Zero Override

i, Robot meets Alex Rider: a high-stakes adventure
debut for readers of 10+, featuring a group of young underground
hackers who steal from the rich in a world populated with bots
and AI.

In a near-future London where humans and humanoid bots live side
by side, a sophisticated virus is infiltrating the national system.
If it uploads fully, every intelligent machine in the country

• from home assistants to hospital bots to android enforcers - will
  shut down.

  Zero, a thirteen-year-old hacker whose day job is to sneak into high-security
  server rooms and 'liberate' funds from undeserving corporations,
  has a serious distrust of bots - and no real interest
  in saving the world. But the virus threatens the life of Grace,
  his younger sister, who - as a result of the car crash that killed
  their parents ten years ago - now has a machine heart.

  No one will work harder than Zero to stop the upload. Except perhaps
  Andi, a mysterious humanoid bot who has appeared with secrets
  of his own. Zero doesn't trust him. He doesn't even like him. But
  with only hours on the clock, the only way to protect Grace might
  be to partner up. And along the way, he must come up against MI6

• and unravel his own past...

• A fast-paced, page-turning adventure full of punchy action,
  intrigue, a hero to root for and a memorable cast - both human and
  android.

• The pace, thrills and stakes of spy novels like Cherub
  and Alex Rider, but from the rebellious angle of a Robin-Hood-style
  underground organisation.

• Tackles the hot and ever-growing topic of AI head on, asking
  thought-provoking questions about what it means to be human in a
  world of intelligent machines.

  *"An action-packed techno-thriller set in a very
  believable near-future dystopia. This was a really exciting read
  blending adventure, mystery and action in perfect measures ... a
  stellar debut.*" - Christopher Edge

  *"A propulsive, high stakes thriller filled with
  espionage and heists - this is the book of my dreams!*"

  • Wren James

  *"Great fun, super-sharp and optimistic.*"

  • Ross Welford**