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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Reed Pederson’s Rise of the AInimals follows Theorin Silverling, heir to Silverling & Sons Circus Extraordinaire, as he steps toward leadership of the famous family business. Theo has spent his life preparing for the circus, but shrinking audiences place its future in question as opposition to performing animals increases. The company’s worsening finances leave him searching for a way to preserve a tradition that has carried the Silverling name for generations. His path crosses with Mica, a young Animal Rights Society activist whose connection to the movement places her on the other side of the public fight surrounding his company. Then Theo sees a possible answer in robotic animals. Determined to keep the Silverling name alive, he bets his inheritance on a new future built around artificial intelligence.
Reed Pederson’s Rise of the AInimals is brilliant AI science fiction. It's a lot of fun, and more than just a little bit anxiety-inducing, as the story turns machinery into something that belongs under the big top. That machinery changes the animal names to start with an M, where pink Mflamingos swing from trapezes, and white Mswans join in with an ode to classical music. I love Robert Ottendorfer, Robotomica’s lanky owner, whose delighted introduction to the prototypes in Austin puts him among my favorite characters. He is so well drawn that I'd rank him among some of the other similar greats, including Dahl’s Willy Wonka and Wells' Mr. Cavor. The science fiction works so well inside the circus, which is described in near-cinematic detail. The standouts are hidden high-speed nets firing beneath aerial performers during dangerous routines, and metal boxes packed with Mwasps and Mbats. Well written and wonderfully imaginative, readers who enjoy AI science fiction with a unique circus angle and pressure to succeed will adore this.
