Rise of the Mythix: Golden unicorn by Anh Do

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Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760525132.
(Age: 9-13 years). Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Myths, Legends, Dystopia, Adventure, Power. 'Some heroes are legends. Some legends are real. The tyrant known as the Soul Collector desires to own everything that is beautiful, unusual, or unique. Kelly Swift is trying hard to be an average teenager, to keep her head down and her hoodie up. But every day her powers are growing: she can run faster than the wind, she can hear people's thoughts, she is not normal. When her mother is taken by the Soul Collector, Kelly can't linger in the shadows any longer. But who is she really? Can she be the one in the prophecy? Is she . . . The Golden Unicorn?
The Golden Unicorn, the Minotaur and the Griffin -
Only these three united to a common purpose
can fell him who seeks to triumph over all . . .
' (Publisher)
Golden Unicorn by Anh Do is the first book in the Rise of the Mythix Series. This dystopian adventure is set in Australia in a time when there is an absolute tyrant who rules by wielding cruel and brutal power over his people. His army of bullies, the GB, have control of the city with cameras everywhere. The population lives in fear as anything out of the ordinary becomes a magnet for the Soul Collector to add to his immortal canvas collection achieved by Lucifer's Ring and the complete power that ring allows him. By facing the ring at the person or setting, the Soul Collector is able to drain the colour and immortalise it forever on canvas.
As well as the Soul Collector, the other main characters, Kelly Swift and Stanley Solomon are introduced thoughtfully into the story and you gain an understanding of the roles they will play in defeating this evil leader. Kelly is a teenager who has become aware that she has just lately begun to develop unusual powers of speed and mind reading. She grows a unicorn horn and is caught up in a battle when she is attempted to be captured. Stanley Solomon, the Chief Archaeologist, discovers a prophecy that will involve him and trying to save the kingdom. He has a personal reason for joining forces with Kelly and support her as much as he can.
The clever graphic illustrations by Chris Wahl help support the reader's understanding of the storyline. The illustrator gives us a clear vision of the characters' unique traits and adds a touch of drama to the text. Those reluctant readers who struggle with the amount of words on a page will enjoy the fact that the illustrations break up the text and keep the reader engaged.
Anh Do's popularity as an author will be further enhanced with this new series. It is exciting, full of action, and quite unique in its plot and characters. I look forward to the second and third books.
Kathryn Beilby

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