Skandar and the Chaos Trials (Skandar Series: Book 3)
A F Steadman
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.
As the only spirt wielder inside the Eyrie, Skandar has his own trainer – his aunt. She is teaching him skills none of the other young unicorn riders possess and will most definitely help him in the trials.
Friendships, allegiances and rider-unicorn bonds will be pushed to the limit – only the strongest will make it. This book is another exhilarating ride into the world of the unicorn riders. Skandar is developing his spirit wielder powers, his bonds with his quartet and also dealing with a stroppy unicorn going through a rebellious stage.
His love of his sister is tested again and again and as he is trying to bring her into the world they’ve always dreamed about, her world is falling apart.
Meanwhile Kenna’s forged bond to a wild unicorn has left her 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 far is he willing to go – for Kenna, and for the Eyrie. Skandar has another idea that might help. While they try to smooth the road for Kenna to enter the same training schedule as Skandar, things go terribly wrong, and Kenna must flee.
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.
There are unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns in this highly anticipated adventure that will make you not want to put the book down! I would give this book 5 stars because the writing is so captivating. I would recommend this to anyone 8 or over.
Published by Simon & Schuster, 2024
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