Skandar’s family love watching the Chaos Cup every year. They cheer and argue about all the riders and their steeds and who will have the best control of their powers to defeat their opponents and win the race. These powers are using their elemental gifts of air, water, earth or fire and their steeds are Unicorns!

Every child of 13 sits a special exam. If they pass they have a chance of becoming Skandar’s dream – a Unicorn rider. His 14 year old sister didn’t pass the year before and now Skandar is the family’s hope of a better life. Dad never got over the loss of his wife when Skandar was tiny and life has been difficult. They all know a Unicorn Rider in the family will make a huge difference.

Skandar’s exam day arrives, but getting in becomes a problem. He can’t believe his years of wishing and hoping and studying has been for nothing! Or has it? He is suddenly caught up in a plan to get him to the island where unicorn riders train. Having to lie from the moment he arrives about how he got there, just adds to the immense excitement and pressure of meeting others and becoming part of a team, and most important of all – meeting the unicorn that has been destined for him since he was born.

These unicorns aren’t white, kind and friendly. They eat raw meat, bite, spark and fart at their riders, who must try to connect with them in order to control them. Again, Skandar’s journey to tame his unicorn is a rough one as he must deceive the Unicorn Rider leaders as to who or what he and his unicorn represent.

He is determined to continue to reach for his dream, and with new friends alongside he gets closer to it, learns more about his lost mum and unravels a plot to overthrow generations of Unicorn Riders and their bonded animals. His differences may have upset the entire Unicorn community, but he is single-minded about allowing his unicorn along with himself to be who they are destined to be.

Cranky Unicorns who eat raw meat, and a boarding school set amongst tree houses and rope bridges.

New friends by your side no matter what.

Secrets to hold and others to reveal in order to save lives.

These are just some of the exciting layers of this fast paced plot about a boy achieving his dream. Add in an evil Unicorn rider, controlling wild unicorns made of rotting flesh and a temper to match and you have your villains – front and centre.

But who is this creepy character? Discovering this new world along with Skandar is fascinating and then gripping as he is up against so many rules, customs and beliefs. Can he prove who he really is? Can he stay training on the Island by doing well in the final test race? Who was his mum and where did she really come from? So many conundrums for readers to unravel along with Skandar and his new friends and their unique Unicorns. 

This is the first in a trilogy. With its incredible world building and galloping plot lines, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is breathtaking!

Author – A F Steadman

Age – 9+

Read the next book in the series (Click on the Cover)

(2022, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Unicorns, Elementals, Air, Earth, Water, Fire, Island, Secrets, Lies, Thief, Power, Courage, Determination, Bullies, Bully, Action, Adventure, Animals, Betrayal, Conflict, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, Mystery, Magic, Magical)