Network Effect

By: Martha Wells

Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

Martha Wells' New York Times and USA Today best-selling Murderbot series exploded onto the scene in 2017, and the world has not been the same, since.

Murderbot returns in its highly anticipated, first full-length stand-alone novel, Network Effect.

You know that feeling when you’re at work and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot.

Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable AI you’ll listen to this century.

I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90-plus percent of my problems are.

When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

©2020 Martha Wells (P)2020 Recorded Books

another amazing entry in the series.

this was an interesting departure, and an important step on murder bots path to self realization. it left some dangling threads which would make for a great sequel. can't wait.

Great story, too mant F-Bombs

Another good plot, but the over use of the F-word cheapened the story and main character.

Still a fantastic story. Still not a strong reader

I love these books. After listening this far into the series, I'm also starting to love Kevin Free as Murderbot. But the guy cannot do voices for other characters to save his life. Sometimes he can't keep track of what voice he's used for which character, and will switch them around. It's really frustrating.

Luckily there's not a ton of dialog from other characters, so it's not a constant problem.

In love with Murderbot

I really can't say enough good things about this book. About the whole series really. While this novel stands alone, it benefits from the context, character development, and world building of the first four novellas. Do yourself a favor and start from the beginning. I love being inside Murderbot's head, they’re a mash-up of human emotions and neurosis paired with the processing speed and super human abilities of a bot, plus a delightfully dry sense of humor. I also relate to Murderbot's "otherness" which can be read into as a parallel for queer, trans, and neurodivergent experiences. The way they sense and process the world around them is different, unique, and refreshing. The way they struggle to find their place in a society that regards them with discomfort is all too familiar. I've read other Audible reviews that complained about the dissolution of gender roles in this book (um, get your head out of last century and into the present please) and even the same-sex relationships which are not central to the story, just part of the backdrop. Hard for me to imagine someone getting hung up on these things. I feel bad for those people, that their limited world view prevented them from loving this series. It's fun, fast-paced, intelligent, and provides some much needed escapism. I like that each installment revolves around a mystery. It's a familiar template that Wells breathes new life into. I hope she keeps the Murderbot diaries going. I'm so grateful for this entry into sci-fi canon.

Brilliant

Another brilliant entry into the series as expected. Not much to say except that the jump to full-length novel was much appreciated.