The Jade Unicorn

by Jay Halpern

The Jade Unicorn celebrates 25 years of underground circulation and acclaim. A horror story that shatters the limitations of the genre, The Jade Unicorn takes the reader on a multi-dimensional cyclone from innocence to evil, and from decadence to enlightenment and self-sacrifice. This isn t a book for the squeamish, because the truth about Evil must be told graphically and read without shame. Nor is it a book for genre fans looking for another vampire, ghost, or demon story. The Jade Unicorn will haunt you long after you ve turned the final page.

The night sounds of the park all ceased. The strange, terrifying scream rose horrible and naked into the night, a scream that was both an outpouring of unspeakable agony and the ecstasy of illicit lust." --From The Jade Unicorn.

So begins a most savage and brutal murder -- one of three mysterious homicides that boggle the imaginations of even the most hardened members of the coroner's office and the New York City Police Department. From the very beginning of this spellbinding novel of supernatural terror, the clues defy reason, and the prime murder suspect is a killer that even the cops admit cannot possibly exist.

In The Jade Unicorn, Jay Halpern creates a haunting tale of occult horror that has not been equaled since The Exorcist. A young girl raped and mutilated, a sexton ruthlessly slaughtered, a gay cruiser savagely dismembered in a warehouse near the Morton Street Pier -- a trio of grisly and bizarre murders that are anything but unusual in New York City. Or so the police assume until they begin to put the killings and their peculiar circumstances together. Intertwined with the murders are the lives of Abe Ender, New York's erudite district attorney; Adrienne, the beautiful, well-kept, but thoroughly ignored wife of a wealthy businessman; and Adrienne's sadistic, Satanist husband Mercadante, whose prized jade unicorn amulet Adrienne steals to bestow upon her footloose young lover, Jade. Jade -- an unlikely amoral drug dealer, gigolo, poet with transcendent psychic powers, and ultimately, the chosen being who stands between the world and its destruction. Others are drawn inextricably into the web, as the malignant horror continues. A primitive being stalks the city in quest of vengeance and in search of a bride. And the police stalk the city looking for answers. Noisy, startled, haunted, New York becomes a playground for the surreal, and in a shattering climax to this terrifying tale, an unlikely team of defenders come face-to-face with the world-destroying beast-- and the awesome powers of the jade unicorn.

Genres: Horror

338 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1979

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jade Unicorn positively reeks of the 70s, for better or worse. Halpern's somewhat poetic prose is something you will either love or hate, and you will find numerous, loving references to the great romantic poets throughout the novel.

"Shadows in the vapors, moving, slowly but faster than me. Gestures, shades, like flutter of batwings. Hollow resonant growls. High-pitched shrieks. Get me out of here. Everything's a sickly yellow: the vapor, the soupy slush clinging like mucus to my legs, even my skin, a jaundiced, sickly yellow."

Beneath the flowery prose lurks a good story, but Halpern makes you work for it. The Jade Unicorn starts off with a grizzly murder-- a young teen ripped apart, violently raped as well, in Central Park. The forensic team is baffled-- what could have ripped her apart like a rag doll? What could have produced such copious amounts of green-tinged semen? What caused little statues of a Jade Unicorn to form in her irises? Worse, other victims start popping up with little Unicorns in their dead eyes as well. Seems some sort of supernatural killer seems to be on the loose!

Gradually, this turns into a cosmic good versus evil tale, but I will not go into details to avoid spoilers. Halpern gives us an eclectic cast for sure, starring one Jade (no last name given), a poet, gigolo and drug dealer (Halpern's alter ego?). We got a couple of cops of course, plus the token psychic. We also have a pretty nasty satanist who made his fortune on financial markets. The wide supporting cast represents a good cross-section of 70s NYC. After the brutal start, it takes quite a while for the pieces to come together here, with the ongoing police investigation punctuated by grizzly murders and such.

I would have liked this more but at times it became a struggle with the overwritten prose. I take it this was Halpern's shot at the Great American Novel and it does represent the late 70s angst well. Not sorry I read it, but not sure if I would recommend it. 3 Unicorns!

[Voodooshoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about 25 years ago when I was in high school. It was haunting, and has never fully escaped my mind. I can’t say I loved it, but the fact that it left such an impression makes it to me, remarkable. I think it’s time for a reread.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Jade Unicorn can’t quite decide if it wants to be a police procedural, horror, or metaphysical rant. I confess to skimming the last 100 pages because the writing style throughout was so pretentious I’m surprised I didn’t chuck it to the trash bin midway through. Two stars goes mostly for the prospect of what could’ve been a promising story.

[Heather Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, but it's a twisted tale so beware of its content before reading. read it several times.

[sandra baugh]

I read this book when it was first published. I have remembered this book for all these years. Not for the faint of heart reader.

[Amber Wiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this is a gem! I’m glad I managed to get my grubby hands on it! This tale is filled with Satanists, psychics, wizards, sorcerers, rape, mutilated nipples with candles stitched into them like candle holders, a unicorn, horse c*€k references, two uses of the N word, eunuchs, quite a few stereotypes, a lack of most character development and not one but TWO scenes that involve baby murder. I’m not sure what book to start after this because my above inventory list is going to be next to impossible to beat. God bless paperbacks of the 70s and 80s. This book was originally published in 1979 and I cannot imagine the responses the writer and publishers for this one.

[sig · Rating 2 out of 5]

beginning to think that every book written in the 60s - 80s start off with a wonderful premise and then devolve into the most eye watering nonsense you’ve ever read in your life. literally felt like i was reading someone trying to hit a word count in that last 100 pages.
why even publish at that point

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young man is a were-unicorn overflowing with green semen. His transformation is triggered by sexual arousal. Also he might be the antichrist? By now, you know if this book is for you or not. You're welcome.

[Sheena Forsberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Then there’s the sperm. Greenish semen, three-tailed sperm.”

“Huge, the creature’s so huge with its shaggy legs, broad muscular chest tufted with coarse hair, thick black horsepaps pendant for at least two inches among the tufts of chest hair, an impossibly long horsecock swaying obscenely from between its legs, thick and leathery with a slimy pink tip dribbling smegma from the foreskin”

“The creature stoops low over me, its horn inches away, wavering, an eager whinny-whine chilling my screaming soul…”

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Got this off the back of one of Grady Hendrix’ blurbs. I’m never going to not buy a book that promises supernatural jizz.

Sadly not even copious amounts of unicorn cum and unhinged satanists were enough to save this confused mess of a book that tries too hard to be too many things and fails at them all. Gets an extra star for the promise of the jizz premise.

[Kimberly Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is clearly twisted but still could not put it down. bad twist on the old virgins and unicorns tales.