Network Effect

Oh, Murderbot, when you have feelings it makes me have feelings. I hope you and Peri are very happy together. The review of this on Smart Bitches Trashy Books called it “an ace/agender romantic suspense novel,” and while I wouldn't have thought that definition fit any of the novellas in the series, it definitely does apply here. I would read the novellas in order before reading this, because they really give so much depth to the backstory and relationships and characters. I didn't love the beginning section of this because I find written action sequences somewhat hard to follow, especially with newer characters that I'm not as familiar with yet (and also, I just find a lot of action sequences boring in general, written or on-screen). I loved the new human and construct characters and very much enjoyed this, but it's 4 stars for me because the beginning was a bit of a slog.

(2021 Summer Romance Bingo: “bodyguard,” would also work for “friends to lovers,” or loosely for “scientific pursuit.”)

This is the best book in the series so far! Murderbot just keeps having one breakdown after another, emotionally and physically.

Spoilers

Favorite scenes:

- Ameena and SecUnit bickering!

- Hiding in the toilet because you're having an emotional response.

- SecUnit realising ART has been deleted.

- SecUnit and ART bickering over and over till they decide to rescue ART's crew.

- SecUnit intentionally playing Worldhoppers knowing that it's ART's favorite show and that'll lure them both into a conversation.

- Ameena saying that writing a code together is like having a baby

I only discovered the Murderbot diaries a few weeks ago, but since then I've eagerly waited for this full length novel to release because what's better than a longer book with Murderbot. I started listening to the audiobook as soon as it dropped on my tablet and it's been such a wonderful experience.

After having gotten to know this world and characters in four novellas, I didn't think we could get to know them even better but how wrong I was. The author takes the extra number of pages here as an opportunity to give us more knowledge about the working of colonists, corporations and their hostile takeovers, alien remnant contamination, and the various legal and political intrigue across different systems. I also found the author's AMA very revelatory in which she mentioned that through the series, she wanted to talk about the exploitative nature of corporations, and how they get to decide who are treated as humans and given rights, and who are not. I think this theme came across much more clearly in this novel and I loved it.

I absolutely adore the conversational writing style of these books and I think it was more pronounced here, especially in the audiobook. The narrator also does a marvelous job giving unique voices to everyone, and also letting us feel that unique sarcastic tone of Murderbot which is so symbolic to this series. There is also plenty of action, suspense and thrill throughout this story, which kept me engaged and entertained and I never wanted to stop listening.

And now coming to the best part of this series, the eponymous Murderbot. Irrespective of what was happening in the plot, I thought this was a great character study and we got to know so much more about how Murderbot feels about its various humans, it's developing relationship with each individual and how much it wants to deny that ART is its friend. I was absolutely delighted to see how much it worried about Dr. Mensah's mental health, it's overprotective nature towards Amena and how absolutely mad it got when it realized that ART was in trouble. Murderbot has changed so much through the series and sometimes, it's hard to fathom that it's not just a socially anxious human.

ART is snark personified but it brings so much more entertainment and energy to the proceedings. And however much they both try to behave antagonistically towards each other, it's undeniable that they share a special bond and will do anything to save the other from harm. Their conversations and some of their reactions were so endearing and funny, that I couldn't help but laugh and delight at them. I don't think I'm ever going to forget ART's “Operation Rain Destruction” plan and how overwhelmed Murderbot was when it got to know about it. All the other human side characters and a very surprise addition to the crew are absolutely wonderful and I can't even say whom I like more. They are all a symbol of compassion and kindness, and the perfect companions/teammates for Murderbot.

To conclude, this was so charming and fun and brought me so much joy during these bleak times. If you have never read this series, but love sci-fi and want some positive entertainment, and would love to get acquainted with a socially awkward AI construct who enjoys binging very unrealistic tv shows but has to save pesky humans instead - then go ahead and pick this series up immediately because I promise, you are missing out. My only hope is that we get many more books in this series in the future and ART always makes an appearance.

If the novellas were each a TV episode, Network Effect is the two-hour season finale. With a full-length novel, the plot has a little bit more room to breathe and develop. At times, the adventures with alien adversaries feel a little too drawn out, but mostly, this room is good to allow somewhat of an emotional arc for Murderbot's complex relationships with ART and Mensah's daughter to develop. The series has always leaned hard on the ideas of identity and how this interacts with hard-wiring, and the plot really let those themes shine.

Network Effect was also the book in which Wells' full setting comes into focus: the conflicts between the corporate ring and Mensah's independent planet, and the university that owns ART. What does a corporation really want and what can unchecked capitalism develop into as the governing system for a solar system?