No Man’s Land (The Robosapien Trilogy Book 1)

SCIENCE FICTION: The humans have destroyed the planet earth and created robots, also known as Mech, to save the planet. But when Mech determines that the survival of the planet requires humans to leave earth, Rebel Anne Rae, a 12-year-old girl gets left behind in the shuffle. How is a young girl to survive this cold, unforgiving world? Rebel must blend in and become Mech herself. Eventually her path crosses with a Mech named Thomas who develops more and more human traits over time. Slowly, Rebel’s hate toward the Mech starts to thaw. When humans return to earth, she must war with her emotions.

Ben Magid has produced a thrilling and thought-provoking story that offers a unique twist on the classic “robots take over the world” storyline. Rebel’s characterization is strong and well rounded. Thomas’s growth from Mech to increasingly human melts the heart. The author masters the dialogue throughout the book, flawlessly creating differences between human and robot dialogue. As a minor flaw, the book contains many flashbacks which, while adding depth to Rebel’s backstory, occasionally slow down the overall pacing of the story. The action scenes are gripping, but getting there sometimes takes a meandering (but still pleasant) pace. The overall world building is strong, though the science is glossed over a bit at times. In “No Man’s Land” Mr. Magid’s organic writing pulls readers along on Rebel’s touching, harrowing, and heartrending journey, leaving them to ponder a powerful question: what makes a robot… and what makes a human?

Shailyn Rogers