Shadow Thieves: Island of Skulls
Format:Paperback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Published:4th Jun '26
Should be back in stock very soon
The second book in the prize-winning middle-grade action adventure thriller series from a New York Times best-selling author, new for 2026!
** SHADOW THIEVES (published as SCHOOL FOR THIEVES in the US) is the OVERALL WINNER of the Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Book Prize 2026!**
“Top marks” Observer
“Full of heart-pounding action" A.F. STEADMAN
“The real thing” MICHAEL GRANT
“A thrilling read” JONATHAN STROUD
“Propulsive pacing” Publishers’ Weekly starred review
SKANDAR MEETS OLIVER TWIST IN THIS BLOCKBUSTING MIDDLE-GRADE ADVENTURE SERIES – PERFECT FOR FANS OF PERCY JACKSON! Dare you step into the shadows once again?Tom and his new friends from Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts are taken on a treasure-hunting trip to a private island in the Mediterranean once owned by the great villain himself, the Duke of Nimes. The Duke is said to have hidden a spectacular treasure in the warrens, tunnels and caves that pepper the island – as well as a terrifying weapon.
Will Tom’s street-smarts keep him and his friends alive as they chase down the treasure? And who are the deadly double agents that are sabotaging everything?
Trust no one. This is not a game.
⚡️⛵️⚡️⚜️⚡️🧨⚡️
“Top marks” Observer
"Utterly fabulous” ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG
“Shadow Thieves is the real thing” MICHAEL GRANT
“A thrilling read!” JONATHAN STROUD
“Propulsive pacing and action packed plotting” Publishers’ Weekly starred review
“Genuinely gripping” — Editor’s Choice, BooksForKeeps Book 1 was one of Amazon’s Top 10 books for 2025! ⚡️⛵️⚡️⚜️⚡️🧨⚡️ Praise for book 1 in this incendiary series:
"This high-octane, fast-paced debut will be impossible to put down, especially for 9+ Skandar fans” – Imogen Russell Williams, Guardian
“A rip-snorting series opener … top marks” – Observer
“Fun, exciting and deliciously inventive” – Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller
“A mix of Dickensian atmosphere, Bond-like stunts and boarding school rivalries, this is a must for Harry Potter or Percy Jackson fans” – Daily Mail
“Destined to be every youngster’s must read!” – The Lancashire Evening Post,
“Propulsive pacing and action-packed plotting … a page-turning, edge-of-the-seat adventure. Meticulously unraveled secrets and personable characters will have readers clamoring for the next volume of this enthralling series starter” – Publishers’ Weekly starred review
“Clever, mysterious and the start of a promising new series” New Statesman
"Tom Morgan is exactly the kind of hero you want to follow into trouble. This series is fast paced, brilliantly plotted and full of heart-pounding action. Shadow Thieves promises exhilarating adventures and endless surprises." A.F. Steadman, author of the Skandar series
"I have never been as quickly hooked by a book as I have been reading Shadow Thieves by debut fiction author Peter Burns. Debut author? And it’s this good? Shadow Thieves is the real thing. Gripping from page one, this epic novel is a more grounded Percy Jackson, a fun read start to finish” — Michael Grant
“Utterly fabulous … engrossing and charmingly done” — Alexander Armstrong
"Dark, daring and delightful, packed with spectacular heists, stylish cons and breathtaking set-pieces, conjured with immense imagination and verve. A brilliant achievement and a thrilling read” – Jonathan Stroud
‘Deeply atmospheric, Shadow Thieves sweeps you along from one daring escapade to the next!’ Jack Jackman, author of Maisie vs Antarctica
ISBN: 9780008667849
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 26mm
Weight: 240g
352 pages