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The Chronicles of Daniel Stone #1
The Seventh Seal
From author A.J Dobbs comes a New Fantasy Adventure that will leave you thinking about life in a whole new way!
Fifteen year old Daniel Stone’s world is turned upside down when he his kidnapped by the villainous Odling Smee. He learns that his late father was one of the seven Keepers of Thera charged with maintaining the balance of life on Earth and its alternate self Arthe and that this great responsibility has now fallen on him.
Smee is intent on overthrowing the Keepers and taking control of life itself and Daniel, as heir to the Seventh Seal, now stands in his way!
Daniel has to come to terms with the lies and deceit of his parents as well as the burden of his father’s inheritance as his life heads uncontrollably into a future he could never have imagined. His childhood now lost he has to face the heavyweight of adult responsibility.
The Seventh Seal is a fast paced page-turner that weaves effortlessly between the interconnected worlds of Earth, Arthe and Thera to keep you guessing and questioning as science fact is mixed with fantasy to create new worlds with amazing possibilities…
Fifteen year old Daniel Stone’s world is turned upside down when he his kidnapped by the villainous Odling Smee. He learns that his late father was one of the seven Keepers of Thera charged with maintaining the balance of life on Earth and its alternate self Arthe and that this great responsibility has now fallen on him.
Smee is intent on overthrowing the Keepers and taking control of life itself and Daniel, as heir to the Seventh Seal, now stands in his way!
Daniel has to come to terms with the lies and deceit of his parents as well as the burden of his father’s inheritance as his life heads uncontrollably into a future he could never have imagined. His childhood now lost he has to face the heavyweight of adult responsibility.
The Seventh Seal is a fast paced page-turner that weaves effortlessly between the interconnected worlds of Earth, Arthe and Thera to keep you guessing and questioning as science fact is mixed with fantasy to create new worlds with amazing possibilities…
- GenresYoung AdultFantasy
258 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 24, 2015
I have to say I love the cover to this book. It reminds me of The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman and in many ways the story telling compares favourably with it. Definitely an adventure with plenty of intrigue and an intricate plot, I was quickly immersed in the story and enjoyed it to the very last page. Nicely set up for another book I'm very much looking forward to it.
May 22, 2016
I begin this review before having finished the book...
The basic premise of "The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone Book I)" is that of multiple dimensions of earth; Earth & Arthe are twins, and then there's Thera. Thera is like an axis wherein the 'balance' between good and evil, natural and unnatural is maintained.
This balance is overseen by The (Seal)Keepers, by means of the regulus, a mechanism which has abilities of observation remarkably similar to our most powerful of surveillance satellites!
The Keepers are responsible for maintaining this balance, but theirs is a practice of non-interference without extreme cause...in this case, that cause has a name: Smee.
The character of the Keepers might be described as an earthy type of, say, archangels, while the character of Smee could be likened to Lucifer. As God wanted a world of peace but gave mankind free will, Lucifer rebelled and wanted to force mankind to obey and was cast out of heaven for his trouble...Smee, once a Seal Bearer himself, was cast out of Thera in much the same scenario.
And he's still at war.
The story details that war between good and evil, with an understanding that action of either type, on earth or on Arthe, causes a reaction on its twin. That's the simplest summary. However, the MANNER of the telling is nothing less than phenomenally awe inspiring!
There is not one detail...whether about the beauty (or starkness) of a place, the description of colours, clothing, mannerisms or geography of different cultures, the magic of "love at first sight", the personality of a 10 year old boy or even the science behind the regulus...that has been neglected, and that has not been told in a way that transports the reader into these amazing worlds, emotions and all.
But the main reason for writing this review now is that this reader has come to a place that illicited a boat load of laughter...not because of any humourous writing, but because of the introduction of several historical personages, as actually having been Keepers, and not "regular" human beings.
Let's face it...we ALL know of people whom we jokingly refer to as, "s/he MUST have alien DNA; NO ONE can have that much knowledge and be human!" Well, in The Seventh Seal, we now know where Albert Einstein, Albertus Magnus and even Ian Fleming came from...with details!
And with those introductions, I had to go ahead and write this review, for I'm now assured that the rest of this book is going to leave me too exhausted and full of comments to make a review shorter than this!
Why aren't there 10 rating stars available?!!
UPDATE: Yes, just as I anticipated: there is deceit, regrets, the boy becomes a man in an instant...there is sacrifice and the birth of a vengeful heart.
The battle is won, but oh! the price...and the war has only just begun.
HIGHLY recommended to science, history, fantasy buffs!
The basic premise of "The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone Book I)" is that of multiple dimensions of earth; Earth & Arthe are twins, and then there's Thera. Thera is like an axis wherein the 'balance' between good and evil, natural and unnatural is maintained.
This balance is overseen by The (Seal)Keepers, by means of the regulus, a mechanism which has abilities of observation remarkably similar to our most powerful of surveillance satellites!
The Keepers are responsible for maintaining this balance, but theirs is a practice of non-interference without extreme cause...in this case, that cause has a name: Smee.
The character of the Keepers might be described as an earthy type of, say, archangels, while the character of Smee could be likened to Lucifer. As God wanted a world of peace but gave mankind free will, Lucifer rebelled and wanted to force mankind to obey and was cast out of heaven for his trouble...Smee, once a Seal Bearer himself, was cast out of Thera in much the same scenario.
And he's still at war.
The story details that war between good and evil, with an understanding that action of either type, on earth or on Arthe, causes a reaction on its twin. That's the simplest summary. However, the MANNER of the telling is nothing less than phenomenally awe inspiring!
There is not one detail...whether about the beauty (or starkness) of a place, the description of colours, clothing, mannerisms or geography of different cultures, the magic of "love at first sight", the personality of a 10 year old boy or even the science behind the regulus...that has been neglected, and that has not been told in a way that transports the reader into these amazing worlds, emotions and all.
But the main reason for writing this review now is that this reader has come to a place that illicited a boat load of laughter...not because of any humourous writing, but because of the introduction of several historical personages, as actually having been Keepers, and not "regular" human beings.
Let's face it...we ALL know of people whom we jokingly refer to as, "s/he MUST have alien DNA; NO ONE can have that much knowledge and be human!" Well, in The Seventh Seal, we now know where Albert Einstein, Albertus Magnus and even Ian Fleming came from...with details!
And with those introductions, I had to go ahead and write this review, for I'm now assured that the rest of this book is going to leave me too exhausted and full of comments to make a review shorter than this!
Why aren't there 10 rating stars available?!!
UPDATE: Yes, just as I anticipated: there is deceit, regrets, the boy becomes a man in an instant...there is sacrifice and the birth of a vengeful heart.
The battle is won, but oh! the price...and the war has only just begun.
HIGHLY recommended to science, history, fantasy buffs!
January 4, 2016
I picked up the Seventh Seal in a group where authors could present their books and if you chose to you could read and review one of them. The cover of The Seventh Seal caught my eye so I decided to read it.
I read the book twice before I really got it! The first time through I was kind of ho-hum, because I realized it wasn’t the kind of book that I normally chose to read, and I didn’t actually appreciate the depth of it, until I got to the “A Bibliography of sorts!” Then I began to understand how much research and thought Dobbs had put into the characters in the book and the terms and circumstances in the interconnecting relationships between Thera, Earth and Arthe.
I read at night, so I turned off my light when I was finished, but I had trouble turning off my mind. Real life Earth events were mentioned in the book, and the author skillfully wove in mention of Albert Einstein, and the author Ian Flemming, among others that caught my eye. I confess I even looked up a couple of them online because they had a plausible ring, but they were not real people as far as I could discern.
With the first reading I had noticed many phrases that offered true wisdom, reading it the second time, armed with the threads of information that I had gleaned from the Bibliography I had a totally different appreciation for Dobb’s work.
This book revolves around The Keepers from Thera, who have responsibility to keep a balance between the interconnected relationships between Earth, Thera and Arthe. As is true in all things, there is good and evil in all realms. Michael Stone is the keeper of the Seventh Seal. He represents the good, but his life is complicated, because although he knew that he was a Keeper, he chose to live on Earth and marry Sarah whom he loves. Together they have a son, David.
When David is a child, Michael returns to Thera, to face off with Odling Smee, who is a threat to all the Keepers. Fortune does not favor Michael in the battle and just before he succumbs to his wounds he vows that he does not want his son to inherit the burden of being a Keeper, and he throws the Seventh Seal into a lake believing it will be lost forever.
However there are also secrets on Thera, and Michael had no idea what his last action set in motion. As much as his mother vows that David will never be involved, destiny and the bloodlines of the Keepers pull him in. When he is fifteen years old, he has to make a decision that will change his life, to prevent disaster for Earth, Thera and Arthe.
The “regulas” is central to the interactions of the characters in this book. It is an energy that empowers the seals. I am going to share with you a few of the terms from the Bibliography .
1. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest in our night sky. It is also another alchemical reference found in Newton’s writings and is the metallic component refined from an ore. In the book the regulus is the name for the energy pathways which connect all matter in the universe and is akin to the Higgs Field famously discovered by the Large Hadron Collider in Cern.
2. Seal: The small metallic like discs used by the Keepers. The seals represent the seven Theran pillars of wisdom: honour, trust, respect, sharing, loving, growing and pride. The idea comes from one of many tales surrounding the Ark of the Covenant and that it was locked by seven seals.
3. Everett The mysterious saviour of the Keepers; he takes his name from the great quantum physicist Hugh Everett who in 1957 introduced the “many worlds” theory; that all possible histories and futures are real.
When I first read this book, I was thinking 3 stars. After I explored the “A Bibliography of sorts” and reread it, I realized that there is depth to this book, even though it is a Fantasy Adventure and I truly appreciated it.
We hear (and read) about UFO’s coming from other worlds and possibilities of aliens that live among us taking on a human form and trying to help earth develop to its highest good. The Seventh Seal is not about UFO’s and aliens, but it made me think about the possibility of interconnected worlds or “planes” where spirits live. –“I am fascinated by the “many worlds” theory: that all possible histories and futures are real.”
I highly recommend this book- it is fast paced, full of intrigue and danger---and wisdom!
I read the book twice before I really got it! The first time through I was kind of ho-hum, because I realized it wasn’t the kind of book that I normally chose to read, and I didn’t actually appreciate the depth of it, until I got to the “A Bibliography of sorts!” Then I began to understand how much research and thought Dobbs had put into the characters in the book and the terms and circumstances in the interconnecting relationships between Thera, Earth and Arthe.
I read at night, so I turned off my light when I was finished, but I had trouble turning off my mind. Real life Earth events were mentioned in the book, and the author skillfully wove in mention of Albert Einstein, and the author Ian Flemming, among others that caught my eye. I confess I even looked up a couple of them online because they had a plausible ring, but they were not real people as far as I could discern.
With the first reading I had noticed many phrases that offered true wisdom, reading it the second time, armed with the threads of information that I had gleaned from the Bibliography I had a totally different appreciation for Dobb’s work.
This book revolves around The Keepers from Thera, who have responsibility to keep a balance between the interconnected relationships between Earth, Thera and Arthe. As is true in all things, there is good and evil in all realms. Michael Stone is the keeper of the Seventh Seal. He represents the good, but his life is complicated, because although he knew that he was a Keeper, he chose to live on Earth and marry Sarah whom he loves. Together they have a son, David.
When David is a child, Michael returns to Thera, to face off with Odling Smee, who is a threat to all the Keepers. Fortune does not favor Michael in the battle and just before he succumbs to his wounds he vows that he does not want his son to inherit the burden of being a Keeper, and he throws the Seventh Seal into a lake believing it will be lost forever.
However there are also secrets on Thera, and Michael had no idea what his last action set in motion. As much as his mother vows that David will never be involved, destiny and the bloodlines of the Keepers pull him in. When he is fifteen years old, he has to make a decision that will change his life, to prevent disaster for Earth, Thera and Arthe.
The “regulas” is central to the interactions of the characters in this book. It is an energy that empowers the seals. I am going to share with you a few of the terms from the Bibliography .
1. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest in our night sky. It is also another alchemical reference found in Newton’s writings and is the metallic component refined from an ore. In the book the regulus is the name for the energy pathways which connect all matter in the universe and is akin to the Higgs Field famously discovered by the Large Hadron Collider in Cern.
2. Seal: The small metallic like discs used by the Keepers. The seals represent the seven Theran pillars of wisdom: honour, trust, respect, sharing, loving, growing and pride. The idea comes from one of many tales surrounding the Ark of the Covenant and that it was locked by seven seals.
3. Everett The mysterious saviour of the Keepers; he takes his name from the great quantum physicist Hugh Everett who in 1957 introduced the “many worlds” theory; that all possible histories and futures are real.
When I first read this book, I was thinking 3 stars. After I explored the “A Bibliography of sorts” and reread it, I realized that there is depth to this book, even though it is a Fantasy Adventure and I truly appreciated it.
We hear (and read) about UFO’s coming from other worlds and possibilities of aliens that live among us taking on a human form and trying to help earth develop to its highest good. The Seventh Seal is not about UFO’s and aliens, but it made me think about the possibility of interconnected worlds or “planes” where spirits live. –“I am fascinated by the “many worlds” theory: that all possible histories and futures are real.”
I highly recommend this book- it is fast paced, full of intrigue and danger---and wisdom!
May 19, 2016
I was able to read this book through booktasters (http://twitter.us12.list-manage.com/s...)
First of all thank you for letting me read such an incredible book.
I am a fantasy book lover. I read a variety of different genres but at the end of the day I love to read a good fantasy book. As I started the book I just knew this book is going to be awesome. I just could tell how the book is written and the idea behind the book. I think this book has a real complexity and is not as easy to read. I totally love the idea of this many world theories and Earth, Arthe, and Thera. Usually it is not easy to like a very young book character for me, but I just love Daniel- Also Smee is an understandable 'villain'. Daniel who is thrown in to keep peace between Arthe and Thera and there is Smee who gets the whole concept much better than Daniel (who reflex totally the reader).
I liked Michael and I liked the kind of a prologue at the beginning which would be part?!
I do love how the whole book starts kinda fairytale like as a reader you are really intrigued to read further. It always feels like you are a third person watching the whole dialogue. I think the vocabulary is great and just love the well-made sentences. It’s so easy to read even though the topic is very complex which leads to further thinking.
I love the date idea because as a reader you can have a better orientation through that. The map and the bibliography is helping the reader as well to have a better orientation and I honestly used both.
This book is very clever written and well thought out. A great fantasy book with a great idea
First of all thank you for letting me read such an incredible book.
I am a fantasy book lover. I read a variety of different genres but at the end of the day I love to read a good fantasy book. As I started the book I just knew this book is going to be awesome. I just could tell how the book is written and the idea behind the book. I think this book has a real complexity and is not as easy to read. I totally love the idea of this many world theories and Earth, Arthe, and Thera. Usually it is not easy to like a very young book character for me, but I just love Daniel- Also Smee is an understandable 'villain'. Daniel who is thrown in to keep peace between Arthe and Thera and there is Smee who gets the whole concept much better than Daniel (who reflex totally the reader).
I liked Michael and I liked the kind of a prologue at the beginning which would be part?!
I do love how the whole book starts kinda fairytale like as a reader you are really intrigued to read further. It always feels like you are a third person watching the whole dialogue. I think the vocabulary is great and just love the well-made sentences. It’s so easy to read even though the topic is very complex which leads to further thinking.
I love the date idea because as a reader you can have a better orientation through that. The map and the bibliography is helping the reader as well to have a better orientation and I honestly used both.
This book is very clever written and well thought out. A great fantasy book with a great idea
May 5, 2016
In The Seventh Seal, Dobbs masterfully thrusts the reader into a rich story of parallel realities and unassuming heroes similar in scale and depth to Phillip Pullmans Dark Materials trilogy. The unique and utterly captivating story is complemented by stunningly descriptive vistas and well written dialogue.
As a coming of age story, it is in a league of its own and may be recommended to young adults and adults alike. What makes it so interesting is Dobbs' ability to fill such a page turner of a book with a fluid combination of sci-fi, fantasy and young adult fiction.
Would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Fantastic work.
As a coming of age story, it is in a league of its own and may be recommended to young adults and adults alike. What makes it so interesting is Dobbs' ability to fill such a page turner of a book with a fluid combination of sci-fi, fantasy and young adult fiction.
Would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Fantastic work.
May 6, 2016
I received this book through Amazon and let me say, I was not at all disappointed. It's been awhile since a book has captivated my attention and triggered me to use my imagination quite like this book. Going in and out of the three worlds: Earth, Arthe, and Thera while following the journey of Daniel as he faces the ripple effect of his father's role as the Keeper and this new found role he is suppose to take on while trying to escape the evil grasp of Smee, is simply a must read.
May 30, 2018
I got back to my fantasy roots after a couple of recent forays into new genres. I’d seen this book talked about on Twitter and it was in my Goodreads recommendations, so I picked it up. Here are my thoughts on The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone #1) by A. J. Dobbs.
Synopsis (from the author):
Fifteen year old Daniel Stone’s world is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by the villainous Odling Smee. He learns that his late father was one of the seven Keepers of Thera charged with maintaining the balance of life on Earth and its alternate self Arthe and that this great responsibility has now fallen on him.
Smee is intent on overthrowing the Keepers and taking control of life itself and Daniel, as heir to the Seventh Seal, now stands in his way!
Daniel has to come to terms with the lies and deceit of his parents as well as the burden of his father’s inheritance as his life heads uncontrollably into a future he could never have imagined. His childhood now lost he has to face the heavyweight of adult responsibility.
What I liked:
I enjoyed the narrator’s account of everything. The Seventh Seal, told in a more conversational way, kept me interested. Daniel’s battle with the lies his father told, the omissions from his mother, and Smee all add nice elements to the tale. Smee is a good villainous character, and the Keepers fallible enough to show their humanity. Thera made a cool alternate world. Overall, an enjoyable book!
What I didn’t like:
in spite of (or perhaps because of) their human foibles, the Keepers almost had an air of incompetence about them. Smee too easily outsmarted those tasked with protecting everything. Those two issues for me combined to detract from The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone #1) a bit. I also thought fleshing out Daniel’s would add to the tale.
Overall impression:
The overarching story of The Seventh Seal was entertaining. The action added nicely to the story, and Smee was a great villain. All told, an enjoyable book and one that I recommend to any fantasy fan!
My rating:
4 Stars
Synopsis (from the author):
Fifteen year old Daniel Stone’s world is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by the villainous Odling Smee. He learns that his late father was one of the seven Keepers of Thera charged with maintaining the balance of life on Earth and its alternate self Arthe and that this great responsibility has now fallen on him.
Smee is intent on overthrowing the Keepers and taking control of life itself and Daniel, as heir to the Seventh Seal, now stands in his way!
Daniel has to come to terms with the lies and deceit of his parents as well as the burden of his father’s inheritance as his life heads uncontrollably into a future he could never have imagined. His childhood now lost he has to face the heavyweight of adult responsibility.
What I liked:
I enjoyed the narrator’s account of everything. The Seventh Seal, told in a more conversational way, kept me interested. Daniel’s battle with the lies his father told, the omissions from his mother, and Smee all add nice elements to the tale. Smee is a good villainous character, and the Keepers fallible enough to show their humanity. Thera made a cool alternate world. Overall, an enjoyable book!
What I didn’t like:
in spite of (or perhaps because of) their human foibles, the Keepers almost had an air of incompetence about them. Smee too easily outsmarted those tasked with protecting everything. Those two issues for me combined to detract from The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone #1) a bit. I also thought fleshing out Daniel’s would add to the tale.
Overall impression:
The overarching story of The Seventh Seal was entertaining. The action added nicely to the story, and Smee was a great villain. All told, an enjoyable book and one that I recommend to any fantasy fan!
My rating:
4 Stars
April 30, 2018
“The Seventh Seal” by AJ Dobbs is a multi-threaded novel that is part traditional fantasy and part contemporary tale. The book opens with dawn breaking over a Welsh village and is a remarkably vivid opening given its brevity. It draws the reader in rapidly, sparking interest early on. And once he has you hooked, he doesn’t let go.
Dobbs tells his story unflashily yet effectively, often using everyday similes that are well within the experiences of his young readers whilst still being striking. For instance, “the boundary clearly marked like a waterline on a bath” and “like a sugar cube dissolving in water”.
He also is the only young-adult author I’ve read who dares, when needed, to give his readers long, relatively complex sentences. This, I’m sure, gives their reading and writing skills a much-needed workout.
The pull of this novel is so strong that often when I intended to stop reading because I was tired (I mainly read it last thing at night) something drove me to continue. Given that I am not normally a fan of fantasy and that I’m a lot older than the intended readership, it’s a powerful testament to his storytelling ability.
There are, unfortunately, a few grammatical and punctuational mistakes here and there that damage the book’s mesmerising spell. Still, they don’t, in the final analysis, detract very much from the novel but as a proofreader I can’t help noticing!
“The Seventh Seal” deserves to succeed and I hope very much that it does.
Dobbs tells his story unflashily yet effectively, often using everyday similes that are well within the experiences of his young readers whilst still being striking. For instance, “the boundary clearly marked like a waterline on a bath” and “like a sugar cube dissolving in water”.
He also is the only young-adult author I’ve read who dares, when needed, to give his readers long, relatively complex sentences. This, I’m sure, gives their reading and writing skills a much-needed workout.
The pull of this novel is so strong that often when I intended to stop reading because I was tired (I mainly read it last thing at night) something drove me to continue. Given that I am not normally a fan of fantasy and that I’m a lot older than the intended readership, it’s a powerful testament to his storytelling ability.
There are, unfortunately, a few grammatical and punctuational mistakes here and there that damage the book’s mesmerising spell. Still, they don’t, in the final analysis, detract very much from the novel but as a proofreader I can’t help noticing!
“The Seventh Seal” deserves to succeed and I hope very much that it does.
November 9, 2018
An amazing first attempt, well executed with quantum mechanical references makes for an original concept.
I suggested it to my daughters who absolutely loved reading it, so much so their teacher of the whole 6th form made it an english project!
I suggested it to my daughters who absolutely loved reading it, so much so their teacher of the whole 6th form made it an english project!
September 7, 2016
From the begining I was asking questions. This book was different from other fantasy plots. The idea of different worlds/dimensions is not a new one but this book had me guessing where it was going and I was intrigued about how it would end.
It didn't fail to deliver. The voice of the characters was different, they came across as individuals. People I would have liked to know more about but the plot moved along sweetly. Daniel was a strong personality. His unique and bewildering twist in his life gained my sympathy. I loved the idea of Geddy, maybe that is because I love dogs but as I work a dog, their intense relationship made sense.
Sarah, for me, was an extra, a tag along during the story, she didn't strengthen or weaken the plot.
As you may have gathered I liked the plot, the whole flow of the book was good. I hope I get to read the next book, as I feel things can only become more twisted in Daniel's world and the elusive but handsome (in my mind) Everett must feature in the next books.
It didn't fail to deliver. The voice of the characters was different, they came across as individuals. People I would have liked to know more about but the plot moved along sweetly. Daniel was a strong personality. His unique and bewildering twist in his life gained my sympathy. I loved the idea of Geddy, maybe that is because I love dogs but as I work a dog, their intense relationship made sense.
Sarah, for me, was an extra, a tag along during the story, she didn't strengthen or weaken the plot.
As you may have gathered I liked the plot, the whole flow of the book was good. I hope I get to read the next book, as I feel things can only become more twisted in Daniel's world and the elusive but handsome (in my mind) Everett must feature in the next books.
February 9, 2017
I'm probably a bit old for reading this, but I did enjoy it. A combination of science fiction and fantasy made it hard to put down once I'd started reading it. I recommend it and look forward to reading the next chapter
December 20, 2018
This book reminded me of Pullman's Dark Materials. It is full of depth and is fascinating for those who like epic fantasy. I enjoyed that the book was written in a language that is easy to read. I believe this makes it also accessible for young adults and not only for adults. I enjoyed how well the author had developed the villain Smee and the action scenes kepte me wanting to find out more. Great book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews