A review by spiritedfaraway
Network Effect by Martha Wells

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“After spending my entire existence having to gently suggest to humans that they not do things that would probably get them killed, it was nice to be able to tell them in so many words to not be so fucking stupid.”

I don’t want to give too much away, because this is the fifth book in a series, but if you loved the novellas, then Network Effect is definitely for you. This book took everything I loved about the first four books and kicked it up a notch and I honestly think this might be my favorite out of the entire series.

I still absolutely feel that Murderbot is one the most relatable characters I’ve ever read about. They’re both very introverted and very anxious. And their dry wit and sass doesn’t hurt either!

As you expect with every book in this series, there’s action, adventure, and a good dose of friendship (though shhhhhhh, don’t let Murderbot know).

“Her expression had turned all melty and sentimental. “No hugging,” I warned her. It was in our contract.”

In fact, one of the things I truly love about these space adventures are the connections and the character development Murderbot makes. The character dynamics are always a treat to read about and the ones in this book are definitely not a let down!

Some old characters are fleshed out and some new characters are introduced. There’s fighting, arguing, and (gasp!) emotions. This installment to the Murderbot Diaries is absolutely fantastic and definitely lived up to all my expectations.

All the stars!

An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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