Official Review: Ryan's Robot by Brian Kacica

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Tomah
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Official Review: Ryan's Robot by Brian Kacica

Post by Tomah »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ryan's Robot" by Brian Kacica.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Victor Westbrook is a brilliant artificial intelligence expert whose life gets turned upside down when his wife and son, Claire and Ryan, die in an accident. This fuels his intellectual drive even further as he begins hatching a plan to reunite the family. In the process, Victor creates RyN2, a highly advanced robot with Ryan’s appearance and personality. After getting entangled in a complicated and dangerous web of plots and conspiracies, will he manage to reach his goals? And what happens when the real Ryan turns out to be alive years later?

Brian Kacica’s Ryan's Robot is an ambitious science fiction novel with a complex plot and a myriad of interesting themes: what does it mean to be human? Who can we trust to handle advanced technology and the power it brings? Is artificial intelligence a curse or a blessing? The book explores these and many other questions through a story filled with unique characters and developments that leave you at the edge of your seat.

One of the novel's most remarkable aspects is how the plot manages to be grand and contained at the same time. Although the events have far-reaching consequences that can affect the entire world, they mostly take place in a seemingly normal beach community called Chimera. This allows the writer to play with complicated plotlines while fleshing out the city and its inhabitants, making the reader feel more emotionally invested in this world.

Complexity is the story’s strongest asset but also its greatest enemy. While I love the plot in theory, as it involves military secrets, powerful corporations, spies, and even underworld thugs, the execution could use some work. There’s nothing wrong with employing mysteries and complicated scenarios, but you still have to make sure the reader can at least follow the plot. I had to reread several passages to figure out what was going on, and even now I’m uncertain about some things. An example of confusing storytelling is how the story jumps from the past to the present, then back to the past, and then many years into the future, all without clearing up when exactly these events take place.

Though there are many interesting characters, there are also too many characters in general, so few get much development. The reader is also likely to keep asking the same question several times: “Wait, who’s that again?” Ryan is a particularly unfortunate case, as he’s a charismatic yet troubled individual with a lot of potential for psychological exploration. These possibilities are wasted as he disappears for several chapters and, after showing up again, doesn’t develop any further; his issues have apparently been dealt with already, without the reader knowing when or how. I did enjoy RyN2’s relationship with Mia and how he tried to discover his humanity, though the way things ended felt a bit unsatisfying.

Ryan's Robot can be an overwhelming read at times and the characters don’t reach their fullest potential, but it’s still a solid science fiction novel that should please fans of the genre. It’s also exceptionally edited, as I’ve only found three minor punctuation errors, so my final rating is 3 out of 4 stars. There are plenty of profanities, making the book unsuitable for very young audiences (who likely wouldn’t understand much of the plot anyway). I also don’t recommend it if you hate complex narratives with many storylines.

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Ryan's Robot
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hasincla
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Post by hasincla »

I'm a fan of sci-fi, and this sounds like an exciting read that also makes you think. ...Maybe a bit too much with the confusing timelines and many characters, but I think I'd still like to give it a try. Thank you for your honest review!
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Post by Juliet+1 »

I adore sci-fi with complex plots and don't even notice profanity, so this book sounds perfect. Thanks for an excellent review. :D
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Post by NetMassimo »

The artificial intelligence theme is very interesting as it poses a number of ethical and moral issues besides the technological and philosophical ones. With so many possibilities, there's the risk of getting convoluted, and this seems the case. However, its merits seem to outweigh its flaws. Thank you for your great review!
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Post by Tomah »

Juliet+1 wrote: 15 May 2020, 23:08 I adore sci-fi with complex plots and don't even notice profanity, so this book sounds perfect. Thanks for an excellent review. :D
NetMassimo wrote: 16 May 2020, 01:51 The artificial intelligence theme is very interesting as it poses a number of ethical and moral issues besides the technological and philosophical ones. With so many possibilities, there's the risk of getting convoluted, and this seems the case. However, its merits seem to outweigh its flaws. Thank you for your great review!
hasincla wrote: 15 May 2020, 13:08 I'm a fan of sci-fi, and this sounds like an exciting read that also makes you think. ...Maybe a bit too much with the confusing timelines and many characters, but I think I'd still like to give it a try. Thank you for your honest review!
Thanks for the comments! If you end up trying the book, I hope you'll enjoy it.
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Post by Reubeney »

I enjoy reading science fiction books and this sounds fascinating too. Brilliant review.
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Post by unamilagra »

It sounds like this story has some great promise, but maybe the author bit off more than he could chew. Thanks for a thorough review!
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Post by Tomah »

unamilagra wrote: 16 May 2020, 23:36 It sounds like this story has some great promise, but maybe the author bit off more than he could chew. Thanks for a thorough review!
Reubeney wrote: 16 May 2020, 20:24 I enjoy reading science fiction books and this sounds fascinating too. Brilliant review.
Yes, biting off more than one can chew is a real problem for writers, especially in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. I myself was guilty of this many times. Thanks for the comments!
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Post by Sunday diamond »

The book exploring into artificial intelligence make the book interest me the most
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Post by booksandmagicshop »

The plotline sounds so exciting!! I'm super interested in AI, military secrets, and the underground world. I would give it a try.
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Post by Kanda_theGreat »

Your summary of this book is wonderful- I enjoyed it.
I, however, think that this book is not for me.
Great review.
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Post by Tomah »

booksandmagicshop wrote: 17 May 2020, 22:38 The plotline sounds so exciting!! I'm super interested in AI, military secrets, and the underground world. I would give it a try.
Kanda_theGreat wrote: 17 May 2020, 23:17 Your summary of this book is wonderful- I enjoyed it.
I, however, think that this book is not for me.
Great review.
Sunday diamond wrote: 17 May 2020, 10:20 The book exploring into artificial intelligence make the book interest me the most
Thanks for the comments!
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Post by Sheila_Jay »

Even though I am not a fan of science fiction, I must admit that this sounds like a great one, and I may grab and read it. Thanks for the wonderful review.
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Post by Sushan Ekanayake »

AI related sci-fi fiction always shows a new aspect of human and machine interaction. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍👍
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Post by Tomah »

Sushan wrote: 20 May 2020, 20:41 AI related sci-fi fiction always shows a new aspect of human and machine interaction. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍👍
Sheila_Jay wrote: 20 May 2020, 00:28 Even though I am not a fan of science fiction, I must admit that this sounds like a great one, and I may grab and read it. Thanks for the wonderful review.
If you decide to try it out, I hope it won't disappoint you. Thanks for the comments!
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