Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
![A.F. Steadman - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B097CPPV9X.jpg)
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief (1)
Soar into a breathtaking world of heroes and unicorns as you've never seen them before in this fantastical middle grade debut perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson and Eragon series!
Skandar Smith has always yearned to leave the Mainland and escape to the secretive Island, where wild unicorns roam free. He's spent years studying for his Hatchery exam, the annual test that selects a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of Skandar's exam, things go horribly wrong, and his hopes are shattered…until a mysterious figure knocks on his door at midnight, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.
Skandar is thrust into a world of epic sky battles, dangerous clashes with wild unicorns, and rumors of a shadowy villain amassing a unicorn army. And the closer Skandar grows to his newfound friends and community of riders, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets-especially when he discovers their lives may all be in graver danger than he ever imagined.
Skandar Smith has always yearned to leave the Mainland and escape to the secretive Island, where wild unicorns roam free. He's spent years studying for his Hatchery exam, the annual test that selects a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of Skandar's exam, things go horribly wrong, and his hopes are shattered…until a mysterious figure knocks on his door at midnight, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.
Skandar is thrust into a world of epic sky battles, dangerous clashes with wild unicorns, and rumors of a shadowy villain amassing a unicorn army. And the closer Skandar grows to his newfound friends and community of riders, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets-especially when he discovers their lives may all be in graver danger than he ever imagined.
Editorial Reviews
Mainlanders believed unicorns were only a myth. But when the Islanders revealed their secret--unicorns are real--Mainlanders learned "unicorns don't belong in fairy tales; they belong in nightmares." The magical creatures of lore are not for the fainthearted in this exhilarating and wildly imaginative middle-grade fantasy debut from A.F. Steadman.
Unicorns are dangerous, bloodthirsty and immortal. They become slightly less vicious when bonded with a rider, so destined children are found and trained to channel the creature's magic. At 13, children take the Hatchery exam--those who pass may attempt "to open the Hatchery door on the Island" and find a unicorn egg. Skandar has watched years of rider/unicorn pairs competing in the Chaos Cup and dreams of joining their ranks. Thus, he is devastated when his teacher inexplicably denies him the test and astonished when a mysterious rider whisks him away to the Island anyway. But nothing there is as he expected. Unicorn riding isn't all winning challenges--Skandar must learn to fight. The Islanders are terrified of a shadowed figure called the Weaver and Skandar must learn how to work as an effective battle team with his unpredictable unicorn, Scoundrel's Luck. As Skandar works to uncover the Weaver's secrets, he realizes he may be the Island's only hope.
Steadman fantastically reinvents the traditional Western unicorn mythology by inverting the classic images--serene, majestic, noble, gentle, sparkly--and presenting instead a creature that is ferocious, deadly and nearly unstoppable. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is filled with incredible worldbuilding, a fully realized system of magic and an unforgettable cast of riders and unicorns. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer -- Shelf Awarness ― 6/03/2022
Unicorns are dangerous, bloodthirsty and immortal. They become slightly less vicious when bonded with a rider, so destined children are found and trained to channel the creature's magic. At 13, children take the Hatchery exam--those who pass may attempt "to open the Hatchery door on the Island" and find a unicorn egg. Skandar has watched years of rider/unicorn pairs competing in the Chaos Cup and dreams of joining their ranks. Thus, he is devastated when his teacher inexplicably denies him the test and astonished when a mysterious rider whisks him away to the Island anyway. But nothing there is as he expected. Unicorn riding isn't all winning challenges--Skandar must learn to fight. The Islanders are terrified of a shadowed figure called the Weaver and Skandar must learn how to work as an effective battle team with his unpredictable unicorn, Scoundrel's Luck. As Skandar works to uncover the Weaver's secrets, he realizes he may be the Island's only hope.
Steadman fantastically reinvents the traditional Western unicorn mythology by inverting the classic images--serene, majestic, noble, gentle, sparkly--and presenting instead a creature that is ferocious, deadly and nearly unstoppable. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is filled with incredible worldbuilding, a fully realized system of magic and an unforgettable cast of riders and unicorns. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer -- Shelf Awarness ― 6/03/2022
Readers Top Reviews
Lady Wexadzukibea
As a lover of good fantasy books, I am delighted when I find a twist on the same old thing. Battle unicorns paired to a soulmate human rider wielding elemental magic? Oh, yeah! This is a fast, exciting read that should appeal to those who liked series such as Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, etc. I eagerly await the next installment in this trilogy.
Ana GLady Wexadzu
This was a great adventure. I loved the characters and how Skandar found where he belonged with his quartet. I liked the world and the unicorns. And the plot was a great mystery with a lot of twists to it.
ocAna GLady Wexad
I really enjoyed this book. After reading a lot of high fantasy I just waned something that would go smoothly, but honestly this is one of my only five star reviews. Great world building, and pacing, with a lot of engaging ideas. Avatar, meets Harry potter, and the saddle club. My one nit pick as an equestrian would be that a solid base in the fundamentals of equitation would have gone a long way to sell the 'want' of being a rider. Maybe cleaning stall in exchange for riding lessons as he was growing up. Pick up this book, it has me thinking that I have been missing out by not reading mid-grade and wondering what else is out there. Can't wait for the next installment in the series!
TheoocAna GLady W
Great read. The plot and characters were fun and I can't wait for the sequel!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One: The Thief
CHAPTER ONE The Thief
SKANDAR SMITH STARED AT THE unicorn poster opposite his bed. It was light enough outside now to see the unicorn's wings outstretched mid-flight: shining silver armor covering most of his body, exposing only his wild red eyes, an enormous jaw, and a sharp gray horn. New-Age Frost had been Skandar's favorite unicorn ever since his rider, Aspen McGrath, had qualified for the Chaos Cup three years ago. And Skandar thought that today-in this year's race-they just might have a chance of winning.
Skandar had received the poster for his thirteenth birthday three months before. He'd gazed at it through the bookshop window, imagining that he was New-Age Frost's rider, standing just outside the poster frame ready to race. Skandar had felt really bad asking his dad for it. For as long as he could remember, they'd never had much money-he didn't usually ask for anything. But Skandar had wanted the poster so badly and-
A crash came from the kitchen. On any other day Skandar would have jumped out of bed, terrified there was a stranger in the flat. Usually he, or his sister, Kenna, asleep in the bed opposite, was in charge of making breakfast. Skandar's dad wasn't lazy-it wasn't that-he just found it hard to get up most days, especially when he didn't have a job to go to. And he hadn't had one of those in a while. But today was no ordinary day. Today was race day. And for Dad, the Chaos Cup was better than birthdays, better even than Christmas.
"Are you ever going to stop staring at that stupid poster?" Kenna groaned.
"Dad's making breakfast," Skandar said, hoping this would cheer his sister up.
"I'm not hungry." She turned and faced the wall, her brown hair poking out from underneath the duvet. "There's no way Aspen and New-Age Frost will win today, by the way."
"I thought you weren't interested."
"I'm not, but…" Kenna rolled back again, squinting at Skandar through the morning light. "You've got to look at the stats, Skar. Frost's wingbeats per minute are only about average for the twenty-five competing. Then there's the problem of their allied element being water."
"What problem?" Skandar's heart was singing, even though Kenna was insisting Aspen and Frost wouldn't win. She hadn't talked about unicorns for so long he'd almost forgotten what it was like. When they were younger, they'd argued constantly about what their elements would be if they became unicorn riders. Kenna always said she'd be a fire wielder, but Skandar could never decide.
"Have you forgotten your Hatchery classes? Aspen and New-Age Frost are water-allied, right? And there are two air wielders among the favorites: Ema Templeton and Tom Nazari. We both know air has advantages over water!"
Skandar's sister was leaning on one elbow now, her thin pale face alight with excitement, her hazel hair and eyes wild. Kenna was a year older than Skandar, but they looked so similar that they'd often been mistaken for twins.
"You'll see," Skandar said, grinning. "Aspen's learned from her other Chaos Cups. She won't just use water; she's smarter than that. Last year she combined the elements. If I was riding New-Age Frost, I'd go for lightning bolts and whirlpool attacks.…"
Kenna's face changed at once. Her eyes dulled; the smile dropped from the corners of her mouth. Her elbow collapsed, and she turned to the wall again, gathering her coral duvet round her shoulders.
"Kenn, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
The smell of bacon and burnt toast wafted under the door. Skandar's stomach rumbled into the silence.
"Kenna?"
"Leave me alone, Skar."
"Aren't you going to watch the Cup with me and Dad?"
No answer again. Skandar dressed in the half-light of the morning, disappointment and guilt tightening his throat. He shouldn't have said it: If I was riding. They'd been talking like they used to, before Kenna took the Hatchery exam, before all her dreams came crashing down.
Skandar entered the kitchen to the sound of sizzling eggs and blaring early Cup coverage. Dad was humming, leaning over the pan. When he saw Skandar, he gave him an enormous grin. Skandar couldn't remember the last time he'd seen him smile.
Dad's face fell a little. "No Kenna yet?"
"Still sleeping," Skandar lied, not wanting to spoil his good mood.
"She'll find this year hard, I expect. The first race since…"
Skandar didn't need him to finish the sentence. This was the first Chaos Cup since Kenna had failed the Hatchery exam last year and lost all chance of becoming a unicorn rider.
The trouble was, Dad had never acted like it was rare to pass the Hatchery exam. He ...
CHAPTER ONE The Thief
SKANDAR SMITH STARED AT THE unicorn poster opposite his bed. It was light enough outside now to see the unicorn's wings outstretched mid-flight: shining silver armor covering most of his body, exposing only his wild red eyes, an enormous jaw, and a sharp gray horn. New-Age Frost had been Skandar's favorite unicorn ever since his rider, Aspen McGrath, had qualified for the Chaos Cup three years ago. And Skandar thought that today-in this year's race-they just might have a chance of winning.
Skandar had received the poster for his thirteenth birthday three months before. He'd gazed at it through the bookshop window, imagining that he was New-Age Frost's rider, standing just outside the poster frame ready to race. Skandar had felt really bad asking his dad for it. For as long as he could remember, they'd never had much money-he didn't usually ask for anything. But Skandar had wanted the poster so badly and-
A crash came from the kitchen. On any other day Skandar would have jumped out of bed, terrified there was a stranger in the flat. Usually he, or his sister, Kenna, asleep in the bed opposite, was in charge of making breakfast. Skandar's dad wasn't lazy-it wasn't that-he just found it hard to get up most days, especially when he didn't have a job to go to. And he hadn't had one of those in a while. But today was no ordinary day. Today was race day. And for Dad, the Chaos Cup was better than birthdays, better even than Christmas.
"Are you ever going to stop staring at that stupid poster?" Kenna groaned.
"Dad's making breakfast," Skandar said, hoping this would cheer his sister up.
"I'm not hungry." She turned and faced the wall, her brown hair poking out from underneath the duvet. "There's no way Aspen and New-Age Frost will win today, by the way."
"I thought you weren't interested."
"I'm not, but…" Kenna rolled back again, squinting at Skandar through the morning light. "You've got to look at the stats, Skar. Frost's wingbeats per minute are only about average for the twenty-five competing. Then there's the problem of their allied element being water."
"What problem?" Skandar's heart was singing, even though Kenna was insisting Aspen and Frost wouldn't win. She hadn't talked about unicorns for so long he'd almost forgotten what it was like. When they were younger, they'd argued constantly about what their elements would be if they became unicorn riders. Kenna always said she'd be a fire wielder, but Skandar could never decide.
"Have you forgotten your Hatchery classes? Aspen and New-Age Frost are water-allied, right? And there are two air wielders among the favorites: Ema Templeton and Tom Nazari. We both know air has advantages over water!"
Skandar's sister was leaning on one elbow now, her thin pale face alight with excitement, her hazel hair and eyes wild. Kenna was a year older than Skandar, but they looked so similar that they'd often been mistaken for twins.
"You'll see," Skandar said, grinning. "Aspen's learned from her other Chaos Cups. She won't just use water; she's smarter than that. Last year she combined the elements. If I was riding New-Age Frost, I'd go for lightning bolts and whirlpool attacks.…"
Kenna's face changed at once. Her eyes dulled; the smile dropped from the corners of her mouth. Her elbow collapsed, and she turned to the wall again, gathering her coral duvet round her shoulders.
"Kenn, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
The smell of bacon and burnt toast wafted under the door. Skandar's stomach rumbled into the silence.
"Kenna?"
"Leave me alone, Skar."
"Aren't you going to watch the Cup with me and Dad?"
No answer again. Skandar dressed in the half-light of the morning, disappointment and guilt tightening his throat. He shouldn't have said it: If I was riding. They'd been talking like they used to, before Kenna took the Hatchery exam, before all her dreams came crashing down.
Skandar entered the kitchen to the sound of sizzling eggs and blaring early Cup coverage. Dad was humming, leaning over the pan. When he saw Skandar, he gave him an enormous grin. Skandar couldn't remember the last time he'd seen him smile.
Dad's face fell a little. "No Kenna yet?"
"Still sleeping," Skandar lied, not wanting to spoil his good mood.
"She'll find this year hard, I expect. The first race since…"
Skandar didn't need him to finish the sentence. This was the first Chaos Cup since Kenna had failed the Hatchery exam last year and lost all chance of becoming a unicorn rider.
The trouble was, Dad had never acted like it was rare to pass the Hatchery exam. He ...
