Aku Series

Aku, space traveler of the metaverse, is BACK and ready to blast off in book two of this action-packed sci-fi series, where he and his friends must travel to a fiery planet to recover a gem of untold power, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Starring the 3D character featured on TIME Magazine!

After saving the planet Ibra from a ruthless space militia, Aku is ready for a break. But when his grandfather announces an urgent mission to the fiery, lava-filled planet Pyra, Aku and his friends end up on their most dangerous mission yet.

What awaits them is a world forged in lava and legend. Here, ancient beings guard the GEM: a radiant core said to control the light of the universe. To claim the GEM, Aku’s crew must survive three deadly trials—racing through molten mazes, battling in a gravity-defying magmaball arena, and descending into the planet’s core itself—before Aku comes face-to-face with his greatest enemy…and the truth about his family’s past.

Filled with humor and high-octane twists, this is a cosmic coming-of-age story about courage, legacy, and the value of finding your winning team.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Blast off into a sci-fi adventure in this electrifying debut novel starring Aku—the groundbreaking 3D character who graced the cover of TIME Magazine.

This stellar hardcover edition features a special poster printed on the back of the book jacket, plus endpapers featuring Aku fan art from kids around the world.

“The plot is compelling and fast paced, with nonstop adventure….An entertaining sci-fi romp with grounded, real-world tween struggles.”—School Library Journal

Aku has always dreamed of becoming an astronaut. It’s easier to picture life among the stars than deal with the bully at school—or the pain of his grandfather’s mysterious disappearance. But when a strange space helmet shows up in his basement, Aku is pulled into something far bigger than he ever imagined.

The space helmet doesn’t just look cool—it teleports him to Ibra, a distant planet under siege. There, precious Lunaberries are being stolen by a ruthless space militia, and Aku’s grandfather may be the key to stopping them. With the help of his best friends and a few unlikely allies, Aku must dream bigger than ever before, find the courage to lead, and discover that bravery isn’t about having no fear—it’s about rising above it.