Brent Maxwell
A completely addictive space adventure. Wild in the breadth of it. 3 parties: Earth, Mars and The Belt, and the dynamics and the whole worldbuilding is just unbelievable. It's a very special world that's been created here. Believable, harsh, gritty and full of adventure. The characters are fantastic too. So well crafted, and they evolve over time too. And the science is excellent.
It leaves you craving more.
Why not 5 stars? It's a little light on the emotional side. No larger moral arcs or deeply moving aspects. It's more like a spectacle than something to tug the heart strings, and that is awesome, but I'm not sure it's something I'd take lessons from that would change my view of the world, and 5 stars is reserved for that class of novel.
A completely addictive space adventure. Wild in the breadth of it. 3 parties: Earth, Mars and The Belt, and the dynamics and the whole worldbuilding is just unbelievable. It's a very special world that's been created here. Believable, harsh, gritty and full of adventure. The characters are fantastic too. So well crafted, and they evolve over time too. And the science is excellent.
It leaves you craving more.
Why not 5 stars? It's a little light on the emotional side. No larger moral arcs or deeply moving aspects. It's more like a spectacle than something to tug the heart strings, and that is awesome, but I'm not sure it's something I'd take lessons from that would change my view of the world, and 5 stars is reserved for that class of novel.
Updated a reading goal:
Read 40 books by December 30, 2026
Progress so far: 30 / 40 75%
This book is great! An interesting story that gives you a rich feel for the world the characters live in. Multiple characters have excellent development arcs, and the plot is fantastic. What starts as a seemingly accidental group of misfits forced into crime have a much richer, more nuanced and complex backstory that intersects with the the events during this story, and leads into a fascinating future.
Lots of great sci-fi, and even philosophy. Surprisingly awesome book.
This book is great! An interesting story that gives you a rich feel for the world the characters live in. Multiple characters have excellent development arcs, and the plot is fantastic. What starts as a seemingly accidental group of misfits forced into crime have a much richer, more nuanced and complex backstory that intersects with the the events during this story, and leads into a fascinating future.
Lots of great sci-fi, and even philosophy. Surprisingly awesome book.
It's a very depressing book, and a dark take on humanity and the future. I think it's good that it explores the dangers of authoritarianism, as we do need to beware, but it leaves very little plot development.
The story is set "in the future" but reads like a historical fiction, as it shows a time when society takes a step backwards. It's very dismissive of HOW we got into that mess, just that it happened, and that it's horrible. The protagonist is a slave that lives in constant fear, with every action needing to be weighed and with no agency whatsoever. It kind of means there's little room for character development, as she can't actually take any action.
The writing is beautiful though. Very American, in that the language is simple and the sentences short, but it's very poetic, and the book is worth a read for that alone.
It's a very depressing book, and a dark take on humanity and the future. I think it's good that it explores the dangers of authoritarianism, as we do need to beware, but it leaves very little plot development.
The story is set "in the future" but reads like a historical fiction, as it shows a time when society takes a step backwards. It's very dismissive of HOW we got into that mess, just that it happened, and that it's horrible. The protagonist is a slave that lives in constant fear, with every action needing to be weighed and with no agency whatsoever. It kind of means there's little room for character development, as she can't actually take any action.
The writing is beautiful though. Very American, in that the language is simple and the sentences short, but it's very poetic, and the book is worth a read for that alone.
A rescue mission! Pretty good. Nothing too interesting though.
A rescue mission! Pretty good. Nothing too interesting though.
A pretty good adventure whilst trying not to confront the trauma of being a murderbot.
A pretty good adventure whilst trying not to confront the trauma of being a murderbot.
Ok so this turned out to be a detective novel. Not a bad one, but a little uninspired.
Ok so this turned out to be a detective novel. Not a bad one, but a little uninspired.
Updated a reading goal:
Read 40 books by December 30, 2026
Progress so far: 25 / 40 62%
This book was AMAZING! I can't believe how good it was. The other books in the series were good but this is where Martha really fell into rhythm. There's mystery, relationships, sci-fi, hacking, and, and and aliens and mind control and human/digital viruses and missiles and space battles and holy fucking shit this book was incredibly fun, and the way the story played out and the characters evolved was just superb.
So excited to have experienced this :D
This book was AMAZING! I can't believe how good it was. The other books in the series were good but this is where Martha really fell into rhythm. There's mystery, relationships, sci-fi, hacking, and, and and aliens and mind control and human/digital viruses and missiles and space battles and holy fucking shit this book was incredibly fun, and the way the story played out and the characters evolved was just superb.
So excited to have experienced this :D
Such a great short series. The character development of the protagonist is great. Cyborgs have feelings too!
Such a great short series. The character development of the protagonist is great. Cyborgs have feelings too!
Another great instalment of a fun short story series.
Another great instalment of a fun short story series.
Another great instalment in the Murderbot series. The plot is also fairly straightforward, but the fun comes from the social and psychological elements. The sci-fi is really well done, with an interesting take on how a walking security system could compromise the systems it encounters... unless it misses something.
Some good character development too on our murderous, kind-hearted Murderbot. Is it murder if you were programmed by someone else?
Another great instalment in the Murderbot series. The plot is also fairly straightforward, but the fun comes from the social and psychological elements. The sci-fi is really well done, with an interesting take on how a walking security system could compromise the systems it encounters... unless it misses something.
Some good character development too on our murderous, kind-hearted Murderbot. Is it murder if you were programmed by someone else?
A super fun book! Pretty straightforward premise. A sentient AI cyborg removes it's control module.
What's unique is the angle. The narrative follows the awkward, semi-aloof protagonist - the Murderbot - as it navigates moral and social issues. Nothing is complicated about the plot, but the psychology makes it super fun, and pretty funny!
A super fun book! Pretty straightforward premise. A sentient AI cyborg removes it's control module.
What's unique is the angle. The narrative follows the awkward, semi-aloof protagonist - the Murderbot - as it navigates moral and social issues. Nothing is complicated about the plot, but the psychology makes it super fun, and pretty funny!
An interesting book explaining a bunch of mathematical principles impacting everyday life in unusual and useful ways.
An interesting book explaining a bunch of mathematical principles impacting everyday life in unusual and useful ways.