What do you think?
Rate this book
Skandar #3
Skandar ja Kaose Katsed
Et kolmas treeninguaasta üle elada, peavad Skandar ja ta sõbrad Saare elemendisektorites läbi tegema seeria ränki katseid. See õnnestub ainult kõige tugevamatel, sest sõprus, koostöö ja ratsuri side ükssarvikuga pannakse viimse piirini proovile.
Skandari õde Kenna on lõpuks ometi Kotkapessa jõudnud. Kuna tal on side metsiku ükssarvikuga, on ta seal tõrjutud ja üksi. Ja kui hirmus avastus Saare tuleviku küsitavaks muudab, näitavad kõik näpuga ühes suunas ...
Kui pimeduse vägi koondub, peab Skandar otsustama, kui kaugele ta on valmis Kenna ja Kotkapesa nimel minema.
A. F. Steadman kasvas üles Inglismaal Kenti maapiirkonnas, uitas seal fantaasiamaailmades ja kirjutas kaustikutesse lugusid. Enne kirjanikutööle pühendumist töötas ta juristina, kuni taipas, et selles töös pole tema jaoks piisavalt maagiat. „Skandar ja kaose katsed” on rahvusvaheliseks menukiks saanud Skandari-sarja kolmas ülipõnev raamat.
„Steadmanil on meeletult suur kujutlusvõime” – The Times
Skandari õde Kenna on lõpuks ometi Kotkapessa jõudnud. Kuna tal on side metsiku ükssarvikuga, on ta seal tõrjutud ja üksi. Ja kui hirmus avastus Saare tuleviku küsitavaks muudab, näitavad kõik näpuga ühes suunas ...
Kui pimeduse vägi koondub, peab Skandar otsustama, kui kaugele ta on valmis Kenna ja Kotkapesa nimel minema.
A. F. Steadman kasvas üles Inglismaal Kenti maapiirkonnas, uitas seal fantaasiamaailmades ja kirjutas kaustikutesse lugusid. Enne kirjanikutööle pühendumist töötas ta juristina, kuni taipas, et selles töös pole tema jaoks piisavalt maagiat. „Skandar ja kaose katsed” on rahvusvaheliseks menukiks saanud Skandari-sarja kolmas ülipõnev raamat.
„Steadmanil on meeletult suur kujutlusvõime” – The Times
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
336 people are currently reading
1873 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
September 13, 2025
Predictable and generic, but a lot of fun.
The prodigal unicorn-rider series returns for its third outing. Will this be the one that's finally worth the publisher hype? The bookshop support? The truckloads of money poured into its worldwide marketing? You've seen the rating I gave it, and it's not brilliant – but of all the mediocre books in the SKANDAR series, SKANDAR AND THE CHAOS TRIALS is, so far, the best.
In every way, writing, plot and characters, this book is an improvement over the first two. It has higher stakes, more magic, deaths, betrayal, everything needed in the middle book in a series to prevent the story for going stale. Is it show-stopping, amazing, the best middle grade fantasy ever? No. You'll still see Steadman not quite reaching her potential with overwrought prose issues and obvious padding, but CHAOS TRIALS is a good turning point for the story and promises a more thrilling adventure ahead for Skandar and his friends.
After the end of PHANTOM THIEF, Kenna has been bonded to a wild unicorn, much like the Weaver herself, earning her the scorn of the Island and the suspicion of the Council. As she navigates her new status and the power she struggles to wield, Skandar and his friends must face their third year Chaos Trials, a set of ruthless tasks that separate the riders from the nomads.
This book was, unfortunately, rather predictable, ticking all the boxes of what should happen and when and dropping foreshadowing like boulders in a puddle; the big twist ending is telegraphed from so far away that you wonder how Skandar could've missed it. The writing itself also suffered from this, specifically the use of so many cliché phrases. You know how when someone in a TV show finds the protagonist and says very gravely, "You better come see this," instead of just telling them what the issue is? It's like that throughout the book, stock phrases used on rote instead of original dialogue and prose. Add to the hand-holding over-explanation of every detail and Skandar's repetitive narration (which barely improved since last book), you have amateur writing that will irritate anyone who is more than the casual reader.
It is the most tolerable out of all the books – but I don't know if that means the books are actually getting better, or I'm just getting used to it.
I mentioned padding as well – and this is an issue I see a lot with these 'one book per school year' books. You can tell when the book is clearly just moving things along in a way that doesn't feel natural. It'll be December, but this plot thing can't happen until February, so suddenly we go through two months of 'and nothing interesting happened!'. It makes the beginning of this book feel especially plodding and contributed to the predictable feel of it all.
I did continue to have world-building issues as well: we meet an elusive group of nomadic riders called the Wanderers, all of whom who have been kicked out for failing their own Eyrie trials. Does that mean they can't ever settle down anywhere else? Even though many of them still ride unicorns? Why are the sentinels so poorly trained they can't stop a new rider in their first year of training? Why did a group of adults think it was okay to leave a LITERAL CHILD with a volatile unicorn on their own for hours and hours per day? Why wasn't it mentioned before that the Island is part of a mini-archipelago?
Many of my gripes still exist from the first two books as well, but I won't bother going into them again because at this point, it's not going to change – though this time around Skandar and co. actually acknowledge that the system is messed up, so I'm glad at least in-universe the characters recognise how absurd the rules are.
What mostly carries this series is its main characters – no, not you, Blandar – and the relationships built around them. Once again I adored the antics of Bobby, Mitchell and Flo, Skandar's ride-or-die (literally) trio of friends who help balance his watery personality and add some much needed variety into each scene. Bobby's panic attacks are yet again relegated to summaries, which... I don't know how to feel about, and Mitchell still has this heightened awareness about his poor relationship with his father (which gets miraculously solved by some guy talking to him lmfao???), but they carried the book, as they always do.
Kenna was unfortunately rather annoying this time around, becoming wholly unsympathetic as a character as she grows resentful of Skandar's position in the Eyrie. I think there's some dissonance between the narrative and what we actually see; Skandar constantly moons about his wonderful sister, but we only see a few moments of her being deserving of his adoration. I mean, she somehow comes to the conclusion that her bond with a wild unicorn – something done only once before by the Weaver, A.K.A. the WORST VILLAIN IN THE ISLAND'S HISTORY, and that is slowly killing her – was completely, totally natural and that the Island should accept her with open arms, and that Skandar should leave the Eyrie for her???
It's hard to feel any sort of shock, pity or emotional reaction for the twist ending because she's already spent the whole novel being insufferable, whether her personality can be attributed to bonding with a wild unicorn or not. I also refuse to believe she actually was on the Weaver's side for the whole year. Someone doesn't articulate the thought, "Help me, Skar. I'm so afraid" and then do a heel-face turn into cackling villain lololol.
(I blame the dad for being so bad at parenting that he didn't get Kenna therapy or counselling or something.)
It does put forward an interesting question, though: the idea of fate vs choice, i.e. whether bonding to a wild unicorn is actually a good thing, vs letting fate decide who bonds who. I find it weird that the book is pushing the message that, yes, fate is better, if you don't get a unicorn through divine intervention then tough luck. Presently in the story, bonding to a wild unicorn without terrible consequences is not possible (magically, at least; no one's said squat about just developing a friendship with a wild unicorn like one might do a dog), and somehow I doubt this is the direction we're heading in, which is disappointing, but we'll see.
I'll tell you one thing I didn't expect though: the romance. The characters are getting older for sure, and there were little hints in PHANTOM RIDER about Mitchell's crush on Jamie – but I sure wasn't expecting how unsubtle it would be here, to the level of Mitchell literally saying, "You like this girl romantically", lol. I do appreciate that the kitten crushes never detract from the story, but like all things in this book it's very clumsily implemented. I am onboard with Skandar and his love interest though so it'll be interesting to see where things go next time.
And with all that negativity, I will give due props to the ending: it was thrilling, dramatic, even cinematic, and it finally puts Skandar in a more precarious position than ever before, both emotionally and as a spirit wielder. It wasn't good enough to bump up my rating, as some of the twists come out of left-field (how are we supposed to know the Weaver can suddenly make land invisible??) but it was paced well and challenged him enough to keep me invested.
I enjoyed myself, more than I have the other books. I had hoped to say I finally read a SKANDAR book that lives up to its potential and hype – SKANDAR AND THE CHAOS TRIALS is not that book... but it is on the right track.
Maybe next one... she said, hopefully.
WILL I READ ON? Oh yeah, we're in this until the end now.
ARC received from Simon & Schuster UK in exchange for an honest review. This title released on the 25th April 2024.
LAST REVIEW
1: SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF ★★★☆☆
2: SKANDAR AND THE PHANTOM RIDER ★★★☆☆
4: SKANDAR AND THE SKELETON CURSE ★★★☆☆
5: SKANDAR AND THE SPIRIT WAR ★★★★★
—
Some predictions/ theories for Skandar #4:
- Nina's death was swept under a rug REAL fast, so I assume Rex Manning offed her.
- Kenna will become good again (if not at the end of #4, then certainly by the end of #5), and will either bond to her destined unicorn, OR will find a way to make bonding with wild unicorns safe.
- Speaking of, the dapple-grey? Not actually her unicorn. Skandar will attempt to Mend their bond and it will fail.
- With Agatha's unicorn dead, Agatha will surely follow.
- Bit of a wild shot, but Skandar will be in a love triangle between Flo and Amber.
—
29th March 2024:
New theory: after everyone on the Island hates on Kenna for being bonded to a wild unicorn, she will join the Weaver for real.
(I am convinced this girl will be evil at some point lollll)
Also, Mitchell is gay.
The prodigal unicorn-rider series returns for its third outing. Will this be the one that's finally worth the publisher hype? The bookshop support? The truckloads of money poured into its worldwide marketing? You've seen the rating I gave it, and it's not brilliant – but of all the mediocre books in the SKANDAR series, SKANDAR AND THE CHAOS TRIALS is, so far, the best.
In every way, writing, plot and characters, this book is an improvement over the first two. It has higher stakes, more magic, deaths, betrayal, everything needed in the middle book in a series to prevent the story for going stale. Is it show-stopping, amazing, the best middle grade fantasy ever? No. You'll still see Steadman not quite reaching her potential with overwrought prose issues and obvious padding, but CHAOS TRIALS is a good turning point for the story and promises a more thrilling adventure ahead for Skandar and his friends.
After the end of PHANTOM THIEF, Kenna has been bonded to a wild unicorn, much like the Weaver herself, earning her the scorn of the Island and the suspicion of the Council. As she navigates her new status and the power she struggles to wield, Skandar and his friends must face their third year Chaos Trials, a set of ruthless tasks that separate the riders from the nomads.
This book was, unfortunately, rather predictable, ticking all the boxes of what should happen and when and dropping foreshadowing like boulders in a puddle; the big twist ending is telegraphed from so far away that you wonder how Skandar could've missed it. The writing itself also suffered from this, specifically the use of so many cliché phrases. You know how when someone in a TV show finds the protagonist and says very gravely, "You better come see this," instead of just telling them what the issue is? It's like that throughout the book, stock phrases used on rote instead of original dialogue and prose. Add to the hand-holding over-explanation of every detail and Skandar's repetitive narration (which barely improved since last book), you have amateur writing that will irritate anyone who is more than the casual reader.
It is the most tolerable out of all the books – but I don't know if that means the books are actually getting better, or I'm just getting used to it.
I mentioned padding as well – and this is an issue I see a lot with these 'one book per school year' books. You can tell when the book is clearly just moving things along in a way that doesn't feel natural. It'll be December, but this plot thing can't happen until February, so suddenly we go through two months of 'and nothing interesting happened!'. It makes the beginning of this book feel especially plodding and contributed to the predictable feel of it all.
I did continue to have world-building issues as well: we meet an elusive group of nomadic riders called the Wanderers, all of whom who have been kicked out for failing their own Eyrie trials. Does that mean they can't ever settle down anywhere else? Even though many of them still ride unicorns? Why are the sentinels so poorly trained they can't stop a new rider in their first year of training? Why did a group of adults think it was okay to leave a LITERAL CHILD with a volatile unicorn on their own for hours and hours per day? Why wasn't it mentioned before that the Island is part of a mini-archipelago?
Many of my gripes still exist from the first two books as well, but I won't bother going into them again because at this point, it's not going to change – though this time around Skandar and co. actually acknowledge that the system is messed up, so I'm glad at least in-universe the characters recognise how absurd the rules are.
What mostly carries this series is its main characters – no, not you, Blandar – and the relationships built around them. Once again I adored the antics of Bobby, Mitchell and Flo, Skandar's ride-or-die (literally) trio of friends who help balance his watery personality and add some much needed variety into each scene. Bobby's panic attacks are yet again relegated to summaries, which... I don't know how to feel about, and Mitchell still has this heightened awareness about his poor relationship with his father (which gets miraculously solved by some guy talking to him lmfao???), but they carried the book, as they always do.
Kenna was unfortunately rather annoying this time around, becoming wholly unsympathetic as a character as she grows resentful of Skandar's position in the Eyrie. I think there's some dissonance between the narrative and what we actually see; Skandar constantly moons about his wonderful sister, but we only see a few moments of her being deserving of his adoration. I mean, she somehow comes to the conclusion that her bond with a wild unicorn – something done only once before by the Weaver, A.K.A. the WORST VILLAIN IN THE ISLAND'S HISTORY, and that is slowly killing her – was completely, totally natural and that the Island should accept her with open arms, and that Skandar should leave the Eyrie for her???
It's hard to feel any sort of shock, pity or emotional reaction for the twist ending because she's already spent the whole novel being insufferable, whether her personality can be attributed to bonding with a wild unicorn or not. I also refuse to believe she actually was on the Weaver's side for the whole year. Someone doesn't articulate the thought, "Help me, Skar. I'm so afraid" and then do a heel-face turn into cackling villain lololol.
(I blame the dad for being so bad at parenting that he didn't get Kenna therapy or counselling or something.)
It does put forward an interesting question, though: the idea of fate vs choice, i.e. whether bonding to a wild unicorn is actually a good thing, vs letting fate decide who bonds who. I find it weird that the book is pushing the message that, yes, fate is better, if you don't get a unicorn through divine intervention then tough luck. Presently in the story, bonding to a wild unicorn without terrible consequences is not possible (magically, at least; no one's said squat about just developing a friendship with a wild unicorn like one might do a dog), and somehow I doubt this is the direction we're heading in, which is disappointing, but we'll see.
I'll tell you one thing I didn't expect though: the romance. The characters are getting older for sure, and there were little hints in PHANTOM RIDER about Mitchell's crush on Jamie – but I sure wasn't expecting how unsubtle it would be here, to the level of Mitchell literally saying, "You like this girl romantically", lol. I do appreciate that the kitten crushes never detract from the story, but like all things in this book it's very clumsily implemented. I am onboard with Skandar and his love interest though so it'll be interesting to see where things go next time.
And with all that negativity, I will give due props to the ending: it was thrilling, dramatic, even cinematic, and it finally puts Skandar in a more precarious position than ever before, both emotionally and as a spirit wielder. It wasn't good enough to bump up my rating, as some of the twists come out of left-field (how are we supposed to know the Weaver can suddenly make land invisible??) but it was paced well and challenged him enough to keep me invested.
I enjoyed myself, more than I have the other books. I had hoped to say I finally read a SKANDAR book that lives up to its potential and hype – SKANDAR AND THE CHAOS TRIALS is not that book... but it is on the right track.
Maybe next one... she said, hopefully.
WILL I READ ON? Oh yeah, we're in this until the end now.
ARC received from Simon & Schuster UK in exchange for an honest review. This title released on the 25th April 2024.
LAST REVIEW
1: SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF ★★★☆☆
2: SKANDAR AND THE PHANTOM RIDER ★★★☆☆
4: SKANDAR AND THE SKELETON CURSE ★★★☆☆
5: SKANDAR AND THE SPIRIT WAR ★★★★★
—
Some predictions/ theories for Skandar #4:
- Nina's death was swept under a rug REAL fast, so I assume Rex Manning offed her.
- Kenna will become good again (if not at the end of #4, then certainly by the end of #5), and will either bond to her destined unicorn, OR will find a way to make bonding with wild unicorns safe.
- Speaking of, the dapple-grey? Not actually her unicorn. Skandar will attempt to Mend their bond and it will fail.
- With Agatha's unicorn dead, Agatha will surely follow.
- Bit of a wild shot, but Skandar will be in a love triangle between Flo and Amber.
—
29th March 2024:
New theory: after everyone on the Island hates on Kenna for being bonded to a wild unicorn, she will join the Weaver for real.
(I am convinced this girl will be evil at some point lollll)
Also, Mitchell is gay.
August 14, 2024
El mejor hasta ahora, sin duda. Se nota el progreso de la autora, ya no es tan predecible y cada vez se despega más de otras obras de ficción juveniles que le han precedido.
Agradezco que al principio del libro los personajes hicieran "repaso" de lo que había pasado en el anterior, porque después de un año, mi mente había borrado muchos detalles. Así que si hay alguien con mi misma memoria de pez, que no se preocupe.
Eso sí, debo decir que, para ser un middle-grade, tiene mucha letra y muy poco interlineado, y aun así tiene 368 páginas, con lo cual: es extenso.
Pero, como decía al principio, la historia en sí me ha entretenido muchísimo e incluso ha tenido algún que otro giro que ha conseguido sorprenderme mucho. En algunos aspectos, parece que va introduciendo temas más oscuros (muertes, traiciones) en el típico movimiento de las sagas middle-grade de ir ganando complejidad y oscuridad.
A estas alturas, he descubierto también que ya les he cogido bastante cariño a los personajes y me he descubierto más de una vez con una sonrisa en la cara ante algunas interacciones. Aunque también he echado de menos que se siguiera explorando el tema de los ataques de ansiedad de uno de los personajes, me ha gustado ver cómo avanzan las relaciones entre el cuarteto principal. Además, como se van haciendo mayores, el romance empieza a asomar la cabeza en la historia.
El final me ha parecido bastante potente, pone de manifiesto aún más lo corrupta que es en el fondo la sociedad de los jinetes de unicornio y sube las apuestas para la siguiente entrega, que ahora mismo espero con ganas.
Agradezco que al principio del libro los personajes hicieran "repaso" de lo que había pasado en el anterior, porque después de un año, mi mente había borrado muchos detalles. Así que si hay alguien con mi misma memoria de pez, que no se preocupe.
Eso sí, debo decir que, para ser un middle-grade, tiene mucha letra y muy poco interlineado, y aun así tiene 368 páginas, con lo cual: es extenso.
Pero, como decía al principio, la historia en sí me ha entretenido muchísimo e incluso ha tenido algún que otro giro que ha conseguido sorprenderme mucho. En algunos aspectos, parece que va introduciendo temas más oscuros (muertes, traiciones) en el típico movimiento de las sagas middle-grade de ir ganando complejidad y oscuridad.
A estas alturas, he descubierto también que ya les he cogido bastante cariño a los personajes y me he descubierto más de una vez con una sonrisa en la cara ante algunas interacciones. Aunque también he echado de menos que se siguiera explorando el tema de los ataques de ansiedad de uno de los personajes, me ha gustado ver cómo avanzan las relaciones entre el cuarteto principal. Además, como se van haciendo mayores, el romance empieza a asomar la cabeza en la historia.
El final me ha parecido bastante potente, pone de manifiesto aún más lo corrupta que es en el fondo la sociedad de los jinetes de unicornio y sube las apuestas para la siguiente entrega, que ahora mismo espero con ganas.
October 9, 2023
CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS TO COME OUT!!!!!!! 1 year is sooooooo long to wait for the next book in such an EPIC series😭
June 10, 2024
Is it bad to wish for a fictional child’s death?
June 25, 2024
Plot twist: i care, damn… like a lot.
I did not see that on my 2024 bingo card.
I did not see that on my 2024 bingo card.
June 21, 2024
Imagine my surprise when I not only realized I cared, but in fact I even enjoyed myself
April 26, 2024
CANT WAIT!!! 😆
Future note:
EEEEE IVE GOT THIS PREORDERED!!!!
Another Future note:
OMG OMG OMG THREE DAYS TO GO!! 😆😆😆
Yet another Future note:
EEEEK I FINISHED IT AND IT IS SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. I LITERALLY THINK THAT ITS THE BEST
BOOK IN THE SERIES SO FAR
Right, getting to the review,
⚠️ (SPOILERS AHEAD BTW)⚠️
So many things happened OMD!!!!
The last 100 or so pages it was literally twist opon twist opon twist. And that’s probably what I love most about this book. I thought the chaos trials were SO COOL, like omg.
THE TWISTS THO 😆😆
Like, Nina is dead (Rex defo killed her)
There’s another island?!?!
(This was in a theory that me and my friend made!!)
Arctic swan song is dead (this made me want to cry for Agatha 😭)
The weaver is now dead!!!
But now Kenna is the weaver pretty much 😭😭
Like wow.
This was SO worth the two nights that I stayed up until 2am reading this.😆
Can’t wait for book four!!!!!!!!
😆😆😆😆
Future note:
EEEEE IVE GOT THIS PREORDERED!!!!
Another Future note:
OMG OMG OMG THREE DAYS TO GO!! 😆😆😆
Yet another Future note:
EEEEK I FINISHED IT AND IT IS SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. I LITERALLY THINK THAT ITS THE BEST
BOOK IN THE SERIES SO FAR
Right, getting to the review,
⚠️ (SPOILERS AHEAD BTW)⚠️
So many things happened OMD!!!!
The last 100 or so pages it was literally twist opon twist opon twist. And that’s probably what I love most about this book. I thought the chaos trials were SO COOL, like omg.
THE TWISTS THO 😆😆
Like, Nina is dead (Rex defo killed her)
There’s another island?!?!
(This was in a theory that me and my friend made!!)
Arctic swan song is dead (this made me want to cry for Agatha 😭)
The weaver is now dead!!!
But now Kenna is the weaver pretty much 😭😭
Like wow.
This was SO worth the two nights that I stayed up until 2am reading this.😆
Can’t wait for book four!!!!!!!!
😆😆😆😆
May 15, 2024
A.f. Steadman's endings need work, the pacing is definitely off, such is a trend for these books. The beginning seems normal, if a bit slow, the at the end everything happens all at once. Overall, a decent read with decent character development and some good moments. Some of the character internal monologues went on too long and i think with one of the characters, kenna, the author was trying to make us sympathize with her but no matter what she was just annoying and entitled to me. I will Def be continuing the rest of the series!
June 26, 2024
Give Agatha Everhart a gun in book four.
November 22, 2024
7.57 on CAWPILE
September 1, 2024
4.5 ⭐
Mrvu slabija od prethodne dvije (tek me posljednja trećina romana baš uvukla unutra), ali to je neminovno kod ovakvih serijala. I dalje obožavam Skandara i društvo, jedva ih čekam gledati na TV i još uvijek tvrdim kako su mi knjige za mlade lijek protiv nekih drugih, manje-više bezveznih.
Mrvu slabija od prethodne dvije (tek me posljednja trećina romana baš uvukla unutra), ali to je neminovno kod ovakvih serijala. I dalje obožavam Skandara i društvo, jedva ih čekam gledati na TV i još uvijek tvrdim kako su mi knjige za mlade lijek protiv nekih drugih, manje-više bezveznih.
August 13, 2025
wasn’t expecting to cry over a children’s book this morning
Aug 2025 update -
oh this hurt just as bad second time around. never met a sibling angst book that didn’t destroy me.
Aug 2025 update -
oh this hurt just as bad second time around. never met a sibling angst book that didn’t destroy me.
May 9, 2024
”It is during the Chaos Trials that true riders are born. Quartets will shatter, friendships will fracture, chivalry will give way to ambition. Many of you will fail. But for those who succeed, what will be the cost of collecting every elemental stone? And is a place at the Eyrie worth the price?”
Skandar and his friends enter their third year in the Eyrie, which brings new challenges: their unicorns are starting to act up, having entered their rebellious phase, and they have to take part in the Chaos Trials, their greatest challenge yet. Failing to complete the Trials means being declared a nomad at the end of the year. At the same time, Skandar's sister Kenna, who is trying to earn her place in the Eyrie, stands apart from everyone due to her bond with a wild unicorn. When a frightening truth is revealed, the lives of everyone on the Island are thrown into chaos.
I've been waiting for this book for a year and I am so glad to be able to report that this book was once again brilliant, exciting, entertaining, heartfelt and everything I hoped for. This series is one of my favorite series of all time. The Chaos Trials continues the stories of Skandar and his friends in a very exciting way – the plot thickens, the threads left open in book two are picked up again and the stakes get higher and higher - but also works as its own, individual novel. The book has its own strong plot - a beginning, a middle and an end – and that is how it's supposed to be: no book in a series should just be a bridge, it should stand on its own. I liked how Steadman developed the world in this book, expanded the lore surrounding magic and unicorns, introduced new threats and gave all the major characters new struggles that forced them to grow: some move in a darker direction, while some become better. All characters move forward and many of the central relationships also start shifting, which was super cool. The book manages to balance perfectly between the big and the personal, never forgetting its characters in favour of plot or action: it all comes down to the characters. A lot of the personal stuff was very sweet: there's some romance, there's winter dances and all that good stuff.
I love the characters of this series so much. The main quartet is fabulous and I genuinely cannot pick a favorite. They all have standout moments in this book that made me think "perhaps they are my favorite, after all". Steadman dives deeper into their vulnerabilities, testing all of them, revealing more and more layers of their personalities. We get to explore the reasons for Flo's endless people-pleasing, see Mitchell gather the courage to go after his crush, witness the way the events of the last book have shaped Bobby and made her into someone less over-focused on her own goals, and see Skandar be forced to grapple with his crumbling faith in the Island, his changing relationship with Kenna and the fragile place he has made for himself within the Eyrie. The friendship between the four of them - and their unicorns - is at the heart of the series and made me smile so goddamn many times. I love stories about friendships and found families, and they are definitely that. This moment stood out to me especially, because you really see how they feel comfortable leaning on each other, asking for help and showing emotion: ”’Help,’ he said in a small voice. He didn’t know what he wanted them to do. All he knew was that he needed them.” I especially have to mention how cool it is that the boys are able to comfortably show emotion in front of each other and their friends without anyone telling them to "man up" or "stop crying". The kids make mistakes sometimes and do not always act as they should, they are kids after all, but this is a very healthy friendship the four of them have going on. I love a good ride-or-die friendship group. This quote, among many, made me smile: ”They had worked together against terrible odds ever since they’d arrived. And their unicorns had been through it all with them. Their bonds were strong, even if the unicorns were testing them now. In the year to come, surely those foundations were going to matter more than anything?"
The side characters, especially Kenna, Amber and Agatha, also get great arcs. I liked them all in previous books, but this time I really found myself loving all three. Kenna especially has such a wild arc and I enjoyed every moment of it. She is in a very interesting position and the way Steadman explored feelings of loneliness, regret, anger and being persecuted through her was wonderful to read about. This book is much darker than the previous two, and it dives deeper into themes of persecution and prejudice, which I appreciated. It felt honest: you can't write about oppression without examining all the different ways it can cause someone to feel and react. In this book, the main kids begin to see all the ways in which the Island is not the dream utopia they thought it would be when they entered as new students: it's more corrupt, more unfair, crueler than it needs to be. I liked the slow unraveling of their naivety and innocence, and them learning to question those in power and the structures that they, before, many took for granted. I loved this frustrated quote from Kenna in which she verbalises one of the central themes of this series: ”What is with this Island hating people who’re different? What’s so bad about not being the same as everyone else?” I am a sucker for stories of outcasts finding their place and making room for themselves, people changing and deciding to be better tomorrow than they were yesterday, and of good people finding other good people to fight beside against injustice, in both small and big ways. Sometimes you need to battle to save someone from being wrongfully arrested, and sometimes just a teacher standing up for their student's rights is enough. Resistance takes many forms and all are needed.
The Chaos Trials were a lot of fun. I love stories about magical competitions, so figuring out the trials alongside the kids was great, as was seeing them fight monsters, face their fears, work together despite the trials being designed to tear them apart and learn to work better with their unicorns. The twists in the novel were also very intriguing and some of them genuinely gagged me: I read the last 50 or so pages with my mouth hanging open. I liked how Steadman dropped clues throughout the novel in a way that, when everything was revealed, it all made sense. The way this book ended left me desperate for book four - how am I supposed to wait for a whole ass year?!
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the way the idea of a unicorn/rider bond was explored. Kenna being bonded to a wild unicorn, Goshawk, presents all kinds of dilemmas: Should Skandar aim to fix her? Will the bond destroy her? Can she and Goshawk ever be truly happy together? Can a forged bond be good and loving just like a fated bond despite the brutality of its creation? I just love the way, with every book, we get to understand the wild unicorns more and more. In the beginning, they were mostly just scary beasts, but now, they have become symbols of the Island's failings. As Skandar put it, in one of the most moving sections of the book: ”Whatever the wild unicorns were thinking, Skandar knew the image of them bellowing out to sea would stay with him for ever. It was a damning illustration of what the Island had done. The consequence of the choice they’d made to outlaw an element. These wild unicorns should have been allied to spirit. They should have had a rider to take them on adventures. They should have had someone to love them. But it wasn’t too late. Not yet.” The profound loneliness of the wilds, the fact that they are doomed to die forever, alone without their destined friends, just makes me so sad. I hate it when animals or mystical creatures are sad. On the other hand, all the stuff with our quartet and their unicorns made me smile, because I just adore magical, fated bonds and animal companions. Scoundrel and Skandar are an especially cute, adorable duo.
One last thing I want to highlight is how happy it made me that in this book Mitchell's queerness is made canon and clear. His relationship with Jamie is written in such a delicate, sweet way, and I love that, in this world, even though the Island is divided by prejudice, there is no homophobia to deal with. It's all normalised. Seeing open queer representation in my kid lit would've made me so happy as a child and probably would've helped me figure out my own identity much sooner. I am so grateful that Mitchell, Jamie and the other queer characters in this book exist: knowing this series is such a huge hit and that so many kids can learn about different ways of loving or see themselves reflected in the heroes of this fun adventure series, is so, so important!
I cannot wait for book four. I love this series with my whole heart. Reading it makes me feel nostalgic for those times when I read adventures like this as a kid and gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that only a well-written middle grade adventure fantasy can. I feel so at home in this world.
Skandar and his friends enter their third year in the Eyrie, which brings new challenges: their unicorns are starting to act up, having entered their rebellious phase, and they have to take part in the Chaos Trials, their greatest challenge yet. Failing to complete the Trials means being declared a nomad at the end of the year. At the same time, Skandar's sister Kenna, who is trying to earn her place in the Eyrie, stands apart from everyone due to her bond with a wild unicorn. When a frightening truth is revealed, the lives of everyone on the Island are thrown into chaos.
I've been waiting for this book for a year and I am so glad to be able to report that this book was once again brilliant, exciting, entertaining, heartfelt and everything I hoped for. This series is one of my favorite series of all time. The Chaos Trials continues the stories of Skandar and his friends in a very exciting way – the plot thickens, the threads left open in book two are picked up again and the stakes get higher and higher - but also works as its own, individual novel. The book has its own strong plot - a beginning, a middle and an end – and that is how it's supposed to be: no book in a series should just be a bridge, it should stand on its own. I liked how Steadman developed the world in this book, expanded the lore surrounding magic and unicorns, introduced new threats and gave all the major characters new struggles that forced them to grow: some move in a darker direction, while some become better. All characters move forward and many of the central relationships also start shifting, which was super cool. The book manages to balance perfectly between the big and the personal, never forgetting its characters in favour of plot or action: it all comes down to the characters. A lot of the personal stuff was very sweet: there's some romance, there's winter dances and all that good stuff.
I love the characters of this series so much. The main quartet is fabulous and I genuinely cannot pick a favorite. They all have standout moments in this book that made me think "perhaps they are my favorite, after all". Steadman dives deeper into their vulnerabilities, testing all of them, revealing more and more layers of their personalities. We get to explore the reasons for Flo's endless people-pleasing, see Mitchell gather the courage to go after his crush, witness the way the events of the last book have shaped Bobby and made her into someone less over-focused on her own goals, and see Skandar be forced to grapple with his crumbling faith in the Island, his changing relationship with Kenna and the fragile place he has made for himself within the Eyrie. The friendship between the four of them - and their unicorns - is at the heart of the series and made me smile so goddamn many times. I love stories about friendships and found families, and they are definitely that. This moment stood out to me especially, because you really see how they feel comfortable leaning on each other, asking for help and showing emotion: ”’Help,’ he said in a small voice. He didn’t know what he wanted them to do. All he knew was that he needed them.” I especially have to mention how cool it is that the boys are able to comfortably show emotion in front of each other and their friends without anyone telling them to "man up" or "stop crying". The kids make mistakes sometimes and do not always act as they should, they are kids after all, but this is a very healthy friendship the four of them have going on. I love a good ride-or-die friendship group. This quote, among many, made me smile: ”They had worked together against terrible odds ever since they’d arrived. And their unicorns had been through it all with them. Their bonds were strong, even if the unicorns were testing them now. In the year to come, surely those foundations were going to matter more than anything?"
The side characters, especially Kenna, Amber and Agatha, also get great arcs. I liked them all in previous books, but this time I really found myself loving all three. Kenna especially has such a wild arc and I enjoyed every moment of it. She is in a very interesting position and the way Steadman explored feelings of loneliness, regret, anger and being persecuted through her was wonderful to read about. This book is much darker than the previous two, and it dives deeper into themes of persecution and prejudice, which I appreciated. It felt honest: you can't write about oppression without examining all the different ways it can cause someone to feel and react. In this book, the main kids begin to see all the ways in which the Island is not the dream utopia they thought it would be when they entered as new students: it's more corrupt, more unfair, crueler than it needs to be. I liked the slow unraveling of their naivety and innocence, and them learning to question those in power and the structures that they, before, many took for granted. I loved this frustrated quote from Kenna in which she verbalises one of the central themes of this series: ”What is with this Island hating people who’re different? What’s so bad about not being the same as everyone else?” I am a sucker for stories of outcasts finding their place and making room for themselves, people changing and deciding to be better tomorrow than they were yesterday, and of good people finding other good people to fight beside against injustice, in both small and big ways. Sometimes you need to battle to save someone from being wrongfully arrested, and sometimes just a teacher standing up for their student's rights is enough. Resistance takes many forms and all are needed.
The Chaos Trials were a lot of fun. I love stories about magical competitions, so figuring out the trials alongside the kids was great, as was seeing them fight monsters, face their fears, work together despite the trials being designed to tear them apart and learn to work better with their unicorns. The twists in the novel were also very intriguing and some of them genuinely gagged me: I read the last 50 or so pages with my mouth hanging open. I liked how Steadman dropped clues throughout the novel in a way that, when everything was revealed, it all made sense. The way this book ended left me desperate for book four - how am I supposed to wait for a whole ass year?!
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the way the idea of a unicorn/rider bond was explored. Kenna being bonded to a wild unicorn, Goshawk, presents all kinds of dilemmas: Should Skandar aim to fix her? Will the bond destroy her? Can she and Goshawk ever be truly happy together? Can a forged bond be good and loving just like a fated bond despite the brutality of its creation? I just love the way, with every book, we get to understand the wild unicorns more and more. In the beginning, they were mostly just scary beasts, but now, they have become symbols of the Island's failings. As Skandar put it, in one of the most moving sections of the book: ”Whatever the wild unicorns were thinking, Skandar knew the image of them bellowing out to sea would stay with him for ever. It was a damning illustration of what the Island had done. The consequence of the choice they’d made to outlaw an element. These wild unicorns should have been allied to spirit. They should have had a rider to take them on adventures. They should have had someone to love them. But it wasn’t too late. Not yet.” The profound loneliness of the wilds, the fact that they are doomed to die forever, alone without their destined friends, just makes me so sad. I hate it when animals or mystical creatures are sad. On the other hand, all the stuff with our quartet and their unicorns made me smile, because I just adore magical, fated bonds and animal companions. Scoundrel and Skandar are an especially cute, adorable duo.
One last thing I want to highlight is how happy it made me that in this book Mitchell's queerness is made canon and clear. His relationship with Jamie is written in such a delicate, sweet way, and I love that, in this world, even though the Island is divided by prejudice, there is no homophobia to deal with. It's all normalised. Seeing open queer representation in my kid lit would've made me so happy as a child and probably would've helped me figure out my own identity much sooner. I am so grateful that Mitchell, Jamie and the other queer characters in this book exist: knowing this series is such a huge hit and that so many kids can learn about different ways of loving or see themselves reflected in the heroes of this fun adventure series, is so, so important!
I cannot wait for book four. I love this series with my whole heart. Reading it makes me feel nostalgic for those times when I read adventures like this as a kid and gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that only a well-written middle grade adventure fantasy can. I feel so at home in this world.
July 4, 2024
Agatha Everhart came from nowhere to become my favorite character in this book of the series. My students love these books, and I’d not had a chance to read this one during the school year as it’s been checked out constantly.
This is very easy reading for an older reader; I finished it in two days. A great addition to the series: a new villain or two, new relationships (including a queer relationship where the biggest controversy is that one of them is a unicorn rider and the other is not), and more complications as the characters age. Recommended for anyone who enjoys Potter, Percy Jackson, or inclusive MG/YA-ish fantasy novels.
This is very easy reading for an older reader; I finished it in two days. A great addition to the series: a new villain or two, new relationships (including a queer relationship where the biggest controversy is that one of them is a unicorn rider and the other is not), and more complications as the characters age. Recommended for anyone who enjoys Potter, Percy Jackson, or inclusive MG/YA-ish fantasy novels.
August 5, 2024
Στο τρίτο μέρος της σειράς με τις περιπέτειες του Σκανταρ, ο μικρός ήρωας θα βρεθεί αντιμέτωπος με πολλές δοκιμασίες. Δοκιμασίες, όχι μόνο για την εκπαίδευση του και τον στόχο του να γίνει Ξεπεταρουδι, αλλά και για για την αδερφή του Κενά, όπου κάποια γεγονότα θα ταράξουν, την δυνατή τους σχέση. Άραγε μετά από όλα αυτά ο Σκανταρ θα έχει δεύτερες σκέψεις για το αν η Κένα του λέει την αλήθεια; Θα παραμείνει ο πιο σημαντικός άνθρωπος για εκείνον ή θα χάσει ο ένας τον άλλο για πάντα;
Πραγματικά δεν ήμουν έτοιμη για ότι έγινε στα τελευταία κεφαλαία, η μια ανατροπή μετά την άλλη. Οι ήρωες δεν είναι αυτοί που ήταν στα προηγούμενα βιβλία, απο μικροί και χαριτωμένοι, αρχίζουν να μεγαλώνουν και να δυναμώνουν.
Η συγγραφέας μέσα από την ιστορία, περνάει πολύ ωραία, αλλά και σημαντικά μηνύματα, για τη δύναμη της φιλίας, τη διαφορετικότητα, την αγάπη και την πίστη στον εαυτό μας, αλλά και προς τους άλλους.
Είναι μια σειρα που μπορεί να απευθύνεται σε παιδιά, αλλά θεωρώ ότι εύκολα διαβάζετε και απο ενήλικες.Οποτε προτείνω να το πάρετε για τα παιδιά σας, αλλά να το διαβάσετε κ εσεις!
Πραγματικά δεν ήμουν έτοιμη για ότι έγινε στα τελευταία κεφαλαία, η μια ανατροπή μετά την άλλη. Οι ήρωες δεν είναι αυτοί που ήταν στα προηγούμενα βιβλία, απο μικροί και χαριτωμένοι, αρχίζουν να μεγαλώνουν και να δυναμώνουν.
Η συγγραφέας μέσα από την ιστορία, περνάει πολύ ωραία, αλλά και σημαντικά μηνύματα, για τη δύναμη της φιλίας, τη διαφορετικότητα, την αγάπη και την πίστη στον εαυτό μας, αλλά και προς τους άλλους.
Είναι μια σειρα που μπορεί να απευθύνεται σε παιδιά, αλλά θεωρώ ότι εύκολα διαβάζετε και απο ενήλικες.Οποτε προτείνω να το πάρετε για τα παιδιά σας, αλλά να το διαβάσετε κ εσεις!
November 13, 2024
This book was fantastic! The best in the series yet! The story was so good and so imaginative. Ms. Steadman has created a world rich in magic and myth. Unicorns aren't fluffy and cuddly. They hatch from eggs are a bloody thirsty. They all have fun personalities too. As always I bought this book for myself so it's definitely suitable for kids and adults alike. The book was so exquisitly written and very descriptive. It still leaves lots for the imagination. The characters again are all wonderful and each are integral to the story. The book is written in third person mostly from Skandar's point of view. Again we have the Interludes from Kenna's perspective. I won't lie this book made me cry more than once! That's emotionally invested you can get in the series. I really recommend this!
January 21, 2024
Can I give it a trillion stars? ⭐
A.F. Steadman has managed what so few authors do. A series where each book gets EVEN better than the previous, and leaves you literally gasping for breath with the twists and turns this story is taking. You aren't ready for Skandar 3. (Thank you ever after and for all eternity to Simon and Schuster for the advance copy)
A.F. Steadman has managed what so few authors do. A series where each book gets EVEN better than the previous, and leaves you literally gasping for breath with the twists and turns this story is taking. You aren't ready for Skandar 3. (Thank you ever after and for all eternity to Simon and Schuster for the advance copy)
August 19, 2024
4.75
First of all, I called it. I CALLED IT LOSERS TAKE THE L Mitchell and Jamie are so cute 🥰🥺 I love them
Kenna is such a good character guh I didn't know how to feel about her omg
Idk how to feel about skandar x flo, maybe flo will reject him??
Loved the end with Bobby saving amber that was so nice 🫶🫶
ALSO ALSO ALSO NINAS DEATH WAS CRAZY
First of all, I called it. I CALLED IT LOSERS TAKE THE L Mitchell and Jamie are so cute 🥰🥺 I love them
Kenna is such a good character guh I didn't know how to feel about her omg
Idk how to feel about skandar x flo, maybe flo will reject him??
Loved the end with Bobby saving amber that was so nice 🫶🫶
ALSO ALSO ALSO NINAS DEATH WAS CRAZY
October 27, 2024
The more I read this series, the more I love it.
A.F. Steadman has paced this series perfectly and I’ce somehow found myself entirely invested in it and its characters and I'm already dying for book four.
A.F. Steadman has paced this series perfectly and I’ce somehow found myself entirely invested in it and its characters and I'm already dying for book four.
June 6, 2025
"Skandars un haosa atlases" ir grāmata, kas pārpildīta ar draudzību, mīlestību, noslēpumiem, nodevību, mistēriju un nervu sabrukumu izraisošām detaļām.🫠 (pēc pabeigšanas gandrīz 15 minūtes sēdēju un blenzu uz sienu)
No pārbaudījumiem man visvairāk atmiņā iespiedusies gaisa stihijas atlase. It sevišķi draugu nesavtība un uzupurēšanās, un šī atlase pierādīja Skandara mīlestību pret Flo un Kennu.❤️🔥❤️🔥
Viņam tad vēl nebija ne jausmas, ka Kenna nodos pašas miesīgu brāli. Skandars viņu ļoti mīlēja, bet viņai ar to nepietika. Kennai vajadzēja VARU… tāpēc viņa pievienojās Vēverei un Skandars muļķīgi izrīkojās atklādams Gara akmeni viņai. Ja Kennai nebūtu tās saiknes ar Dusmu Liju tad nekas tāds, manuprāt, nebūtu noticis. Bet viņai bija…
Pietiks nu par Kennu. Es pamanīju, ka Ambera ir stipri mainījusies uz labo pusi. Viņa bija daudz laipnāka nekā pirmajā daļā.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Šajā grāmatā mans nemīļākais varonis bija Rekss Mānings! Man jau no paša sākuma viņš galīgi nepatika! Rekss ir vienkārši drausmīgs cilvēks😰😰
Šajā grāmatā mana mīļākā varone bija Agata. Viņa likās tik ĪSTA un es pati sajutu viņas sāpes, kad Polārgulbja Klaiga nomira. Tas sāpēja arī man!💔
Bet tā viennozīmīgi ir viena no labākajām grāmatām ko jebkad esmu lasījusi💯💯💯💯💯
No pārbaudījumiem man visvairāk atmiņā iespiedusies gaisa stihijas atlase. It sevišķi draugu nesavtība un uzupurēšanās, un šī atlase pierādīja Skandara mīlestību pret Flo un Kennu.❤️🔥❤️🔥
Viņam tad vēl nebija ne jausmas, ka Kenna nodos pašas miesīgu brāli. Skandars viņu ļoti mīlēja, bet viņai ar to nepietika. Kennai vajadzēja VARU… tāpēc viņa pievienojās Vēverei un Skandars muļķīgi izrīkojās atklādams Gara akmeni viņai. Ja Kennai nebūtu tās saiknes ar Dusmu Liju tad nekas tāds, manuprāt, nebūtu noticis. Bet viņai bija…
Pietiks nu par Kennu. Es pamanīju, ka Ambera ir stipri mainījusies uz labo pusi. Viņa bija daudz laipnāka nekā pirmajā daļā.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Šajā grāmatā mans nemīļākais varonis bija Rekss Mānings! Man jau no paša sākuma viņš galīgi nepatika! Rekss ir vienkārši drausmīgs cilvēks😰😰
Šajā grāmatā mana mīļākā varone bija Agata. Viņa likās tik ĪSTA un es pati sajutu viņas sāpes, kad Polārgulbja Klaiga nomira. Tas sāpēja arī man!💔
Bet tā viennozīmīgi ir viena no labākajām grāmatām ko jebkad esmu lasījusi💯💯💯💯💯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2024
5,5 / 6 stjerner
Trætophuse, udfordrende elementprøver med flydende lava, dødsensfarlige, klamme vandmonstre, flyvende dueller og intense kampe for overlevelse.
Wauw! Der er masser af eventyr, spænding, drama og uhygge. Plottet er nervepirrende og fyldt med uforudsigelighed. Sikke nogle plottwists. Det er virkelig en fascinerende og fængende fantasybog og serie.
Især i sidste del af bogen trækker man næsten ikke vejret af bare spænding og der kommer ligeledes en del øjenåbnende afsløringer. Man kommer virkelig igennem hele følelsesregistret. Der er intriger, misforståelser og både hjerteskærende og hjertevarme øjeblikke. Der er glædestårer og tårer af sorg. Karakterernes venskab har virkelig udviklet sig og de er der virkelig for hinanden. Man kommer endnu tættere på karakterernes personlighed, baggrund og følelser. Det er virkelig en bog, der har hele pakken.
Hold da helt fast! Jeg kan slet ikke vente med at læse næste bog.
Superflot forside
Trætophuse, udfordrende elementprøver med flydende lava, dødsensfarlige, klamme vandmonstre, flyvende dueller og intense kampe for overlevelse.
Wauw! Der er masser af eventyr, spænding, drama og uhygge. Plottet er nervepirrende og fyldt med uforudsigelighed. Sikke nogle plottwists. Det er virkelig en fascinerende og fængende fantasybog og serie.
Især i sidste del af bogen trækker man næsten ikke vejret af bare spænding og der kommer ligeledes en del øjenåbnende afsløringer. Man kommer virkelig igennem hele følelsesregistret. Der er intriger, misforståelser og både hjerteskærende og hjertevarme øjeblikke. Der er glædestårer og tårer af sorg. Karakterernes venskab har virkelig udviklet sig og de er der virkelig for hinanden. Man kommer endnu tættere på karakterernes personlighed, baggrund og følelser. Det er virkelig en bog, der har hele pakken.
Hold da helt fast! Jeg kan slet ikke vente med at læse næste bog.
Superflot forside
December 24, 2024
Okay so this is my favorite book in this series. This book to felt like it had a lot of action and adventure out of all of this series. Skandar and the Chaos Trials was really dark. But it was amazing. There is some sad parts in this book that got me actually really sad.
But either way, this book was really amazing.
But either way, this book was really amazing.
January 29, 2025
Skandar is always a good time for me, it's that nostalgic feeling when I listen and the audiobooks are really engaging.
July 20, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ My favorite so far in this series! I loved the trials, the vibes were great, and the plot thickens.
January 6, 2025
Wat een onwijs leuke serie is dit toch. Alles zit er in. Aanrader 4.75⭐️
May 31, 2024
Love this series so much, it gets better each book. I love Skandar's friendship group.
July 21, 2024
Book 3 in a series that must absolutely be read in order.
In the fantastic series opener, readers are thrust into a world of unicorns that is not pink and filled with glitter and shooting stars. Rather, the unicorns are blood-thirsty weapons, when combined with a rider who is destined to partner with them, can defend the land and its people using magic coming from earth, fire, water, and air. Skandar, with some help from an aunt he didn’t know he had, is bonded to such a unicorn but the two wield a magic far more powerful and hard to control than that of the usual four elements and must not only learn to manage his spirit magic, but find a way to be accepted by others at the training school known as The Eyrie. Book 2 focuses on Skandar and the members of his training quartet battling an evil rider who has bonded with a wild unicorn which has always been outlawed due to the uncontrollable nature of that magic and the tendency to wreak havoc on everyone and everything. Spoilers for those not following the “read in order” advice—The evil Weaver turns out to be Skandar’s mom and she uses her wild magic to bond her daughter Kenna to a wild unicorn as well.
Book 3 finds Skandar and his three roommates, Flo, Bobby and Mitchell entering their 3rd year of training and facing 4 trials that will further winnow out those who are not worthy of continuing at The Eyrie. Kenna is living at The Eyrie but awaiting a decision on whether or not she will be allowed to train. The strain of being separated from Skandar for two years has already taken a toll on a what has been a very close brother-sister relationship, but Skandar is working on a plan to use his spirit magic and his status as a Mender (a healer of sorts) to match Kenna to the unicorn she was destined to bond with. The Chaos Trials for this 3rd, Fledgling year are brutal with quartet members turning on each other, alliances being made then broken and it seems that every man is for himself. Adding to the stress, someone has stolen all the unicorn eggs in the Hatchery and it appears that it could be The Weaver and possibly with Kenna’s help.
Readers will be on the edge of their seat from the very beginning and by the end, may find themselves exhausted from the ups and downs of surprise after surprise. Not everyone is what they have portrayed themselves to be. This 3rd book is every bit as exhilarating as book 1 and I will be anxiously watching for the arrival of book 4.
Steadman’s fantasy series is outstanding and is as much a middle grade read as a young adult, but no profanity or sexual content. The action is non-stop and at times, is bloody and certainly there are plenty of person to person to unicorn attacks. However, as I have send in reviews for books 1 and 2, the author does not get overly graphic or drone on and on in the battle scenes. Race is not an emphasized aspect of the books, but the brief physical descriptions lead readers to believe that Flo is Black while Skandar, Bobby and Mitchell are likely Caucasian. Mitchell’s same sex relationship with blacksmith Jamie gets a little closer and they begin to officially date (hand holding & hugs only) and Skandar finally realizes his more than friend feelings for someone which tuned in readers have probably sensed from book 1 (hand holding and some self-sacrificing actions only)!
In the fantastic series opener, readers are thrust into a world of unicorns that is not pink and filled with glitter and shooting stars. Rather, the unicorns are blood-thirsty weapons, when combined with a rider who is destined to partner with them, can defend the land and its people using magic coming from earth, fire, water, and air. Skandar, with some help from an aunt he didn’t know he had, is bonded to such a unicorn but the two wield a magic far more powerful and hard to control than that of the usual four elements and must not only learn to manage his spirit magic, but find a way to be accepted by others at the training school known as The Eyrie. Book 2 focuses on Skandar and the members of his training quartet battling an evil rider who has bonded with a wild unicorn which has always been outlawed due to the uncontrollable nature of that magic and the tendency to wreak havoc on everyone and everything. Spoilers for those not following the “read in order” advice—The evil Weaver turns out to be Skandar’s mom and she uses her wild magic to bond her daughter Kenna to a wild unicorn as well.
Book 3 finds Skandar and his three roommates, Flo, Bobby and Mitchell entering their 3rd year of training and facing 4 trials that will further winnow out those who are not worthy of continuing at The Eyrie. Kenna is living at The Eyrie but awaiting a decision on whether or not she will be allowed to train. The strain of being separated from Skandar for two years has already taken a toll on a what has been a very close brother-sister relationship, but Skandar is working on a plan to use his spirit magic and his status as a Mender (a healer of sorts) to match Kenna to the unicorn she was destined to bond with. The Chaos Trials for this 3rd, Fledgling year are brutal with quartet members turning on each other, alliances being made then broken and it seems that every man is for himself. Adding to the stress, someone has stolen all the unicorn eggs in the Hatchery and it appears that it could be The Weaver and possibly with Kenna’s help.
Readers will be on the edge of their seat from the very beginning and by the end, may find themselves exhausted from the ups and downs of surprise after surprise. Not everyone is what they have portrayed themselves to be. This 3rd book is every bit as exhilarating as book 1 and I will be anxiously watching for the arrival of book 4.
Steadman’s fantasy series is outstanding and is as much a middle grade read as a young adult, but no profanity or sexual content. The action is non-stop and at times, is bloody and certainly there are plenty of person to person to unicorn attacks. However, as I have send in reviews for books 1 and 2, the author does not get overly graphic or drone on and on in the battle scenes. Race is not an emphasized aspect of the books, but the brief physical descriptions lead readers to believe that Flo is Black while Skandar, Bobby and Mitchell are likely Caucasian. Mitchell’s same sex relationship with blacksmith Jamie gets a little closer and they begin to officially date (hand holding & hugs only) and Skandar finally realizes his more than friend feelings for someone which tuned in readers have probably sensed from book 1 (hand holding and some self-sacrificing actions only)!
September 6, 2025
A catastrophe has befallen the Island. Even bigger than the last one Skandar, Bobby, Flo and Mitchell were fighting against. Or, well, no smaller than it, at least. Because the Weaver did not leave the Hatchery with just the chosen egg. She took all. Which means, if the Weaver, or at least her loot, is not found soon, there will be no naturally bound unicorns born on the Island for the next 13 years.
While Skandar and his friends are preparing for their third training year at the Eyrie, Commodore Nina Kazama and the new leader of the Silver Circle, Rex Manning. join forces to find the missing unicorn eggs. Meanwhile, another important question is being pondered by the Council. The fate of Kenna Smith. Because Skandar's sister is now on the island, sporting a bond with a wild unicorn, forged by the Weaver. And this is unheard of. So, after a slew of tests and questionings, the children are waiting for the verdict - shall Kenna be allowed to train at the Eyrie with the other Riders?
As if all that was not troublesome enough, at the beginning of the third training year, the unicorns reach an age where they start to feel how their power surpasses that of their riders, making them try and break their bond-mates' boundaries. Or, in other words, the unicorns are behaving like a bunch of teenagers. And on this year of rebellious mounts, the riders have to get through the Chaos Trials - tests that take place in every region of the Island, that are known to have the highest failing rate out of all training years.
In addition to his daily training, Skandar also tries to keep an eye on the nameless dapple-grey wild unicorn that should have been bonded to Kenna, had the girl reached the Hatchery in the right year to search for her unicorn egg. Because Skandar is the Mender. A Spirit wielder with rare and special powers that allow him to mend natural bonds where they should have been, and the ability to have dreams that show him, which unicorn and rider belong together.
But then, the news of the robbery at the Hatchery is leaked to the public and Kenna, declared a threat, has to flee. The new year at the Eyrie will put not only Skandar's elemental magic, but also his loyalty on test, on more fronts than one. And dangers can await in places he least expects them from.
I have to say, by absolute favourite character of the series is actually a very very side one. It's the dapple-grey wild unicorn that has been showing up occasionally since book 1 and is Kenna's "should-have-been". It's story is really tragic, if you think about it. Imagine being born alone, feeling the yearning for a Rider who didn't come. Then you find the Mender, who has the power to fix it. Then you even find your chosen rider, only to be chased away for the time by her companion. And now, suddenly, there's an usurper who has a bond with it's fated Rider! Skandar's Mender dream where he reached the unicorn, where he can feel the question "Where is she?!" from the beast is heartbreaking.
So, even if this series is not 100% my taste (which is no problem, I'm not the target audience anyway), the question of the dapple-grey unicorn's ultimate fate is what will keep me reading the series.
While Skandar and his friends are preparing for their third training year at the Eyrie, Commodore Nina Kazama and the new leader of the Silver Circle, Rex Manning. join forces to find the missing unicorn eggs. Meanwhile, another important question is being pondered by the Council. The fate of Kenna Smith. Because Skandar's sister is now on the island, sporting a bond with a wild unicorn, forged by the Weaver. And this is unheard of. So, after a slew of tests and questionings, the children are waiting for the verdict - shall Kenna be allowed to train at the Eyrie with the other Riders?
As if all that was not troublesome enough, at the beginning of the third training year, the unicorns reach an age where they start to feel how their power surpasses that of their riders, making them try and break their bond-mates' boundaries. Or, in other words, the unicorns are behaving like a bunch of teenagers. And on this year of rebellious mounts, the riders have to get through the Chaos Trials - tests that take place in every region of the Island, that are known to have the highest failing rate out of all training years.
In addition to his daily training, Skandar also tries to keep an eye on the nameless dapple-grey wild unicorn that should have been bonded to Kenna, had the girl reached the Hatchery in the right year to search for her unicorn egg. Because Skandar is the Mender. A Spirit wielder with rare and special powers that allow him to mend natural bonds where they should have been, and the ability to have dreams that show him, which unicorn and rider belong together.
But then, the news of the robbery at the Hatchery is leaked to the public and Kenna, declared a threat, has to flee. The new year at the Eyrie will put not only Skandar's elemental magic, but also his loyalty on test, on more fronts than one. And dangers can await in places he least expects them from.
I have to say, by absolute favourite character of the series is actually a very very side one. It's the dapple-grey wild unicorn that has been showing up occasionally since book 1 and is Kenna's "should-have-been". It's story is really tragic, if you think about it. Imagine being born alone, feeling the yearning for a Rider who didn't come. Then you find the Mender, who has the power to fix it. Then you even find your chosen rider, only to be chased away for the time by her companion. And now, suddenly, there's an usurper who has a bond with it's fated Rider! Skandar's Mender dream where he reached the unicorn, where he can feel the question "Where is she?!" from the beast is heartbreaking.
So, even if this series is not 100% my taste (which is no problem, I'm not the target audience anyway), the question of the dapple-grey unicorn's ultimate fate is what will keep me reading the series.
May 27, 2024
Skandar and The Chaos Trials (Skandar, Book 3) – A. F. Steadman
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book since I finished the second book in the series, so it feels like a bit of a wait for me.
A.F. Steadman is an English author who grew up in Kent. She worked in law, like me, until she discovered the magic of writing. “Skandar and the Unicorn Thief” (the prequel to this book) is the breakthrough novel for A. F. Steadman.
Skandar and his quartet are about to enter their third year of training and thus compete in the Chaos Trials. The friendships and bonds between Skandar and his quartet are going to be more important this year than they could possibly imagine.
However, completing the Chaos Trials and surviving not be declared nomad is one of many growing concerns for Skandar.
His sister Kenna is finally with him at the Eyrie but that does not last long – which is what happens when the Weaver forces a bond between Kenna and a wild unicorn. Everyone is unsure and scared of such a bond and what it could mean for the safety of everyone at the Eyrie.
Just when it seems like Kenna and Skandar will have their dream of being together at the Eyrie, training together, bad news rains down upon them. It has come to light that the Weaver has stolen every single unicorn egg out of the Hatchery and hidden them. As Kenna was technically with the Weaver at the time this unspeakable crime occurred everyone insists Kenna must know where they are and why the Weaver has done this. Yet Kenna’s pleas of innocence falls on deaf ears when Kenna is forced to flee the Eyrie with her wild unicorn.
Despite it all, Skandar is determined to find the eggs, pass the Chaos Trials and bond Kenna with her destined unicorn and free her from the forged bond she has with the wild unicorn. But as everyone knows, best laid plans and all that....
“Skandar and the Chaos Trials” is the exciting third instalment in the Skandar series by A. F. Steadman. I must admit it sometimes feels a little weird being the age that I am and reading such a young YA story as this, but the way the story is written I soon forget that and become immersed in the story and the fate of young Skandar and his friends. The pacing of the story was really on point with lots of intrigue and of course a couple of wrenches thrown in the works. The ending was great and something I thought may happen but hoped desperately wouldn’t come about but alas its always the way with such things. I do hope things with Kenna improve but time will tell.
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book since I finished the second book in the series, so it feels like a bit of a wait for me.
A.F. Steadman is an English author who grew up in Kent. She worked in law, like me, until she discovered the magic of writing. “Skandar and the Unicorn Thief” (the prequel to this book) is the breakthrough novel for A. F. Steadman.
Skandar and his quartet are about to enter their third year of training and thus compete in the Chaos Trials. The friendships and bonds between Skandar and his quartet are going to be more important this year than they could possibly imagine.
However, completing the Chaos Trials and surviving not be declared nomad is one of many growing concerns for Skandar.
His sister Kenna is finally with him at the Eyrie but that does not last long – which is what happens when the Weaver forces a bond between Kenna and a wild unicorn. Everyone is unsure and scared of such a bond and what it could mean for the safety of everyone at the Eyrie.
Just when it seems like Kenna and Skandar will have their dream of being together at the Eyrie, training together, bad news rains down upon them. It has come to light that the Weaver has stolen every single unicorn egg out of the Hatchery and hidden them. As Kenna was technically with the Weaver at the time this unspeakable crime occurred everyone insists Kenna must know where they are and why the Weaver has done this. Yet Kenna’s pleas of innocence falls on deaf ears when Kenna is forced to flee the Eyrie with her wild unicorn.
Despite it all, Skandar is determined to find the eggs, pass the Chaos Trials and bond Kenna with her destined unicorn and free her from the forged bond she has with the wild unicorn. But as everyone knows, best laid plans and all that....
“Skandar and the Chaos Trials” is the exciting third instalment in the Skandar series by A. F. Steadman. I must admit it sometimes feels a little weird being the age that I am and reading such a young YA story as this, but the way the story is written I soon forget that and become immersed in the story and the fate of young Skandar and his friends. The pacing of the story was really on point with lots of intrigue and of course a couple of wrenches thrown in the works. The ending was great and something I thought may happen but hoped desperately wouldn’t come about but alas its always the way with such things. I do hope things with Kenna improve but time will tell.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews