Originally, I attempted to read it months ago but got distracted by other things. Overall, I enjoyed the book, a solid 4/5. To be honest, I remember seeing the film as a kid and being blown away by the magic of it. The humans in this book have become so detached from the magics of the past and have become so focused on themselves that they don’t even recognize unicorns anymore. Mistaking them for common white horses. I think if a unicorn showed up in our world, we’d say it’s fake news or be unimpressed because all the brain rot online has desensitized us to special things in the world.

After thinking it over, I know this book will remain in my memory for life. Even after nearly 20 years since seeing the film, I could still remember its delightful world. Mr. Beagle’s descriptions brought forth all the memories I had of the story and painted the picture clearly in my mind. From the unicorn’s horn that shines in the deepest midnight to the fires of the Red Bull raging through the darkness of the world, the entire book is so vivid and enchanting.

That said, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of description in the book. Sometimes, the author could have toned down the description and still been left with an incredible novel. But many modern books would benefit greatly if writers incorporated just a tenth of the description used in this one. So this may just be an issue of not being used to seeing such a fleshed-out world in this modern era of writing.

Honestly, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is into classic fantasy. I for one would happily read endless stories about Schmendrick the Magician, Molly Grue & Lady Amalthea and never tire of their adventures.

On to another topic. I’ve been working on being more social and have joined three book clubs. Well, I joined two and started one with a writing group I’m in. Is three too much? Possibly, we shall see.

For book club number one, I read The Ayatollah’s Gaze by Majid Parsa. It’s a memoir about a gay man who grew up in Iran in the 90s and early 2000s. He shares his journey of discovering his identity while facing the challenges of his home. The story left me feeling both sad for what he had to deal with but also hopeful for the gay community there. Hopefully one day, everyone can live peacefully anywhere in the world and be their authentic selves with no risk of suffering.

Book club two has us reading Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. I’m only 20% of the way through, and I’m already loving it. I read Ms. Okorafor’s Akata Witch series and found myself fully immersed in her world-building and how she incorporates her culture into her stories. So when I heard we’d be reading this book, I was excited. I’ll give you more updates once I’m done.

Finally, for book club three, we’ll be reading Frankenstein. I’ve obviously seen the story in movies and TV shows since I was a kid, but I’ve never gone out of my way to read the book. I can’t wait to get started on it. The book came out in 1818 and still inspires generations of monster lovers, so I think that’s a sign it’ll be great.

After I’m done with these book club books, next on my list will be Order of the Arcane Hand by Lidiya Foxglove and The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. I had read Lidiya’s Potion Dealers book last year in 5 days, so I’m sure I’ll breeze through this next one too. Alice in Wonderland will be a quick read, but I figured it’ll be a nice finish after all these larger books. Plus, I’ve enjoyed the films, and it’s one of the best fantasy books of all time apparently, so I’m sure it’ll be good.

I hope all you lovely people in the world have a great day, and I’ll chat with you next time. Hopefully sooner this time.

A. B. Wrynmore