Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief 

 

Author: A.F. Steadman 

 

Book Series: Skandar Book 1 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Recommended For...: middle grade readers, fantasy, unicorns, mythology, magic 

 

Publication Date: May 3, 2022 

 

Genre: MG Fantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 13+ (parental death, poverty, depression, animal violence, animal death, panic attack, death, gore, emotional abuse, suicide) 

 

Explanation of Above: There is parental death mentioned and poverty alluded to. There are mentions of depression and there is one panic attack shown. There is also some emotional abuse of a child shown and there is one very VERY vague mention of a suicide (throwing themselves off a cliff is how it’s stated). There is some animal violence shown toward the unicorns and there is animal death mentioned throughout the book in regards to unicorns. There is some death mentioned or alluded to the in the book and some very slight gore in the form of body parts seen and rotting flesh mentioned. 

 

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers 

 

Pages: 448 

 

Synopsis: 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. 

 

Review: I really love this book! I think it’s a great HP replacement book and it’s got such a great story and adventure. The book has amazing world building and the characters are very lovable and well developed. I thought that the book also did well when it talked about equality and prejudice, which I think kids in the middle grade age range can understand. 

 

The only issue I had with the book is that it does read young, so if you’re an older reader then you might have a few issues reading this book, but it’s very age appropriate. 

 

Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!