About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN-101665912731

ISBN-139781665912730

eBay Product ID (ePID)17050387377

Product Key Features

Book TitleSkandar and the Unicorn Thief

Number of Pages448 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2022

TopicAnimals / Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical, Fantasy & Magic, Action & Adventure / General, General

IllustratorYes

GenreJuvenile Fiction

AuthorA.F. Steadman

Book SeriesSkandar Ser.

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1.2 in

Item Weight20.5 Oz

Item Length8.2 in

Item Width5.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceJuvenile Audience

LCCN2021-045661

ReviewsMainlanders 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

Dewey Edition23

Grade FromThird Grade

Series Volume Number1

Grade ToSeventh Grade

Dewey DecimalF

SynopsisSoar 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.

LC Classification NumberPZ7.1.S741135Sk 2022