From No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a new Grishaverse short story: a mystery told through found documents and set after the events of Crooked Kingdom. Explore the Grishaverse like never before with new illustrations by E.K. Belsher, original music composed by E. Aaron Wilson, and in-world collectible items such as a frameable cloth pirate flag, a sticker, and four souvenir playing cards, in a beautiful deluxe hardback.
In the years since the violent upheaval caused by the auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, the merchants of Ketterdam have been under attack. Secret businesses exposed. Ships sunk. Slavers hunted as they once hunted their victims. All the work of a mysterious sea captain and her ship, the Wraith.
Now, two investigators meet to uncover the truth behind the latest disaster: a massacre on an island off the shores of Ketterdam. Among the evidence collected is private correspondence between notorious crime boss Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor aboard the Wraith known only as "I".
Follow along with the lead investigator as he tries to piece together how such a disaster transpired, and explore the Grishaverse like never before with new illustrations by E.K. Belsher and in-world collectible items.
***** 'Overall amazing in every way.'
***** ‘My daughter has rated them better that Percy Jackson.’
***** ’I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next one.’
***** ’I have read Harry Potter and I think Skandar is better.’
***** ’Move over Harry Potter there’s a new hero in town!’
‘The most popular fantasy hero since Harry Potter’ Telegraph
BLOODTHIRSTY UNICORNS. UNLIKELY HEROES. A DEADLY CURSE.
The epic adventure continues.
Don’t miss the unputdownable new book in number 1 bestselling SKANDAR series, for readers ages 9 to 99 and fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon and Impossible Creatures.
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief was WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 and WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023!
Skandar and the Phantom Rider was one of THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 2023.
As Skandar and his friends begin their fourth year at the Eyrie, the Island’s unicorns are struck by a terrible curse that threatens to change everything. Between a Commodore determined to eliminate the spirit element for good, and a sister hellbent on revenge, nowhere is safe for Skandar.
As more and more unicorns are affected by the curse, the clock is ticking for Skandar and his quartet, who find themselves literally racing for their lives. Can they stop the curse in its tracks before the Island is lost for ever?
Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns in this highly anticipated adventure that will keep you reading after lights out!
Praise for the SKANDAR series:
‘Steadman has a vast imagination, her world-building is a joy, the battle scenes are thrilling and her characters charm.’ – The Times Children's Book of the Week
‘Endlessly thrilling, unputdownable and utterly unmissable.’ – Aisling Fowler, author of Fireborn
‘My book of the year. Not since Harry Potter have I felt this excited about a series. Readers are sure to be clamouring for the next book. You’ll never look at unicorns the same way again, nor will you want to!’ – Dominique Valente, author of Starfell
‘Never have unicorns been so ferocious, fearsome and thrilling! A fantastically gripping read!’ – Laura Ellen Anderson, author of Rainbow Grey
‘A. F. Steadman has created a stunning new world that feels both familiar and fresh, with a cast of characters that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.’ –Tọlá Okogwu, author of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
'Perfect for those who have consumed the Harry Potter books and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and are looking for their next fictional feast.' – The Sunday Times
*Skandar and the Chaos Trials was the Number 1 bestseller in the UK Nielsen Bookscan chart, 27 April 2024
Lees meerBLOODTHIRSTY UNICORNS. UNLIKELY HEROES. A MORTAL ENEMY.
Don’t miss this epic final adventure in the number 1 bestselling SKANDAR series, for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon and Impossible Creatures.
Pre-order THE FIRST UNICORN RIDER now to be one of the first to read an unmissable new magical adventure set in the incredible WORLD OF SKANDAR
Skandar is in hiding after the Chaos Cup where Rex Manning revealed a game-changing secret. But as Rex prepares to invade the Mainland, the Islanders are not sure who to trust.
With one of Skandar’s closest friends now fighting for the enemy, Skandar must build new alliances – including an uneasy truce with Kenna. To defeat Rex, Skandar and his friends will need to look back to the origins of the Island, and harness the full power of their elemental magic.
Can Skandar become the leader he needs to be – to save the Mainland and the heart of the Island itself?
Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns in this highly anticipated adventure that will keep you reading after lights out!
Praise for the SKANDAR series:
‘The most popular children’s fantasy hero since Harry Potter’ – Telegraph
‘Steadman has a vast imagination, her world-building is a joy, the battle scenes are thrilling and her characters charm.’ – The Times Children's Book of the Week
‘Deft, dazzling and breathlessly exciting – it’s a joy to enter Skandar’s World.’ – Jonathan Stroud, author of Lockwood and Co. series
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief was WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 and WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023!
Skandar and the Phantom Rider was one of THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 2023.
*Skandar and the Chaos Trials was the Number 1 bestseller in the UK Nielsen Bookscan chart, 27th April 2024
*Skandar and the Spirit War was the Children’s Number 1 besteller in the UK Nielsen Bookscan Chart 30th August 2025
Lees meerTHREE MILLION SERIES COPIES SOLD!
The pulse-pounding third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Lightlark Saga, by acclaimed author and #BookTok sensation Alex Aster
Love kills kingdoms…
Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two.
Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king.
As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. But a storm is coming. And with it, a long-buried evil greater than anything the realms have faced before.
With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world—or destroy it.
Filled with secrets, deception, romance, and twists worthy of the darkest thrillers, The Lightlark Saga is a must-read for fans of legendary fantasy writers Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, and Leigh Bardugo.
Lees meerTHREE MILLION SERIES COPIES SOLD!
The pulse-pounding third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Lightlark Saga, by acclaimed author and #BookTok sensation Alex Aster
Love kills kingdoms…
Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two.
Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king.
As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. But a storm is coming. And with it, a long-buried evil greater than anything the realms have faced before.
With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world—or destroy it.
Filled with secrets, deception, romance, and twists worthy of the darkest thrillers, The Lightlark Saga is a must-read for fans of legendary fantasy writers Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, and Leigh Bardugo.
Lees meerIt’s been thirty years since Laurence Anholt began his beloved series about great artists and the real children who knew them. Since then, these classic tales of Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, and many other geniuses of Western art have provided a springboard into a lifetime’s love of art, selling millions of copies around the world. The stories have been adapted in many forms including ballet, opera, Braille editions for blind and partially sighted children, and a full-scale stage musical in Korea.
Alongside Anholt’s dazzling watercolor illustrations, this anniversary edition includes dozens of high-quality reproductions of the artists’ work, child-friendly biographies of the artists, and interactive questions for young readers. Each story is closely based on historical events and extensive research. In many cases, Anholt visited the artists’ homes and studios, walking in their footsteps and interviewing their relatives. He was granted private access to Monet’s house in Giverny and became close friends with Sylvette David (now Lydia Corbett), Picasso’s famous Girl with a Ponytail.
In order to make the artists and their worlds accessible to young readers, Anholt employs a unique device in which the events are seen through the eyes of a child protagonist who actually knew the artist. In this way, readers are able to “piggyback” through the story, and artists who might otherwise be inaccessible become humanized. On a subconscious level, the reader absorbs many inspirational themes such as kindness, self-esteem, perseverance, creativity, and courage.
Perhaps it is Anholt’s gentle storytelling or his handcrafted illustrations. Perhaps it is his love for children and passion for his subject. One way or another, a whole generation of readers have found a lifelong love of art through his stories. And now they are passing that precious gift to their own children. The gift of art is golden.
This volume features the following artists and their stories: Van Gogh and the Sunflowers, Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Cézanne and the Apple Boy, Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail, The Magical Garden of Claude Monet, Tell Us a Story, Papa Chagall, Degas and the Little Dancer, Leonardo and the Flying Boy.