A review by wardenred
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

adventurous funny 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

 Yes, the giant transport bot is going to help the construct SecUnit pretend to be human. This will go well.

This book was literally unputdownable for me: I read it all in one gulp, and then I was upset there wasn't more to read. There were maybe a couple of places where I stumbled—when it came to unveiling the main mystery of what happened at Ganaka Pit. I pretty much always slow down and re-read some of the pages when investigative plots roll in, though, so this wasn't so much a stumble as my usual reading pattern. The mystery itself was compelling, and the answers weren't what I expected.

My favorite parts of the novella, though, were centered entirely around Murderbot's interactions with ART. I don't even know which of these bots is my favorite at this point. I especially loved the scene pretty early in the book when they were watching tv shows together. I always love seeing characters in the stories I read interact with stories in their own universe, and in this case, there was some wonderful subtle discussion on the way stories shape us and impact us. 

Overall, I loved the story and can't wait to join Murderbot on its next adventure. I hope ART is involved, too!
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