Norby and the Invaders

The Norby Chronicles #4

by Janet Asimov, Isaac Asimov

Jeff and his mixed-up robot, Norby, get involved in new adventures on a strange planet.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Robots, Childrens, Fantasy, Middle Grade

138 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Also known as: Janet Jeppson Asimov, Janet O. Jeppson, J.O. Jeppson

Janet Asimov was an American science fiction writer, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst. She originally wrote as J.O. Jeppson. She was an accomplished novelist and short-story writer who sometimes worked in collaboration with her husband, the late Isaac Asimov. Among the Asimovs' joint ventures as writers is the series of juvenile novels involving an endearing robot, Norby, and his young owner, Jeff Wells.

Reviews

[Eva Gavilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non un granchè. Va bene che si tratta di un racconto per ragazzi, ma gli altri della serie li ho trovati più divertenti, briosi e coinvolgenti: questo al contrario è noioso, piatto, irrilevante.
***
Not so great. Okay, it's a children's story, but I found the previous novels to much more fun, lively and engaging: this one, on the contrary, is boring, flat and irrelevant.

[Francesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarto capitolo delle avventure di Norby, questa volta alle prese con degli alieni (gli Invasori, appunto) che disattivano i Mentori su Jamya e rapiscono la Grande Draghessa.
Le successive disavventure vedono stavolta quasi solo Jeff e Norby - che ormai è un vero e proprio TARDIS in miniatura (il suo ego è bigger on the inside ma soprattutto viaggia nel tempo e nello spazio con risultati differenti da quelli attesi) -, mentre il resto della famiglia si materializza solo verso la fine del libro.
Mi è piaciuto meno degli altri, perché Asimov e gli Alieni sono cose diverse e perché è molto meno "spiritoso" dei primi. Ciònonostante la voglia di proseguire nella serie delle avventure dello strampalato robot è forte.

[G.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buona fantascienza per ragazzi.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Either I'm getting inured to this series, or the books are getting better, because I found this one more palatable than the previous entries.

In this installment, strange balloon-shaped creatures come to the planet of Jamya and kidnap the Grand Dragon. Norby and Jeff follow the beings to their home planet, a watery world with an underwater zoo. They attempt to free the Grand Dragon and learn more about these strange creatures, the Hleno. In the process, they learn more about the mysterious Others as well.

What I liked about this story was that it felt like more of a straightforward action-adventure-exploration tale than the previous book. The attempts at humor were more muted and not so silly. And the book incorporates pieces of the previous tales without introducing a ridiculous number of new complications. All in all, this felt more like it was cut from whole cloth and not patchworked together like a few of the previous Norby books.

I hope this bodes well for future entries.

[Stifynsemons · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.382 stars and it was ok. Doubt I'll read it again

Norby and Jeff are summoned by an emergency message to Jamyn, where invaders are stealing the robots.

Typical yarn (story where things happen one after the other), but it fits in with the rest of the Norby World and you are gradually made aware of the author's grand picture.

Asimov Novel Completionist: 25/38

[Skyhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Blake Petit · Rating 4 out of 5]

In book four of the Norby series, Norby and his human buddy Jeff are caught up in the invasion of Jamya -- home to a race of friendly alien dragons -- by a bizarre race of dirigible-shaped creatures. As charming as the previous book, I'm even more frustrated now that the rest of this series isn't available digitally, because this volume gets pretty deep into the mystery of the ancient "Others" around which the mythology of this series is built. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever learn their secrets...

[Jeff Stockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another fun installment in the Norby series. This time the planet Jamyn has some invaders from another planet. These invaders are from the planet Nuhlenony and are known as the Hleno. They seek to destroy technology throughout the universe.

Another wild ride begins as we follow Norby and Jeff back to the Hleno homeworld where we find out more about the ancient ones known as The Others and have more adventures spanned across time and space.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son is still really enjoying the series, and I'm enjoying reading it with him

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and gets the imagination going.