awanderinglibrarianreads's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5 stars
*Initial thoughts*
Another excellent entry in the Murderbot Series. Set right after the events of Network Effect, this story follows Murderbot, ART, the University team, and the Preservation team as they try to save the colonists from becoming the B-E Corporation's slaves. This story is on the darker side of things due to the nature of the conflict with B-E Corp and due to Murderbot's understandable emotional trauma after the events of Network Effect (anxiety, self-doubt, depression, etc. - Murderbot is not having a good time emotionally in this book). However there were still plenty of lighter found family and friendship feels (especially between ART and Murderbot), which are something I really enjoyed in the previous books. There is also some exciting action sequences and the snarky Murderbot and ART asides and conversations that we know and love from the previous books.
*eARC provided by Netgalley and Tordotcom Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review*
*Initial thoughts*
Another excellent entry in the Murderbot Series. Set right after the events of Network Effect, this story follows Murderbot, ART, the University team, and the Preservation team as they try to save the colonists from becoming the B-E Corporation's slaves. This story is on the darker side of things due to the nature of the conflict with B-E Corp and due to Murderbot's understandable emotional trauma after the events of Network Effect (anxiety, self-doubt, depression, etc. - Murderbot is not having a good time emotionally in this book). However there were still plenty of lighter found family and friendship feels (especially between ART and Murderbot), which are something I really enjoyed in the previous books. There is also some exciting action sequences and the snarky Murderbot and ART asides and conversations that we know and love from the previous books.
*eARC provided by Netgalley and Tordotcom Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review*
breacommelafromage's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I had told Mensah. “I think you might know,” she had said. “You just don’t want to talk about it.”
Murderbot is back, baby! System Collapse picks up where Network Effect leaves off – on the Adamantine Colony, searching for alien remnants, fighting off Barish-Estranza, and confronting its humanity (damn that organic neural tissue!).
System Collapse digs deeper into Murderbot's past and psyche, while simultaneously telling the story of a rescue mission going awry. Despite being a full length novel, I feel like I blew through this book because I just couldn’t put it down. Like always, I literally laughed out loud multiple times and even teared up at ART and MB’s incredibly relatable and sweet friendship.
I think I say this with every new book, but the skills in which Wells can tackle topics like trauma, sexuality, race, class, and gender with such immense grace and humor is just beyond impressive to me. This series is both incredible science fiction AND just a really big comfort to those of us who find it safest to explore our own understandings of trauma, race, class, and gender through the world of fiction.
I cannot recommend this book, and this world that Wells has created enough 💗
Murderbot is back, baby! System Collapse picks up where Network Effect leaves off – on the Adamantine Colony, searching for alien remnants, fighting off Barish-Estranza, and confronting its humanity (damn that organic neural tissue!).
System Collapse digs deeper into Murderbot's past and psyche, while simultaneously telling the story of a rescue mission going awry. Despite being a full length novel, I feel like I blew through this book because I just couldn’t put it down. Like always, I literally laughed out loud multiple times and even teared up at ART and MB’s incredibly relatable and sweet friendship.
I think I say this with every new book, but the skills in which Wells can tackle topics like trauma, sexuality, race, class, and gender with such immense grace and humor is just beyond impressive to me. This series is both incredible science fiction AND just a really big comfort to those of us who find it safest to explore our own understandings of trauma, race, class, and gender through the world of fiction.
I cannot recommend this book, and this world that Wells has created enough 💗
rmyd42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
azazellos_fang's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
yourbookishbff's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! System Collapse, by Martha Wells, is the seventh installment in The Murderbot Diaries, though only the second full-length novel in this series (and even at that, it's still short!). Wells' latest installment was easily another five-star Murderbot diary entry for me.
We pick up after the events of Network Effect, with Murderbot, ART and our combined Preservation/University/Colonist crews royally stuck. ART's wormhole drive is still out of commission, Preservation back-up ships haven't arrived, and our current corporate-villain Barish-Estranza is attempting to subvert their efforts to free the colonists and/or set them up for independence (by instead attempting to convince the colonists to sign away their own freedom as contract, read: slave, labor). And on top of this giant mess, we have a highly traumatized Murderbot still coping with the final events of Network Effect.
Throughout the first half we know something significant happened that has divided Murderbot's sense of self into before and after, but the event itself is redacted from Murderbot's entry. Our generally sarcastic but self-assured Murderbot is now deeply uneasy, compulsively checking its risk assessment module and performance reliability, frequently drifting into thought and forgetting its surroundings, and, most shocking, doubting its ability and worth at every turn. For anyone who has lived experienced with panic attacks or panic disorder, Murderbot's distress is painfully real. It spends a majority of the book's mission attempting to function while processing past events. Each installment in this series manages to explore a new facet of personhood, belonging and self-awareness, and this was perhaps the most emotional journey yet. Ultimately, System Collapse is a deeply satisfying conclusion to the events of Network Effect and I highly recommend to all Murderbot readers.
We pick up after the events of Network Effect, with Murderbot, ART and our combined Preservation/University/Colonist crews royally stuck. ART's wormhole drive is still out of commission, Preservation back-up ships haven't arrived, and our current corporate-villain Barish-Estranza is attempting to subvert their efforts to free the colonists and/or set them up for independence (by instead attempting to convince the colonists to sign away their own freedom as contract, read: slave, labor). And on top of this giant mess, we have a highly traumatized Murderbot still coping with the final events of Network Effect.
Throughout the first half we know something significant happened that has divided Murderbot's sense of self into before and after, but the event itself is redacted from Murderbot's entry. Our generally sarcastic but self-assured Murderbot is now deeply uneasy, compulsively checking its risk assessment module and performance reliability, frequently drifting into thought and forgetting its surroundings, and, most shocking, doubting its ability and worth at every turn. For anyone who has lived experienced with panic attacks or panic disorder, Murderbot's distress is painfully real. It spends a majority of the book's mission attempting to function while processing past events. Each installment in this series manages to explore a new facet of personhood, belonging and self-awareness, and this was perhaps the most emotional journey yet. Ultimately, System Collapse is a deeply satisfying conclusion to the events of Network Effect and I highly recommend to all Murderbot readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Murder, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Trafficking
csevet's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aische24's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
primmiiee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
katiemariereads's review against another edition
4.0
Another amazing murderbot book.
To be honest, I found the first 40% of this book to drag quite a bit. I felt like we were dropped into the middle of the action and I had absolutely no clue what was going on. After going back and reading a synopsis of Network Effect I was feeling like I knew a little bit more where we were going so I do recommend re-orienting yourself with the plot points of that book if it's been a while since you read it. This whole ~redacted~ plot device wasn't my favorite thing but it did make that first 40% less agonizing because obviously I wanted to find out what happened to murderbot!
That said, the rest of this review will be overwhelmingly positive. Once the ~redacted~ information was revealed the plot sped up quite a bit and I was actually invested in what was going on. If your favorite characters in this series are the same as my favorite characters, you're going to love this one. Top 3 favorite murderbot books for sure, just had a weird time reading that first 40%.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
To be honest, I found the first 40% of this book to drag quite a bit. I felt like we were dropped into the middle of the action and I had absolutely no clue what was going on. After going back and reading a synopsis of Network Effect I was feeling like I knew a little bit more where we were going so I do recommend re-orienting yourself with the plot points of that book if it's been a while since you read it. This whole ~redacted~ plot device wasn't my favorite thing but it did make that first 40% less agonizing because obviously I wanted to find out what happened to murderbot!
That said, the rest of this review will be overwhelmingly positive. Once the ~redacted~ information was revealed the plot sped up quite a bit and I was actually invested in what was going on. If your favorite characters in this series are the same as my favorite characters, you're going to love this one. Top 3 favorite murderbot books for sure, just had a weird time reading that first 40%.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
thndrkat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's so good to be back with Murderbot again! The voice and tone of the series is right on in this one, it is a page-turner with lovely/awkward moments of heart and a few laugh out loud scenes, and I love where Wells has set this up to go next. More please! And thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Slavery