{"id":2476,"date":"2017-08-20T00:56:14","date_gmt":"2017-08-20T07:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewritersscrapbin.com\/staging\/7882\/?p=2476"},"modified":"2017-08-20T00:56:14","modified_gmt":"2017-08-20T07:56:14","slug":"sybrina-durant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thewritersscrapbin.com\/staging\/7882\/sybrina-durant\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Reviews: The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to Osm by Sybrina Durant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today I\u2019m reviewing a book which is very different from the other books I\u2019ve reviewed thus far. I\u2019ve sampled a bit of everything, from \u201cmature\u201d books like Anna James Watson\u2019s Blackmail <\/em>to Samantha Ryan Chandler\u2019s inspirational A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me<\/em> and Ameel Koro\u2019s epic historical fantasy Sister of Echo: The Making of a Villain<\/em>. Today\u2019s book is yet another flavor of fantasy, one which is simultaneously relaxing and stimulating and defies any clear age group classification. For this post, I\u2019m going to review The Blue Unicorn\u2019s Journey to Osm <\/em>by Sybrina Durant.<\/p>\n

This illustrated novel follows the struggles of a tribe of Metal Horn unicorns as they try to avoid slaughter by the evil sorcerer Magh. As their numbers dwindle and all beings on MarBryn fall prey to Magh\u2019s dark magic, there seems to be no hope for the desperate unicorns. Then Alumna, the oracle of the Metal Horn tribe, receives a message from her crystal ball about the one destined to save them: a blue unicorn to be born to Miral, the indium-horned unicorn. However, the tribe loses heart when the unicorn is born not with a metal horn but with a plain blue leather horn. No metal, no magic<\/em>. How could this magicless foal possibly be their savior?<\/p>\n

Fast-forward twenty years. The tribe has suffered many losses at Magh\u2019s hands, including the death of Blue\u2019s mother, Miral. Blue has grown up accepted and loved by his tribe, especially his stable mate and dearest friend, the golden unicorn Ghel. While he is not the hero they expected and one male unicorn teases him, the only one to really give Blue grief is himself. He feels like an outsider and is disappointed that he does not seem to be the magnificent savior that Alumna had prophesied.<\/p>\n

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Image retrieved from Amazon<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then, when all had lost faith in her visions, Alumna receives life-changing news from Numen, the otherworldly device behind the visions in her crystal ball. They\u2019re going back to Unimaise, the world from which all unicorns originate, and Blue will be the one to get them there. Alumna tells Blue of the development and how he must go to Musika Wood in order to meet with the Moon-Star, which holds Numen. Blue embarks before they can meet with the rest of the tribe, but he lacks a crucial piece of information. Blue must be in the Musika Wood with the rest of his tribe or else he will die when the Moon-Star arrives and all will be lost.<\/p>\n

Durant takes the reader on a series of mini-adventures with Blue, his tribe, and his non-unicorn companions, culminating in an epic battle of good versus evil. Will Blue meet his destiny? Will he and the other unicorns make it back to Unimaise? And if they do, what will they find when they finally come home?<\/p>\n

Paired with beautiful watercolor illustrations, this story is a quick and engaging read that\u2019s enough to keep anyone\u2019s attention from start to finish. Durant writes with a simple style and vocabulary, although by no means is it a simple book. While an easy read for anyone 12 years old and above, the book conveys themes and messages with multiple layers, some of which may be hard for a younger audience to handle. The story openly explores death and the grief which accompanies loss, as well as the importance of believing in yourself and condoning violence.<\/p>\n

I would argue that the writing, at times, can be too young for older readers to feel fully stimulated. However, it reads more like a fairy tale than a modern children\u2019s book. Durant seems to be writing for children when, like traditional fairy tales, many components are better-suited for an audience of the middle grade and older age groups. Much of the humor, while clever, would also go over a younger audience\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

Many of the creature names\u2014\u201cHoipolloi\u201d, \u201cPendragon\u201d, \u201cRagamoffyns\u201d\u2014make for humorous puns that, while childlike in nature, would only be understood by an older audience. Durant creates an overall vivid world with many imaginative elements, including my favorite, the Rainbow Colored Lands of Weita. This magical world combined with the pun-like names help the already-compelling plot construct a very entertaining read.<\/p>\n

However, some of the names are little too heavy on the pun element for my liking. \u201cMagh\u201d for the magic-wielding sorcerer, \u201cIown\u201d for the iron-horned unicorn who irons out disputes, \u201cNix\u201d for the nickel-horned unicorn who nixes danger, it can feel cheesy after a while. Given the overall children\u2019s book feel, I brushed these names off without too many problems. Still, given that it\u2019s Middle Grade and suggested for readers 12-18 years old, I\u2019m not sure how older readers will take them.<\/p>\n

Durant severely under-develops the antagonist, Magh. He acts like the stereotypical villain, one with very little depth or reason for causing turmoil other than he likes power and pain. Durant briefly dives into his backstory, enough to perk my interest and make me realize that he could be so much more than he is in this story. I wish we could have learned more about him, such as why he took so well to the power he felt from evil magic when he was younger.<\/p>\n

I also spotted a few grammar errors, including missing words and misplaced quotation marks. They aren\u2019t that frequent in the beginning but seem to grow in number in the second half of the book. Regardless, they didn\u2019t detract from my enjoyment of the book.<\/p>\n

All in all, I really liked this book\u2014loved it, even. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, easing me into the harder moments and providing enough humor throughout that I never felt overwhelmed. I saw many deeper messages throughout the story and genre-bending elements, a mix of fantasy and science fiction reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey\u2019s The Dragonriders of Pern <\/em>series, had it been written for a younger audience. The pronunciation guide, unicorn diagram, and map at the end of the book serve as great aids and are themselves entertaining.<\/p>\n

If Durant chooses to pursue the worlds of MarBryn and Unimaise further, you can be certain that I\u2019ll be checking out those books. To me, it doesn\u2019t matter what age group the world is intended for. I\u2019m a born-and-raised fantasy fan; if I like the premise, I\u2019m going to read it, whether it\u2019s G-rated or X-rated. I suggest other readers do likewise and fantasy readers in particular explore MarBryn and Unimaise.<\/p>\n

To buy The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to Osm <\/em>as an e-book on Amazon, follow this link.<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to a Kindle e-book, The Blue Unicorn\u2019s Journey to Osm <\/em>is also available as a coloring book. You\u2019re never too old to color, after all. In fact, it can be quite the stress-reliever, so if you need an outlet, consider buying the coloring version for a great read and relaxation.<\/p>\n

For more information on this book and Durant’s other work, check out the writer’s website<\/a> and follow her on Twitter as @Sybrina_spt.<\/p>\n

Have you read Durant\u2019s work? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Know a book I should review or want me to review your book on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com<\/a> or reach out to me on Fiverr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today I\u2019m reviewing a book which is very different from the other books I\u2019ve reviewed thus far. 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