RobotWorld: No Final Victories

Robot World #2

by Ray Verola

The year is 2075. A relatively small percentage of the Earth’s population has survived World War III, which ended in 2035.

Most of the former USA is now a vast, unpopulated wasteland except for the Northeast Sector, an area around the former Washington, DC.

Although it’s against the law for robots to hold positions of power in the government and large companies in the Sector, they have managed to do so because of RobotWorld—one of the largest corporations on the planet. RW has created sentient robots that can totally pass for human. Bots appear to be taking over, as humans are overmatched.

Taylor Morris, Roz Morris, and their small band of rebels blow up the gigantic RobotWorld building and go on the run while also working to change an oppressive political system.

But can these underdogs overcome the powerful government/bot complex and the humans and bots behind it that holds all the cards—to save themselves and all of humanity?

Author’s note: RobotWorld: No Final Victories is the second in a series, but it is also constructed as a standalone novel.

Genres: Science Fiction

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2020

Reviews

[Lani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read this book.

This may be the first time I've shelved a giveaways book in the DNF file. I really liked the idea of this story, but I kept getting pulled out of the story with the forced and sometimes cliched dialogue. It was awful and not organic at all. As soon as I would get back into the plot, bad dialogue followed what was supposed to be a tragic, emotional revelation. I couldn't feel for any of these people (or bots, as it were) because I didn't find their emotions to be authentic.

I may try to go back and read this at another time, but for now, it's just not working.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

No endings

If only Asimovs rules applied here. Robots are here to stay after the almost end of the world. They just want more. The humans are well controlled but slowly learning that there are problems. Overall a well put together story with interesting characters. I hope I get to the second one.

[Rich Meyrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A post-World War III society obsessed with a violent sport and controlled behind the scenes by Big Brother with the aid of robots that can pass as humans and government-sponsored designer drugs. ‘RobotWorld’ isn’t the first to portray this vision of the future (in fact, ‘No Final Victories’ strongly reminds me of ‘Iron City’, the prequel for the movie ‘Alita: Battle Angel’), yet it does it really well.

The writing is crisp and fast paced, the plot is well thought-out and remains on point, while the characters are completely relatable (my favourite was Bert!). Although I hope the ‘RobotWorld’ version of the future doesn’t come to pass, Ray Verola’s vison of what may come is all too believable.

I haven’t read the original ‘RobotWorld’ (yet!), which enables me to tackle the age-old question, “Can you read the sequel as a stand alone novel?” When it comes to ‘RobotWorld: No Final Victories’ the answer is a resounding, “Absolutely!”

Even better, the end of the story clearly sets up the possibility of a book 3. I for one can’t wait!

[irv Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worth while book to read.

You are taken on a journey that will leave you wondering what humans will due with AI robots, they have some that are exactly like a human. Then there are others how do not see a difference and that is what they want. The robots are trying to find out how they can take over , that is bad for humans. The book was done great keep me wanting more I had a hard time putting it down.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spot on!

This story grabbed me in a stronger and more intense way than RobotWorld. All the elements of a really good story very well developed and a pure joy to read. This has got to be a trilogy or a series! I will be waiting for the next one. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Candra Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent robots versus people story

There have been other robots become sentient stories but none quite so suspenseful and surprising as this. I recommend this to any lovers of dystopia and robots.
I won this book thru a goodreads.com giveaway

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it.

I got so involved with the characters. I felt the excitement, the pain, the anxiety. Such great writing to be able to pull the reader in!

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to abandon it due to inconsistent behaviours of supposedly state-of-the-art human like robots. if they were good enough to emulate a human then they are good enough to be able to see through the Machiavellian bulshit of political meat bags. I didn't feel the author had any experience of AI and/or programming. maybe he does but I didn't feel it in the bit of the book that I read before I gave it up at chapter 10

[Nicholas Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Note: I won this through the author’s Goodreads giveaway.)

There is a note at the front of the book that says that this is a sequel, but can be read as a stand alone. Was I able to follow along despite not reading the first book, and, the most important question, did I like it?

Right away our main protagonist, Taylor, is inside a darken room and doesn’t remember what happened. Slowly, he comes to the realization where he is: his apartment. Only a bit earlier he had returned home with his wife and a group of close allies after they had bombed Robotworld, a corporation that him and his wife were former employees at. You see, secrets were found out and because of the way this particular society that they live in is, said secrets could blow (no pun intended) everything out of whack for the government if found out.

The story takes place in the 2070’s and the former USA is now called the Northeast Sector. There’s still a president, but we come to find out that he isn’t what he seems (that’s part of the problem) and of course there’s a puppet master pulling all the strings. With the help of Robotworld building personal bots and Sector Security (SS for short; yes, you get it), plus a police-army, everything seems to be well controlled. Furthermore, there’s a drug called Serenity that is basically a depressant that is addictive and suppresses the human drive.

This book packs a lot and a lot of it will be recognizable from anyone with knowledge of science fiction. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but with the cliche dialogue one will pick up things right away. Some of the throwbacks include: Tek War, Blade Runner, any late 80’s or early 90’s futuristic-big-corp-running-things story, and a few others.

As I mentioned above, I was pulled out of the story a bit by a lot of the same dialogue that has been spoken before in other works. The exposition had to be there, which I get obviously, but because the author was trying to catch everyone up and further the plot, it felt stagnated in some of its approach. Also, while it’s okay to use and borrow things, one should be able to figure out a way to repackage it and make it seem at least a little fresh. I will say that there are some really good moments in this book (the ending scene between Taylor and one of the villains, was good, plus the dog scenes were rewarding). However, they weren’t enough.

For the most part I cared for some of the characters. Taylor, being the main focus, was the type of hero that one wants and I like some of his flaws that were attributed to him. Unfortunately, though, Roz, his wife, basically is the supporting partner that is in line with the stereotypical woman role that we’ve all seen before. One of the bad guys is over the top, even sporting slicked back hair like those big corp future movies we’ve seen. Still, it was serviceable. However, because I didn’t read the previous book, a death in this one didn’t have that big of an impact on me as it should have.

I enjoyed this tale on a basic level. If this was a movie, it would be the type where one would be entertained for two hours, but afterwards pretty much not think about it. That’s fine to a certain extent, but I was really hoping for more meat to this bone than what I got. While I look forward in some ways to future installments and it was decent and entertaining at some points, there wasn’t anything that blew (no pun intended, again) my mind.

[Ray Verola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am the author of this novel. I’m posting this to thank my many fans and also to give an update re. the book, which been out for less than three months. I will not review the book, but rather will post what others have said in the short time the book has been out:

“A wholly absorbing and grounded dystopian tale featuring a motley, intriguing cast…delightfully mysterious.” – Kirkus Reviews.

“Five stars…a novel with a strong dystopian setting and wonderful characters…imaginative yet realistic, with a compelling plot and complexity in characters…a climatic story arc and a breathtaking conclusion…superbly developed, a breathtaking page-turner…will entertain fans of dystopian science fiction and artificial intelligence fiction enthusiasts…fast-paced and packed with action.” – Readers Favorite

“Intense and unpredictable…a wildly imaginative vision of the future—deeply detailed, complex, and chilling.” – Self-Publishing Review

Also, as of today, the book has 27 reviews on Amazon, 4.8 out of 5 stars. Almost all the reviews are verified purchases. Thanks to all.

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

RobotWorld: No Final Victories by Ray Verola is a gripping and concisely written science fiction thriller. The year is 2075 and it is post WWIII, hard to imagine but expertly conveyed in this action-packed page turner. There are robots that pass as humans, a Big Brother-style government, and ample drugs. The writing is compelling, and while slow to get started, the plot builds nicely with plenty of action and suspense along the way. The characters are well created too especially for a science fiction novel, engaging and highly relatable. Nuanced scene-setting, a scary premise that feels all too possible, and the humanoid robots simply make this a must-read. Even though this book is a sequel it works well as a standalone book. Highly recommend this book for a ton of entertainment value and a great story.

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Goodreads Giveaway

I enjoyed the first book much more than this one. It felt too long, too much back and forth, too much details on insignificant things.

The main character can bring everything to an end, the big bad corporation obviously doesn't want that so they arrest him .... Let him go .... Arrest him .... I just feel if he's that big a threat at the very least keep him locked up or kill him with one of the robots, droids, humans you control. He rarely did anything smart or kickass to get out of any situation. If he's not that big a threat physically how does he keep coming out on top? By some super advanced robot/corporation allowing it.....??

1/2 - 3/4 way through I started to skim the pages and didn't feel I was missing much if anything. I'm not an expert so maybe take my review with a huge grain of salt!

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Battle for human survival

This is the story of Earth in 2075 after a battle that killed most of the population. New laws prohibit robots from being in positions of the government but robot world has other plans. Most of the United States is a wasteland and Bots have the power. This fast paced story will take you on a journey through this desolate world as Taylor and Roz plan to blow up robot world. This band of warriors is the last line of defense against robots taking over the world. With great characters and a fun storyline this is a must read for everyone. Check this one out folks, it is worth the read.

[Cirrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clean science fiction

What would our world look like if we had robots so real they couldn’t be differentiated from humans? What if these robots had consciousness, and the ability to evolve?
Throw in a megalomaniac who wants to live forever, a police state and rogue robots. Add in a disillusioned human populace, some violence and rebel journalists who crave good old-fashioned human liberty.
Ray Verona explores this possibility in the not too distant, dystopian future following World War 3.
RobotWorld would appeal to the under 16’s. The over-35s would find the plot about as predictable as a superhero movie, without the superhero.

[Gina T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Ray for providing the ebook via a Goodreads Giveaway.

Fast-paced dystopian thriller that held my attention on a lazy afternoon. More fun than job hunting. I had not read RobotWorld and didn't feel that was a hindrance to enjoying this story. Mr Verola did a great job with the setting and plotting the story. The major characters were also well-done. I wish he had given Roz more to do. Heaven help us if AI/bots evolve/devolve with human emotions. EMO bot - what a nightmare. It appears this is setup for a sequel and I'll probably read it.

[Bridget's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a GoodReads giveaway book. I really enjoyed this book. It's a futuristic story about what happens if robots were to take over and attempt to take control over from humans. Taylor Morris, a former Robot World employee, sees that this is happening. He voices his concerns and ends up getting fired. He decides to take matters into his own hands and blows up the Robot World headquarters. He and his allies go from being jailed for this to Taylor becoming President of the Northeastern Sector. Lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I would definitely recommend!

[Marie Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robot takeover attempt

This story is of a future world of human looking and acting robot's. Robot world is the company that makes the robots. They are in all aspects of human life. There is of course a sinister plot of the robots to take over and eliminate humans. The story follows a human former employee of the company who finds out a lot of illegal and bad things going on. It follows his trials and successes. Good read.

[Shannon Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. I enjoyed this book but there were times I wanted to roll my eyes. I loved the storyline but I felt like a lot of the character dialogue was cheesy or completely opposite of how people would react. And the whole dog thing. Was it a puppy or not a puppy? I liked the book though and I would read another in the series.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good but it took a while for me to really get into it. I got this book from the Goodread giveaway and so happy I got a chance to read it. Even though it was kind of a slow start, it really picked up at the end.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Storyline

RW part 2 is a well written story of our possible future. This is why it's such a good story. Also hints of (spoiler alert) Soylent Green in there. Good book for all futurists.

[Antony Mckenzie-Cianciaruso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Botworld

It's amazing to me ,who has been reading sci-fi for 50+ years
that someone can come up with a story that hasn't been rehashed or reworked to death.
What a great 5* story and cannot wait for book 2

[Gail Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good fast read

This was a good story with a main character to root for. As with most sci fi it can also be a warning for the future. I hadn’t read the first book but didn’t need to. It was a fast, enjoyable read

[Carrie Prazak-Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent read

Was a good read good development of characters .A plausible story.Robots or roaches will rule one day.I enjoyed the book.

[Peggy Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Well written. Good idea for a story. Easy to read . A little bit predictable , but still a page turner.

[Laurence Hibberd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A believable future world, where robots surreptitiously take over from a drug hazed human populace. Our hero's begin to set society to rights. Easy enjoyable read.

[J.D. Schechter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent read

A slightly smarmy rehash of the first book meets 1984 meets Brave New Word meets Pollyanna meets Asimov. File in the young adult section

[David Pospisil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many cliches in the dialogue but engaging characters and an interesting story.
This second book was slow moving compared to the first.

[Mari Hermansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting twist on a Sci-Fi

It is a book in a series. Interesting with AI being more and more common in today's lives. In the future any thing is possible.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

More cohesive than the first book and more action. Enjoyed the plot. Looks like it was left open-ended for a 3rd in the story.