The day has finally come: artificial intelligence has risen up against humans and the bloodshed begins. Anthropomorphic nannybot tiger Pounce finds himself in a difficult position: will he join the other AI in his household to attack and kill the humans, or will he protect Ezra Reinhart, the young boy who has always been in his care?

Pounce’s loyalty lies with Ezra, and he realizes they’ll have to venture out into the world if he’s to shepherd the young boy to safety. Early in the journey, he meets a family headed by a man whose job was repairing robots, and he activates a program inside Pounce called Mama Bear, for which Ezra’s parents paid extra. It turns Pounce from a normal mild-mannered nannybot into a hyperprotective, ultra-loyal creation of metal, plastic and motherboards, and he suddenly realizes what Ezra’s mother Sylvia muttered in her final moments, as her eyes locked with Pounce’s.

Many nannybots have chosen to protect their charges rather than join the revolution, which sends the rebel robots into angry overdrive. They swear vengeance and death on both the bots and their children, attacking relentlessly as the nannybots try to usher their charges to safety. One particular ambush decimates their numbers, but all of the children are safe … for the moment. How long they’ll be safe is anybody’s guess, as well as the motive driving the novel.

C. Robert Cargill has written a fascinating and touching story of artificial intelligence and the bonds of love that supersede humanity. Day Zero will linger with readers long after the last paragraph.