*Disclaimer*
Everyone is different and likes and dislikes different things. Reading is no exception. One person’s all-time favorite might seem too bland or too high stakes for another. That being said, the opinions of our judges in this contest are just that, opinions. Just because we let a book go, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It could be your next favorite, who knows?
Now that we are in the finals, we are going to be doing full reviews for each book. The books are being reviewed in no particular order, not in order of their star rating. We are just reviewing them as we finish reading them.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more about the contest here.
Today we are reviewing Steel Guardian for the first annual Self-Published Science Fiction Contest. You can read their review here. And you can see the finalist spreadsheet here.
Summary
Can a gentle robot win the fight for humanity’s last hope?
Before the Robot Uprising, Block the CleanerBot dutifully followed his programming as part of a hotel cleaning crew. Now in the aftermath of the AI Apocalypse that annihilated the world, he tries to simply do his job, avoiding the dangerous SoldierBots who wage war on the last human survivors.
But when Block finds a mysterious human infant, he’s compelled to care for the girl and travel across the metal infested wastelands of America to a safe haven 700 miles away. Without proper food and care, the baby could die before he reaches safety. When he encounters Nova—a surly soldier who becomes an unlikely ally—they must tackle the biggest challenge of their lives.
Together they face mortal danger from bands of scavengers, militaristic SoldierBots, Combat Mechs, and a cyborg Bounty Hunter that will stop at nothing to find Block and the child—an infant who might hold the key to humanity’s future.
Our Thoughts
The judges fell in love with Block as soon as the book began. The lovable CleanerBot was a joy to follow through the story as it learned to care for its newfound charge and find it a person it deemed worthy to be its guardian. The world was well made, the other characters unique, and the plot interesting. Some people thought the twists were easy to spot, other were surprised by many of them.
Overall, a solid entry to the contest and a must read if you enjoy stories about lovable robots facing mortal danger!
Our official SPSFC score is 8.33/10, but for our site review we are rounding to 8.5/10. For more information on the SPSFC you can check out the official website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene