Simon & Schuster Skandar and the Unicorn Thief Hardcover – Big Book, 28 April 2022

Ah you have to read it!

My 10 yrs old Niece said , it’s unputdownable.

“We’ve all seen a unicorn, all glittery and gold,But beware! They cover up something never before told.They aren’t the cuddly creatures they would have you believe,They’re the deadliest, blood thirsty creatures you could ever conceive.Skandar Smith has grown up desperately waiting for the day,To become a unicorn rider, but it’s far from child’s play.A magical world awaits with his destined unicorn,With an elemental bond that’s been growing since he was born.But as he steps into this world he unravels quite a mystery,As this place has taken time to hide a shocking history.And now there is a malevolent force that warrants disbelief:An all powerful danger in the form of a unicorn thief!If Skandar is to survive you must keep him in your prayers,As unicorns don’t belong in fairytales, they belong in nightmares.”I hate hype! I’m one of those stupidly stubborn idiots who backs further away from something, the more it is hyped about. I’ve never watched Breaking Bad purely because everyone told me to! I have after many years arrived at the conclusion that I’m probably depriving myself of some wonderfully rich entertainment but I am also trying to grow and embrace hype every now again… and my gosh! I’m so glad I did for this!Skandar Smith has waited all his life for the chance to become a Unicorn Rider. The chance to be bonded with the most vicious and bloodthirsty species on the planet all for the glory of becoming a hero.His hatchery exam is coming up soon along with all the other children his age and he desperately wants to fulfil his dream and the dream of his sister Kenna who failed at the same stage the previous year.But when he wakes up on the day of the exam, it’s as if the whole world is against him even attending! With his chances all but shattered, Skandar’s dreams are in ruins. That is until a mysterious knock at the door…I am going to have to leave it there because I do not want to spoil a thing! But all I will say is drop everything right now, buy a copy and find out for yourself!One of the reasons I don’t want to spoil anything is because the magic of the world building is brilliant and so imaginative. It takes a special kind of book to truly immerse you in a brand new world with a whole new set of rules and leaves you feeling like you truly know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of its inhabitants.As the brilliance of the world is revealed throughout the story, it’s the drama that truly captivates you. As with every hero, nothing comes easy for Skandar and he finds himself on the back foot right from the start but the twists and turns it takes you on is incredible.I loved learning the history of The Island and unpicking the history they want everyone to know with the true events that happened years ago that are now impacting trouble on the present day. It really does make you question the history we are told in our own lives (although great strives are being made to unpick the fiction from the facts).And with every hero, he needs some friends. I loved Bobby! Sassy and brilliant she had me chuckling throughout especially with the way she tries to teach the islanders sayings from the mainland… such a silly little detail but sprinkled a bit of magic on the whole story. Flo and Mitchell are also brilliant characters who complement the narrative so well. Each character has their own personalities, struggles and strifes which play an important part in the story and really open the narrative to some important subplots.It’s really hard to write this review while keeping so many of the magical secrets… well… secret, but I will say that I did shed a few tears at the end which showed how much I was invested in the characters and the story and not since Neville Longbottom won the house cup for Gryfindor has my heart swelled with pride at characters bravery and strength.I finished the book a little bereft that I am going to have to wait so long for a sequel (There is going to be a sequel right? RIGHT?!?!?) But now that I have embraced the hype maybe I should stop being a stubborn fool and watch Breaking Bad in the meantime (or the Marvel films 🙈).If you read anything this year, make sure it is Skandar and the Unicorn Theif for an incredible magical adventure with jaw dropping twists and turns and a wonderful heart at it’s core. And if I leave you with anything, I’ll leave you with this…Believe. The. hype!(Maybe I should game of thrones a try…)

Thanks for the great book! Not only does the cover look awesome, it's a great read too!

Couldn’t put it down.