Eager and the Mermaid by Helen Fox

This is the third book in a simply splendid series about the future and about robots! I read the first book Eager many years ago and just loved the whole idea of robots with emotions and a world of the future where things were good not the usual dystopian society. The second book Eager's Nephew did not disappoint and then a couple weeks ago I discovered book three Eager and the Mermaid!

Eager, Jonquil and Allegra have been in hiding since the uprising by the BDC4s but as the story opens the ban on self aware robots has been lifted and Eager is ready to be reunited with his family, The Bells. The authorities are keen to recruit intelligent robots to join a think tank to try to solve the water crisis on Earth. Selection is via a television game show and Eager wants to participate. He selects philosophy as his special subject and although he does not win he and the other contestants are invited to LifeCorp to join the think tank.

Eager has made a new friend Cedric and this group of very different robots are taken to a building containing a swimming pool. Inside the pool they discover an animate, a mermaid named Dulcie and Eager finds his life changing in most unexpected ways. Dulcie is part robot and part dolphin and she has been used a spy. She is suspicious of everyone especially humans her real friends live in the sea - the dolphins, whales and porpoises.

The humans in this book are important but it is the robot characters who really shine. You will adore Eager and cheer for him right to the end as he struggles to mend our broken world.

You can read more about the first book Eager here. One final thing I have just made an amazing discovery - Helen Fox is from England. I have no idea why but these books feel so American. I feel quite happy to discover Helen Fox lives in London.