Robot Wars Book 2 Double Cross

Robot Wars Book 2 Double Cross
Written by Sigmund Brouwer
Published at Tyndale

About the book

Set in an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039, the Robot Wars series features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the red planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. Tyce finds that the mysteries of the planet point to his greatest discovery—a new relationship with God. He talks about his growing faith and curiosity in a manner that kids can relate to. Each book contains two exciting adventures. In the first adventure of Double Cross, Tyce makes a startling discovery–one that could change life for everyone in the universe. That is, if Tyce lives to uncover the truth. In the second adventure, a deadly comet catapults toward Mars. Can Tyce figure out how to stop it before it destroys the colony?

Robot Wars is a repackaged and updated version of Mars Diaries. There are now five books in the series; each book contains two stories. These new books contain a foreword about how far science has brought us.

Who is Sigmund Brouwer?

Whether writing youth or adult fiction, Sigmund Brouwer is a best-selling author of more than 40 fast-paced novels. Some of his works encourage young reluctant readers into the world of books, and others provide adults with riveting tales. His youth series include Mars Diaries; Short Cuts Extreme Sports; Lightning on Ice; CyberQuest; The Winds of Light; Dr. Drabble: Genius Inventor; and The Accidental Detectives. His adult fiction titles include Out of the Shadows, Morning Star, Thunder Voice, Double Helix, and Blood Ties.

Sigmund's diverse background surfaces in the characters of his books as he inspires kids to get excited about reading. He grew up in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and developed an early interest in sports like hockey, racquetball, and biking. His poor performance in high school English classes led him to receive a degree in commerce from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and not to pursue writing. When a professor in his undergraduate English course encouraged him to write, Sigmund did, and he eventually received a degree in journalism from Carleton College in Ottawa. After publishing several articles for U.S. and Canadian magazines, he turned to writing books for kids reluctant to read.

In 1993, he cofounded The Young Writers' Institute with home education expert and author Debra Bell and conducts writing camps and seminars for more than 10,000 children every year. His commitment to his faith is an integral part of his creative goals, and Sigmund cites C. S. Lewis as one of his greatest writing influences. Although there is no overt Christian agenda in his novels, the deliberate underpinning of morality and redemption make his books more than tools of escape. He quotes C. S. Lewis, "There is no Christian way to write, just as there is no Christian way to boil an egg."

Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan; the couple has two daughters. He writes five pages per day on his laptop, whether he is in an airport, hotel, or dividing his time between family homes in Red Deer and Nashville.

My Thoughts

Back in the summer of 2009, I had the privilege to review an interesting book geared for young men.    The Robot Wars Book One Death Trap was an interesting read and grabbed not only my attention but also the one of my then eight year old son.    Since that summer, he kept asking to get the rest of the series but I never had the chance to purchase them.    Recently, after being contacted to review other titles from Tyndale, I decided to request the remaining four books of the series.    Imagine my delight when I learned that I will receive the books for review.    The story is well written and will captivate your son if he is interested in science fiction readings.  

When my son realized that the books were in the house, his eyes were shining bright and he was all happy about it.   But realizing that it has been a couple of years since he read the first book, he has decided to re-read the previous title so he can remember the story and get immersed in the adventure that will follow.

Let me tell you that when he start reading the second installment of the Robot Wars series, he won’t be disappointed.   Following the plot that happened in the first book, this book will keep you on the edge and will bring new challenges and adventure to the characters encountered previously.   The first journal will bring you outside of the protection of the dome to unravel the secret behind mysterious black boxes recently uncovered from the surface of Mars.   The second journal will tells the race against time to avoid a deadly comet coming toward Mars.   What will happen to the colony? 

I am quite impressed with the quality of the story for a juvenile book series.   The flow is regular and each journal are linked from one to another.    The main characters also deal with day-to-day crisis like mistrust and betrayal from other people.

In this time and age it can be difficult to find interesting novels for younger boys.   I am particularly picky when it comes to what my kids will read.   Knowing that these books are clean and won’t support unwanted information in them, I won’t hesitate to let my kids read them.    The series could be good for boys or girls.   Though I also realize that not everyone like science fiction stories.   Consequently, the series won’t appeal to every kid but I would still suggest to give it a try by reading the first book.  

Robot Wars Book 2 Double Cross is available at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.