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c0uldyimagine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
madi8670's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
zbmorgan's review
4.0
This was REALLY enjoyable and a good read for any 9-13 year old. It's being billed as the next Percy Jackson, but it's not quite there - the worldbuilding suffers for the author's desire to keep the pace moving. It is a page turner, being action heavy enough that it doesn't have time to reveal everything about the magic system, the governing bodies, and even some family drama, but that set-up is what the first in a series is for!
reading_with_emma's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
zmeeyad's review against another edition
3.0
Казка про обранця з обраною стихією, з обраними здібностями на обраному однорозі. У нього ніколи не було друзів, він був ніким і... а далі ви і так усе знаєте, в цій книзі ви для себе не знайдете нічого нового. Діти, які можуть грохнути велике зло, поки дорослі мудаки. І всесвіт однорогів, який вважає себе кращим за землян з інтернетом, і які все ще використовують смолоскипи.
certainlychirpy's review against another edition
2.0
In all honesty, I may have been too scared to finish after seeing other people's reviews about the ending being disappointing.
It certainly felt different to the first three books and was enjoyable overall, just not as much. But the whole series was such a wonderfully unique read.
It certainly felt different to the first three books and was enjoyable overall, just not as much. But the whole series was such a wonderfully unique read.
aliciasrealm's review
3.0
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief checks all the Middle Grade fantasy school boxes. The protagonist is a misfit and half-orphaned boy who attends a magical boarding school where riders are sorted into a quadrant aligned with an element. He has several friends, including a Black girl, as well as a bully rival. There is a mysterious villain who has a secret connection to the protagonist. Ultimately, it's a mediocre story with underdeveloped characters and moderate stakes. While it seems suitable for younger readers who haven't been exposed to many stories like this, readers who are older and/or more familiar with the genre may find this story cliche and disappointing.
Overall, the characters in this book felt more juvenile than those in similar books (such as the Percy Jackson series). So although the characters are thirteen, this book might appeal more to younger readers. They all have little quirks; Skandar is unusually fond of mayonnaise and one of the girls regularly eats weird sandwiches. They have traits that align to their elements, for example fire allied riders have a fiery tempers, and water allied riders are adaptable. There is a supporting character who is a Black girl, as well as side characters who are POC.
I love unicorns; I grew up reading all the unicorn books like Bruce Coville's The Unicorn Chronicles, so I was excited to read this book. However, the unicorns in this series are surprisingly terrifying. They have wings, they eat meat, they're vicious, and if they don't bond with a human at their hatching then they become violent, deadly wild unicorns. It was unsettling and not the kind of unicorn I was anticipating. The unicorns have some personality, but ultimately felt like magical pets rather than characters in their own right.
On a surface level the premise is enjoyable and unique, but the world building left much to be desired. A lot of it didn't make sense, but perhaps these things will be resolved in later books.
So. I think this could be perfectly enjoyable for the intended audience. But as an adult who has read a lot of middle grade fantasy, I was annoyed by the toilet humor and bored by the cliches, the flat characters, and the underwhelming stakes. I'm satisfied with the ending of this book and have no interest in continuing the series.
Overall, the characters in this book felt more juvenile than those in similar books (such as the Percy Jackson series). So although the characters are thirteen, this book might appeal more to younger readers. They all have little quirks; Skandar is unusually fond of mayonnaise and one of the girls regularly eats weird sandwiches. They have traits that align to their elements, for example fire allied riders have a fiery tempers, and water allied riders are adaptable. There is a supporting character who is a Black girl, as well as side characters who are POC.
I love unicorns; I grew up reading all the unicorn books like Bruce Coville's The Unicorn Chronicles, so I was excited to read this book. However, the unicorns in this series are surprisingly terrifying. They have wings, they eat meat, they're vicious, and if they don't bond with a human at their hatching then they become violent, deadly wild unicorns. It was unsettling and not the kind of unicorn I was anticipating. The unicorns have some personality, but ultimately felt like magical pets rather than characters in their own right.
On a surface level the premise is enjoyable and unique, but the world building left much to be desired. A lot of it didn't make sense, but perhaps these things will be resolved in later books.
So. I think this could be perfectly enjoyable for the intended audience. But as an adult who has read a lot of middle grade fantasy, I was annoyed by the toilet humor and bored by the cliches, the flat characters, and the underwhelming stakes. I'm satisfied with the ending of this book and have no interest in continuing the series.
ellanbellen's review against another edition
Just wasn´t it for me to be honest, probably would have gotten through it if I had read it in english because I do like the story and premise. Just found it difficult that it flips to english names and such.
jeongfjsh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75