Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Rampant (Killer Unicorns, #1)

by Diana Peterfreund

After sixteen-year-old Astrid Llewelyn survives a vicious unicorn attack, she learns that she is a descendant of the most famous unicorn hunter of all time and she must travel to Rome, Italy, to train in the ancient arts in order to carry on her family legacy and save the world from the threat posed by the reemergence of lethal unicorns.

Reviewed by Stephanie on

5 of 5 stars

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Astrid was born into a long line of unicorn hunters. But she doesn't have to worry about that now. Unicorns are extinct. At least that's what everyone thought until Astrid meets a unicorn in the woods and attacks her boyfriend. Now her mother is sending her off to Rome to train to become a unicorn hunter. There she meets Neil and Cory, the ones who set up everything for other unicorn hunters to stay and train together.

Astrid does not want to be a unicorn hunter. When she first shows up at the cloisters she is greeted by the house unicorn, Bonegrinder. She can't fathom killing this cute unicorn that absolutely adores all the unicorn hunters. So when her cousin, Phillipa, comes to join Astrid in the training and takes her out into Rome to get away from the place for a little bit, they meet two boys, Giovanni and Seth. Giovanni just might be the way to get Astrid out of this unicorn killing, because after all, you have to be a virgin to be a unicorn hunter.

I loved this book! I waited a few days to write this review because I wanted to think about it for a little. This book has been on my mind ever since I finished it. I loved the mythology, the setting, the history, the unicorn hunters. It made me have a new fascination with unicorns. I'm really fighting the urge to pick the book back up and read it again.

There were some points in the book that kind of made me cringe. Cory throws the Bonegrinder off a balcony one day and shoots it in the stomach another day. I just felt so bad for that poor little unicorn that does nothing but love and adore the unicorn hunters. But then again, I can understand considering they are killer unicorns and will kill anyone who isn't a unicorn hunter. But then I got over that once the bigger and more dangerous unicorns came into play.

I really don't know what else to say. I want to go so into detail with this book, but I obviously can't do that without spoiling anything. It was action packed and very entertaining and I just loved the mythology. Did I already mention that? I even did some research about unicorns, to see what Peterfeund made up and what was 'real' so to say.

So. Yes. I really loved this book I can't wait to pick up the second novel, Ascendant.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 January, 2011: Finished reading
  • 25 January, 2011: Reviewed