Skandar and the Phantom Rider

A.F. Steadman's Skandar and the Phantom Rider is a fast, thrilling unicorn fantasy for 9 year olds, and the second book about Skandar Smith.

What happens

Skandar has survived his first year of training at the Eyrie, the school on the Island where riders bond with unicorns for life. These aren't sparkly unicorns, by the way. They're bloodthirsty, they blast fire and ice from their horns, and they'd happily eat your picnic (and possibly you).

He's about to start his second year with his friends Bobby, Flo and Mitchell. Then, on a lazy summer picnic, they find a wild unicorn lying dead in a river. Wild unicorns are supposed to be immortal. Nothing can kill them.

Whispers start following Skandar along every swinging bridge, because people think he knows more than he's letting on. And at the Saddle Ceremony, an old bard bursts into a truesong, a prophecy that warns the Island will take its revenge.

Meanwhile, back home in Margate, his sister Kenna is miserable. She failed the exam to become a rider, and she still wants a unicorn more than anything. Then, just after midnight, a strange man knocks on her door with a deal.

The best bit is the gang. Bobby is fearless and extremely pleased with herself, Mitchell is a walking rulebook with flaming hair, and Flo is the kindest person on the planet (it's exhausting, apparently). Their elemental paint fight in the treehouse is pure joy! And the sky races are loud and fast, with lightning and water blasts flying everywhere.

A heads-up on the darker bits. The dead unicorn is described up close, with blood swirling in the water and flies buzzing round the wound. The villain rides a rotting unicorn. And Kenna's sadness is very real, while their dad has days when he can't face going to work.

For most readers who've already fallen for this world, it'll be just the right amount of scary. For a more sensitive reader, it might be worth reading the first chapter together.

What to read next

If your reader hasn't met Skandar yet, start with Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. It begins on Chaos Cup race day, with thirteen-year-old Skandar staring at his unicorn poster and Kenna still heartbroken about failing her own exam.