Customer Reviews

The Last Hunt (The Unicorn Chronicles, Book 4)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have read the other reviews and they are good about describing this book. But you have to remeber that this is a Childrens book. I started reading this when I was in Middle school and from that day that I finished it I have waited for this last book to be Written. (sometimes more impatient than others)

I still think of this book like I was that 14 year old girl. I Love this book. Things are differnt now than when I was that young but I read this and take myself to Luster, where things are different and you fight for whats right. As an adult there are questions to be answered about why they put this character in here or why did he write this it was pointless. For me everything ment something simply because its a world that doesnt have to have its people be self centered.

The book itself is awesome. It ends without any loose ends. Yes there is the questions that start going like what happens now but your heart is at peace with how it ends. You cry, you laugh and you breath a sigh of relief when its over. The series is great and I look forward to reading it to my future kids for them to enjoy it. (even if they dont have to wait as long as I did)

Coville brings us the long-awaited conclusion of his beloved epic, the Unicorn Chronicles.

This story picks up right where its predecessor left off, so if you haven't read the rest of the series, start there. (The upside of this that little time is wasted on giving a background for those who haven't read the others.) The unicorns of Luster are in grave danger: the final Hunt has begun and they are being picked off one by one. Cara Diana is sent to recruit help from the strange, mysterious dragon Graumag. She herself is in no small danger: as a child born to unicorns and descended from Beloved, a prophecy claims her as being the only end to the Hunt. Meanwhile, Cara's beloved Lightfoot teams up with Cara's father, Ian, Ian's newly rescued wife, Martha, and Rajiv, the street urchin to make it back to the heart of Luster and find Cara as Fallon, their mysterious and gorgeous companion, departs on his own to search for his long-lost friend Elihu. As tension mounts and threads weave seemingly effortlessly into one whole, Coville brings to a close the journey so many have taken with him. (His fans sigh in relief.)

This book is not perfect. I understand that Coville was under a lot of pressure to finish this book, but so many things were not fleshed out to the extent they might have been. The entire ending felt rushed and I'm convinced that the book could have been about one hundred pages longer. On the whole, though, I think it's well worth your time. The ending was ultimately satisfying. The book is chock-full of the little details Coville is famous for. (The Squijum has a backstory! We have at last the seeds of romance between Cara and Lightfoot!) And like the end of all great epics, you walk away bittersweet; grieving for what was lost and satisfied by the seeds of hope and redemption that are revealed. Highly recommended.

This book represents the conclusion to The Unicorn Chronicles, a story which began with "Into the Land of the Unicorns" during the mid-1990s. Though the wait has been substantial, so has the payoff. Every addition to the series has expanded greatly on the world of Luster and its inhabitants. In this particular piece, the creation (and potential destruction) of Luster is explored and a great number of forces come together to finish a war begun centuries prior. Though the world remains open for future stories, the series is indeed complete: Every answer which was promised is delivered. Thankfully, not every inch of Luster has been expounded upon in excessive detail; the world did not "end" with the conclusion, though the finale was satisfyingly complete. In that way, this concluding volume feels more realistic than most. As in life, there is more to be told, but there were no cheap, nagging cliffhangers.

Cara remains the main character of the series, but thankfully, she feels like a component of a world as opposed to its very axis. This allows other major and minor characters the opportunity to shine independently of her presence--something which is startlingly rare in fiction. Considering the wealth of unicorns, dragons, centaurs, humans, and other species evident, it is refreshing to see that one individual was not gifted the sole limelight. The entire cast deserved the opportunity to grow, and each character was granted the appropriate span of time for such development. Even new characters, such as Graumag the dragon (who had been mentioned but never previously seen), were given sufficient time to resonate with the audience as sovereign entities, not just "friends of Cara." Unfortunately, the number of characters become rather daunting, considering that every character mentioned previously in the series contributed even if it didn't feel necessary to the narrative.

As main character, Cara is sensible, intelligent, and compassionate. She retains her believability as a young person (something Coville has always done superbly well) while simultaneously rising to the occasion and becoming an exceptional female role model. Other strong women also feature prominently, such as Arianna the centaur, M'Gama the geomancer (who appears to originally be of African background), Graumag the dragon, Belle the unicorn, and Feng Yuan. These characters certainly have distinct flaws, but they are not defined by their being female. Strong male characters, such as Thomas the Tinker and Moonheart the unicorn, are also evident, of course. (It is worth mentioning that this book should not be seen as "too girly" for boys, as is interesting and appropriate for all readers. If one's son loves fantasy, this book is still a splendid selection.)

This book brings forth many interesting ideas about duty, empathy, redemption, and identity. The book has a bittersweet tone, but it emphasizes the importance of these principles; no one is allowed an escape from responsibility or from need by virtue of being a protagonist. At the same time, a few of the decisions on the part of the author feel to have been made somewhat arbitrarily, but that doesn't break reader immersion. Fully recommended for new readers and for those who have been waiting since the first novel's publication. Great for families who would like to tackle an enjoyable, thoughtful book together.

I started reading this book since elementary school and even though I'm an adult now, I've been waiting for the conclusion to this series. The book is about 600 pages long and includes mini bios at the end. It took me several nights to finish but the late nights were worth it! The story telling in this fourth volume is similar to its third edition with the different threads of the story being weaved together at the same time. The ends are tied at the story's conclusion with some room for the reader's imagination to take over. I recommend this for reader's of any age who enjoys a well-told fantasy story.

I waited years to finish this series and was very happy when this book came out. I thought it was interesting and well written.

I haven't finished the book yet, but I am almost 3/4 done and it was worth the wait! It's sad to know that this will be the last book of the Unicorn Chronicles :o(

I've always been a huge fan of unicorns and fantasy. But Bruce Coville's books helped me to see them in a new light. Oh, man, these books are simply incredible (someone's got to film them and apply them to the big screen); I can hardly find words to describe the thrills they gave me, the joys and heartaches. I was practically dying (almost literally) to know how it all ended. I all but pounced on the last book when it finally came out. I won't spoil it for the rest of you who have yet to read it, but I promise you won't be disappointed. For those of you who haven't read "The Unicorn Chronicles" at all, I strongly recommend you give it a try. I know a good book when I see one, and I can tell you these books are very, very good.

THE LAST HUNT is Book IV of the Unicorn Chronicles, and tells of a fine tree called Alexis Mundi, the heart of the world. The tree has been wounded by magic, and unicorns that gather to defend their lives and a human girl sent on a mission to save a dragon make for an involving story with a fine conclusion.

***SPOILERS

Finally, the end! Don't get me wrong, I loved the series and look forward to perhaps Coville writing more for its world, but being with this series since the beginning, it's nice to see it all come together at last (sixteen years!).

I enjoyed it for the most part (the third book being my favorite, followed very closely by the first), yet I can't help but think that even 600+ pages wasn't enough to pull it all together adequately; I still wanted certain things to be explored, wanted more depth given to certain characters, so I wouldn't have minded a fifth book.

The first half felt a bit rushed, like the amount of characters and back stories being juggled was too much for Coville (he pulled it together better, however, for the second half). But those back stories were interesting and I do hope that maybe one day certain ones will be explored more in their own book (a prequel with Ivy Morris wouldn't be bad either).

I was a bit disappointed with a few others things, as well. For one, I felt the character of Feng Yuan to be pretty useless; with an already plentiful, diverse cast, was she really needed? Alma Leonetti, a preexisting character who could have had extra scenes and been expanded on, should have been the one to advise the queen, with the queen of course using what she learned as a human to strategize for the battle. Something else, also: even days after finishing the book, I'm still bothered by Cara remaining a unicorn, never mind what I feel about her even turning into one to begin with (there were parts where she was discovering the power, mystery and even limitations within her new body that fascinated me, but it still annoys me that she remained a unicorn).

Overall, a well done book with colorful, rich characters, an engaging storyline and an ending that while I might have changed particular things was still very fitting.

I've been waiting for this book for half a decade and it's only available in Audio form for my Kindle? Not cool.... will change my review when a normal version becomes available. Until then, I boycott.