"Clockwork Prince" by Cassandra Clare

502 pages

In the hidden magical world of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has finally found safety with the Shadowhunters. On the downside, her brother, Nathan, has betrayed the group to the Magister and remains missing. Then things get worse when the powers that be in the Clave plan to have Charlotte replaced as head of the Institute. If that happens, Tessa will be put out on the street and easy prey for the Magister, who wants to use her powers for evil. Charlotte and the Shadowhunters are given a test: find the Magister within two weeks, or she will lose the Institute to her rival, Benedict Lightwood, who seems to be more concerned with his own mysterious agenda than the welfare of the Clave. As if the challenge wasn't difficult enough, it appears that the Shadowhunters have yet again been betrayed by someone within their ranks.

I can't get enough of the Infernal Devices series! I love the world Clare has created, with the magic and funky steampunk elements. The characters are probably what really has me hooked, though. The bad ones are so easy to hate, the good guys are so lovable, and there are plenty who fall somewhere in the middle, which I like because that's how real life is. I'm not so thrilled about the Will-Tessa-Jem love triangle, though. I am Team Will all the way, especially after reading this second book and learning some pretty important things about his background that explain some of the less-than-wonderful aspects of his personality. I adore Jem too, of course, but I just think Will and Tessa belong together. The fact that I care so much says a lot, as I usually don't really get so into the romantic aspects of books. I don't know how I'm going to wait until November for the third title in the series.

"Robopocalypse" by Daniel Wilson

347 pages

In the not-so-distant future, an unimaginably powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos takes control over the global network of technology that runs all aspects of life in civilized society. Suddenly, all the fancy machines that people depend on--cell phones, cars, domestic robots, and more--turn on humans and begin to destroy them. We jump into the story a year before "the War" begins, when sporadic incidents of robotic rebellion occur, and as we read the events escalate until the robopocalypse finally arrives in full force. We hear the stories of several seemingly unconnected people as they fight to live, eventually coming together to figure out how to take their planet back from the machines.

I think robots might be the next big sci-fi thing. This novel has certainly generated a lot of buzz, and I think it lives up to the hype. There are lots of stories about robots-gone-wrong, but this one is unique (at least, among what I've read) because literally every single type of machine on the planet is being controlled by one being. In some ways it's such a ridiculous idea, and yet somehow it feels like something that could actually happen. This makes it even more freaky. As one expects from a novel with this kind of content, it seems to be a sort of cautionary tale about the incredible boom of technological development that has been going on the past twenty years or so. This book seems to suggest that we need to slow down and think about what we're doing before throwing everything out there just because we can. On the other hand, there are plenty of situations in which the machines overcome Archos' control and help the humans, making them seem like real living things with their own wills and emotions. Thinking about that is about the point where I start getting a headache, but it is certainly interesting to ponder. In addition to making me think, this book also kept me at the edge of my seat. There's plenty of exciting action, and I enjoyed trying to figure out how all of the characters would come together. I think this is a book that will please most science fiction fans, at least casual ones like me.

Robot Dreams

by Sara Varon, 208 pages

A dog builds himself a robot friend only to lose him to a foolish mistake. Can what's broken be mended?

The only words in this visually simple but thematically complex little graphic novel appear on book spines and street signs and postcards, but it has no difficulty communicating the joys and sorrows of its pair of separated friends as they are carried on the sometimes pleasant, sometimes upsetting currents of life. A surprisingly realistic treatment of friendship and personal growth.

Pluto: Volume 4

by Naoki Urasawa (story, art), Takashi Nagasaki (story), Macoto Tezuka (supervision), based on the original Astro Boy story "The Greatest Robot on Earth" by Osamu Tezuka, 197 pages

Somebody is picking off the seven great robots of the world one by one. When science's greatest minds begin to turn up dead, too, the race to track down and stop the murderer gains momentum. But what does the killer want? Revenge? Power? It's up to those remaining to find out before it's too late for them, as well.

Following a devastating war, in which robots played a major role, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has reached new heights and robots, some more human-looking than others, are now an integral part of society and have legal rights. By this volume, Gesicht, head investigator in the robot murders--and, as one of the seven great robots, himself, a likely target--is trying to learn the truth while dealing with some disturbing flashbacks to events he doesn't remember. Meanwhile, Atom, the world's greatest robot and emissary for peace, flies to the aid of his friends and adoptive family...and into a clever trap.

Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys) takes Tezuka's classic story and characters and brings them alive in a new way for a new generation, delivering mystery, pathos, action, and loads of suspense with carefully plotted precision and artwork that seamlessly incorporates just enough Tezuka flavor to bring the nostalgia without losing his own signature realism and style.