Network Effect

Book 5 of the Murderbot Diaries series

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Wow! This is a fantastic book! There are new friends, old friends, various types of bad guys, new good guys, mystery, murder (of course), science fiction, strategy, interesting concepts, and the opening of new narrative avenues.

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Since the festival had started, I had been taking note of a potential hostile that Amena had been associating with. Evidence was mounting up and my threat assessment was nearing critical.

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Things like: (1) he had informed her that his age was comparable to hers, which was just below the local standard for legal adult, but my physical scan and public record search that he was approximately twelve Preservation standard calendar years older, (2) he never approached her when any family members or verified friends were with her, (3) he stared at her secondary sexual characteristics when her attention was elsewhere, (4) he encouraged her to take intoxicants that he wasn’t ingesting himself, (5) her parental and other related humans all assumed she was with her friends when she was seeing him and her friends all assumed she was with family and she hadn’t told either group about him, (6) I just had a bad feeling about the little shit.

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This book, of the series thus far, has the biggest scope. We’re treated to action on two different ships and two different planets. We’re exposed to aliens, new/old tech, a high-speed chase through a wormhole, and daring rescues. It’s a romp with scowl lines.

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Okay, that was a relief. Just because we’re both rogue SecUnits doesn’t mean we’re going to be friends, but I knew if it went back, it would be dead. I’d hacked my governor module and kept doing my job because I didn’t know what else to do (except you know, a murderous rampage, but murderous rampages are overrated and interfere with one’s ability to keep watching media) but that was different from escaping and then going back.

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I said, “Because change is terrifying. Choices are terrifying. But having a thing in your head that kills you if you make a mistake is more terrifying.”

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In this one, Murderbot continues to gain empathy, learn more about itself, and act valorously - on a big scale. Recommended!

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