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Champions of the Galaxy: An EPIC alien adventure
A brand-new, epic sci-fi action-adventure where friendship is tested to the limits from bestselling author Tọlá Okogwu. Perfect for 8+ fans of the Onyeka series, Star Wars and Marvel!
When a powerful group of aliens threaten Earth, a mysterious species called the Onni offers humanity hope. But there’s a catch. Ninety-one children from across the planet must first prove their worth by competing in a series of trials set on a distant planet.
For twelve-year-old Kola, who has long dreamed of going into space, it’s the chance of a lifetime. But once aboard the Onni mothership, Kola finds himself thrown into a misfit team of Champions.
As secrets unravel and tensions rise, Kola and his team must decide who to trust and what it really means to be a Champion. Because in the end, it’s not about being the smartest or the strongest. It’s about standing together.
Praise for Tola Okogwu’s Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun:
‘Brilliant characters, action-packed plot, heartfelt themes of identity, family and friendship. A DAZZLING story about finding your power.’ Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
‘An incredible story that reinvents the concept of a school for magical kids. So inspiring and creatively original.’ L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
‘Fast-paced, action-packed and empowering. Tọlá Okogwu’s storytelling shines so bright you’ll want the next instalment immediately.’ A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
‘An inspiring, original and exciting roller coaster of a book.’ Katie Tsang, co-author of Dragon Mountain
‘A rich and gripping story of discovering that your greatest power can come from within. I loved it!’ Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish Boy
‘Brilliant, witty writing and spot-on characterisation.’ Louie Stowell, author of A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good
‘A thrilling, magical page-turner. Children will fall in love with this story.’ Jenny McLachlan, author of The Land of Roar
'Wildly fun and a huge breath of invigorating fresh air.’ Sam Copeland, author of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken
‘A thrilling, action-packed adventure full of heart. Onyeka is sure to be everyone's new favourite superhero.’ Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
When a powerful group of aliens threaten Earth, a mysterious species called the Onni offers humanity hope. But there’s a catch. Ninety-one children from across the planet must first prove their worth by competing in a series of trials set on a distant planet.
For twelve-year-old Kola, who has long dreamed of going into space, it’s the chance of a lifetime. But once aboard the Onni mothership, Kola finds himself thrown into a misfit team of Champions.
As secrets unravel and tensions rise, Kola and his team must decide who to trust and what it really means to be a Champion. Because in the end, it’s not about being the smartest or the strongest. It’s about standing together.
Praise for Tola Okogwu’s Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun:
‘Brilliant characters, action-packed plot, heartfelt themes of identity, family and friendship. A DAZZLING story about finding your power.’ Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
‘An incredible story that reinvents the concept of a school for magical kids. So inspiring and creatively original.’ L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
‘Fast-paced, action-packed and empowering. Tọlá Okogwu’s storytelling shines so bright you’ll want the next instalment immediately.’ A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
‘An inspiring, original and exciting roller coaster of a book.’ Katie Tsang, co-author of Dragon Mountain
‘A rich and gripping story of discovering that your greatest power can come from within. I loved it!’ Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish Boy
‘Brilliant, witty writing and spot-on characterisation.’ Louie Stowell, author of A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good
‘A thrilling, magical page-turner. Children will fall in love with this story.’ Jenny McLachlan, author of The Land of Roar
'Wildly fun and a huge breath of invigorating fresh air.’ Sam Copeland, author of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken
‘A thrilling, action-packed adventure full of heart. Onyeka is sure to be everyone's new favourite superhero.’ Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2025
11 people want to read
About the author
Tọlá Okogwu
19 books165 followersTọlá Okogwu was born in Lagos, Nigeria before moving to England at the age of six. After graduating with a degree in journalism, Tọlá spent far too much time trying to figure out what she wanted to do before realising her true passion was hair care and writing. When she isn’t engrossed either of these things, she can be found in Kent with her family and also writes under the pen name Lola Morayo.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 1, 2025
Firstly, I want to say how nice it is to have another release from Tọlá Okogwu with Champions of the Galaxy. Having absolutely adored Onyeka, I couldn’t wait to see what she did next, and Champions of the Galaxy did not disappoint. Tọlá Okogwu has a way of getting right into the minds of her characters and delivering their soul to readers that makes every character she writes truly three dimensional and is always a joy to read.
Kola is a marvellous protagonist for this type of book, and in a lot of ways reminds me of myself when I was younger. Never having had the interests the cool kids had nor the confidence to command those interests, Kola truly resonated with me, and it was brilliant to get to see how those things can be superpowers across Champions of the Galaxy. Additionally, his love of family and doing everything for his sister was majestic and had me teary-eyed at several points in the book.
Conceptually, Champions of the Galaxy is exceptional. The idea of us going to the aliens to save the world is so unique when oftentimes in books with aliens, it’s us saving Earth on Earth. Additionally, combining in moments and flavours of other genres is a genius move that only an esteemed writer like Tọlá Okogwu could accomplish because it never felt gimmicky, it came across necessary to the plot and I could read numerous books set in this fruitful world.
With themes covering teambuilding, inclusion, self-confidence, identity, diversity and more, I was surprised to even find myself empathising with the antagonists of the novel (though who they are I won’t reveal as I want to keep this spoiler-free). To allow us that insight into how evil intentions become evil is a brilliant lesson that I think a lot of younger readers will take away and learn from. That was the core theme I think I took away from the novel was the importance of intention and it was magnificently crafted into Champions of the Galaxy.
From laughter to welling up, Champions of the Galaxy covers a range of emotions in a fast paced mental and physical action epic that young readers are going to LOVE come the new school year when the novel’s released in September. A sensational read for any readers aged 7/8+, Champions of the Galaxy is one you simply must preorder instantly. And in the meantime, I’m going to go check the sky to make sure there’s no aliens incoming…
Kola is a marvellous protagonist for this type of book, and in a lot of ways reminds me of myself when I was younger. Never having had the interests the cool kids had nor the confidence to command those interests, Kola truly resonated with me, and it was brilliant to get to see how those things can be superpowers across Champions of the Galaxy. Additionally, his love of family and doing everything for his sister was majestic and had me teary-eyed at several points in the book.
Conceptually, Champions of the Galaxy is exceptional. The idea of us going to the aliens to save the world is so unique when oftentimes in books with aliens, it’s us saving Earth on Earth. Additionally, combining in moments and flavours of other genres is a genius move that only an esteemed writer like Tọlá Okogwu could accomplish because it never felt gimmicky, it came across necessary to the plot and I could read numerous books set in this fruitful world.
With themes covering teambuilding, inclusion, self-confidence, identity, diversity and more, I was surprised to even find myself empathising with the antagonists of the novel (though who they are I won’t reveal as I want to keep this spoiler-free). To allow us that insight into how evil intentions become evil is a brilliant lesson that I think a lot of younger readers will take away and learn from. That was the core theme I think I took away from the novel was the importance of intention and it was magnificently crafted into Champions of the Galaxy.
From laughter to welling up, Champions of the Galaxy covers a range of emotions in a fast paced mental and physical action epic that young readers are going to LOVE come the new school year when the novel’s released in September. A sensational read for any readers aged 7/8+, Champions of the Galaxy is one you simply must preorder instantly. And in the meantime, I’m going to go check the sky to make sure there’s no aliens incoming…
November 9, 2025
CHAMPIONS OF THE GALAXY is a fun sci-fi adventure.
The book is full of sci-fi tropes like first contact, galactic superpowers intent on wiping out Earth, tournaments in simulated environments. It's a celebration of competition narratives in a vibrant sci-fi setting.
At its core, though, this is a book about cooperation. The champions are placed into a competition that is actively trying to pit them against one another, but their only way out is to work together - and doing so breaks the competition with far reaching consequences. The four champions at the heart of this book come from very different backgrounds and cultures and they have to find a way to bridge those divides and understand one another.
This is an ultimately hopeful book about the future of the human race if we work together - and also don't sideline young people's voices. This theme really develops in the final act of the book, but it was a nice (and in some respects subtle) recognition of youth activists.
This is a standalone. When I started, I thought it might be a first in series, but it wraps up in such a way that I think it unlikely to have a sequel (plus the author's next project has been announced as a separate series).
The book is full of sci-fi tropes like first contact, galactic superpowers intent on wiping out Earth, tournaments in simulated environments. It's a celebration of competition narratives in a vibrant sci-fi setting.
At its core, though, this is a book about cooperation. The champions are placed into a competition that is actively trying to pit them against one another, but their only way out is to work together - and doing so breaks the competition with far reaching consequences. The four champions at the heart of this book come from very different backgrounds and cultures and they have to find a way to bridge those divides and understand one another.
This is an ultimately hopeful book about the future of the human race if we work together - and also don't sideline young people's voices. This theme really develops in the final act of the book, but it was a nice (and in some respects subtle) recognition of youth activists.
This is a standalone. When I started, I thought it might be a first in series, but it wraps up in such a way that I think it unlikely to have a sequel (plus the author's next project has been announced as a separate series).
August 12, 2025
Twelve year old Tola has long dreamed of going into space, and has planned his life accordingly, hoping to make that journey with the UK space agency as part of plans underway to ensure a child is allowed to participate in a mission for the first time. He doesn't expect the curve ball that's coming his way, though.
Because when a mysterious race of aliens, the Onni, arrives on earth, humans are informed that their only hope heading off a hostile alien invasion by other species lies in the Onni's offer to select and train 91 children through a series of trials. And it turns out that Tola is one of them!
This is a story with plenty of action and some really important themes (including messages about cooperation, diversity and tolerance) woven into the narrative so smoothly that there is nothing didactic about it. Highly recommended for its appealing characters and fast-moving narrative.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Because when a mysterious race of aliens, the Onni, arrives on earth, humans are informed that their only hope heading off a hostile alien invasion by other species lies in the Onni's offer to select and train 91 children through a series of trials. And it turns out that Tola is one of them!
This is a story with plenty of action and some really important themes (including messages about cooperation, diversity and tolerance) woven into the narrative so smoothly that there is nothing didactic about it. Highly recommended for its appealing characters and fast-moving narrative.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews