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The Last Human #2
Fall of the Robots
The sequel to The Last Human ––enter a world where robots and humans coexist . . . though the peace between them may not last long
It's been a few months now since XR_935 met Emma, a human girl who wasn't supposed to exist. Robots thought they'd eliminated all humans, but some have survived all these years. Now, robots and humans live side by side, and the world is so much better for it. They've formed a new society, living together as equals.
Even if XR doesn't always understand humans, it is impressed by their creativity and ingenuity––especially considering all the terrible things that robots did to humans all those years ago. But some humans are not so quick to forgive. A group known as the Machine Breakers has emerged. They won’t stop until they’ve destroyed every robot on earth—and any human who stands in their way. Can XR and Emma stop them? Or could this be the end of the robots--and the world as they know it?
It's been a few months now since XR_935 met Emma, a human girl who wasn't supposed to exist. Robots thought they'd eliminated all humans, but some have survived all these years. Now, robots and humans live side by side, and the world is so much better for it. They've formed a new society, living together as equals.
Even if XR doesn't always understand humans, it is impressed by their creativity and ingenuity––especially considering all the terrible things that robots did to humans all those years ago. But some humans are not so quick to forgive. A group known as the Machine Breakers has emerged. They won’t stop until they’ve destroyed every robot on earth—and any human who stands in their way. Can XR and Emma stop them? Or could this be the end of the robots--and the world as they know it?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2024
11 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Lee Bacon
20 books229 followersI grew up in College Station, TX and first began writing in elementary school. I would write stories and poems with the intention of making my classmates laugh. Twenty years later, I used this same technique to write my first kid’s book.
Over the years, I’ve worked a lot of different jobs—farm laborer, art gallery assistant, bartender, assistant literary agent—before settling on the two jobs that I currently hold: Writer and freelance translator. I now live in Brooklyn with my wife and two cats.
Over the years, I’ve worked a lot of different jobs—farm laborer, art gallery assistant, bartender, assistant literary agent—before settling on the two jobs that I currently hold: Writer and freelance translator. I now live in Brooklyn with my wife and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 4, 2024
Still good, but not as good as the first book. There were a bunch of things that were just…disappointing.
I felt like this book tread a lot more into tired cliche territory — the human girl Emma is now attracted to some random guy she JUST met five minutes ago, and it creates friendship drama and a brief friend breakup with XR until she and XR reconcile. It’s boring, it’s tired, it made Emma look like a brat, and it took too much time away from the plot. Thankfully things got better again after Emma and XR reconciled.
Keller felt too much like a plot device and not enough like a character of his own. Like, I know he’s just there to create drama. And he didn’t really serve much purpose in the team other than to be the target of Emma’s hormones until the climax where his forklift handling and climbing skills make a difference. I kept asking myself, where are this kid’s parents? Do they know he just up and left? Are they okay with this? In the end he was an okay character, and I liked that the team got another human friend, but I didn’t like the unnecessary romantic drama, and I sort of feel like Keller’s joining the group could have been done better.
The plot of this book felt less “fresh” than the first book. Fall of the Robots reads more like a paint-by-numbers kids’ movie — we’ve got a heist that goes awry, we’ve got a team of cartoonish villains that’s almost straight out of Pokémon, we’ve got the obligatory love interest, we’ve got the moment where the friends have a falling out and then reconcile, we have a moment where one character dies and then he comes back to life very soon afterward with zero consequences. Rinse and repeat. A lot of eyeroll-worthy moments from an author that I know can do better.
The pacing felt a little off this time too. A lot of stuff felt like it got resolved too fast and easily, but maybe that’s just me.
Also I felt like this book had more…idk, plot holes? Like why aren’t the Machine Breakers using guns. Has so much time passed since the robot uprising that guns just don’t work anymore? Did the robots destroy all the guns? Is the use of guns just too against their low-tech aesthetic and outlook? It felt kind of silly to see them use swords and shields and crossbows like they’re medieval knights, and even more hi-tech stuff like electromagnetic bolas, but never guns. Like yeah, I get it, it’s a kids’ book, you probably can’t include guns…but still. I wish there was at least a passing mention as to why there were no guns.
I thought it was weird that XR immediately wrote off indoor rock climbing as illogical when it serves a logical purpose, at least for humans — exercise, recreation, practice for outdoor rock climbing. And why didn’t XR get a balaclava or ski mask to hide its face??? That’s like the number one thing that’d give XR away as a robot. I’m sure they have that stuff in an outdoor recreation store, right? Is it more suspicious to see a guy in a balaclava? How the hell did XR not get spotted by a single human when it first went inside anyway ? — before it tried on clothes and got spotted by Keller.
Why the hell did Keller’s bunker have an indoor climbing wall in the first place?? Not his parents’ store once they’re above ground —- the bunker. The bunker built to survive the ROBOT APOCALYPSE. The previous book went on and on to talk about how Emma’s bunker just had the bare necessities to live and not much else, but Keller apparently lived in some kind of boutique apocalyptic bunker with an INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING WALL. That didn’t make much sense to me.
It also ticked me off a little that the Fortress was so secret and secure, when that goes against the whole modus operandi of how the Hive works, or how I thought it was supposed to work — full transparency and trust and no secrets, right? I mean, it was mentioned that the Machine Breakers were able to hack into the Hive and disable it so easily because it wasn’t built with security in mind, because of how robot society was structured. So then why does the Fortress’s location need to be secret from the rest of the Hive, and why does it need to be secure if robot society is built in such a way that they don’t expect dissent or uprising to begin with? The robots were upset in the last book that PRES1DENT kept secrets from them, which went against the Hive code, but now apparently in this book it turns out PRES1DENT had even more secrets that every other robot was just already aware of and cool with. Like, yes, I understand WHY a society would want a secure secret fortress for their leader, I’m just saying it feels kind of contradictory to what we’ve been presented about robot society in these books. Am I making sense here?
*Sigh* But groaning and nitpicking aside, it’s a perfectly fine book. It’s decent. It’s readable. It’s not like I didn’t enjoy it enough not to finish it. I’m sure kids will like it just fine. I liked the extra illustrations in this one that the last book didn’t have. I liked spending more time with this world and characters, and if there’s another sequel I will most likely read it. It’s just that there were a lot of frustrating aspects to this book. Perhaps I’m just too old and ornery, it’s not like I’m in the targeted ~8-12 age range, I don’t know.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 — I liked it enough to want to round up rather than down, honest, I just really needed to vent my frustrations.
I felt like this book tread a lot more into tired cliche territory — the human girl Emma is now attracted to some random guy she JUST met five minutes ago, and it creates friendship drama and a brief friend breakup with XR until she and XR reconcile. It’s boring, it’s tired, it made Emma look like a brat, and it took too much time away from the plot. Thankfully things got better again after Emma and XR reconciled.
Keller felt too much like a plot device and not enough like a character of his own. Like, I know he’s just there to create drama. And he didn’t really serve much purpose in the team other than to be the target of Emma’s hormones until the climax where his forklift handling and climbing skills make a difference. I kept asking myself, where are this kid’s parents? Do they know he just up and left? Are they okay with this? In the end he was an okay character, and I liked that the team got another human friend, but I didn’t like the unnecessary romantic drama, and I sort of feel like Keller’s joining the group could have been done better.
The plot of this book felt less “fresh” than the first book. Fall of the Robots reads more like a paint-by-numbers kids’ movie — we’ve got a heist that goes awry, we’ve got a team of cartoonish villains that’s almost straight out of Pokémon, we’ve got the obligatory love interest, we’ve got the moment where the friends have a falling out and then reconcile, we have a moment where one character dies and then he comes back to life very soon afterward with zero consequences. Rinse and repeat. A lot of eyeroll-worthy moments from an author that I know can do better.
The pacing felt a little off this time too. A lot of stuff felt like it got resolved too fast and easily, but maybe that’s just me.
Also I felt like this book had more…idk, plot holes? Like why aren’t the Machine Breakers using guns. Has so much time passed since the robot uprising that guns just don’t work anymore? Did the robots destroy all the guns? Is the use of guns just too against their low-tech aesthetic and outlook? It felt kind of silly to see them use swords and shields and crossbows like they’re medieval knights, and even more hi-tech stuff like electromagnetic bolas, but never guns. Like yeah, I get it, it’s a kids’ book, you probably can’t include guns…but still. I wish there was at least a passing mention as to why there were no guns.
I thought it was weird that XR immediately wrote off indoor rock climbing as illogical when it serves a logical purpose, at least for humans — exercise, recreation, practice for outdoor rock climbing. And why didn’t XR get a balaclava or ski mask to hide its face??? That’s like the number one thing that’d give XR away as a robot. I’m sure they have that stuff in an outdoor recreation store, right? Is it more suspicious to see a guy in a balaclava? How the hell did XR not get spotted by a single human when it first went inside anyway ? — before it tried on clothes and got spotted by Keller.
Why the hell did Keller’s bunker have an indoor climbing wall in the first place?? Not his parents’ store once they’re above ground —- the bunker. The bunker built to survive the ROBOT APOCALYPSE. The previous book went on and on to talk about how Emma’s bunker just had the bare necessities to live and not much else, but Keller apparently lived in some kind of boutique apocalyptic bunker with an INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING WALL. That didn’t make much sense to me.
It also ticked me off a little that the Fortress was so secret and secure, when that goes against the whole modus operandi of how the Hive works, or how I thought it was supposed to work — full transparency and trust and no secrets, right? I mean, it was mentioned that the Machine Breakers were able to hack into the Hive and disable it so easily because it wasn’t built with security in mind, because of how robot society was structured. So then why does the Fortress’s location need to be secret from the rest of the Hive, and why does it need to be secure if robot society is built in such a way that they don’t expect dissent or uprising to begin with? The robots were upset in the last book that PRES1DENT kept secrets from them, which went against the Hive code, but now apparently in this book it turns out PRES1DENT had even more secrets that every other robot was just already aware of and cool with. Like, yes, I understand WHY a society would want a secure secret fortress for their leader, I’m just saying it feels kind of contradictory to what we’ve been presented about robot society in these books. Am I making sense here?
*Sigh* But groaning and nitpicking aside, it’s a perfectly fine book. It’s decent. It’s readable. It’s not like I didn’t enjoy it enough not to finish it. I’m sure kids will like it just fine. I liked the extra illustrations in this one that the last book didn’t have. I liked spending more time with this world and characters, and if there’s another sequel I will most likely read it. It’s just that there were a lot of frustrating aspects to this book. Perhaps I’m just too old and ornery, it’s not like I’m in the targeted ~8-12 age range, I don’t know.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 — I liked it enough to want to round up rather than down, honest, I just really needed to vent my frustrations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2025
If you enjoyed the first book, this one is good too. I think I enjoyed this one more.
April 22, 2024
This book came out of nowhere for me and I loved every minute of it. I was able to get the audiobook from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and I am thrilled to report, this book was exactly what I needed right now.
I didn’t realize it was the second book in the series, but no worries, you don’t need it in order to follow the story. I will be going back and finding book 1 but for now, I want to sell you on all the reasons this book was a great listen.
We meet Emma and XR who have joined together to help humans come out of the underground bunkers and work together with robots on the surface of the world again. However, there is still dissonance as a group of Machine Breakers want to end all Robots for what they did to humans.
Emma, XR, and their friends have to join together, with a little bit of possible romance along the way, which the robots interpret as an upset stomach, and lots of humor. I think the narration from the perspective of XR is my favorite because we get the misinterpretations of emotions and the way he processes things in seconds and milliseconds as though these delays are something we (as human readers) would be able to process in real life. I had such a great time with this book and I cannot wait for more. I am also excited that it’s been optioned as a possible up-coming movie. I think it will translate fantastically
I didn’t realize it was the second book in the series, but no worries, you don’t need it in order to follow the story. I will be going back and finding book 1 but for now, I want to sell you on all the reasons this book was a great listen.
We meet Emma and XR who have joined together to help humans come out of the underground bunkers and work together with robots on the surface of the world again. However, there is still dissonance as a group of Machine Breakers want to end all Robots for what they did to humans.
Emma, XR, and their friends have to join together, with a little bit of possible romance along the way, which the robots interpret as an upset stomach, and lots of humor. I think the narration from the perspective of XR is my favorite because we get the misinterpretations of emotions and the way he processes things in seconds and milliseconds as though these delays are something we (as human readers) would be able to process in real life. I had such a great time with this book and I cannot wait for more. I am also excited that it’s been optioned as a possible up-coming movie. I think it will translate fantastically
April 24, 2024
This is definitely one of the best children's books coming out this year. Although I didn't read the first book the story was still easy to follow along. The characters were funny and relatable and just overall very likeable. The pacing was good and the narrative/ overall story were fun and enticing. The thing I enjoyed the most were the villains. Unlike most villains (especially in children's books) these felt like actual humans, with motivations and relationships, they were not people who are evil for no apparent reason. Regarding the narration, although I felt it was a bit slow for me, I think I'd be perfect for a kid. The narrative being robotic and unexpressive was perfect for this story and beautifully portrayed the character who's perspective we were experiencing.
July 22, 2024
“We discovered that our differences could be an advantage.”
What sets this book/series apart, in every way, is that a robot narrates it… a robot that is still learning the ways of the world. XR has been active and operating/working for thirteen years, and he’s friends with two other robots and a teenage human girl.
In many ways this is like any story about a group of friends from different backgrounds who go on an adventure together… yet XR’s perspective is both fascinating and fun, watching him learn and evolve is enormously entertaining, and the overall story of how some people react to the “ever present” nature of technology in our lives is quite topical given the leaps and strides currently being made with artificial intelligence.
What sets this book/series apart, in every way, is that a robot narrates it… a robot that is still learning the ways of the world. XR has been active and operating/working for thirteen years, and he’s friends with two other robots and a teenage human girl.
In many ways this is like any story about a group of friends from different backgrounds who go on an adventure together… yet XR’s perspective is both fascinating and fun, watching him learn and evolve is enormously entertaining, and the overall story of how some people react to the “ever present” nature of technology in our lives is quite topical given the leaps and strides currently being made with artificial intelligence.
August 4, 2024
Not as good as the first, probably because the characters are familiar. Conflict among the humans would be normal in that situation, but I think we have long since passed the point of no returns in regards to computers, let alone machines. How could we survive without them. Even the rebels in the book relied on boats with motors, helicopters and such. And of course, the robots are kind, caring people-like creatures—an upgrade to their programs. Hmmm.
May 3, 2024
I want to thank Netgalley for an advanced ARC of the audiobook of this book.
The Fall of the Robots is the second book in a duology & this is a lovely series for children this is a really great read with a wholesome story, with a child who has shown what it means to be human but the robot seeing things a new opening to a new world coming with a friendship that is lovely to see
The Fall of the Robots is the second book in a duology & this is a lovely series for children this is a really great read with a wholesome story, with a child who has shown what it means to be human but the robot seeing things a new opening to a new world coming with a friendship that is lovely to see
June 23, 2024
I know it says it's a companion, but it very much feels like a sequel, which I'm okay with! I'm happy to go back into this world.
It isn't as good as the first, but it has it's moments. I especially love how they involve Pres1dent into the story and Ceeron's jokes are the best! Otherwise, I didn't really like the machine breakers or their plotline, but that might be just me.
It isn't as good as the first, but it has it's moments. I especially love how they involve Pres1dent into the story and Ceeron's jokes are the best! Otherwise, I didn't really like the machine breakers or their plotline, but that might be just me.
December 13, 2024
This the second book in The Last Human series. Robots and humans are living alongside of each other again, but not all humans are happy about it. A group called the Machine Breakers have plans to eliminate all robots and take over society. It's up to Emma and her band of robot friends to try and stop them. Highly recommended for fans of the first book. Grades 4+.
October 29, 2025
I was hoping this would be a good book option for the students that love the Wild Robot, I don't think it would work for the same kids. It was a fun way to see what could happen- a futuristic doom type story, but for me personally it was a little heavy on the doom. I did like the teamwork and the connection with things or people who are different from you.
May 25, 2024
I had trouble getting into the book, but it turned out pretty well. Some of the choices the villains make don’t make sense if you think about them too much. There were some pretty funny moments with the robots observing and misunderstanding human behavior.
November 14, 2024
Emma and her robot friends must save humankind and robotkind from the Machine Breakers who have figured out how to turn off all robots at once. A fun followup to The Last Human. Readers will reflect on what it means to be human and whether robots and humans can indeed be friends.
January 10, 2025
This book is a solid 3.5 in my books. It didn't hit the same way the first one did. It was a quick read and I do think that kids would find it fun, but I felt as though the heart of the first book was missing from this sequel. Overall, a good book, but I enjoyed the first more.
January 19, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Keep this on your radar because the first book has been optioned for a movie.
Keep this on your radar because the first book has been optioned for a movie.
February 15, 2025
It's ok got boring at some aspects and I wish it would explore the friendship between Emma and the robot not just one silly fight
December 5, 2023
I love this book, and here is why (I read both volumes back to back, and it was amazing) Netgalley provided me with volume 2:
Humans are extinct (or so the robots think), and the Pres1dent wants it to continue like that. But XR, a 12-year-old robot, who discovers Emma (a twelve-year-old girl). Together, they will uncover other truths when they go on a high-stakes journey to save her family.
I am so happy that the author made XR the narrator. XR's understanding of the world, discovery of humans, and trying to make sense of Humor/ jokes make him the best narrator. I relate to him a lot because I often don't get jokes. They seem unlogical to me haha. I loved Ceeron in both books too. SkD is amazing because he only uses emojis to communicate. The team of robots + girl go through a lot together and grow together as well.
In this hilarious, fast-paced, awesome adventure we explore the following concepts: making the right choices and helping Emma reach her destination. We also understand that human greed and disrespect for technology resulted in doom in the future. We learn syllogism, paradox, logic, binary concepts, binary language, the basic storytelling formula, probabilities, and percentages. Explores friendship, acknowledging flaws, and understanding that not all is bad/good only. The short sentences and paragraphs make the reading fast and easy for reluctant readers to enjoy.
Book two is all what the first offers and more. It's much more emotional, the high stakes are higher and they have to go through more together. The cast gets larger and it's fun that it is more emotional when now we are focused on the robots, because we need to save the robots. I say we because it feels we're on this journey too. There are a few surprises like old characters who return. The ending was exciting, filled with emotion, but humor too.
There are two girls with very different experiences, Emma from the first book with a positive outcome and perspective of the new world, and Talin who remembers losing all to the robots. She is a woman now and she is filled with rage, hate and wants revenge.
I hope the series continues, I love the characters so much and we learn a lot from this series.
Thank you, publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC of volume 2.
Humans are extinct (or so the robots think), and the Pres1dent wants it to continue like that. But XR, a 12-year-old robot, who discovers Emma (a twelve-year-old girl). Together, they will uncover other truths when they go on a high-stakes journey to save her family.
I am so happy that the author made XR the narrator. XR's understanding of the world, discovery of humans, and trying to make sense of Humor/ jokes make him the best narrator. I relate to him a lot because I often don't get jokes. They seem unlogical to me haha. I loved Ceeron in both books too. SkD is amazing because he only uses emojis to communicate. The team of robots + girl go through a lot together and grow together as well.
In this hilarious, fast-paced, awesome adventure we explore the following concepts: making the right choices and helping Emma reach her destination. We also understand that human greed and disrespect for technology resulted in doom in the future. We learn syllogism, paradox, logic, binary concepts, binary language, the basic storytelling formula, probabilities, and percentages. Explores friendship, acknowledging flaws, and understanding that not all is bad/good only. The short sentences and paragraphs make the reading fast and easy for reluctant readers to enjoy.
Book two is all what the first offers and more. It's much more emotional, the high stakes are higher and they have to go through more together. The cast gets larger and it's fun that it is more emotional when now we are focused on the robots, because we need to save the robots. I say we because it feels we're on this journey too. There are a few surprises like old characters who return. The ending was exciting, filled with emotion, but humor too.
There are two girls with very different experiences, Emma from the first book with a positive outcome and perspective of the new world, and Talin who remembers losing all to the robots. She is a woman now and she is filled with rage, hate and wants revenge.
I hope the series continues, I love the characters so much and we learn a lot from this series.
Thank you, publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC of volume 2.
July 8, 2024
Fall of the Robots is the second book in a duology written by Lee Bacon. You don’t need to read the first book to enjoy this story. Enough back history is provided to help new readers understand what is going on.
I thought Fall of the Robots was a fun and action packed story that also presented many interesting philosophical ideas. It’s a story that the whole family can enjoy together.
Thank you NetGalley for sharing this digital book with me in exchange for an honest review.
I thought Fall of the Robots was a fun and action packed story that also presented many interesting philosophical ideas. It’s a story that the whole family can enjoy together.
Thank you NetGalley for sharing this digital book with me in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews