[second read, April 2019]

4.5 stars

I still consider Unicorn Tracks one of my all-time favorite novels. However, this time around I’m lowering my rating from 5 stars to 4.5, as I noticed a few small details that fetus reviewer Liv did not.

Primarily, while this was a quick read — I read it in a matter of hours — I believe the length was also detrimental. The character development was a bit rushed, and the romance was slightly too close to insta-love for my tastes.

Otherwise, I enjoyed this story as much as I did the first time. It’s a sapphic fantasy with a plot mainly centered around unicorns; what’s not to love? Mnemba and Kara are fierce characters in their own way, and their relationship is sweet and passionate. I loved the world-building and all of the mythical creatures; it was evident that Ember put a lot of thought into every aspect.

I remember thinking that the story somewhat resembles that of Disney’s Tarzan, and I stand by that. In an African-inspired fantasy world, two girls fall in love — one a native and one a foreigner. The gorillas are replaced by unicorns. It’s not a retelling as far as I’m aware, and there are definitely differences, but I enjoyed connecting the dots. Admittedly, I’m not sure if any other readers did the same.

As this is only 150 pages, I believe I’ve covered everything. I love Unicorn Tracks so much, and will recommend it for the rest of my days. I look forward to reading Ember’s future work.

Representation:
• Mnemba, the protagonist, is a POC. Most of the supporting cast is as well.
• The romance is biracial, between a girl of color and a white girl. It’s also sapphic.
• Kara, the love interest, is fat.

CW: animal death, poaching, sexual assault [off-page, prior to story], PTSD, discussions of torture and suicide

[first read, July 2016]

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion in any way.

This was surprisingly good. I went into it expecting to enjoy it (come on, it's about UNICORNS) and definitely did. It was amazing.

I loved the story. It was short and fast-paced, so I read it in a day. I think this book was written for me, but without the author realizing that she wrote it for me. (Pretend that makes sense.) I mean, it's a fantasy with a girl/girl romance and unicorns. I don't know if you know, but I absolutely adore unicorns. If you do too, read this.

Mnemba was a great main character. Prior to the start of the book, she was attacked, and it haunts her throughout the story. Details were revealed slowly, and with each one I felt worse for her. But she got over it, and I was so happy. That aside, she was a fierce tomboy and exceptional tracker, and a loyal friend.

My favorite character, though, was Kara. I loved the relationship she had with her dad, even though the story behind it was sad. She was as fierce as Mnemba, and a dedicated researcher of mythical creatures. I loved her impulsiveness, and seeing her adjust to each new thing as it happened. In a way, she reminded me of Jane from Tarzan.

The fantasy world of Nazwimbe was based on Africa, and that was definitely a first for me. It was a very old-fashioned country, particularly on the safari where most of the story took place. Everything was richly described, and I loved imagining I was out in the wild with the mythical creatures along with Mnemba and Kara. That was my favorite part, by the way - the creatures. Of course, there were unicorns, but there were also phoenixes, griffins, chimeras, carnivorous mermaids, and more. It was such a fun world to read about.

I loved, loved, LOVED Mnemba and Kara's romance. It was sweet and passionate and forbidden, and it was probably the best part of the story. Aside from the unicorns. I can't say a lot without spoiling, because this was a fairly short story. Just know that I ship them. <3

There aren't really any parts I would consider mind-blowing twists, but I'm fine with that. The fast pace and the need to know if the unicorns were okay had me flying through the book.

So basically, I loved this book from the start. It must have been written for me, and I recommend it to literally everyone. It's such an underrated book, and definitely deserves so much more love. <3