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A review by geothedude
Network Effect by Martha Wells
4.0
The first novel-length Murderbot diary refreshes the series a good bit by reuniting a lot of familiar characters in ways that feel equally novel and logically consistent. Perhaps because of the extended length, it is also the first book in the series in which we are allowed to dwell on and appreciate the complexities of MB's feelings about its new relationships to Mensah and the rest of the Preservation Aux team, ART, and new character Amena, the eldest of Mensah's various children.
The result is all the dry wit of Murderbot, the incredible chemistry of the best robot duo since C3PO and R2D2 in Murderbot and ART, and yet another mission that serves less as the driving force of the novel and more as an excuse for all these characters to interact with one another. Of course, that is my central overriding criticism of the series as a whole. Despite the importance of the individual conflicts in each of the books, they are pretty much always outshined by the strength of the bot and sentient construct characters whether it be Murderbot itself, Miki or ART. Even the new construct introduced in this novel, Three, is more interesting as a character than the central mystery at the heart of the conflict.
Still, "your characters are too interesting for the story you're telling" is the reverse of a back-handed compliment - a front-handed criticism? So if that's the worst thing I can say about this book and the series as a whole, you can understand why despite glaring issues with story and pacing, the effortless world-building (which I haven't even really touched on in any of my reviews, but suffice it to say, the world feels ALIVE thanks to a savvy and judicious use of key details that are very much "less is more"), the witty repartee and the immensely relatable and lovable non-human characters all come together to create some of the most fun I've ever had with a book in hand.
The result is all the dry wit of Murderbot, the incredible chemistry of the best robot duo since C3PO and R2D2 in Murderbot and ART, and yet another mission that serves less as the driving force of the novel and more as an excuse for all these characters to interact with one another. Of course, that is my central overriding criticism of the series as a whole. Despite the importance of the individual conflicts in each of the books, they are pretty much always outshined by the strength of the bot and sentient construct characters whether it be Murderbot itself, Miki or ART. Even the new construct introduced in this novel, Three, is more interesting as a character than the central mystery at the heart of the conflict.
Still, "your characters are too interesting for the story you're telling" is the reverse of a back-handed compliment - a front-handed criticism? So if that's the worst thing I can say about this book and the series as a whole, you can understand why despite glaring issues with story and pacing, the effortless world-building (which I haven't even really touched on in any of my reviews, but suffice it to say, the world feels ALIVE thanks to a savvy and judicious use of key details that are very much "less is more"), the witty repartee and the immensely relatable and lovable non-human characters all come together to create some of the most fun I've ever had with a book in hand.