Ugh, this book annoyed me. First off, I don't think I've ever taken longer to get through a book. While it had some great scenes, nothing enticed me enough to keep coming back on a regular basis...so I sort of read it only when I was between other books, and it was slow going. 
 The pacing didn't work for me at all. There's quite a bit of filler, and I was never truly clear about the story's main problem or point. The characters, except Ariel, aren't very well established and, in many cases, are simply not needed. 
 It was intriguing enough that I...eventually...worked my way through it, only to be incredibly disappointed by the ending. The last 3 pages are a cross between watching a train-wreck and having someone hit you upside the head with a two-by-four. 
 A lot of people bring up the whole "unicorn's are purity" argument, but here's my big issue with the ending: Pete has just spent more than 200 pages fighting to free Ariel. Let's take the whole unicorn thing out of the equation. I don't care if Ariel is a unicorn, a dog, or some buddy he knew from childhood, it's clear that he considers her a good friend. And he's given two choices: 
 A) Do something and never see your friend again. Ever. 
 B) Don't do something (at least for a little while) and see your friend again. At least once more. 
 Choosing A just seems like a cope-out and the worst kind of idiocy.