SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now!
Author: Avery Phoenix
Series: Unicorn Blessed Chronicles Series Book #1
Category: Paranormal Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐
You'd think a book about a kickass unicorn shifter with a split personality would be an automatic four stars for creativity alone but unfortunately, this one fell flat. The delivery and pacing were clunky at the best of times and 'Mary Sue' Celestia and her lovers belonged in a middle school romance.
Look, insta-love doesn't bother me. However, how every guy in the misfit pack fell to his knees for her so quickly was not well done. Not only was she let into their circle of friendship, Celestia became the center of their worlds in an instant. While each of the guys had unique paranormal types or abilities, they were cookie-cutter and completely identical in voice and bland personality.
Celestia's backstory is full of holes that make the story unbelievable, even for a fantasy reverse harem romance. Somehow, both her parents left her to live alone at the age of six, assuming the town's people would check in on her....sure great plan. Then, she tells everyone she is a unicorn shifter but since her parents said it was dangerous she refuses to shift - it's okay to talk about it but not prove it somehow. Finally, she stoically takes the mocking and abuse of the town's people for years but doesn't tell her parents until it gets so bad she contemplates suicide and her eventual mentor finally decides she's ready to train to fight.
"I was the only unicorn shifter in existence, or so the records claimed. Not that it mattered; no one believed me anyway." - Celestia
Celestia may be the clumsiest girl alive, how many times can she walk into a wall? She is confident in specific instances but annoyingly vulnerable and naive in others. Her catchphrase was "I don't know anything about love" and I cringed every time.
I generally preferred Cia (the other personality) over Celestia - she was a driven character whose pragmatic nature called to my own. So when it was revealed that she would eventually be absorbed into Celestia's main persona I knew I wasn't going to move forward with the series.
"She was the brains and I was the badass." - Cia
The world building wasn't very concrete and the magic system seemed convoluted. Not only are there shifters, but some also have magic powers depending on what type of creature they are.
My final complaint is the inconsistent title of the book, Celestia: Year One. Celestia was at the academy for three months before the revelation that it was all a test. She and her team are then admitted to the 'real' academy at the end of book one and the next in the series is titles Celestia: Year Two which just isn't correct.
"Congratulations. As Headmaster, I'd like to be the first to welcome you to the REAL Aslan Academy for Hunters and Huntresses. You have passed."
Ultimately, this read as a YA paranormal romance despite the fact the characters are in their mid-twenties. With zero spice besides a couple of lustful glances, there wasn't a big point in making everyone as old as they were. And unless the spice ramps up dramatically, the characters would have been more consistent as teenagers.
This book only received two stars because I finished it, and only so I could write this review.
Tropes and Themes: Magic, Shifters, Academy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Unicorns, Insta-love, Reverse Harem, Why Choose.
Blurb
What do you get when your father’s a centaur and your mother’s a powerful magician?
A unicorn shifter…
You’d think being the only known unicorn shifter in the world would have a few benefits. Like, people treating you kindly or getting special treatment from the council. Not in my case. I'd be lucky to get a piece of bread thrown at me.
My name is Celestia Rainbow, and yes, my last name is fucking Rainbow.
Shifters assume that I’m kind by nature, but trust me: I’m fierce, short-tempered and have the mouth of a sailor. Add in my stealthy fighting skills, advanced magic casting, and swift movement, I'm someone you wouldn't want to mess with. But everyone looks at my shifter side – my ditzy, peaceful half, sprinkling magic dust, and on a mission to end world hunger.
Regardless of my dual personality, I’ve sworn to become a huntress at Aslan Academy. Now that I’m of age--my lucky twenty-fifth birthday just happens to coincide with the entrance exams--I’m ready to prove my worth.
Too bad I’m grouped up with six sinful looking men.
Time to prove to my community, classmates and this attractive bunch of weirdos that unicorns can kick ass too.