Skandar and the Chaos Trials - A F Steadman

 To survive their third year of training, Skandar and his friends must complete a series of terrifying trials across the Island's elemental zones.  Friendships, allegiances and rider-unicorn bonds will be pushed to the limit - only the strongest will make it.

Meanwhile, Skandar's sister, Kenna, has finally made it to the Eyrie.  But with a forged bond to a wild unicron, she is alienated and alone.  And when a terrible discovery puts the future of the Island in peril, all fingers point in one direction...

As dark forces assemble, Skandar must decide how fae he is willing to go - for Kenna, and for the Eyrie.

I have to admit that I was slightly late to the Skandar series in that I didn't read Skandar and the Unicorn Thief until it was out in paperback (Unthinkable, I know!).  So many of the bookish community on Twitter told me I would love it and they were right: I devoured it under 24 hours!  Needless to say that Skandar and the Phantom Rider proved to be just as exciting and I was left waiting (im)patiently for Skandar and the Chaos Trials which arrived the day before publication.  I was quick to begin it and frustrated that life was getting in the way of me finishing it; especially as children at school began to finish it and were desperate to talk to me the plot... actually, desperate is an understatement!  I finished the book last Tuesday lunch-time whilst eating my sandwich and could instantly see why children felt the need to find somebody to talk to!  Skandar and the Chaos Trials has to be one of the biggest rollercoasters of a read that I have been on and the word gripping doesn't really convey the adventure and the jaw dropping surprises that await readers.  

This is a big year for Skandar, with a place in Year 4 at stake as well as his sister's arrival at the Eyire with her wild unicorn to deal with, and it's evident from the beginning that things won't be plain sailing.  I really don't want to give anything away so I won't say much more but I guarantee action, adventure and astonishing revelations await.  Skandar and the Chaos Trials is definitely the best book in the series yet, and with two more books still to come, I can't wait to find out where the series will lead us next (especially after that ending!).

If finishing the book wasn't enough, I was lucky enough to have Annabel visit school last Thursday to talk Skandar and all things unicorns to everyone.  It was a magical morning that had us all enthralled; our love of Skandar shone through and the epic 1 1/2 hour book signing finished the event in style.  All I can say is that if you ever get the chance to have Annabel visit your school, please jump at the chance: it will seriously raise your status!!!

Now, exactly how long am I going to have to wait for book 4?



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