A review by wardenred
All Systems Red by Martha Wells

adventurous funny mysterious 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

 I hate having emotions about reality; I’d much rather have them about Sanctuary Moon. 

This book has been on my TBR for a while, and I really, really should have read it sooner. The reason I kept postponing is that it was initially recommended to me along with another book, as kind of a package deal: "Here, you'll probably love both of these." I read that other book first, and while in theory it had all the makings of a five-star read for me, in practice many things about it made me angry and frustrated. So I avoided The Murderbot Diaries, fearing it would be frustrate or anger me, too.

Boy, was I wrong. I loved this novella, and I can't wait to embark on more adventures with the Murderbot! The snarky, soap opera-loving, socially anxious SecUnit completely stole my heart. I honestly didn't expect to relate this much to an android built for murder, and yet here I am. But it's not only about the main character; there's a lot of goodness packed in this short book. The setting is painted in pretty broad strokes, and yet there are enough details to hook me and want me to explore it more (I hear there's a full-length novel down the line? YAY!). The plot is fun, tropey in the best way, and full of mystery and adventure. The secondary characters are all interesting and surprisingly fully realized for these word count constraints. I really hope to meet them again in the subsequent installments. Something about this entire story also reminded me a bit of Becky Chambers' books; call it a similar vibe? (I really should re-read Wayfarers, by the way).

Also, that ending? I loved the ending! For the entirety of the last chapter, I thought I had already guessed exactly where it was going. I painted what I expected to be the basic plot of the second book in my head. I sat back to enjoy how exactly this sequence of familiar and beloved tropes was going to play out this time. And then the last page happened, and oh, I really shouldn't have guessed that far ahead.
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