What do you think?
Rate this book
Daniel Coldstar #1
Daniel Coldstar #1: The Relic War
"Sci-fi has never been so much fun. I loved it!" - Eoin Colfer, bestselling author of Artemis Fowl
A Junior Library Guild selection Fall 2017!
Official Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/LuXHH8JJu08
THE GALAXY IS DIVIDED.
Aliens are extinct and humans are evolving in a thousand different ways. With rival star nations pitted against one another, any advantage can mean the difference between survival and destruction.
Deep inside a mine, on a long forgotten planet, Daniel Coldstar searches for relics from a lost alien civilization. Robbed of his memories just like the other boys who call themselves “grubs,” Daniel does not know where he comes from or how he got here. All he knows is that if he does not do the bidding of his fearsome masters, the Overseers, he too will be made to “disappear.”
That is, until the day he unearths a relic more powerful than anything he has ever seen.
If he hands it over, as he should, it would mean his certain doom. But if he keeps it, he just might be able to escape. . . .
Thus begins the epic outer space adventure filled with Truth Seekers, anatoms, Leechers, and the evil Sinja who seek to control the entire universe. All that stands in their way is a boy named Daniel Coldstar, whose journey will change the galaxy forever.
A Junior Library Guild selection Fall 2017!
Official Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/LuXHH8JJu08
THE GALAXY IS DIVIDED.
Aliens are extinct and humans are evolving in a thousand different ways. With rival star nations pitted against one another, any advantage can mean the difference between survival and destruction.
Deep inside a mine, on a long forgotten planet, Daniel Coldstar searches for relics from a lost alien civilization. Robbed of his memories just like the other boys who call themselves “grubs,” Daniel does not know where he comes from or how he got here. All he knows is that if he does not do the bidding of his fearsome masters, the Overseers, he too will be made to “disappear.”
That is, until the day he unearths a relic more powerful than anything he has ever seen.
If he hands it over, as he should, it would mean his certain doom. But if he keeps it, he just might be able to escape. . . .
Thus begins the epic outer space adventure filled with Truth Seekers, anatoms, Leechers, and the evil Sinja who seek to control the entire universe. All that stands in their way is a boy named Daniel Coldstar, whose journey will change the galaxy forever.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2017
About the author
Stel Pavlou
21 books148 followersStel Pavlou is the British international bestselling author of adult fiction. Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War is his first novel for young readers. Stel has written screenplays for Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson, and stories for Doctor Who. He lives in Colorado with his family, a dog named Rocket, and the ghosts of two chickens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 19, 2017
A Hero's Journey tale with all the excitement of a summer blockbuster movie, underscored with important themes about friendship, trust, truth, and knowledge.
Daniel Coldstar has the pacing of an action movie. It reads like a screenplay, carrying the reader along in a virtually non-stop flow of story, character development, and excitement.
YA science fiction is not a genre I'm usually drawn to, but only because I haven't given it a shot. I literally read this book in one sitting (about 280 pages, it took me a couple hours). It was like watching a movie. At the same time, Daniel Coldstar is a very literary book with outstanding sensory detail and deep philosophical themes.
The book is driven by big questions. For Daniel, and the reader, it's "Where did he go? Why is he back?" at the beginning. Questions drive the story - the search for answers pushes the character to action. Even bigger questions lurk in the subtext. Author Stel Pavlou tackles the very contemporary theme of truth. What is it? How do we know? What does it mean to seek it? Who controls what is true?
I'm an English and rhetoric teacher, so I love to dig into the underlying messages, Hero's Journey, and themes of a book, but don't get me wrong, this novel is a fast-paced action adventure I didn't want to put down (and didn't put down, until I finished it).
It's funny, too. Lots of little chuckles and smirks from me at many points. I laughed out loud at a scene where Daniel takes on a distinctly "Han Solo-ish" tone in response to a question about his robotic friend. It's a very, "No. No problem. Why?" moment that echos my favorite thing in the world, Star Wars, both literally in the rhythm and beats of the conversation and thematically. Can Daniel trust these people who appear to want to help him? Can he trust anyone? With his spotty memory (erased, but by whom? Why?), can he even trust himself?
The cast of characters includes terrifying "Overseers" and "Nightwatchers," wizard-like mentors, quirky sidekicks, and a protagonist who is at once wise beyond his years and a typical 12 year-old boy. The latter provides lots of opportunities for contemplating big questions about the human condition as well as awkward preteen encounters with (gulp) GIRLS.
I was given an advanced copy of the book, which is scheduled for release near the end of this year. I expected to like the book, but I actually loved it. Yes, it took me on a fantastic adventure at lightning speed, but it is a smart book that doesn't talk down to its target audience of 8-12 year-olds. As a result, adults like me can enjoy it as well. It has positive messages for male and female readers.
The book brings its story to a satisfying conclusion, but clearly sets this up as a series of books. I highly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series!
Daniel Coldstar has the pacing of an action movie. It reads like a screenplay, carrying the reader along in a virtually non-stop flow of story, character development, and excitement.
YA science fiction is not a genre I'm usually drawn to, but only because I haven't given it a shot. I literally read this book in one sitting (about 280 pages, it took me a couple hours). It was like watching a movie. At the same time, Daniel Coldstar is a very literary book with outstanding sensory detail and deep philosophical themes.
The book is driven by big questions. For Daniel, and the reader, it's "Where did he go? Why is he back?" at the beginning. Questions drive the story - the search for answers pushes the character to action. Even bigger questions lurk in the subtext. Author Stel Pavlou tackles the very contemporary theme of truth. What is it? How do we know? What does it mean to seek it? Who controls what is true?
I'm an English and rhetoric teacher, so I love to dig into the underlying messages, Hero's Journey, and themes of a book, but don't get me wrong, this novel is a fast-paced action adventure I didn't want to put down (and didn't put down, until I finished it).
It's funny, too. Lots of little chuckles and smirks from me at many points. I laughed out loud at a scene where Daniel takes on a distinctly "Han Solo-ish" tone in response to a question about his robotic friend. It's a very, "No. No problem. Why?" moment that echos my favorite thing in the world, Star Wars, both literally in the rhythm and beats of the conversation and thematically. Can Daniel trust these people who appear to want to help him? Can he trust anyone? With his spotty memory (erased, but by whom? Why?), can he even trust himself?
The cast of characters includes terrifying "Overseers" and "Nightwatchers," wizard-like mentors, quirky sidekicks, and a protagonist who is at once wise beyond his years and a typical 12 year-old boy. The latter provides lots of opportunities for contemplating big questions about the human condition as well as awkward preteen encounters with (gulp) GIRLS.
I was given an advanced copy of the book, which is scheduled for release near the end of this year. I expected to like the book, but I actually loved it. Yes, it took me on a fantastic adventure at lightning speed, but it is a smart book that doesn't talk down to its target audience of 8-12 year-olds. As a result, adults like me can enjoy it as well. It has positive messages for male and female readers.
The book brings its story to a satisfying conclusion, but clearly sets this up as a series of books. I highly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series!
May 27, 2017
We read this to our 8 yr old and it literally rocked her world. If you are a fan of the Star Wars, Percy Jackson or Harry Potter type stories, you'll love Daniel Coldstar! Pavlou presents brand new worlds to take in and lots of fun sci-fi imagery and concepts, nail-biting action, and really solid and enjoyable characters (from heroic to awesomely creepy!). It already feels like a classic. There are some wonderful events and twists that challenge your critical thinking skills, and kids get to witness how easily the truth can be manipulated into confusing lies. A really great, imaginative and original story. So fun! (We read an ARC of this book and I can only imagine it is going to do very well.)
July 20, 2017
Slow, Slow Start and then It's Pure Space Adventure
O. K., let's be honest here. This book starts verrry slowly. I've been in these grim, gritty, dystopian mines populated by child slaves a lot. Alien Overseers with electric prods, memory wipes on our disoriented hero, gruel - the whole ten yards. My thought was that we better get a relic found and a plot going pretty soon. Sure, everything is well described and nicely atmospheric and dark and alien and loaded with portent, and sure we have hints about who's going to be the sidekick and why our hero is going to be the hero, but let's get going. What held me was that all of this was done well, the grit was very creative, there were touches of dry humor that hinted at more energy and zip to come, and our hero was engaging enough to keep my interest.
Well, exactly at page 52 we hit pay dirt and the story takes off. Within two pages we have a powerful relic, an escape, and a bunch of new hints and suggestions about what, exactly, is going on. The book continues with an I'd-tell-you-more-but-I-don't-have-the-time-right-now vibe, but at least you get enough to figure out most of what's going on most of the time, and that vague hidden-explanation ploy is an honorable way to build and maintain tension. Anyway, from the escape on this tale opens up and goes epic.
The chapters still keep opening with Daniel seemingly never knowing where he is, what he's doing, where he's going, or what happens next, but that becomes part of the fun. Early on Daniel ends up with a cybernetic rat sidekick, and while that sounds a little precious it turns out that his pal, Hex, is just what the doctor ordered. Apart from being very funny, in a deadpan sort of way, Hex ends up being the monologuer who guides Daniel through the next steps in his grand adventure. After that, well, we fall in with a gang of teen heroes and the epic adventure begins. These new players round out team Daniel nicely, and we get a buddy-friendship adventure that is spirited, good-natured and immediately comfortable and well-balanced.
The upshot is that by the halfway point we have a lot of players, we have a fine cast of root-for-able characters, we are committed to Daniel, and it appears that we're the good guys trying to save the universe from the bad guys. If that feels pretty Star Wars to you, well, swell. I've been ready for a new Star Wars that isn't actually part of the ever-growing Star Wars franchise, and this looks like it will serve quite nicely. And being well-written, fast paced, funny in a lot of different ways, and creative in a not-overworked fashion certainly helps. This was a nice and fun find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
O. K., let's be honest here. This book starts verrry slowly. I've been in these grim, gritty, dystopian mines populated by child slaves a lot. Alien Overseers with electric prods, memory wipes on our disoriented hero, gruel - the whole ten yards. My thought was that we better get a relic found and a plot going pretty soon. Sure, everything is well described and nicely atmospheric and dark and alien and loaded with portent, and sure we have hints about who's going to be the sidekick and why our hero is going to be the hero, but let's get going. What held me was that all of this was done well, the grit was very creative, there were touches of dry humor that hinted at more energy and zip to come, and our hero was engaging enough to keep my interest.
Well, exactly at page 52 we hit pay dirt and the story takes off. Within two pages we have a powerful relic, an escape, and a bunch of new hints and suggestions about what, exactly, is going on. The book continues with an I'd-tell-you-more-but-I-don't-have-the-time-right-now vibe, but at least you get enough to figure out most of what's going on most of the time, and that vague hidden-explanation ploy is an honorable way to build and maintain tension. Anyway, from the escape on this tale opens up and goes epic.
The chapters still keep opening with Daniel seemingly never knowing where he is, what he's doing, where he's going, or what happens next, but that becomes part of the fun. Early on Daniel ends up with a cybernetic rat sidekick, and while that sounds a little precious it turns out that his pal, Hex, is just what the doctor ordered. Apart from being very funny, in a deadpan sort of way, Hex ends up being the monologuer who guides Daniel through the next steps in his grand adventure. After that, well, we fall in with a gang of teen heroes and the epic adventure begins. These new players round out team Daniel nicely, and we get a buddy-friendship adventure that is spirited, good-natured and immediately comfortable and well-balanced.
The upshot is that by the halfway point we have a lot of players, we have a fine cast of root-for-able characters, we are committed to Daniel, and it appears that we're the good guys trying to save the universe from the bad guys. If that feels pretty Star Wars to you, well, swell. I've been ready for a new Star Wars that isn't actually part of the ever-growing Star Wars franchise, and this looks like it will serve quite nicely. And being well-written, fast paced, funny in a lot of different ways, and creative in a not-overworked fashion certainly helps. This was a nice and fun find.
(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
June 27, 2017
"Finding the truth is a lifelong journey and it is never an easy one. That is the way of the truth seeker. Remember, the biggest mistake we can make is to stop asking questions; not only of others, but ourselves."
Normally I am not one who turns to Sci-Fi when I am looking for a book, but this book was full with action and intrigue. I can't wait for the next story in the series . This story comes out in November.
Normally I am not one who turns to Sci-Fi when I am looking for a book, but this book was full with action and intrigue. I can't wait for the next story in the series . This story comes out in November.
November 4, 2019
Disclaimer #1: I'm an admirer of Stel Pavlou's writing (in particular Decipher)
Disclaimer #2: I am a fan of science fiction (particularly the action/adventure style, rather than hard sci fi)
Disclaimer #3: I do not, as a general rule, like children's/YA books
This was my dilemma, but in the end, I had to read Daniel Coldstar, the two positives outweighing the negative. Was it the right decision? Absolutely! That it's well written almost goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway - it's very well written. And the setting, while a little over-familiar at the start, and the action is overflowing with everything I love reading in a good science fiction adventure. The only downside, but one I was prepared for, is that the heroes are in the child/YA age-group (not my favourite) and, just occasionally, the onomatopoeic sound effects grated with me. But the characters are believable and, where they are meant to be, likeable, and the story intriguing and exciting. There is a lot of nice humour too, falling somewhere between Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett (no criticism in that), which comes from the characters rather than over-manipulated situations. It all works. In summary, I soon forgot my misgivings about audience age and thoroughly enjoyed what is, in the end, a wonderful science fiction adventure for all ages. Looking forward to the next book.
Disclaimer #2: I am a fan of science fiction (particularly the action/adventure style, rather than hard sci fi)
Disclaimer #3: I do not, as a general rule, like children's/YA books
This was my dilemma, but in the end, I had to read Daniel Coldstar, the two positives outweighing the negative. Was it the right decision? Absolutely! That it's well written almost goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway - it's very well written. And the setting, while a little over-familiar at the start, and the action is overflowing with everything I love reading in a good science fiction adventure. The only downside, but one I was prepared for, is that the heroes are in the child/YA age-group (not my favourite) and, just occasionally, the onomatopoeic sound effects grated with me. But the characters are believable and, where they are meant to be, likeable, and the story intriguing and exciting. There is a lot of nice humour too, falling somewhere between Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett (no criticism in that), which comes from the characters rather than over-manipulated situations. It all works. In summary, I soon forgot my misgivings about audience age and thoroughly enjoyed what is, in the end, a wonderful science fiction adventure for all ages. Looking forward to the next book.
November 16, 2017
By the first paragraph I was totally hooked, and stayed hooked right to the end. I can't wait to read the next one!!!
This is a great syfy book for any age, I'm an adult and I loved it.
It is nice to be able to find a good syfy book, especially one that is more original.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
This is a great syfy book for any age, I'm an adult and I loved it.
It is nice to be able to find a good syfy book, especially one that is more original.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
November 5, 2017
If you enjoy sci-fi books, you will probably enjoy this one.
October 16, 2017
Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War is a book that should be on middle schoolers shelf. An epic tale of a boy lost on an unknown planet, with an equally lost memory. What emerges is an adventure that takes Daniel through the galaxy not only in search of where he is, but more importantly who he is. To help his new found understanding along the way, is a cast full of characters eager to help Daniel to find his pathway out of the mines and to become the hero he’s meant to be.
But this is so much more than a simple sci-fi book. Our hero has to relearn if you will, what he is even fighting against., as he doesn’t always know who to trust or believe. Daniel teaches vital life lessons about friendship and courage and morals. I would give this my highest recommendation and eagerly look forward to the next installment of this series. I was fortunate to be given a ARC copy of the book, but that in no way obligated me to write this review. All the credit goes to Stel Pavlou and Harper Collins for recognizing this wonderful story.
But this is so much more than a simple sci-fi book. Our hero has to relearn if you will, what he is even fighting against., as he doesn’t always know who to trust or believe. Daniel teaches vital life lessons about friendship and courage and morals. I would give this my highest recommendation and eagerly look forward to the next installment of this series. I was fortunate to be given a ARC copy of the book, but that in no way obligated me to write this review. All the credit goes to Stel Pavlou and Harper Collins for recognizing this wonderful story.
October 15, 2017
This story keeps the reader entertained until the very end. It has lots of twists and turns. Add to that its an outer space adventure.
June 21, 2017
I'm an equal opportunity reader and I do like reading books geared towards middle grades. I received this ARC from a friend who thought that I'd really enjoy the book and I did. The book starts out a little slow as the author is building the world, characters and language all at once. After about 50 pages - the story line and the adventure for Daniel Coldstar really picked up.
I enjoyed the plot and characters and the "twist" at the end. I too really liked the quote "Remember, the biggest mistake we can make is to stop asking questions; not only of others, but of ourselves." I thought what a great lesson to give the kids that would read this book.
I have nieces that are in the middle grade category and I wouldn't hesitate recommending this book to them.
I enjoyed the plot and characters and the "twist" at the end. I too really liked the quote "Remember, the biggest mistake we can make is to stop asking questions; not only of others, but of ourselves." I thought what a great lesson to give the kids that would read this book.
I have nieces that are in the middle grade category and I wouldn't hesitate recommending this book to them.
July 8, 2017
Review from my 13 year old daughter, Ella.
I found the novel Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War very entertaining and a great privilege to read prior to its publication. This story is very exciting and constantly has you wondering what is going to happen next. I enjoyed the new planets, characters, and artifacts Mr. Pavlou has created. I loved were it took my imagination! There are so many wonderful characters, but I have to admit, Hexadecimal is my favorite. The plot was intriguing and exciting and I couldn't wait for what was next! I really hope there will be a sequel to this story, I would love to see the story continue. In my opinion, both girls and boys around my age would love this story!
I found the novel Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War very entertaining and a great privilege to read prior to its publication. This story is very exciting and constantly has you wondering what is going to happen next. I enjoyed the new planets, characters, and artifacts Mr. Pavlou has created. I loved were it took my imagination! There are so many wonderful characters, but I have to admit, Hexadecimal is my favorite. The plot was intriguing and exciting and I couldn't wait for what was next! I really hope there will be a sequel to this story, I would love to see the story continue. In my opinion, both girls and boys around my age would love this story!
December 5, 2017
The world that Stel Pavlou creates in this novel is so well-constructed and so fantastically imaginative that I felt like I was reading a classic from the golden age of science fiction, while at the same time marveling at how fresh and relevant it feels for 2017 readers. This is a book I highly recommend to anyone — child or adult — who's into expertly written fiction that's loaded with action scene after action scene. I just hope that Mr. Pavlou's sequel comes out asap, because I now have a serious DANIEL COLDSTAR hangover. Thank you for introducing the world to Daniel. I hope we'll be seeing much more of him in the future!
August 1, 2017
So, WOW. "Nothing is freer than the truth... but lies serve a master." This middle-grade sci-fi has series written all over it, and has some tough questions that are very relevant today. Daniel Coldstar reminds me of other great fantasy series protagonists (Harry and Percy, to name just two) and it's clear that Daniel's quest will be long, arduous, and have dire consequences if it goes wrong. I'm looking forward to learning more about the future universe Pavlou created and seeing where Daniel's journey takes him!
August 18, 2017
Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War was a pretty good book; however the characters were not well introduced. Later on in the story I started to understand who the characters were, but every time a character was in a sentence, I had to think back about who that character was. On the contrary, the plot was well done. It had me reading until 2 in the morning just to finish the book. This book is very detailed, and describes the setting vividly. For anyone looking for a book with sci-fi, action, fighting, or some good futuristic wars, The Relic War is perfect.
May 16, 2017
This addicting space adventure quickly draws you in to the mystery of how Daniel came to be where he is and the larger implications of his situation. With themes of truth, perspective, friendship and... betrayal, this book is difficult to put down. Plus it is great fun to find a book our whole family (ages 8 to 80) can enjoy! When will the next one be out?!?
April 22, 2023
Sci Fy is not a genre I usually choose and I was a little nervous about reading it. My daughter and I won an ARC and I decided to give it a try. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The imagery was so clear and I could see this becoming a movie.
Any troubles reading this came from Sci Fy being a foreign genre to me and not the writing.
Any troubles reading this came from Sci Fy being a foreign genre to me and not the writing.
June 4, 2017
This book was so fun to read! I highly recommend it! There were so many twists and turns with every chapter. I loved how we learned more and more as the story unfolds... it was captivating and a real adventure!
Read
June 25, 2018I loved how the conflict is based. The agents of truth, the truth seekers, want peace, but the agents of lies, the Sinja, want war for their own gain. The characters are well developed with their various histories and personalities. The humor is definitely targeting young adults! A fun read!
August 28, 2017
Thoughtful and wildly entertaining story. I could not put down the book and read it straight through. A definite must read for any sci-fi lover.
July 19, 2019
Michael learns that he has been mining for ancient relics for the powerful Overseers soon after his memories were wiped - and when he stumbles upon a relic of his own, he decides to escape the mines and find help before his fellow slaves are dragged into a terrifying battle against their wills. Pavlou begins an exciting science fiction adventure for young readers that offers fun characters and fast-paced action. Can Michael figure out the secrets of his relic before it ends up getting him killed?
February 1, 2018
great, quick read. A fun look scifi look at corruption and truth. Kids thinks in such black and white, it's always interesting to expose them to the complicated gray, in the safety of their own homes.
April 25, 2018
Pavlou, Stel Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War 287 pgs., HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99, Language: G (0 swears, 0 “F”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG
Daniel Coldstar does not know who he is. All he knows is the mine in which he spends his days mining for relics. When he stumbles across a powerful relic, Daniel has the chance to change his life, and the life of all the other miners he lives with. The adventure that follows will ultimately shape who he is, but is he willing to risk his life?
This book was amazing. It was full of exciting plot turns and fun characters. Violence is PG because there are some fights and blood.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: JM(9th grade)
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Daniel Coldstar does not know who he is. All he knows is the mine in which he spends his days mining for relics. When he stumbles across a powerful relic, Daniel has the chance to change his life, and the life of all the other miners he lives with. The adventure that follows will ultimately shape who he is, but is he willing to risk his life?
This book was amazing. It was full of exciting plot turns and fun characters. Violence is PG because there are some fights and blood.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: JM(9th grade)
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
February 27, 2018
This was a fun quick read. Pavlou creates a rich, expansive universe in just a few hundred pages. I would recommend this book for children and adults alike, but most especially any sci-fi adventure lovers. I am excited to read Daniel's next adventures!
May 27, 2020
My 14-year-old son loved this one! We had to request it from another library via "Interlibrary loan," but it was well worth the wait.
Setting: The year is 4182, somewhere in outer space. When we meet Daniel, his mind has been wiped and he's plopped back into his bunk. While all the grubs (other kids) around him recognize him, he has no idea who he is or how he got to this forsaken mining shaft. He re-meets Nails, a good friend who has, well, nails growing where hair should, and Blink, a steadfast friend.
The children are forced to mine for lost relics of an advanced civilization in the rock for the Overseers, a race of horrible, hideous creatures who make the boys disappear for the smallest infraction of their arbitrary rules. It has the feel of a Nazi concentration work camp, with the kids forced to mine every day with large animals called Trabasaurs, a sort of triceratops / ankylosaurus mix with bad tempers and clubs on their tails that are used to whale away at the rock. After sifting through the rubble, the boys are given only meager rations, wear tattered rags and sleep stacked in barracks. Escape is a distant dream, pushed out of their minds by the horrible prospect of being thrown in the pit.
But then Daniel actually finds a relic. It attaches itself to his chest. He can't get it off. But it also protects him, shielding him from the Overseer With it protecting him, he launches on a mad-cap escape from the mine to the surface and beyond as a stowaway on a Truth Seeker vessel where he learns the grubs are but pawns in a game of intergalactic war.
Can he convince the Truth Seekers to save his friends? Or will they believe the lies and the mis-truths of the evil Sinja, who will do anything to win this war -- including kidnapping and weaving children into their evil plot -- once and for all.
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.strikingly.com/
Setting: The year is 4182, somewhere in outer space. When we meet Daniel, his mind has been wiped and he's plopped back into his bunk. While all the grubs (other kids) around him recognize him, he has no idea who he is or how he got to this forsaken mining shaft. He re-meets Nails, a good friend who has, well, nails growing where hair should, and Blink, a steadfast friend.
The children are forced to mine for lost relics of an advanced civilization in the rock for the Overseers, a race of horrible, hideous creatures who make the boys disappear for the smallest infraction of their arbitrary rules. It has the feel of a Nazi concentration work camp, with the kids forced to mine every day with large animals called Trabasaurs, a sort of triceratops / ankylosaurus mix with bad tempers and clubs on their tails that are used to whale away at the rock. After sifting through the rubble, the boys are given only meager rations, wear tattered rags and sleep stacked in barracks. Escape is a distant dream, pushed out of their minds by the horrible prospect of being thrown in the pit.
But then Daniel actually finds a relic. It attaches itself to his chest. He can't get it off. But it also protects him, shielding him from the Overseer With it protecting him, he launches on a mad-cap escape from the mine to the surface and beyond as a stowaway on a Truth Seeker vessel where he learns the grubs are but pawns in a game of intergalactic war.
Can he convince the Truth Seekers to save his friends? Or will they believe the lies and the mis-truths of the evil Sinja, who will do anything to win this war -- including kidnapping and weaving children into their evil plot -- once and for all.
Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.strikingly.com/
July 8, 2017
We read an Advance Copy of this book, and we loved every single page of it! I read the book over several nights to my 8 year old daughter, and each night, she would beg me to keep going. From its first pages, the story really makes its characters come alive. It sets in motion a battle between the forces of good and evil. Each chapter leaves the reader wanting more, the energy building to propel the story forward. The pace was masterfully done. From my perspective, I loved the author's lively word choices, his clever use of descriptions and sound, and his story-telling abilities. I, too, was drawn into the story and found myself eager to continue reading, even though I'm typically not a fan of sci-fi lit. For me, the fantasy and sci-fi aspects were not too "out there;" they were thoroughly easy to visualize and added to the story line. My daughter and I cheered together for Daniel when he overcame obstacles, despaired with him when he faced heartache, and found ourselves on the edge of our seats, often. We are already eager for the next book in the series.
May 1, 2021
Daniel Coldstar, The Relic War. By Stel Pavlou
Report by James, age 11 11/12, 4/17/21
Daniel Coldstar is a slave, along with thousands of other children, forced to work in this mine trying to find relics from a lost civilization. They wipe all of the slaves’ memories so that whenever they even start to think about escaping, “poof,” the memory is gone. They don’t remember their parents or anything. The book starts when Daniel Coldstar is thrown into “the stacks,” or the dormitory, and a bunch of people recognize him, but he does not recognize them because it turns out his memory has just been wiped. One day as he is mining there is a cave-in caused by someone who is not very fond of Daniel Coldstar. The reason for this is that he was assigned to Daniel’s hammertail, a genetically modified beast with a big ball of spikes on its tail used for mining. Daniel witnessed him beating Alice (the hammertail), and Daniel has a big connection with Alice. When he witnesses the unnecessary beating he vaults over the fence and punches him in the face. He gets landed in solitary confinement, or “the pit.” When he figures out how to use his floating light he sees his name scratched on the wall many, many times. “How many times have I been in here?” he wonders. “You’d think I’d learn my lesson!”
Once he gets helped out of solitary confinement, it had an unintended effect as far as the people who put them there because he now remembers a little bit and is more defiant than ever. Back to the cave in: the guy he punched in the face caused it indirectly. But it ended up causing a cave in and he found a relic. He has an emergency rescue device. You plug it into its slot and it transmits your coordinates to the overseers, very scary hardly human, and they send one to rescue you. He finds the transmit button, lifts it, and yells “Relic,” and before he knows it a whole team of overseers is there, but not because they care about him: they care about the relic. The overseers tell him “grab the relic!” So he does. He picks it up, and it attaches itself to his chest and it won’t come off. As he found the relic, a door opened in the side of the cave and the overseers sent another prisoner / slave in – the one who had the grudge against Daniel – to check it out. His f-light wouldn’t work; it was too big. Daniel was told to go assist the other guy who was exploring the new room. As this is happening the grudge dude spotted the relic on Daniel’s chest and yells to the overseers “He’s stealing a relic!” The relic acts up and sends out like a miniature tornado that slams all of the overseers against the wall, unconscious or dead. By this time several of the other grubs (slaves) had made it over and they see the giant room. They decide “You know what, if they find us they’re going to wipe our memories anyway, so we might as well explore this.” They start exploring the room and move into the next room and come face to face with an overseer. Or at least it looks like one. It turns out it’s actually a set of armor for an overseer, stood up. It turns out there isn’t just one but hundreds of thousands. It turns out this armor is most of what they were supposed to be mining for. Daniel continues and actually finds a gravity generator – for whatever reason he knew what that was. He wonders where the heck he is. He wanders around and finds a giant machine with his friends inside of it. An evil creature then finds Daniel. It is called a “sinja,” and it points at a jar and tells Daniel that the contents of the jar are Daniel’s mind, and should Daniel ever leave or try to escape the mine, Daniel will die. Daniel does not believe him and thinks the sinja is probably bluffing, but he doesn’t know for sure. The sinja appears outside his mind (he’d been talking to him inside his mind) and says “You have ruined everything! I’m going to kill you!” He lies to Daniel and says the relic on Daniels‘s chest, called an Aegis, is a feeble weapon. Daniel responds by using it to slice the sinja in half. Daniel finds one of his close friends from the mine and they both find a way to the surface. His friend runs right out, but Daniel, remembering the words of the sinja, is afraid he might die. So he walks out about 30 paces and waits to die. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t! But the overseers soon find them and chase them toward a cliff they didn’t know was there and corner them. They say “It’s over, report back to the mines or you’ll be in even more trouble.” The friend says “Come back for me,” and shoves Daniel off the cliff, figuring the Aegis will probably save him. Below the cliff is a wrecked and ruined city. The overseers flying companions, called Night Watchers, follow him. He knows he needs cover fast, and since he landed on the roof of a sky scraper he goes inside and hides. He can see there are massive ships and freighters, and loaders. They’re all loading up into ships going to a massive freighter. He figures the freighter is going somewhere and that anywhere is better than here, so as he is running from the Nigh Watchers he jumps on a loader. The Night Watchers see this, but Daniel realizes that his mine rescue device can, when activated, transmit his exact coordinates. So he drops it down into the city below and rides his loader to the freighter.
I will end here because it gets confusing. The freighter is rather small by merchant standards, just 167 miles long, 15 miles deep, and a crew of 70. That comes a little later in the book, but I’ll end before there are any serious spoilers because most of this happens in the first quarter of the book.
One thing I have to say about the book is that the writer is good, but he’s part of that trend where you make a chapter every two pages. So there are a lot of chapters. This can be a little annoying.
I liked this book and think it was good quality science fiction. I would recommend it to most kids ages 10 through 13 who enjoy science fiction. Four stars.
Report by James, age 11 11/12, 4/17/21
Daniel Coldstar is a slave, along with thousands of other children, forced to work in this mine trying to find relics from a lost civilization. They wipe all of the slaves’ memories so that whenever they even start to think about escaping, “poof,” the memory is gone. They don’t remember their parents or anything. The book starts when Daniel Coldstar is thrown into “the stacks,” or the dormitory, and a bunch of people recognize him, but he does not recognize them because it turns out his memory has just been wiped. One day as he is mining there is a cave-in caused by someone who is not very fond of Daniel Coldstar. The reason for this is that he was assigned to Daniel’s hammertail, a genetically modified beast with a big ball of spikes on its tail used for mining. Daniel witnessed him beating Alice (the hammertail), and Daniel has a big connection with Alice. When he witnesses the unnecessary beating he vaults over the fence and punches him in the face. He gets landed in solitary confinement, or “the pit.” When he figures out how to use his floating light he sees his name scratched on the wall many, many times. “How many times have I been in here?” he wonders. “You’d think I’d learn my lesson!”
Once he gets helped out of solitary confinement, it had an unintended effect as far as the people who put them there because he now remembers a little bit and is more defiant than ever. Back to the cave in: the guy he punched in the face caused it indirectly. But it ended up causing a cave in and he found a relic. He has an emergency rescue device. You plug it into its slot and it transmits your coordinates to the overseers, very scary hardly human, and they send one to rescue you. He finds the transmit button, lifts it, and yells “Relic,” and before he knows it a whole team of overseers is there, but not because they care about him: they care about the relic. The overseers tell him “grab the relic!” So he does. He picks it up, and it attaches itself to his chest and it won’t come off. As he found the relic, a door opened in the side of the cave and the overseers sent another prisoner / slave in – the one who had the grudge against Daniel – to check it out. His f-light wouldn’t work; it was too big. Daniel was told to go assist the other guy who was exploring the new room. As this is happening the grudge dude spotted the relic on Daniel’s chest and yells to the overseers “He’s stealing a relic!” The relic acts up and sends out like a miniature tornado that slams all of the overseers against the wall, unconscious or dead. By this time several of the other grubs (slaves) had made it over and they see the giant room. They decide “You know what, if they find us they’re going to wipe our memories anyway, so we might as well explore this.” They start exploring the room and move into the next room and come face to face with an overseer. Or at least it looks like one. It turns out it’s actually a set of armor for an overseer, stood up. It turns out there isn’t just one but hundreds of thousands. It turns out this armor is most of what they were supposed to be mining for. Daniel continues and actually finds a gravity generator – for whatever reason he knew what that was. He wonders where the heck he is. He wanders around and finds a giant machine with his friends inside of it. An evil creature then finds Daniel. It is called a “sinja,” and it points at a jar and tells Daniel that the contents of the jar are Daniel’s mind, and should Daniel ever leave or try to escape the mine, Daniel will die. Daniel does not believe him and thinks the sinja is probably bluffing, but he doesn’t know for sure. The sinja appears outside his mind (he’d been talking to him inside his mind) and says “You have ruined everything! I’m going to kill you!” He lies to Daniel and says the relic on Daniels‘s chest, called an Aegis, is a feeble weapon. Daniel responds by using it to slice the sinja in half. Daniel finds one of his close friends from the mine and they both find a way to the surface. His friend runs right out, but Daniel, remembering the words of the sinja, is afraid he might die. So he walks out about 30 paces and waits to die. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t! But the overseers soon find them and chase them toward a cliff they didn’t know was there and corner them. They say “It’s over, report back to the mines or you’ll be in even more trouble.” The friend says “Come back for me,” and shoves Daniel off the cliff, figuring the Aegis will probably save him. Below the cliff is a wrecked and ruined city. The overseers flying companions, called Night Watchers, follow him. He knows he needs cover fast, and since he landed on the roof of a sky scraper he goes inside and hides. He can see there are massive ships and freighters, and loaders. They’re all loading up into ships going to a massive freighter. He figures the freighter is going somewhere and that anywhere is better than here, so as he is running from the Nigh Watchers he jumps on a loader. The Night Watchers see this, but Daniel realizes that his mine rescue device can, when activated, transmit his exact coordinates. So he drops it down into the city below and rides his loader to the freighter.
I will end here because it gets confusing. The freighter is rather small by merchant standards, just 167 miles long, 15 miles deep, and a crew of 70. That comes a little later in the book, but I’ll end before there are any serious spoilers because most of this happens in the first quarter of the book.
One thing I have to say about the book is that the writer is good, but he’s part of that trend where you make a chapter every two pages. So there are a lot of chapters. This can be a little annoying.
I liked this book and think it was good quality science fiction. I would recommend it to most kids ages 10 through 13 who enjoy science fiction. Four stars.
June 12, 2017
This book is outside the genres I usually read, but I had seen comments about it from friends online and was fortunate to receive an advance reader copy, so I decided I would give it a whirl. The first 50 pages or so were a little tough for me to get through, with the author introducing not only multiple characters but an entirely new universe. However, after that point, things moved fast, and I really enjoyed the book. It left me wanting more of the characters and the story line.
There was a twist near the end of the book that I definitely didn't see coming! (Don't want to say more than that and spoil it.) Actually, I didn't predict the ending of the book at all, which to me is a sign of a good book.
Daniel is a relatable character, and I found the universe in which this book is set very intriguing. The author is very imaginative!
There was a twist near the end of the book that I definitely didn't see coming! (Don't want to say more than that and spoil it.) Actually, I didn't predict the ending of the book at all, which to me is a sign of a good book.
Daniel is a relatable character, and I found the universe in which this book is set very intriguing. The author is very imaginative!
June 14, 2017
Such a fun adventure! My husband and I took turns reading this book with our daughter most nights before bed. She would continually ask to read more and more chapters, pushing back her bedtime, and even asked to read it in the mornings before my husband left for work (how cute is that?!) So many interesting characters and unexpected surprises. The Chapters are short, you fly through them. We enjoyed every one!
July 15, 2017
@DanielColdstar is an engaging #scifi adventure for all ages. There's a whole new world to explore this Fall. I can't wait to share this @JrLibraryGuild selection with students.
December 19, 2018
I was kind of disappointed by this book. I went into it with very high expectations. Daniel Coldstar has an amazing concept but the writing style was just too choppy. It felt like it never eased into anything. It was like “They did this. They did this. They also did this.” Instead of “They did this, this, and they also did this.” It’s hard to explain but that’s the bulk of it. The second part is I don’t feel like we got enough background and world building. The book would’ve been much bigger if more world building was involved. But as I said the concept is great and sci-fi is always really hard to write, especially at a middle grade level.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews