The Obsidian Blade

Kicking off a riveting sci-fi trilogy, National Book Award winner Pete Hautman plunges us into a world where time is a tool — and the question is, who will control it?

The first time his father disappeared, Tucker Feye had just turned thirteen. The Reverend Feye simply climbed on the roof to fix a shingle, let out a scream, and vanished — only to walk up the driveway an hour later, looking older and worn, with a strange girl named Lahlia in tow. In the months that followed, Tucker watched his father grow distant and his once loving mother slide into madness. But then both of his parents disappear. Now in the care of his wild Uncle Kosh, Tucker begins to suspect that the disks of shimmering air he keeps seeing — one right on top of the roof — hold the answer to restoring his family. And when he dares to step into one, he’s launched on a time-twisting journey — from a small Midwestern town to a futuristic hospital run by digitally augmented healers, from the death of an ancient prophet to a forest at the end of time. Inevitably, Tucker’s actions alter the past and future, changing his world forever.

“Vivid imagination and deft storytelling make for refreshing speculative fiction in this time-travel tale... Part science fiction, part adventure, part mystery, but every bit engrossing; be sure to start the hold list for the sequel. -Kirkus Reviews (starred review) This fast-paced opener to the Klaatu Diskos trilogy will satiate adventure seekers, and the refined brain candy will be delicious to more thoughtful readers... Tantalizing. -Booklist (starred review)”

This might be Hautman’s most daring book yet. Throughout, Hautman raises significant issues concerning family, faith, and destiny. Well-developed and complex characters, a fascinating time travel framework (including dispatches from the far future), and a heart-stopping conclusion will leave readers looking forward to the next book.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Vivid imagination and deft storytelling make for refreshing speculative fiction in this time-travel tale... Part science fiction, part adventure, part mystery, but every bit engrossing; be sure to start the hold list for the sequel.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This fast-paced opener to the Klaatu Diskos trilogy will satiate adventure seekers, and the refined brain candy will be delicious to more thoughtful readers... Tantalizing.
—Booklist (starred review)

Hautman describes the series as what he would have liked to have read as a teen, and he’s got that right; with its blend of unpredictable past and future time travel, action sequences, exotic weaponry, mysterious villains, and an emergent band of unlikely allies, this will appeal to sci-fi oriented kids with gaming sensibilities.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The first of a planned trilogy plants Tucker and his family in a religious and ideological battle across time, hinting at intriguing developments to come. Grounded in historical events, Hautman’s novel projects our own “interesting times” into an even more frightening yet fascinating future.
—The Horn Book

Hautman has created a vivid and intricate world that bridges the present to the past with the possibilities of science fiction.
—VOYA

This first book in a planned trilogy is a briskly paced time travel adventure. There is plenty of action and mystery to keep the audience engaged as well as ample thought-provoking material for more serious readers to contemplate.
—Library Media Connection

There’s a lot happening here, so if you’re looking for the next best thing in science fiction, look no further.
—TeenReads.com

Pete Hautman is the author of many books, including the National Book Award-winning Godless and the time-travel adventure Mr. Was. He splits his time between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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