Murderbot might not quite know what friendship is. It might not quite understand why it wants to look out for these humans, beyond the professional obligation it no longer has. But when it's humans are kidnapped during a survey mission, and a ship from the past needs help, Murderbot is all in.

Murderbot's personality and personal growth continued to develop in this book. Back on Preservation with Dr Mensah, Murderbot had the opportunity to explore it's feelings a little bit more - not that it enjoyed that much. Murderbot started to interact more with the Mensah's family. A stand out character in this book was Amena - her daughter. Amena cut through Murderbot's emotional armour effectively, and showcased Murderbot's ever-evolving emotional intelligence.

This is the first full length Murderbot novel. The extra length in this book allowed a deeper exploration of Murderbot's feelings and developing relationships with other characters. It also reintroduced ART, the transport ship intelligence from Artificial Condition, and we saw more of what the AI in this series was capable of. Alien presence was briefly introduced too, and the stage was set for Murderbot to have further missions away from Preservation.

One of the things I love about this series is the moral question it poses. All the bots are treated as 'things'. We met more SecUnits in this book, and after one of them is forced to stand down, left by the humans it is contracted to protect and subsequently shut down, there's a poignant reminder that artificial intelligence is still intelligent

I enjoyed the first few books in this series, for their ingenuity, humour and tight dialogue. The greater length of this novel allows Martha Wells to develop a more ambitious storyline which builds into a satisfying conclusion, even if it does lean on a few perfectly good tropes just a little. Nothing was unnecessary in this story, and we are kept guessing about the underlying chain of events as much as the protagonists, aiding the tension. It is a clever twist on our Hero’s Journey and while very readable alone, would be most enjoyable after reading the shorter stories which came first.

The previous four 'books' were all rather short, more like four parts of one novel. This one has more length and gets deeper into the characters & story, a huge improvement.

This book is a captivating blend of science fiction and mystery, showcasing intricate storytelling, and a nuanced exploration of humanity and artificial intelligence.

What truly sets this novel apart is its brilliant use of multi-character and multi-scenario narratives. Wells masterfully navigates these complexities without losing the reader, balancing Murderbot’s sardonic inner monologue with tightly woven plotlines that involve human characters and AI entities alike. Each scene contributes to the overarching mystery while also deepening our understanding of the characters and their motivations.

The “coding-as-contagion” concept is especially clever, reframing how we think about DNA, information, and the intersections of biology and technology. This innovative twist not only grounds the story’s sci-fi elements in scientific plausibility but also creates a chilling sense of realism that amplifies the stakes.

This is the fifth novel in the Murderbot series and is just as good as the others.

The whole series of Murderbot Diaries is exceptional SF writing, with the central character being one of the most original robots / androids / constructs ever imagined.

The story, which is told in the first person, through the thoughts of Murderbot is a wonderful way of seeing inside his mind. He is a excellent combination of anxiety and self-deprecation and you really feel his constant child-like struggle with his emotions in his relationships with the humans he is tasked to protect.

However, that doesn't stop him being an efficient systems hacker and killing machine as far as hostiles are concerned; he will do whatever it takes to protect his humans. The action scenes are great; the tech is well-thought out and exciting and the story characters continues to evolve.

Murderbot encounters a mystery in this story. The author Martha Wells continues to produce another engaging and at times emotional journey for our favourite rogue SecUnit.

Still reading earlier titles to comment.

Love this paranoid android. Another excellent read.

I love all books. If you like to read adventurous sci-fi or to read something nice when you are tired.

The letters are a bit smaller than in the other books.

I loved the four novellas, so I was really excited to learn there would be a full-length Murderbot novel! And it did not disappoint.

The first chapter had me worried, I kept confusing the boat and facility, who was where and doing what, and it took me a while to realize the facility was surrounded by water and not on a beach or something. But after that the real story started and I couldn't put it down, typical Murderbot action-packed fun every page!

Can't get tired of poor Murderbot building its personality and relationships with humans (and non-humans). This is really the authors strength. And we get ART back!!! Who's quickly becoming one of my favorite characters ever :D.

The worldbuilding is kind of weak, but it's not the focus of the story and it did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

I definitely hope we get more entries in this refreshing series.

lo recomiendo a todos. La película en Apple+ está hecha casi igual que el libro (las primeras partes), lo cual es genial. Espero que siga siendo así.

Une écriture originale, quelques trouvailles et un personnage principal attachant. Merci !

Espere hasta leer esta novela después de haber leído los otros cuatro cuentos cortos para poder escribir mi reseña y puedo decir que toda la serie de Murderbot es excelente. Aunque el precio de los primeros 4 cuentos es alto considerando que no son novelas sino cuentos cortos, la verdad es que se disfrutan tanto que al final vale la pena el gasto. Creo que serían mucho más atractivas para el público en general si sacaran un paquete de la serie completa a un precio más razonable.