Michael Shotter reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)
None
4 stars
I enjoyed this Murderbot outing, which is a direct follow-up to the events of "Network Effect" and could almost be seen as a "part two" of that book in the same way "Exit Strategy" could be seen as an extension of "Rogue Protocol." There's a lot to like here for fans of the saga and I had fun with it but for me, the story never really got going or had much punch to it. I think a big part of that is because the stakes and threats this time around sort of pale by comparison to the full-tilt madness that was basically front and center throughout the duration of "Network Effect." That's not really a problem as it makes for a more intimate, introspective, and "personal" story for Murderbot and the reader to experience together but I find myself at a point where some of the tropes of the series have started to wear a bit thin and lose their luster in a way that leaves me hoping it'll nicely wrap up and Murderbot will get to gracefully fade off into the sunset in another book or two. Bottom line: Still having a good time. Still here for whatever comes next. Just not as enthralled as I was by some of the other entries, which is absolutely fine, and admittedly a great place to be as a reader after seven books.
