Space Unicorn Blues #BookReview

A misfit crew race across the galaxy to prevent the genocide of magical creatures, in this unique science fiction debut.

Having magical powers makes you less than human, a resource to be exploited. Half-unicorn Gary Cobalt is sick of slavery, captivity, and his horn being ground down to power faster-than-light travel. When he’s finally free, all he wants is to run away in his ancestors’ stone ship. Instead, Captain Jenny Perata steals the ship out from under him, so she can make an urgent delivery. But Jenny held him captive for a decade, and then Gary murdered her best friend… who was also the wife of her co-pilot, Cowboy Jim. What could possibly go right?

Title: Space Unicorn Blues | Author: T.J. Berry | Publisher: Angry Robot | Pub. Date: July 3, 2018 | Pages: 384 | ASIN: B077CQZML4 I | Genre: Science Fiction | Series: Yes ILanguage: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 4 out of 5 | Source: Self-purchased

Space Unicorn Blues Review

This is the book you never knew you needed to read.

It’s an adventure of cosmic proportions, complete with unicorns, fairies, elves, talking trees, humans and more creatures of the galaxy. The external and internal conflicts engage the reader from the start. The characters are fresh and sassy, with surprising depth for a story where a half-human, half-unicorn is the lead. So much about this book makes me happy.

I loved the characters. This is the first in a series, so don’t read it expecting the ending to be a stand-alone. Gary just got released from the Quag, which is prison, and all he wants to do is forget the past and fly far away. Except, his past nemesis needs his help. Enter Jenny Perata. Perhaps even more rare than a half-unicorn protagonist, is a female disabled one. But Jenny isn’t weak, and she’s no longer evil. Both of these characters came alive on the page, with realistic and witty dialogue. I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold, with scenes from their past sprinkled into the action. Other characters such as Cowboy Jim, who is a cowboy set out to destroy Gary, and Ricky, a transvestite scam artist, add drama and a bit of humor.

The tone of this book is dark at times, ridiculous and comedic at others. It’s what you want in a cosmic adventure. Tension and fight sequences, with high stakes and peril behind every corner. Nothing goes right for the characters, but they persist in an attempt to save humanity.

My only real issue with the book is repetition and pacing. For example, when they are in the spaceship, they get attacked. And once that attack is resolved, they get attacked again. And it keeps repeating, with the attacks not moving the plot forward. It’s similar to the beginning of the book when Gary must complete three tasks in order to win something he wants. The three tasks are entertaining, but doing a task, then another, then another, slowed the pace for me. Sometimes these types of scenes felt forced into the story. Many times, the repetitive scenes could have been cut down to one. I ended up flipping through an entire battle with a redworm because I was tired of extraneous battles.

Despite this issue, I plan to read the rest of the series. I want to know what happens to the cast. I came to enjoy them, feeling sympathy for those seeking redemption and anger for those who betrayed their friends. I enjoyed getting to know them and learning about their backstories, and I can’t wait to find out how everything ends!

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