Read the thrilling first chapter, a review, or listen to the podcast for SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF by A F Steadman.

Prologue

The cameraman heard the unicorns before he saw them.

High-pitched screeching, murderous growls, the gnashing of bloody teeth.

The cameraman smelled the unicorns before he saw them.

Rancid breath, rotting flesh, the stench of immortal death.

The cameraman felt the unicorns before he saw them too.

Somewhere deep in his bones their putrid hooves thundered, and the panic began to rise – until every nerve, every cell, told him to run. But he had a job to do.

The cameraman watched the unicorns emerge over the brow of the hill.

Eight of them. Malevolent ghouls galloping across the grassland, skeletal wings unfurling, taking flight. Like the eye of a shadowy storm, black smoke swirled around them, thunder rumbled in their wake, and bolts of lightning hit the earth far below their fearsome feet.

Eight ghostly horns sliced through the air as the monsters howled their war cry.

The villagers began to scream; some tried to run. But it was far, far too late for that.

The cameraman was standing in the village square when the first unicorn landed.

It snorted sparks and pawed the ground, havoc and mayhem in every rattling breath.

The cameraman kept filming, despite his shaking hands. He had a job to do.

The unicorn lowered its giant head, the razor-sharp horn pointing directly at the lens.

Its bloodshot eyes met the cameraman’s, and he saw in them only destruction.

There was no hope for this village now. No hope for him.

But then he’d always known he wouldn’t survive a wild unicorn stampede.

He just hoped the camera footage would make it to the Mainland.

Because once you see a wild unicorn, you’re already dead.

The man lowered his camera, hoping that his job was done.

Because unicorns don’t belong in fairy tales; they belong in nightmares.

READ OUR REVIEW

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is an action-packed magical tale set in a near future world that has unicorns. These unicorns aren’t the fluffy, cuddly, friendly type like we all know from ‘my little pony’ cartoons. These unicorns are blood thirsty creatures that love violence and destruction, even the ones bonded for life to a human. The wild unicorns are even more terrible, the stuff of nightmares. To add to the mayhem, the unicorns can use elemental magic of wind, fire, earth and water to battle with fire balls, tornadoes and water cannons.

The main character, Skandar, lives on the mainland, with his big sister Kenna and his dad. There is sadness in their small apartment due to the death of their mum years before.

Skandar is a very ordinary, bullied boy who dreams of passing the Hatchery Exam that all 13-year-old mainlanders must sit. The Hatchery Exam decides who gets to go the Island and have a chance to bond for life with a unicorn and train at the famous school. In the days before the big exam, the Chaos Cup (unicorn race) is disrupted when the Unicorn Thief steals the winning unicorn in front of a massive audience.

Will Skandar get to the island and have the chance to bond with a unicorn egg? Maybe he alone can take on the Unicorn Thief.

This book is great for both boys and girls. The unicorn training school reminds me of one big school camp but with tree houses, deadly unicorns and elemental magic. There is even a mean girl called Amber that terrorises everyone.

While the unicorns are frightening, they are also very funny, like a unicorn named ‘Red Night’s Delight’ who is always blowing burp bubbles and setting fire to his farts. It is great to see Skandar learn to use his powers and make awesome friends. The ending is a real cliff-hanger and there is lots of action.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ‘Harry Potter’, magical beasts, dragons and action or adventure books. If you want a book about fluffy, cute unicorns that like to share, then this probably isn’t for you. I rate this book a four and a half out of five – it’s a really good book – but it’s a bit scary and it has some tricky words.

Reviewed by Grace, Age 10
Age Guide 9+