Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman

May 25

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So between trying to finish the City of Brass and being completely consumed by Sanderson’s Words of Radiance, I managed to read a Middle-Grade debut novel within 3 hours. If you don’t believe that I am a mood reader through and through, this should be very clear evidence.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief follows 13-year-old Skandar who lives on the Mainland. There are two main settings: The Mainland and the Island. The Island is where the unicorns, as mentioned in the title, live. Every year, all 13-year-olds go to take the Hatchery exam and if they pass, they continue and are transported to the Island. Then, similar to the doors in Disney’s Encanto, you touch the door to the Hatchery and if it deems you worthy, you continue and find your unicorn which, apparently, have been in their eggs for the same time you’ve been growing; 13 years. Students then are brought to the school where they learn how to bond with their unicorns and use the 4 powers: water, air, fire and earth.

The story starts off with the big day known as the Chaos Cup. The older unicorn rider students compete in the Chaos Cup every year, showing off the powers they have and the abilities of their unicorns. Now, it’s actually addressed in the book but the unicorns in this book aren’t the pretty ones that poop rainbows and gallops around that every 3-year-old is obsessed with. Oh no, they’re scary creatures and if they don’t bond with a human, they become wild, never being able to die but also never being fully alive.

During the Chaos Cup, in the end, a mysterious figure called The Weaver appears with what seems to be a wild unicorn and steals the most powerful unicorn in the world, plunging the world into chaos essentially. Skandar still has to continue and do the Hatchery Exam but on the day of the exam, he’s told to go home. Then at night, he’s whisked away by a mysterious figure to the island and finds his unicorn. He, along with his friends Flo, Bobby and Mitchell, try to figure out what the Weaver is truly up to and how to stop them.

I had seen this book going around on bookstagram as well as on Goodreads and I was incredibly curious. Luckily, my library had it as an e-book and to say I flew through it is an understatement! I think I read it in 3 hours with various breaks in between. This is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and those who want a fresh take on unicorns, an elemental magic system and those who want a school setting as well.

I really liked Skandar’s character development. I understand the criticisms from other reviewers but I had a lot of fun and while it was slightly predictable, I had a lot of fun and want to read everything I own now. I had read other reviews and while I understand why some didn’t like it as much as I did, keep in mind that this is a middle grade (hence the slight predictability and simplicity) as well as a debut (give the author room to grow!). I think that it handles sibling relationships well (as a real-life Kenna a.k.a older sister) as well as grief (Skandar and Kenna’s mom died when Skandar was very young under mysterious circumstances). I am not sure if this is a planned series but I imagine it might be to follow the elements presented in the magic system of the book. As of right now, I haven’t found anything specific about it being a stand-alone or a series.

That being said, this was a fun palate cleanser in between all the high-fantasy series’ (I am talking about you Sanderson!) and I enjoyed the refreshing take on unicorns as well as the magic system.

I would recommend it for those in the 10-12 age range because as I mentioned before, it is rather predictable and might be a reason to drop the rating down if read by an older person. That being said, don’t completely dismiss it; it’s a fun book, despite its flaws.

You can get the book here!