This was fun, as all the Murderbot books have been. Quite happy to see a novel this time! There were no novella related shortcomings, although perhaps Wells' forte indeed lies in the thinner format. This book had multiple places where things were explained for the 15th time, or a joke was told over and over again. Don't get me wrong; this dry, smirk-worthy humor is what I came here for, but it got repetitive.

I certainly enjoyed the plot. It dug into the lore of the universe Murderbot exists within, and expands upon a number of old character arcs that were very welcomed. Murderbot itself begins to find a place in the world, even though it cannot be too sure of that.

The series now has a solid footing, with the characters ready to explore on their own terms, rather than being on the back foot all the time. Looking forward to the next installment!