Network Effect

, #5

paperback, 352 pages

English language

Published March 29, 2021 by Tor.com.

ISBN:
978-1-250-22985-4
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(9 reviews)

Murderbot returns in its highly-anticipated, first, full-length standalone novel.

You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot.

Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century.

2 editions

reviewed Network Effect by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)

Network Effect

This novel is always such a delight to get back to on a reread of the series. My love for ART also carries a lot of my feelings too.

I wasn't sure how Murderbot was going to stand up to the longer length the first time I read this, but I like that there's more space for side stories to develop; in particular, we get to see flashbacks to Murderbot and Amena back on Preservation, we get to see Arada grow as a leader, and we get to see Murderbot 2.0.

This novel also reprises previous parts of the series in a really satisfying way. Even more ART (and more ART snark). We get more about Mensah handling trauma. Murderbot 2.0 is an explicit parallel to Miki's death. The ending of this novel escalates the end of Exit Strategy where Murderbot doesn't know how to feel about everybody feeling protective …

reviewed Network Effect by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)

Murderbot

No rating

Content warning Mild spoilers

reviewed Network Effect by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)

An absolute blast!

Such a fun read! Action-packed, almost breathlessly so, with much less of the exposition that I think slowed down the later novellas, still plenty of humour, but also deeper relationship-building. Murderbot (aka 'SecUnit', when it wants to be less, I don't know, murderey) remains easily the most relatable character in today's fiction.

reviewed Network Effect by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)

Review of 'Network Effect' on 'Goodreads'

It turns out I've been up all night finishing off this book, thank Murderbot it's still lockdown.

Was it worth pre-ordering? Yes. Did it blow my expectations? Totally.

Having the three narratives at one point took a tiny bit of adjustment, but for me it genuinely made the action come more to life. I've also noticed that things tend to be described just enough that you're able to set your own visuals along with the series.

I certainly hope there is another Murderbot novel in the works, as I've been sucked in deep to this series

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