A review by knkoch
Network Effect by Martha Wells

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Hooray for another Murderbot entry, this one long enough to feel like a double feature! That's the structure for sure, two huge action set pieces separated by a strategic planning session bridge. This was quite satisfying with the return of some past favorite characters, and the length of the story felt necessary to fully explore the plot and character conflicts introduced. Again, the themes of artificial/neurodivergent intelligence, what constitutes personhood, human+ rights, corporate vs. humanistic society, etc. were really well examined here. The further development and maturation of several key relationships exemplified the joy of what a series can do better than a standalone novel. I was particularly intrigued by the investigation of the central mystery's technological and organic material hybrid (
the alien remnant takeover of human-built technology epitomized by Target Control System, and that poor colonist
). The visual descriptions of what Murderbot finds in the bottom of that tunnel system were so visceral and memorable, truly a great, creepy image that will stick with me, no matter how great a filmmaker captures it someday in the eventual adaptation of this book. 

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