Well, for the first third of WaR: Wizards and Robots I thought my brain might explode – wizards, robots, high school kids, three times in space – I was somewhat overwhelmed! But once I started to get my head around things I actually quite enjoyed the story – it certainly is action packed!

I made a real attempt to write a synopsis for this book, but quite honestly it hurt my head, so I can only imagine what it would’ve been like for you to read! So, here’s a basic rundown. We have a teenage girl, Ada and her Mum who is a doctor of AI in the 21st century. We have a castle under siege in the 16th century. We have wizards, including a boy called Geller. We have a robot, Kaku, and the world under siege from aliens in the 31st century. There’s magic, technology, time travel, distrust, friendship and the desire to save the world.

This is a fast-paced read which crams a lot into its 320 pages. Because of this, I don’t feel we ever make real connections with the characters – I certainly didn’t. For me, this book is kind of all over the place. We jump between times, characters and scenarios very quickly. It feels like watching a film at 30x speed. That said, I was never bored- there wasn’t time for that! It’s packed full of action and is actually a quick read. But I can’t help feeling it could’ve been more. The underlying story is good – a bit of a fantasy/sci-fi/YA mashup. However, I’m left feeling that there are many threads unexplored, a lack of depth and hence of character building. It could’ve been far more cohesive, but instead looking back it feels kind of a jumble – with the main story tacking its way through the pieces.

All that said, despite feeling overwhelmed – and kind of shocked – for the first third, I did find this book entertaining. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read WaR.

This gets a hearty 4 stars from me. It's a very unique book and it's right outside the box. I absolutely loved it. It took me a little while to get into as the first two chapters are set so far apart, but I ended up hooked. I love the characters, human, wizard and robot alike (though I did find myself willing the robots on a lot more than I thought I would). The ending wasn't what I expected, don't worry there's no spoilers. What it does, i think, is leave it open for a second book though they could also leave us all hanging. If you love sci-fi with a twist and your'e looking for something really different then this is the book.

This is a book about Wizards and Robots being enemies and trying to destroy each other. It centres around Ada and Geller trying to save Earth.

I really enjoyed this book and found it very easy to read. I found the time travel aspect interesting and it's one of the few books I've read about robots.

I liked both of the main characters and found that they had a lot of depth to them.

I don't know what else to say about this book other than you should read it without knowing too much because it would make it a lot more interesting.

Rating: 3.5/5

“There is no end . . . The past is the present is the future.”

This story is set in three different time periods but is essentially an endeavour to thwart enemies by using knowledge, skills and talents from the different times. However, that really is an over simplistic way of describing this action packed story of wizards and robots endeavouring to protect the Earth and mankind from an alien invasion . . . .

Events in all three time periods are portrayed as separate threads which become interwoven as key events and characters influence and connect. The key character is Ada Luring, the teenage daughter of Sara Luring who invented the first robot with artificial intelligence, a robot who was able to learn, adapt and so much more. A robot from a future time travels to find and protect her and a wizard from a past era also travels through time to seek Ada and her mother you just know life is never going to be simple again!

This is a magical and technological adventure with very different characters learning to work together to overcome their mutual enemies. It is a unique mix of so many science fiction and fantasy elements blended to create a fast paced dystopian world and a battle of good v evil. The writing is engaging, flowing well and keeping the reader eager to learn more. However, initially I found it somewhat confusing as I couldn’t see how the disparate events related to each other and, even though I’ve now finished reading it, there are still some unanswered questions (such as where did the aliens originate and why did they attack Earth?). I did like how the different characters reacted and related to each other and especially with Ada. Overall I found it an entertaining read and recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction or fantasy stories with gadgets galore and magical powers, too!

I requested and received a copy of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

What did I just read?!?!

I want to say at the start of this that the e-ARC I received was very poorly formatted and line numbering was left in for each and every line in the book (nor sentence either). So that make it almost impossible to read. However, I am trying not to let that colour my review. It did make it harder to follow and I’m certain I missed bits because of it.

Having said all that though. What did I just read?? It *should* be a good, interesting book - there’s wizards, and they were basically wiped out by evil robots so they declare war on all robots. So far, so good? Nope! Cause only some robots are evil or maybe not cause they’re fighting some force that is never explained. And the wizards are all horribly and actually evil anyway except one. And there’s sleep spells to move forward in time, and time travelling robots from the future and random people in the present day and WTF. It’s basically not a bad concept but it needs a SERIOUS edit to make it make sense. And there are WAY too many sub plots and WAY too many characters. The in-fighting wizards isn’t really explained, other than I’m guessing it’s supposed to be politics. The people bad guys - the anti robot people - are pointless and petty and so flat they’re 1-D.

I basically can’t think of anything good to say, I’m afraid. It’s not a bad concept, it’s just far too complicated. It’s like someone said let’s do X. And then instead of doing X they did X then Y then Z and then sprinkled extra characters on top for no good reason. I’m so frustrated right now.

Oh also? With like ten minutes of reading left to go I was thinking that maybe this has a sequel because there’s no way it wraps up even just the war in the time. Ahahahahahaha. I actually wish. Because no, they did. Somehow. It all suddenly ended with no real satisfying explanation and ZERO follow up for the two characters who have to go back to their time. ARGHHHHHH. WTF.

Anyway, rant over. Do not read this book, it will only upset you.

Robots destroying medieval castles, wizards hiding for centuries in caves, time travelling robots protecting the planet from aliens from another universe - welcome to the mind of the multi-talented will.i.am. It shouldn't work but somehow it does.

I've been drawn to the quirky personality of will.i.am since his first appearance on The Voice UK and just had to give this book a chance - particularly with a title like Wizards and Robots.

Will has enlisted the help of author Brian David Johnson to pen this young adult novel. The book does tend to jump around a bit at the beginning, but from the midpoint onwards it somehow comes together and is quite an interesting story. In particular, the futurist exploration of what robots in the future could look and act like stimulates thoughts. Indeed, the dedication reads: "For the Next Generation - you will build the future."

Did I ever think I'd be reading and reviewing a science-fiction book by will.i.am? Did I ever think I would enjoy such a book? The answer to both questions is no and perhaps that is why this book is a success. Will consistently thinks outside the box. (Reading a few chapters of this novel will underline this). It's a competent and complex sci-fi adventure story that I would highly recommend to all who are interested in wizards, robots, technology and the like.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I like the concept, ideology and enjoy all of the genres this covers. BUT I thought I was going to like this from the first chapter but then I got lost! I kept reading for a while, the skipped a bit, then went back and then skipped a lot. There should be a lot to like, the authors and collaboration, all I can say is that maybe with a lot more practice and several books into the future it may be a mash up to love, but sadly not yet....to me.

There was a lot going on in this book - Wizards, Robots, Aliens, Time Travel and though I was amazed and excited at the possibilities sadly the phrase; Too many cooks spoil the broth definitely applies here. The Wizards use of magic felt limited for such supposed all powerful being, there was no solid explanation for the Alien's presence/arrival and I was left with more questions than answers by the end of the book.

One thing that kept coming back to me was that Ada (and presumably Geller) were meant to be 17, but this was never reflected and as such I would have pegged them for younger - say 14. Ada and Geller's connection/relationship just didn't rock the boat and I didn't feel for the main characters when they were faced with fundamental hardships which was a shame.

The story as a whole was really good as the issue of the Robot army and the Swarm transcended time and allowed us a glimpse into two distant futures. It was an easy read and I whizzed through it pretty quickly and managed for the most part to stay interested and entertained. We got a great picture of Ada's world filled with gadgets and robots and a change in how law enforcement operated and it felt like a taste of a not to distant future from when we are now.

As a fan of will.i.am (his musical talent, charitable work and his commitment to technological projects) I was pleased to hear that he had co-written a book. I was fascinated by the synopsis and wanted to read WaR.
The story kept me entertained throughout. I thought how it jumped back and forth in time really worked. The interactions between the worlds of humans, wizards and robots was brilliant. I loved the characters of Geller (a wizard), Kaku, Kipp (who are both robots) and Ada (a human) for her courage and determination.
A fabulous original concept for a book, executed so well. Although it is marketed as a young adult book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! 😉
I will be buying copies for my godsons (mature 9 and 12 year olds) who I know will absolutely love it.
Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bit samey for me. Heard the story before. Nothing new or even that entertaining. Sorry, could be so much better.

This book is aimed at the younger reader, who pays attention to the storyline.

Robots and wizards! A really good, fast paced action adventure.
I really enjoyed the concept behind this and I think that it was presented really well, it would be interesting to see if there is a second book as it was left quite open. There's so much potential and I think it could make the transition to being a good film.
Some great ideas, and I really loved the personalities of the robots and the fact that they were more humane than the wizards.

I tried to read this three times but the formatting where there were random numbers everywhere was just too off-putting. I will be buying the book when it releases to read without that issue, so that I can give a fair review that the authors deserve.

I can't really talk much about the book - what I did manage to read was a perfectly adequate sci-fi young adult novel with a female heroine and eclectic premise, but the entire experience was marred by the horribly formatted ebook - many other readers seem to have been having the same issue. I barely got 10% through because of the random numbers scattered everywhere, breaking up the paragraphs. Not posted this review anywhere else as it would be unfair to the author(s).

When a young man breaks into her home claiming her life is in danger, Ada Luring's world changes forever. Geller is a wizard, on the run from his father's hidden clan who want to kill Ada and her mother. Sara Luring is the scientist who will create the first robot, the wizards' age-old foes.
A robot has travelled back in time to find Ada, and will lay everything on the line to protect her, as she may just be the key to preventing the earth's destruction in the future.
Ada, Geller and the robots must learn to work together to change the past and secure the future. But they don't have much time before a mysterious enemy launches its attack on Earth...

The only off putting thing I found was the numbers at the start of EVERY line, even if mid-sentence. It may well be that it was because it was a proof copy, in which case, it shouldn't affect anyone reading the final version.

The story was ok the flow was not perfect, just not what I was expecting!

Lastly many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, for providing me with a copy this book in return for a fair and honest review

Badly formatted books are always frustrating, they hurt to read and decipher but I think this book in printed form will have much more power. The concept is interesting and I'm obviously the wrong target age, so I am definitely going to reserve judgment until I buy a physical copy and see the formatting as the authors intended.

I think I liked this? It has to be one of the stranger concepts I've seen. I get that it depicts the magic vs science argument but it seemed an odd viewpoint to me. Still the writing was good and the characters engaing, and it kept coming back to me when I'd finished which is usually a good sign.

This is, by far, one of the oddest concepts for a book ever. It centres around Ada, daughter of the first woman to create robots (enemies of wizards) and her fight to change the past in order to save the future. Basically, it's a giant mashup of every science fiction concept known to man, mixed with a sprinkle of fantasy. It's oddly compelling, but very jumbled.

The story itself, because of this mix, is strangely all over the place. It feels like there's just too much going on, and a number of subplots are left underdeveloped - although it's fast paced and full of action to keep you engaged throughout.

The characters also suffer slightly from the pace by being underdeveloped. They're all very one dimensional, with little emotional depth. Geller is perhaps the best developed of the bunch. A young wizard sent to kill Ada and stop the war between robots and wizards, you can see his struggles and feel real empathy for him. I also enjoyed his relationship with Ada.

The conclusion feels a little rushed, and could have done with being a bit tighter and tying up more loose ends. However, that said this is quite an interesting, if sometimes silly, little jump into the light science fiction genre.

Review Publishing on: 25th January 2018.

Sara Luring is the founder of robot's, the age-old foes of wizards. The wizards have sent a team to hunt down Sara and stop robots from being created. Geller, a wizard and Ada Luring, Sara's daughter must learn to work together with the robots to change the past and secure the future. But they don't have much time before a mysterious enemy launches its attack on Earth...



As a pre-warning, I've tried to be objective but I found this book very difficult to read due to it being a really poorly formatted e-book arc. This means I was (extra) irritable when things I dislike came up. The first thing that irritated me was the love at first sight. Without speaking to the other person, or even actually meeting (She is watched through a video) there's a romance in this book. This is both unrealistic expectations for a children's book and also slightly creepy. There was also no development upon meeting - it seemed like the authors had thought they needed a romance and just dropped them into the pairing with no lead up to feelings. 

WaR made a good effort for merging the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre and made good points as to how and why technological advancement and magic can be contained within the same world. I enjoy how they are linked to one another, but I'm still confused about what and who Spawn are. I think the focus on wizards and robots overshadowed the plot line in places and some plot points were dropped. It also maybe took on a bit too much from each genre. It was a very packed book full of tropes (Robots can't harm humans they're programmed!) and aspects from the genre's that just clustered into the pages. 

The main story arc was clearly thought out in terms of main events and timelines and it does tie together into a bow at the end. But there was a lack of development outside the main story arc. I also didn't feel it was that original except that the characters had been made into robots or wizards. I couldn't quite put my finger onto which book it reminded me of, but it was reminiscent (for me anyway!). The ending also seemed rushed and left you feeling a bit anticlimactic. 

Positives
+ Good effort for merging Sci-Fi and Fantasy

+ Storyline merges and ties into one another

Negatives
- Love at first sight (and no development)

- Felt rushed into the ending

- Actual plot didn't seem all that original

- Includes too much from both genres - a clutter of a book



I received WaR: Wizards and Robots* by willi.i.am and Brian David Johnson from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.

Sorry, but I was unable to finish reading this as the formatting made it very difficult for me to read the book. The one star rating is due to the inaccessibility of the file rather than an indication of the quality of the story. Not posted the review anywhere else as this wouldn't be fair to to the author.