Ascendant is the sequel to Rampant, following the story of Astrid and her fellow unicorn hunters as they face such challenges as Cory's undiagnosable illness, long distance relationships, and even question their purpose as unicorn hunters. Astrid has an opportunity to leave the convent and help a group of scientists work to discover the secret of the remedy, but when she finally learns the secret it will only make her question herself and others even more.
I very much enjoyed Rampant a More...
I very much enjoyed Rampant a More...
Oct 13, 2011
Yasmeen
rated it:
This was a really good book. Leading the life of an average teen girls problems. Plus the addition of killer unicorns and virgin nuns that fight. As it turn out it's a sequel to the first book which i did not read. Even though that is true i was still able to be on par with recent events because of the protagonists' life in her eyes. This book is and interesting roller coaster with more than just boy troubles, but a girl pondering her life. As well as deciding what she wants to do with it, savin
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Jan 20, 2011
Margaret H.
rated it:
HOLY CRAP. This book is really outlandishly good. I read the last 60 pages just now, in a fevered hour, expecting every minute to close it up and go to bed like a responsible human being-- but I just couldn't. The middle is a bit directionless, but never boring, as there are enough unresolved questions swirling around to keep you reading, but the reveals at the end are such huge payoffs and so hugely unexpected that just.. wow. If you have ever enjoyed a kickass heroine fantasy novel of just abo
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Oct 19, 2010
Robin
rated it:
The 'killer unicorn' books are my favorite because they're so different than what you think of when you think unicorn. The characters are dynamic and the author writes the books in such a way that makes them almost real. Every little cause and effect ultimately lead into another plot, which is my favorite quality of these books.
What surprised me the most is when Astrid was given serious brain damage when the re'em hit her and she bust her head open. Throughout the last part More...
What surprised me the most is when Astrid was given serious brain damage when the re'em hit her and she bust her head open. Throughout the last part More...
Nov 03, 2010
Rebecca
rated it:
First of all, I want to thank Goodreads for choosing me to receive a copy of this book to read.
Upon reading the description for this book, I was extremely curious. I have never come across killer unicorns as a subject matter before and was a little unsure about the book but very intrigued. I am so glad I took a chance on reading this book because I really enjoyed it. The book was very well written and held my attention throughout. Astrid was a character I could indentify with and More...
Upon reading the description for this book, I was extremely curious. I have never come across killer unicorns as a subject matter before and was a little unsure about the book but very intrigued. I am so glad I took a chance on reading this book because I really enjoyed it. The book was very well written and held my attention throughout. Astrid was a character I could indentify with and More...
