Steadman, A. F. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. Simon and Schuster, 2022. 978-1-665-91500-7. 448 p. $18.99. Grades 4-7.
If you are like most people, you think of unicorns as beautiful, sparkly creatures, possibly with rainbow poop. Skandar knows the truth: unicorns are nasty, carnivorous creatures who would sooner eat you than warmly nuzzle you. Yet Skandar, like all his 13-year-old friends, is anxiously awaiting exam day, the day when Mainlander students find out who will be chosen to go to the Island where the unicorns live, bond with a newly hatched unicorn and become a revered unicorn rider. To Skandar’s horror, everything seems to fall apart the morning of the exam. Yet, that night, a mysterious rider appears at his home, whisking him off to the island under a cloak of secrecy. Skandar successfully hatches a unicorn, begins training, and makes three close friends, but Skandar carries a secret burden he fears will get him exiled from the community. This thrilling, action-packed adventure takes elements of Harry Potter and Star Wars and creates an unforgettable start to a new series. The boarding school setting (the coolest boarding school ever – set in tree houses) provides opportunity for friendship building, as well as the requisite bully to threaten the peace. There is an evil haunting the Island that only Skandar can confront. And then there are the unicorns. Steadman shines with the world building of the unicorns. They are way cooler than traditional unicorns. Scary, dangerous, and potentially evil, but definitely worth the risk. The rider-unicorn bond is to be envied. The conclusion of the book definitely signals sequels. Skandar cues white, but his close friends include brown-skinned Mitchell and Bobby with a Spanish mother. Incidental students are a variety of ethnicities.
THOUGHTS: This unique fantasy should fly off the shelves. For students too young to read Diana Peterfrund’s Killer Unicorn series, Skandar will be a delightful introduction to less-cutesy creatures. This can’t-put-down epic should be a first purchase where fantasy books are popular.
Fantasy Nancy Nadig Penn Manor SD