Rating: 
Summary: Good follow up
Review: After reading 'The Scorpion' I can safely say this book is a worthy follow up and the quality of writing is just as good as the previous book. My only gripes is that a person not acquainted with the L5R universe may not have a clue as to what is going on, such as the false Hoturi, why The Crab are allied with the Shadowlands etc. Also, towards the end of the book, the whole thing feels like a prologue to 'The Crane' since the whole False Hoturi thing is left dangling (Come on, the guy killed Jikkyo and yet Tetsuko and co. don't seem to be pursuing the matter?) Also, as some L5R players may know, there's no mention of the Kolat, but that wouldn't have many any impact on the Clan War storyline. Also, certain parts of the dialogue, especially the 'jokes' ('Don't bother sending them a thank-you scroll, their already dead') seem pretty un-Rokuganese. Overall, this is a worthy successor to the 'Scorpion' and I'm looking forward to starting on 'The Crane' soon.....
Rating: 
Summary: And now, some exposition...
Review: After the Scorpion Clan Coup, the empire is at war. The Emperor, sickly and lacking an heir, is incapable of stopping the slaughter, even as one of the empire's greatest defenders allies with its greatest enemy.In the middle of all of this is the Unicorn Clan, but there's very little reason why. The book is scatter-shot. Some of it is excellent, but much of it is lost in tedious exposition or obvious foreshadowing. As in the game's storyline, the Unicorn have very little to do when compared with the other clans, and it shows. Battles take place with little real consequence (minor supporting characters die off against the Shadowlands Horde, only to - *gasp* - rise as undead in that same army), and two plot threads are sloppily tied together by an obvious, gratuitous affair. Even one of the most basic villains, the False Hoturi, is inconsistent, having no obvious motive. Were it not for the fact that the False Hoturi features prominently in the next novel, the Crane, this could be dismissed. Unfortunately, the Unicorn sets up the backdrop for the Crane, and does so poorly. This is not entirely the writer's fault, as the Unicorn did very little in the Clan Wars story arch for the CCG, and only recently developed into anything interesting. That it isn't the author's fault does not make the book more enjoyable, however, and I recommend it only to those who long for more L5R fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Great follow-up to "The Scorpion"
Review: Although there aren't as many plot lines as in "The Scorpion", This book is just as good if not better. Better because the story doesn't have to deal with as many subjects and can spend more time developing fewer characters. "The Scorpion" had a lot to set up. "The Unicorn" is mostly about two characters, a Unicorn "Battle Maiden" and a Unicorn ambassador. A lot of characters from the previous novel are here. Most are very much different from what they started out as in "The Scorpion". After reading this one, I'm totally hooked on the series. I'm into the way the characters are changing and developing... specifically the hero from "Scorpion". It was also fun to watch the 'Battle Maiden' and her horse earn respect. This series is a HUGE soap opera... with a lot of beheadings during battle. That seems to be a common way to die when there are swords about. It resembles "Lord of the Rings" to the extent that there is a dark ominous bad guy whose power is growing (like Sauron). He uses goblins and ogres and other monsters as his minions (Like Sauron did). He has his own dark land (like Mordor). There are even Shadow Warriors that are basically clothing and armor draped over nothing more than shadows (like Ringwraiths). There is also a capitol city under siege (in "The Scorpions") that reminds me of Gondor. At least there aren't any Hobbits. One interesting note so far is that these first two books don't really seem to have a bad guy. Everybody (even the Scorpion clan) are working for the better of Rokugan. The only real bad guys are the monsters and the dark bad guy called Lo Feng or something like that. On to "Scroll 3"!!
Rating:
Summary: And now something from a non-gamer's perspective...
Review: Fantasy though it may be, The Unicorn clearly reflects our modern circumstances in a world filled with the madness of multiple cultures driven to desperation by untrustworthy, self-serving leadership and the rise of intrigues through secret organizations hiding their activities behind traditionally acceptable institutions. The use of the Japanese feudal samurai society with it's rigid social structures and the inscrutable depths of the far eastern character provides the perfect framework for the tale. All the right elements are present at the personal levels of the protagonists- love, family obligation, betrayal, confusion, fear, loyalty, duty, shame and honor; and the loss of them all, coupled with the suspended but ever-present obligation of the seppuku rituals of Japan's rich history. The pain the heroine carries throughout the tale paces her growing depth and insight and it is a pleasure to witness her evolving maturity as she reaches for a level of self-acceptance. Since we live today in a world hovering on the edge of suicidal decisions on so many levels, one cannot help but see ourselves in the saga woven here. Much of what current society believes to be "dead and buried" also rises to haunt us in such a conflicted age. The metaphor is quite clear regardless of the background structuring of any gaming materials. I encourage the author to continue working with the story line and these characters as the work can only become richer with time.
Rating:
Summary: Comment to Ringknight
Review: First of all you should be familiar with the card game of Legend of the Five Rings before you judge the contents of this book. Some the characters have predetermined roles to fill due to the game. I feel the book was well writen and filled in some of the gaps as for how some of the characters came about. I, for one, enjoyed this book and will buy the other books as they come out.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected but quite good.
Review: For those of you not familiar with the Legend of the Five Rings setting, The Unicorn takes place in a fantasy world fairly close to medieval japan. The events described in the book are part of a series depicting the end of the empire and the heroic tales of the heroes trying to save it. This is epic fantasy, no doubt about it : the Dark God aims at destroying the Empire. But this is epic that's well-written and with enough plot to keep you reading. I've known the plots for quite some time as it has already been exposed in the card and rolepkaying game. Still, I'll probably read all of the novels, just to get more of it. ANd because the characters are compelling. The Unicorn differs from The Scorpion (the first in the series) in that it deals with the pains and problems of a particular samurai where the Scorpion expanded mostly on major events and politics. Depending on what you like, you may prefer the Unicorn, where a young samurai faces the loss of those she loves and the doubts about her own value. I did prefer the Scoprion as I expect of the series to build on the heroic and political events more than the private stories of the characters. Nevertheless, the books are both well-written and worth a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Battle Maidens Rule!
Review: I didn't get to read the first book in the series, but I'm definitely going to after this one! The battle scenes were enthralling - I don't always go for that sort of stuff (especially all the gore) but I was totally hooked. The woman in me really appreciated the equal treatment of the genders. Tetsuko was great - I really want to read more about her (just hopefully without so many tissues next time)!
Rating: 
Summary: Read because it's a series.
Review: I didn't like this book like the first one in Clan War series, but it did not get my trust from L5R. I realized it was not necessary to read this book in order of understanding the following books and the line of the main plot.
It's a book without point cuz Unicorn clan is very weak, a bunch of characters without background in a foresaw quest.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was truly disappointed with this novel. True, I wasn't expecting any great fiction, but the narrative was dull and uninteresting for the most part. The emotional segments were handled rather well, but the battle scenes were jerky and prosaic. Everything in the middle was fine -- the parallel plot concerning Tadaji contrasts nicely with Tetsuko's baptisms of fire. While the author did manage to get her point across -- namely Tetsuko's coming to grips with her past, I couldn't help but get the feeling that "Unicorn" turned out to be another run-of-the-mill D&D novel cloaked in purple armor. Part of this feeling were the glaring anachronisms -- thank-you scroll?!? Sandwiches?!? While the Unicorn did spend years wandering foreign lands, and Rokugan is a fantasy setting, there are limits to what stuff you can include and what you should leave out. Another thing I would have liked to see is some sort of foreshadowing of Tetsuko's fate. Nothing was mentioned of Yokatsu and the Kolat, although I admit that at that point in the saga that subplot would not have mattered much. Still, it would have been nice for continuity reasons. On a side note: why Tetsuko to begin with? She's always been a bit player in the whole saga. It's an interesting point of view however -- one that definitely could have been better expounded upon.
Rating:
Summary: A Unicorn with Half a Horn
Review: I would like to give The Unicorn a higher rating because there is a very good short story going on within this messy novel. The tale of Ide Tadaji, Unicorn diplomat and courtier, is a very well crafted political drama holding some of the best moments of the entire Clan War series.
Unfortunately, there's this dishwater dull "Battle Maiden" who takes up the rest of the book with her run-of-the-mill coming of age story. By the end of the book you care even less about her than you did at the beginning and you're left wondering if the rest of series is going to slide into disasterous territory. Tadaji's political maneuverings and repartee with Kachiko are thankfully there to keep you engaged for the sake of the series if nothing else.
The biggest disappointment with The Unicorn, however, is that you never feel that you understand the clan's purpose or place in the overall scheme of things. With such wonderful secrets and an amazing cultural history the Unicorn clan contains ample material for a very engaging novel. The shame is that you won't find any of it here.
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