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Cover of The Eleventh Artifact

The Eleventh Artifact

David Collins (2026-05-27)

Subgenre
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingPG-13
Pages288 (Standard (250-400))
SeriesThe Artifact #
Setting
CSM age13

Content levels

ViolenceModerate
Sexual contentNone
LanguageMild

Synopsis

The crew of the Stardust III must investigate a strange planet detected by a remote ship dispatched by Mee Keralatazaku. They discover a planet populated by unusual aliens who are unaware of the extremely dangerous moon orbiting one of the other planets in their system. Something so dangerous that even Mee needs to tread carefully. They wind up rescuing survivors from a derelict, only to discover that they were not crew or passengers but test subjects, and that the species that captured them had no intention of keeping them alive. They have spent over 1,000 years in suspension chambers. When they return them to their planet of origin, it bears little resemblance to the one from which they were abducted. They find themselves juggling multiple situations, any one of which could blow up in their faces. They attempt to rescue the survivors of a doomed ship, only to discover the aliens aboard would rather fight to the death than be rescued. They discover a planet where all the predictive models said intelligent life would be impossible, yet it did evolve, and time is running out for them. What they need to survive is a planet that most would consider a nightmare…

Tags

Hard SFExplorationXenobiologyRescue Mission

Is The Eleventh Artifact appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 13 and up.

This space exploration adventure features perilous situations including the discovery of long-held captives, alien species willing to fight to the death, and time-sensitive rescue missions. Violence is present but not graphically detailed; focuses on ethical dilemmas and problem-solving.

What to know going in

This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include human trafficking, captivity, and death (see the full list above).

Publisher age: Adult·Our content rating: 13+

Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.

Who'll love this

Teen readers who love space exploration stories with multiple alien species, challenging rescue missions, and crew working together to solve impossible problems will enjoy this adventure.