Brent Maxwell
A spectacular end to the series. Everything gets wrapped up in a nice bow.
This ends one of the best sci-fi series I've ever read. The scope goes from the individual, to their relationships, to their ship, to their world, to their surrounding worlds, to their solar system. Then across solar systems... over 1300. Then through time to billions of years earlier. Then it assimilates all 1300 galaxies that host humans via the creation of a hive mind. And then it crosses universes. And then for its closing act takes us a million years into the future.
The scale of the storytelling is beyond imagining, but it's done so well that it all comes together coherently into a masterfully told epic space opera that explores the barrier of humanity and consciousness. The adventures in physics are super fun too, along with sociology, biology, psychology, philosophy and little chemistry mixed in for good measure.
This is a series I'll totally read again one day, and if recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi.
This was one of my favourite books in the series. The come back of the resistance, the toppling of an autocratic regime, the family of characters who'd fallen away from each other reconnecting. Bobby as a valkerie. Holden as a prisoner. Perhaps the best character arc was Naomi's return from her pilgrimage to run the resistance. And then becoming the saviour of the inner planets and belt, as well as her partner Holden. She finally fulfils her place as the wisest and cleverest badass of them all.
The way the whole story played out is superb. A master class in space opera.
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.
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.
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
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!
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?
Ok this book made the series worth it. The whole series stepped up a notch, with the stakes raising as we learn more about the nature of this ridiculous game show and why it plays such a central role in the broader universe. The story develops super well, and the characters too.
At this point you can see that there's a larger plot underpinning everything, and it's really novel and interesting. I am so excited to see where the story takes us next!
