tl;dr
Stunning artwork and fun characters, with the promise of more adventures to come.

Thoughts
Let's start with the art, because it is absolutely gorgeous. Graphic novels can sometimes have a stunning cover that can hide interior work that doesn't quite match up - but this entire book is lovely to look at. Several panels feel like standalone art pieces, and I loved the composition, colors, designs, everything really. Characters and their respective unicorns all have bright, distinct designs that I would have been entirely obsessed with if this had been on TV when I was a kid. And likening it to a TV show is probably the best way I can describe this book. The entire thing runs a good deal like a pilot episode, taking time to explain the world and rules, briefly introducing our heroes, throwing them into a somewhat minor kerfuffle, and then hinting at a villain waiting in the shadows. It's a very lightweight adventure with little to complain about, but little to truly review in terms of plot. Overall a fun pilot episode, and I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

It’s unicorns so of course I was interested. The art also looked very good and so the two of those combined is what drew my interest.

The story itself is very simple and easy to follow a long. I can see the building blocks for a “power of friendship” storyline.

My only actual grievance is the design of Orya and Izandre. To me, as someone who is not Asian, they seemed like stereotypical designs for East and South Asian inspired characters.

This was fantastic! I loved the fantasy and magical elements as well as the adventure and challenges our characters faced! This was thrilling and lively and the illustrations were so bright and beautiful.

In The Unicorn Legacy, heiress of Lemuria Celeste is sent on a journey with her unicorn to the temple of the goddess, where she will ask for her protection and to be granted a personal wish. Along the way, she meets four other “heiricorns,” and bands together with the girls to defeat the enemies that stand in their way and continue towards their goal.

The illustrations were the real highlight of this book. The character design was unique and charming, the coloring was vibrant and beautiful, and the landscape drawings were well-done, too.

As far as children’s books go, I think this one lacked deeper meaning and real substance, but I think it would be a very fun read for the right audience. The dialogue and humor wasn’t my favorite, but I did really enjoy the characters themselves.

The cliffhanger at the end opens opportunities for the girls to work together against more challenging enemies, and uncover more of the mystery behind each heiress’ backstory.

When I was a teenager I was obsessed with manga, and as I've grown older that obsession has bled over into comic books, graphic novels, and web comics. The Unicorn Legacy held immediate appeal with the stunning cover artwork, and I was happily delighted to see the same caliber of work throughout this book.

The reader is quickly introduced to Celeste, the youngest princess of Lemuria. Today she will be undertaking a huge task - to travel to the Temple of the Goddess, and ask for her blessing of peace, prosperity, and protection for her kingdom. This quest takes place every hundred years by a chosen heiress, and since Astra, the oldest sister of Lemuria is chronically ill the responsibility falls to Celeste. She will journey on her own with only magical weapons to assist her in her greatest hour of need. (Think Sailor Moon or Magic Knight Rayearth, but with unicorns.) Along the way she meets Nell, Rama, Orya, and Izadre, and together they plan to venture to the Temple of the Goddess to fulfill their duty. Other stunning or amusing characters include Celeste's grandmother, adorable Howler beasts, the mystical unicorns Cerotis and Sadalbari, and the hysterical half-people clan.

This book really ticked all the right boxes for me: stunning illustrations, a great story line, interesting characters (Rama is my current favorite, but I love them all), a heavy dose of cuteness, magic, and unicorns. I highly enjoyed the story myself, but I plan to share it with my boys, and my oldest niece - this seems right up her alley. The main characters are duty-bound, but also want to do the right thing because they have a strong moral code. Rama demonstrates this strongly several times, saying she doesn't like others being referred to as monsters. Book one ended with a new villain entering the scene, and perhaps a new ally? I can't wait for the second book to come out so I can find out!

The Unicorn Legacy is the first in a series of graphic novels that follow the heiresses of different kingdoms on their quest to the goddess. Each heiress can call upon the protection of a unicorn should they find trouble on their journey. The girls must travel to the goddess without the help of their people, and end up finding each other along the way. Once they get to the goddess, they can ask for a wish for their kingdom. In the first installment, we follow Celeste, who must make the journey in lieu of her ill sister. She finds many perils along her way but also makes friends with some of the other heiresses.

I absolutely loved the art style in this graphic novel. It is so vibrant and colorful, and I think it would be appealing to the targeted age range for this novel, which is elementary and middle grade girls. I thought the story was coherent and would be enjoyable to the target demographic. It reminds me of some of the cartoons I used to enjoy when I was younger with the magic girl trope. I definitely think that younger readers would enjoy this and hope that they give it a try.

Thank you to netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.