Martha Wells won the Hugo award in 2021 for her sixth "murderbot" book so I picked up the first book in the series to find out what all the fuss is about. The book is not bad and I understand the appeal. The characters are quirky, three-dimensional, and the social situations (e.g. company went with the low bidder, controls costs by giving us cheapest, crappy equipment, etc.) are fun. The main character (murderbot) is extremely neurotic and hilarious. Much like Jasmine Bashara in Artemis, she is an anti-hero with a big heart embarking on her redemption arc. The author writes a decent awe-and-wonder space opera with magical tech in the background while focusing on the drama and social dynamics. The mystery and character building are excellent but the plot is mediocre and the close-combat is awful. 4/5 Stars. The book is also surprisingly short. I shall continue reading the series.
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