This book was incredibly creative and wonderful for young readers. I really enjoyed the development of this world and the characters that A.F. Steadman created! Older readers will feel nostalgic for their younger reading days when they pick up this book, too. There's something for everyone.

My 12-yo daughter saw the cover for this one and was dying to read it! Here is her review:

"This book has good character growth as well as good character connections. The emotion is well-portrayed, and has humor for everyone. The ending of the story is well set up for another book. And it has a really good set up for a romance if wanted. The only drawback is that it takes a while to describe things."

She is super hopeful there will be a second book and really enjoyed reading it. Thanks so much to the author and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read and review this book. It is clearly catching the attention of its target audience!

Skandar has always dreamed of being a unicorn rider, of being chosen to go to the Island where wild unicorns roam and bonding with one of his very own. Until the day his dreams are dashed and he’s told he won’t be allowed to take the exam; he’ll never be a rider. But then a mysterious stranger shows up at Skandar’s door and tells him he IS meant to have a unicorn, he just has to go with her. What is he to do but to follow?

Soon enough, Skandar is thrown into a brand new world of chaos, magic, and unicorns. The Island is nothing like he imagined and better than his wildest dreams. But a dangerous villain is making their presence known and the Island is seeming less like the wondrous haven Skandar assumed it’d be. He and his new friends find themselves in the middle of the conflict, learning to be riders – and just trying to survive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this charming fantasy. It helped me to break through a months-long reading slump and kept me wholly engaged the whole time through. It’s not the most complicated story, but boy is it a lot of fun. Skandar is a precocious and stubborn protagonist, shot through with moral goodness while also flirting with the question of what it actually means to be good; it’s definitely not as black and white as his peers believe.

It’s a truly imaginative middle grade novel, reminiscent of both Percy Jackson in its adventure and to any one of the many magical academy stories with its magic school setting. There are a plethora of twists and turns, some expected and some that are quite surprising. My only qualm is the author’s tendency to over explain Skandar’s emotional state; though written for a younger audience, I’m a believer in assuming the intelligence of your reader, the author’s one main failure here. Show instead of tell, and definitely no need for both.

It seems like a sequel may be on the way, one I will most definitely be reading. Highly recommend for any middle grade readers in your life or if any fantasy-loving adults need to escape into another world for a day.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is a fantastic tale filled with confusion, challenges, tested loyalties, and stereotypes turned on their head. There are definite hints of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, fairy tales, and common tropes, but the book is definitely enjoyable and a quick read. I can really see kids who are hungry for slightly darker tales getting into this series as they cheer for Skandar and his friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

Percy Jackson, but with twist. Instead of Greek demigods our main character and his friends train at the Eyrie to be Unicorn riders. Just before Skandar was born the Island opened itself up to the main land (our world) to recruit mainlanders to test themselves at the Hatchery doors and hopefully meet their bonded Unicorn.

However these unicorns are not the cute and cuddly unicorns most know and love they are blood thirsty and a bit mischievous (firey farts anyone). The Island officials have a secret that Skandar and his new friends must uncover in order to stand against the big bad Weaver.

The difference between 3 and 4 stars for me is whether I can see myself reading the sequel and I see myself ready to pick up the sequel when it comes out. I enjoyed hearing the names of the different Unicorns and I liked the bond of friendship between Skandar, Bobby, Flo, and Mitchell.. I like the character development in Skandar and I can even see potential growth in his friends. I really like that we are seeing more and more flaws and diverse characters in middle grades.

I know a lot of reviews have complained about the chosen one trope, but I actually don't mind it. .My one complaint was the villain I felt like the timeline was a bit muddied (for spoiler reasons I won't say which parts) and also their motivation made them not very believable. I feel there could have been more to the climax of the story.

In future books I hope we find out more about the wid unicorns. I don't know the direction the author is going, but a few times they mentioned that the wild unicorns seemed to be searching for someone. This made me wonder if the unicorns can be saved if they're reunited with their bonded rider (really intriguing concept if this is true. Either way can't wait to see how the story grows.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman has immediately become one of my favorite reads of the year. I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Upon finishing the book I immediately purchased a copy and began a reread. The story has all the elements of our favorite middle grade stories such as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Morrigan Crow whilst still managing to feel fresh and original. I enjoyed the setting, the characters, and the vivid imagery and would highly recommend it fantasy lovers of all ages (middlegrade reader and above!). This book is a strong start to a new series that I look forward to continuing plus it has Unicorns!

Skandar has spent his childhood preparing for the test for the chance to go to the island and become a unicorn rider, wanting to be in the races. Then he learns that the island is in danger, and he must help save it. Magic school, bonding with unicorns, family, friends, and the battle of good versus evil. Can Skandar keep his secrets and save the island?

Skandar is a wonderful character, strong and caring. I find it a bit of a stretch that all spirit wielders are banned because one was a criminal. However, it’s still a fun story with great characters. It’s nice to see the variety of family dynamics. Hope there’s a next one!

Harry Potter meets Avatar the Last Airbender bundled up with unicorns and treehouses!

What a fantastic first book in what I hope will become a series! We're introduced to Skandar Smith, a 13 year old who lives on The Mainland, but who wants to be able to go to The Island and hatch his own unicorn. However these unicorns are not the sparkly, whimsical unicorns that "poop rainbows". These unicorns are bloodthirsty (looking for any opportune moments to eat a passing rabbit or cat) that can be trained to Sky Battle with their riders, the person who hatches them and creates a bond.

The book brings into question of both the bonds of family and the bonds of friendship, as well as whether destiny is meant to be followed or if we can control our own fate.

I think this book would be a perfect read for 5th graders and up into middle school. I am looking forward to adding this to my district's braille library as soon as we can, and hopefully we can add a full series in the future. This first book is being published May 3, 2022, and I will be looking forward to every other release in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am very happy to give this a well-deserved 5 stars!

For fans of Percy Jackson - great middle age fantasy read. Really quick paced with a ton of different animals. Loved that unicorns are actually to be feared.

I can't wait to add this book to my classroom library. This book will be perfect for my students, especially since this story is being told from the POV of a male character.

This book reminded me of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I have been getting bored with this same old you are the one. The Bloodthirsty Unicorns made this book exciting, so I gave it 4 stars. I love reading how unicorns are not all rainbow farts and loving creatures. I have always felt that unicorns would be bloodthirsty, and I am so glad to read a book that shows this.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure books and violent unicorns. I look forward to sharing this with my students and getting their reviews of this book.

Thank you Netgallery for providing me with an advance copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief.

I thought this was a fast read for middle graders with lots of adventure. Kids are going to love this if they liked Percy Jackson.

As an adult, I thought it was a fun twist on unicorns, but I also saw shades of other books. It's unfortunate any book with a magic school for kids is compared to Harry Potter. The danger of the unicorns reminded me of The Scorpio Races, but that's probably because I'd looked at it recently.

I liked how the sister had a different take on the world and her experiences, and I think a lot of kids will identify with her. They're going to love the fierce unicorns. The elemental magic is fun too (love magic that makes sense).

If this book was for adults I'd rate it lower, but with kids in mind, I'm giving it a high rating because they're going to be toting this around to read it and the next ones when they come out.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
A.F. Steadman
4 stars
Fantasy, adventure, fiction
Middle grade
CW: mental health, anxiety rep


Skandar Smith has always wanted to leave the Mainland and go to the secretive Island, where unicorns roam free. He’s studied for years for the annual test that chooses a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of his exam, things go very wrong, and his dreams are destroyed…until a mysterious figure knocks on his door in the middle of the night, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.
I was really excited to get to read this book early as the premise was intriguing to me with it being full of unicorns and magic as well as a mystical fantasy land, and for the most part I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the plot and the main character who was a bit reserved and not extroverted like some main characters are portrayed. I’m a little tired of the chosen one trope and I wish the relationship between the riders and the unicorns had been more developed.
The book doesn’t have an overly complex plot and the world building could have been more developed, but I enjoyed the nature setting as well as the interesting history of the island and the friendship group and the anxiety and mental health rep was handled very well in this book. I think younger readers may really enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Simon Schuster books for young readers for the e-ARC in exchange for n honest review. Pub date: may 3, 2022 and I would recommend it!

Most middle grade books with unicorns in them, portray unicorns as glittery pretty things with kind hearts and as docile as a newborn horse, or as grumpy yet lovable grouches. So how refreshing to find a story where unicorns are feisty, blood-thirsty killing machines that need to be bonded with a human to keep them from killing us all! That is definitely my kind of unicorn. This debut book has some issues but overall is a nice addition to the mythical beasts genre and will be enjoyed by many.

Skandar is of course our main character and chosen one. I like him a lot, although he does tend to doubt himself a little too much. He does fall into the victim role a little too easily although he can at times stand up for himself and others and do it well. When push came to shove, he did choose the correct path even when it was hard. He often felt alone, even when with friends, because his new powers are different from theirs and he has no one to turn to for help in controlling them. He does try hard and with the help of his friends gets his power somewhat under control.

The three friends that Skandar makes are also wonderful, although a little flat and typical of the genre. Mitchell is the angry one who is trying to live up to his father’s expectations. Flo is shy and timid and doesn’t even want to be a rider, and of course she ends up with the most powerful unicorn. Bobbi is confident on the outside, and a bit of jokester, but has panic attacks and isn’t as confident on the inside. But I liked them all and they all play their roles well.

The unicorns of course have to be mentioned. They all have personalities that could have been fleshed out a little bit better, but for a series there is room for that to happen. I loved that they all had names like Scoundrel’s Luck (Skandar’s unicorn) and Falcon’s Wraith. They also have elemental magic which they share with their riders through their bond. Some of the magic is pretty amazing and the battles are well written and pretty exciting. I do have a slight issue with them hatching out of eggs, but that is just me and didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of them as they bonded with their riders.

The plot is very typical of the genre and held no real surprises. But there were some twists that made things a little bit different and interesting. The world building was good, but I found it confusing at times, especially some of the descriptions of the island and the Eyrie, where they trained and lived. There will be maps in the final book, which should help with that, hopefully. Some of the timeline was a little bit confusing as well as the motive for the Weaver, (the evil rider). The writing was pretty solid, though there were some slow areas, but the descriptions and seeing the world through Skandar’s eyes was well done.

Overall I think this is a nice addition to the middle grade fantasy genre. I think there will be many kids excited by bloodthirsty unicorns and will devour this book just like they do others that are similar. A solid start to what I hope will be series kids will be excited about.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is truly a unique and transportive story! This story was such an interesting twist on a traditional unicorn (alicorn) story. Bloodthirsty unicorns that are only tamed by being bonded with a kid is such an awesome idea. The elemental magic was such a unique addition to the unicorn bonding. I loved that the magic was drawn from the unicorn and the bond each had with their unicorn. When you read this story, Steadman includes every single sense in the description making it one of the most transportive and immersive MG fantasy reads I have read in a while! Watch out Percy Jackson, Skandar Smith and his friends are coming for you! Easily a top favorite read for this year so far. Loved every moment in this story and cannot wait for the next book! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the free arc, I enjoyed it immensely.

Imagine a world where unicorns aren’t rainbows and butterflies. Imagine unicorns that are wild and vicious. Imagine riding a unicorn that could kill.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is exactly what I look for in a middle grade fantasy book! There was a challenge and a mystery and a group of friends who had each other’s backs the whole way through. I love the found family in this story.

This book sets up nicely to lead into a series and I’m so excited for it. I read the first chapter aloud to my son and got sucked in and ended up reading the book on my own in a couple of days. I am going to purchase a copy to read to my kids. I think they will love it.

If you’re a fan of middle grade, pick this book up. And if you have middle grade readers, gift them this book.

This book was gifted to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a great book! I really loved reading about Skandar's journey and the way that he progressed. I totally recommend this book to you!

This book had a lot of promise but it didn't quite deliver. It was like an adventure story that never went anywhere. It's also a very familiar premise and it felt like I'd read it before. The characters were solid, I enjoyed getting to know them. I'm glad I read it but I probably won't read more by this author.

Skandar and the unicorn thief was honestly so good! It was original with blood thirsty elemental unicorns. A school for training. Amazing characters. The friendships were great. I loved that Skandar wasn’t the popular kid everyone loved. I loved that we got to see a character experience panic attacks and give awareness to that. I loved the bonds between rider and unicorn as well as the different elemental Magics. These unicorns are also so freaking unique! They are NOTHING like the ones in any other book. While I did know who the weaver was from the time Skandar arrived on the island I still would give it five stars because if I was the targeted age range for this book I might not have saw it coming. I’m very excited for the next book and plan to buy a copy for my son and. Few of his friends because I think kids will love Skandar, scoundrels luck and their quartet. Such a fun, easy and entertaining read that I think so many people would love! This book is NOT targeted to a specific gender either, ANYONE could love this story of adventure.

What worked:
The first thing readers will notice is that unicorns aren’t beautiful, graceful creatures from mythology. They tend to be aggressive and dangerous and are known to cause chaos, especially if they’re wild unicorns. People on the Mainland discover their existence when a video is released showing the wild unicorns attacking and killing villagers. All children turning thirteen are now required to take an exam that will allow them to attend the Hatchery each year. During this ceremony, teens are selected by unicorn eggs that will bind them for life. Bonded unicorns and their riders are able to wield elemental magic to protect the Island and its people.
Skandar’s situation will immediately grasp the attention of readers. His father is struggling emotionally since his wife died, and the thing giving him hope is that one of his children will become a unicorn rider. Skandar’s sister wasn’t chosen the year before, and problems arise with Skandar’s test. Eventually, he makes it to the Hatchery, bonds with a Scoundrel’s Luck, and makes several friends. The unlikely quartet of new riders must work together to protect Skandar and his unicorn. Skandar and Scoundrel possess a rare ability that may result in their execution if anyone outside their group finds out. The Weaver has the same ability and has been leading wild unicorn attacks against the Hatchery and the Mainland. Skandar may be the only person able to stop him if he’s not discovered and executed first. Readers will also learn there are many secrets waiting to we uncovered.
While the concept of the plot isn’t overly original, the unicorns are the highlight of the story, as they possess independent personalities, are impulsive, and create havoc wherever they go. They have connections to the earth elements (air, water, fire, or land) and it’s common to see them shooting fire, squirting water, or giving electrical shocks to other unicorns and their riders. Skandar develops an emotional/mental connection to Scoundrel, but his unicorn sometimes loses control while trying to suppress his power. The unpredictability of the unicorns’ behaviors means their actions will often result in surprises.
What didn’t work as well:
The basic storyline is fairly common in middle-grade novels. The unassuming young boy discovers he has rare, powerful abilities, meets several friends in a select school, and then must find a way to save everyone. However, the familiarity of the plot makes it easy to follow, and the author adds unique touches to make the story captivating.
The Final Verdict:
Trust the goodness within yourself. This book will appeal to animal lovers, although the unicorns don’t always behave like faithful human companions. The recognizable story still holds unexpected twists that make it creative and entertaining. I recommend you give it a shot, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

I loved this book. It was fun, exciting, adventurous… so why not 5 stars? Because it was also like almost every other YA fantasy I’ve read. The main character, Skandar, is basically a loser with no friends who becomes the hero and a very powerful person. Plus… unicorns who fly? They’re usually called alicorns (yes, there are a couple other names, too, but they are not just unicorns-it’s like calling a zebra a horse). But beyond that, this was a fun, if typical, middle-grade fantasy. The world building was amazing and the descriptions graphically disgusting at times. The author uses all the senses (ugh) to give us an idea of the island where Skandar and the unicorn school is.

What I liked: that the unicorns are not your sweet rainbow animals. They are blood-thirsty, nasty creatures and the older they get, the worse they look, especially the wild ones. The revelation of who the Weaver is was…interesting to say the least. It also left the door open for future books. I’m certain Skandar and his friends are in for a lot of adventures (like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter).

What I didn’t like: The unicorns don’t seem to have a lot of personality. It’s mostly one-note: one is all about looks, another about farting (there is an awful lot of this), one about joking around, and so on. Skandar’ s unicorn is the jokester but is also very hard-headed when it comes to their magical spirit. I get that, but Skandar talks all the time about their bond, but it doesn’t seem to work if they’re fighting each other most of the time.

Recommendation: Feel free to buy into the hype and pick this one up along with the rest of the series. Yes, it’s tropey and similar to other YA fantasy books, but that means it will be popular. Is it worth all the hype? Probably not. Am I going to read more? Yep. It’s good enough that I will look forward to sharing it with my grandkids and enjoying it with them.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”