Author: J.C. Phillipps
Illustrator: J.C. Phillipps
© Date: 2022
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 212
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Yes, graphic novel
Publisher Recommended Age: 7-10
Bonus Activities at End of Book: Yes, how to draw characters
Summary from the Publisher’s Website: Meet the world’s grumpiest unicorn. Pacey and Slasher are swimming with MERMAIDS in this middle-grade graphic novel series that’s perfect for anyone who loves (or hates!) unicorns!
Everyone loves mermaids. But take it from Slasher the unicorn—mermaids are NOT all they’re cracked up to be. In fact, they’re the mean girls of the underwater world.
Pacey’s not afraid of a few mermaids. She is just a little bit afraid of GIANT sea creatures and ANGRY Alpha unicorns, though. The last time she was in Unicorn land, Pacey lost the Alpha Unicorn’s horn, and he wants it back! Can Pacey and Slasher find the missing horn . . . without getting on the bad side of any mermaids? Dive into adventure in the third Pacey Packer graphic novel!
Note: This review is done from memory. I originally read this a short bit ago.
Page Pig Thoughts: The quest to retrieve Arkane’s horn continues. Along with angry unicorns going against a typical unicorn stereotype, now bitter mermaid enter the mix. I appreciate Pacey continuing to find new aspects of herself to come out on top. Even an embarrassing childhood passion for pretending to be a superhero and throwing around pretend lightning bolts comes in handy when she needs to throw Arkane’s horn javelin style. Maybe a statement on all parts of our pasts work up to creating amazing moments in our present lives, or maybe just a nice hero moment for a fictional character.
Page Pup may have enjoyed this one more than I did, but I still found this one a decent read.
Family Unit:
- Pacey is the older sister of Mina. They live with their mother and father.
- Slasher the unicorn is the younger brother of Arkane, the evil unicorn king, and Lark the lost unicorn. Isolina was their mother.
- Zella is Loomi’s aunt. They are mogs.
Conflict/Social Issues:
- Arkane threatens and bullies his way into getting others to do what he wants, regardless of their best interests.
- Arkane and Slasher are still sibling enemies. Slasher declares himself anti-unicorn.
- Two mermaids are upset that they have lived their lives in the dark and never seen the sun. They are angry with unicorns for subjecting them to that fate.
- Many mogs are still slaves at the unicorn castle.
Positive Items:
- Even though Pacey and Slasher disagree on things, like mermaids being amazing/terrifying, they still work together toward their goal.
- Even though Pacey didn’t want Mina to come on the adventure and Pacey’s need to keep Mina safe gets used against her, Pacey never gets upset that she is tagging along or rubs it into Mina’s face. Pacey just works to keep her safe.
- Mogs cannot swim, but they still find a way to make themselves useful in the recovery of Arkane’s horn. They give Pacey a root that will attract another creature so they will know when Pacey needs help. Zella also gets two unicorns to start digging away at the wall holding the water in the Dark Caverns. Zella even fishes Pacey out of the water to stop her from being swept up in the water current over the edge of the waterfall.
Items of Interest:
- Pacey’s friend was hanging out with different girls at the mall. Pacey’s friend made a comment that poked fun at a childhood passion of Pacey’s, and the other girls started laughing leaving a sad and upset Pacey behind.
- Pacey’s embarrassing childhood passion was that she was a huge fan of a TV show hero girl, Lightning. She would even wear her costume to school and throw toy lightning bolts until all of the other kids made fun of her. No one had spoken of it until the recent mall episode.
- Mina pleads her way into going back to Rundalyn with Pacey and Slasher to retrieve Arkane’s horn.
- Since mogs cannot swim, Zella cannot accompany Pacey, Slasher and Mina into the water of the Dark Caverns to retrieve Arkane’s horn.
- Arkane sends a unicorn guard down to the Dark Caverns to retrieve his horn.
- Pacey and Mina are thrilled to meet a mermaid, but Slasher is scared of the terrifying mermaids.
- A mermaid gives Pacey, Mina, and Slasher bubbles to breathe underwater, then rescues them from a gorg (giant sea creature). Pacey tries to rub it into Slasher’s nose that the mermaid was helping them, not plotting against them. Until they realize that they are trapped in a ship and another mermaid comes to complete the prophecy, which is something involving Arkane’s horn and the Horn Slayer aka Pacey. Slasher rubs that one into Pacey’s face.
- The mermaid prophecy is to bring the mermaids back into the sunlight. They have been living in the Dark Caverns without sunlight for a very long time thanks to unicorn magic. The unicorns won the valley in the War of the Four and banished the merfolk into the lakes by creating the Dark Caverns.
- Zella tricks two unicorn guards into opening the Dark Caverns to make it easier to locate the horn.
- The two mermaids performing the prophecy ritual are upset because light was not coming. They believe Pacey has magic that they need to extract. One pops Mina’s breathing bubble, which makes Pacey claw the gorg to grab the horn, then throws it like a javelin into the cavern wall, which opens a waterfall. The mermaids are blinded because their eyes are not used to the brightness of the sun.
- Pacey and Slasher are trying to reach the horn that got lodged in a tree over the water. Arkane arrives on the scene and starts a shoving/wrestling match with Slasher in the back of the raft. The horn then smashes against rocks and breaks into pieces.
- Pacey, Slasher, and Mina go back home. Slasher had found a tiny piece of Arkane’s horn in the water, Mina helped him make it into a necklace. Slasher gifts it to Pacey and they declare themselves friends.
- Eldermog declares that Arkane’s power was scattered, but not destroyed when the horn broke into pieces. Now the pieces will need to be retrieved.
Other Books in Series (At Time of Posting):
- Book One – Pacey Packer: Unicorn Tracker (review)
- Book Two – Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker: Horn Slayer (review)
- Book Three – Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker: Mermaids vs. Unicorns
- Book Four – Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker: Dragon Rider (review)
