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Summary

This near-future science-fiction series follows a wheel-chair bound boy who lives in the first colony on Mars and who is able to control a robot with his brain. Originally a ten-book series, each novel contains two of the original books. 

Stats

Genre: Tween (10-14 years) science-fiction mixed with light mystery and suspense

Series length: 10 books packaged as 5 books

Violence: Light to moderate violence with a few slightly scary situations

Magic/Supernatural: None

Romance: None until book 3; light after that (boy protagonist interested in a girl). 

Christian/spiritual element: Some very explicit Christian content

Recommendation: Excellent for boys, reluctant readers (high interest/easy reading), or science-minded girls 

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Opening Lines:

Sandstorm!

Across the plains, the black shell of the gigantic dome gleamed in late-afternoon sunshine. It was beautiful against the red soil, laden with iron oxides, and the faded rose-colored Martian sky. From the bottom of the mountain where I stood, it took less than an hour's trek across the plains to reach it--in good weather. 

But we would not get that hour. Sand rattled hard against my titanium casing, warning me of how little time remained. Much less than we needed. 

Death Trap (Robot Wars, Book 1)
by Sigmund Brouwer

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 as they are probably wondering some of the same things. Each book contains two exciting adventures. In the first adventure, the Mars project is in trouble and only Tyce holds the key. In the second adventure, Tyce has discovered there may be killer aliens on the loose.
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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.

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Opening Lines:

On the side of the cliff, I hung from a thin metal cable. Hundreds of feet below, the jagged red rocks of the Martian valley floor pointed up at me like deadly spears. 

The temperature had risen from minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit to a nice, warm minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind pushed at my body, making me sway from side to side. But it could have been worse. I could have been stuck in a sandstorm, with grains of sand hitting me at 60 miles an hour, rattling off my titanium shell and blinding me completely. 

Double Cross (Robot Wars, Book 2)
by Sigmund Brouwer

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.

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Opening Lines:

Cave-in!

The wheels of the robot body under my control hummed as the robot sped across the red, packed sands of the flat valley floor toward the hills about five miles from the dome. 

​Thin Martian wind whistled around me, picking up the grains of sand that the robot wheels sent flying into the air. The sky was butterscotch colored, the sun a perfect circle of blue. Streaks of light blue clouds hung above the distant mountain peaks. 

Ambush (Robot Wars, Book 3)
by Sigmund Brouwer

Set at an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039-2040, Robot Wars features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the Red Planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. As Tyce explores his strange surroundings, he 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 as they are probably wondering some of the same things.
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In book three, Ambush, Tyce has to rescue his friend Director Rawlings and three other scientists who are trapped in a cave-in on Mars. He also has to uncover a devious plot that threatens to overtake the spaceship—just as they are nearing the end of their six-month journey from Mars to Earth.

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Opening Lines:

Neuron rifles.

Twenty soldiers--in full protective gear, including black uniforms, black helmets, dark mirrored visors--each held a rifle aimed directly at my head. The voltage of just one neuron rifle would cripple me with the pain of an electrical jolt through the nerve pathways of my body.

But 20 neuron rifles fired at me all at once? With the nerve pathways too scrambled to give instructions to my muscles, I wouldn't even be able to scream as I died. 

Counterattack (Robot Wars, Book 4)
by Sigmund Brouwer

Set at an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039-2040, Robot Wars features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the Red Planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. As Tyce explores his strange surroundings, he 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 as they are probably wondering some of the same things.
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Book four, Counterattack, opens with Tyce and some of the Mars Project’s staff captured in a prison; they end up in prison while carrying out a special mission on Earth. Tyce has to figure out a way to fulfill their mission and rescue kids—all before a world war breaks out.

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Opening Lines:

Radiation blast!

Behind me, three doors--each three feet thick and made of steel-encased concrete--were already open to the outer world. Ahead was the final door protecting the inner core of the nuclear reactor at the power plant. It was the final barrier between me and the intense heat and radiation about to blast me when a computer signal triggered it to open like the ones behind me.

Final Battle (Robot Wars, Book 5)
by Sigmund Brouwer

Set at an experimental community on Mars in the year 2039-2040, Robot Wars features 14-year-old virtual reality specialist Tyce Sanders. Life on the Red Planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. As Tyce explores his strange surroundings, he 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 as they are probably wondering some of the same things.
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Book five, Final Battle, begins with Tyce’s threat to reveal his special talents to the world—much to the dismay of the rebels who want to keep the technology a secret. Tyce has to battle the rebels and their plot while trying to return to Mars. The success of the entire Mars Project depends on his every move.