I was very confused in the beginning, because it has been over three years since I read Network Effect. And you really need to remember the ending of that one for this one here to make sense right away. There is no recap.
So, if you are fuzzy on the details, re-read Network Effect!

“Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something.“

The action starts right away. As mentioned, I was pretty confused about the where and why, due to a complete lack of a recap. Once I got back into the swing of things, it was a lot of fun.

ART is back! Murderbot works on some psychological stuff I cant tell you about because, redacted… It has to protect a lot of humans (so many of them, it needs group names to tell them apart!) and has to deal with a lot of shit happening. The usual. It‘s not getting old yet, but I am hoping that Wells will step up her game in the next two entries to the series.

Definitely for fans, not a stand-alone. I‘m actually going to reread All Systems Red now, just because. Time and stuff.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Tor through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

Is it possible for Martha Wells to not knock it out of the park?? The latest book in the Murderbot Diaries starts up close to where Network Effect left off. Murderbot has just barely survived and it doesn’t quite know how to feel about it. Of course, a corporation has to smash in to try and make money at the expense of everyone else, so it’s up to Murderbot and its humans to save the day (again).

Martha Wells took me on another eye-opening trip with Secunit while beautifully illustrating humanity. Action-packed and possible of bringing out an emotion or two, System Collapse takes a unique look at trauma and the beginnings of recovery.

Secunit, Art, and Preservation humans are looking at a planet, hoping to make it a safer place when they realize that collectors may be coming to find new people to put into labor camps. When Secunit and Group find a hidden community on this planet, everything starts going sideways.

This book made me laugh out loud, which is not surprising. I am always so overwhelmed by the kindness and support between the humans and secunit, and Art, in this series. Always above and beyond with the Murderbot Diaries.

Highly recommend this series!

Out November 14, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Murderbot is back! And in spite of what it may tell you, it’s not doing okay. Something bad happened, and MB doesn't like to think about it. But its body still remembers, and all its humans keep asking if it is feeling okay, to which it tells them it’s fine, stop asking. (It’s not fine, and they don’t stop asking.)

I probably should have re-read (or listened to) the other books in the series to refresh my memory, or at least read a recap. I had a hard time remembering what had led up to this story. I also think I have a hard time keeping up with what’s happening in this author’s writing style when reading vs. listening.

Anyway, my own issues aside – this was a solid entry in the series. I love the snarky narrative voice so much, and the evolution of Murderbot’s understanding of its own emotions, particularly dealing with trauma. I love its relationships with its humans, how much they care about it, and how much it cares about them. And as always, I love MB and ART. I always enjoy this series so much and I hope the next one won’t take too long!

Science Fiction about a hacked SecUnit, who's not running normally, as they work to protect their friends and a planet's colonists from a corporation's machinations.

5/5 stars: Wells' Murderbot Diaries series has been a longtime favorite and this newest entry doesn't disappoint. This is a non-stop action packed read that will leave you wanting more. The world Wells has crafted is fantastically well-written. It features: politics, corporate malfeasance, colonial activities, alien technology, AI and robots and so much more. I have to say Wells' cast of characters is some of the best I've ever read; they're infinitely complex yet incredibly likable. I love that Murderbot's not only a kick-butt protector but has doubts and worries and that they continue to evolve in their relationships with their human and fellow AI crew members. Oh and I simply can't get enough of their sarcastic and irreverent sense of humor. Additionally, Wells' secondary characters are nicely fleshed out with distinct voices. This book does tackle some tough topics, so take case and check CWs. This is the seventh book and I would strongly suggest starting at the beginning with All Systems Red to get the most out of this great series.


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

System Collapse
Martha Wells

CAWPILE SCORE
C-7
A-6
W-8
P-7
I-7
L-8
E-9
TOTAL-7.43/10

<spoiler>

CAWPILE
Characters
Murderbot feels surprisingly more human in this installment of the Murderbot diaries. The other characters don’t feel stagnant, but not a lot of growth from them. I like that everybody is covering for Murderbot all the time.
Murderbot deciding to go into therapy at the end. Foreshadowing Murderbot helping other secunits in the future.

Atmosphere
The atmosphere was a little unique in that we were dealing with a Pre CR installation but I didn’t feel enough was given in the writing to make it stand out more to me.

Writing
This book felt like I was reading murderbot’s actual diaries vs just a story like the previous ones. Small personal issue with “scene transitions” between past and present. Maybe it needed another linebreak, maybe something else. Maybe I’m bad at reading. It made it feel more real where sometimes things feel like that but just didn’t 100% click in the reading for me.

Plot
Good plot, mostly dealing with the fallout of the last book while delving into a little bit of secret pre CR stuff.

Investment
Its Murderbot so of course I was invested in reading it. Couldn’t put it down.

Logic
Good logic.

Enjoyment
I so enjoyed this book.
ART: I don’t hate anything. I’m discerning in my company.
Passive-aggressive competition to see who could use the most annoyingly correct comm protocol. 4.7 seconds vs 4.732 seconds
AdaCol2 : clock set Mark
Murderbot giving the Sec-Units the ability to hack their own governing modules
Argucusssions
ART doesn’t enjoy threatening people, it enjoys getting its own way and threatening people is just one of them.

Misc
ART is capable of doing its finances, but it ends up with numbers no one can trace. So they have to keep a hardcopy off network.

</spoiler>

This is the seventh entry in the Murderbot Diaries and it is everything we have come to expect from Martha Wells. There is a lot of action as always but also a lot of time spent on our favorite SecUnit's dealing with its "human" side. I don't think I am alone in finding that struggle the best part of these stories. It is another full length novel and it takes place right after the events of Fugitive Telemetry. Fans of this series will not be disappointed in this latest entry. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

System Collapse is the seventh book in the Murderbot series, and I think it’s starting to wear on me. I already had this feeling while reading Fugitive Telemetry, and System Collapse seems to confirm it. Don't get me wrong, I love this series. But every book feels repetitive. I feel like the story is really struggling to reinvent itself and I'm not sure I want to continue with many other books.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. Long descriptions that add nothing, too much unnecessary dialogue, and very little of the humour we love so much. The first half was very difficult to get through, and the second half unfortunately didn’t make up for it.

This seventh book would have worked better as a novella, like the previous books. And while I recognize the realism put into Murderbot’s character growth, it takes away the best part of this series and leaves us with little in its place. I may continue the series, or not, only time will tell if my love for the first books is enough to motivate me to continue.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Murderbot returns as its story continues after the events and emotional fallout from Network Effect. We get more of it trying to find its place in the world, figuring out what it means to be a sentient being in control of its own actions and dealing with *gasp* emotions, fighting corrupt corporations, and protecting its (and ART's) humans. The action in the second half is deliciously intense as always.

The first half is slower than and not as tightly written as I've come to expect from these books, probably a combination of events seeming stretched out, a lack of action to balance the diplomacy parts, and the frequent redacted sections creating confusing gaps in the narrative that aren't cleared up until halfway through the book. I feel like I need to read the book again to get the full experience a first read-through should provide.

The eventual reveal of the redacted parts doesn't hold the surprise or impact it seems like it should, and it's not really dealt with. It probably will be addressed in future books based on Murderbot's narrative at the end, but it leaves Murderbot's emotional arc in this book feeling incomplete and, like the plot, stretched out longer than necessary for a satisfying emotional beat. It's like Murderbot took a step on a staircase but left its foot hovering just above the next step, leaving you waiting for it naturally to make contact but it doesn't happen (and not in the good kind of cliffhanger way).

Other than the two short stories, this is the first installment of the series I've read in print rather than audiobook. I noticed that verb tenses switch from past to present with no discernible pattern and that many paragraphs are in parentheses, often back to back or embedded within each other, both of which are somewhat distracting. Perhaps these elements were in the previous installments as well but come across more fluidly in the audio versions.

My favorite part of this series is the strong character connections: Murderbot grudgingly admitting what its humans mean to it or flat-out denying it while its actions say the exact opposite. That element seems muted in this book. We do get it between ART and Murderbot, and I loved every moment.

The book starts to come back to life by the end. I recognize that this mirrors Murderbot's (partial) emotional arc, and while I appreciate the author trying to breathe new life into the series, I can't say I loved the initial departure from its usual personality. I'm with ART when it says it missed Murderbot's snarkiness.

All that said, I did overall enjoy the book. Each installment adds more to the ever-expanding worldbuilding, more characters to root for (or against), more complexity to Murderbot. I can't wait to see how the dynamics established in this book continue into the next.

You might like this if you like: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, the Imperial Radch series by Ann Leckie

If you’ve come this far in the series you already know and love Muderbot and his awesome sass. His attitude is my favorite.
System Collapse takes up residence get where Network Effect left us, Murderbot saving dumb humans from dangerous situations.
These full length novels are such a treat and I can really dig into the story more.
Highly recommend the whole series especially System Collapse. Just a damn good read. Can’t get enough.

ARC was provided to me from NetGalley to review:

System Collapse by Martha Wells as the 7th installment in The Murderbot Diaries did not disappoint. 4.5 stars/5

"So the next time I get optimistic about something, I want one of you to punch me in the face. Okay, not really, because let's be real, that would end badly. Maybe remind me to punch myself in the face."

The story begins with our beloved SecUnit picking up right where we left off in the 6th book. Murderbot is anxious and stressed from all of his adventures thus far and seems to have a bit of a more "human" feel to him this book.

We get our regular unit of humans and even some new humans to love and add to the family. I thought that Martha Wells exploration of Murderbot's anxiety and stress was really well done and flushed out really well. You find yourself relating strongly to him and him thoughts. While reading you might encounter moments that make your heart warm with the found family and love that the crew feel toward Murderbot.

My opinions:
System Collapse and the things it does well:
• Martha Wells ability to make you feel ALL of the things towards Murderbot and ART who are AI/bots. Like who doesn't love a sarcastic a**hole.
• Martha Wells use of the found family trope and how she continues to connect more people to Murderbot and use that as a strength, which is taking Murderbot some time to figure out.
• The fight sequences are always chef's kiss. Like come on.
• The sense of humor. Brilliant. I find myself laughing out loud. At a book.
• The love the crew has for Murderbot and ART. Their strengths and weakness's play off one another well. I particularly liked the use of the media in this book.

System Collapse and the things I want to see in the future:
• I would have liked to see just a bit more of the crew in this story. They spent a lot of time in different areas so I felt like you almost always got 1 human at a time.
• I mean I can't really think of anything else I wanted more of. Murderbot. ART. Crew. A great story and a great time.

I will leave you with this line from the book "Do you know where we're going next?" and I can't think of a better way to phrase how I feel waiting for the next book.

Another winner in the Murderbot series! As always, there's lots of action and snarky narration, and once again, I'm blown away by the author's imagination.

I love all the A.I. characters in this series, especially ART, but the other SecUnits and systems Murderbot interacts with too. AdaCol2 and Murderbot swapping media was adorable. The humans are nice too, of course, and Murderbot's exasperated, grumpy affection for them always makes me laugh.

I realized after starting this that my 3-year old memories from Network Effect were not going to serve, so I pressed pause and reread that first. I'm very glad I did, and it was delightful to revisit that story. Definitely refresh your memory before diving into this book.

It drags a little when they're exploring the underground tunnels, but it's only a small lull before things ramp up again.
And from there to the end, it's one wild ride. Love this series!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher and the amazing Martha Wells who wrote just the book I needed. This was soo good! Murderbot is always going to be good, duh, but this time they have . . . SecUnit PTSD? I loved this so much. There wasn't quite as much frantic action in parts of it, and I had just decided I liked a bit more introspective of a book, and then all the action happened anyway and I loved it. Come for the snark and the action, stay for the Art/Murderbot relationship through hard times.

I love Murderbot! This is another great addition to Murderbot's story. It has all the hallmarks of a Murderbot story. Fast-paced action, sarcasm, and characters that you instantly like. However, I will say if you haven't read any other Murderbot stories, I would not start here. This story builds on previous books and I think that new readers could be a tad confused as to what is happening. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I feel so happy and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to read an ARC of System Collapse by Martha Wells. I'm also very happy that we've been given yet another chance to see what Murderbot is up to. I don't think anyone who reads this will be disappointed. It was a well-written, hilarious book that leaves you wanting more. I don't think you can ever get enough of Murderbot and his friends (?). I will continue to recommend this series to anyone looking for something funny and original.

O Murderbot, what hath you been up to? In this case, we aren't sure what all is going on but have some ideas from events of the previous book. System Collapse will be a delight for readers who were hoping for more ART and Murderbot interactions. The plot also looks at colonization and corporate interference. Murderbot isn't sure who trusts them, who can be trusted, and if they can trust themselves.
All in all, another satisfying tale from Martha Wells.

“So the next time I get optimistic about something, I want one of you to punch me in the face. Okay, not really, because let’s be real, that would end badly. Maybe remind me to punch myself in the face.”

I am a huge Murderbot fan and was delighted to get an eARC for this book. Thank you to @netgalley and @tordotcom for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Now, this one continues immediately from where Network Effect lets off. For the people who don’t know, the publication order and chronological order is different from Murderbot #5 – Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot diaries #6) was published after Network Effect (Murderbot diaries #5) but canonically it occurs before the events in Network Effect.

Network Effect was the first full sized novel in the Murderbot series and one thing I enjoyed greatly in it was that the higher page count let Martha Wells set up a sub-plot mystery along with the main plot. Now System Collapse being the second full sized novel had my hopes up for similar plot devices. And I was rewarded, the first chapter was very strong and immediately set up a new sub-plot too.

Unfortunately, the rest of the first half and a good portion of the second half of the book was a letdown for me. It seemed to follow the structure of the first phase of the Murderbot diaries (the GrayCris era) where the first half of the books were slow and exposition filled but there is a turning point around 50% of the book. And from there the books keep up-shifting the gears and action picks up. While the first four novellas had this formula, those worked for me because of Murderbot’s inner monologue and for lack-of-my-ability-to-describe-it ‘the vibes.’

Murderbot is dealing with PTSD from a new internal trauma. While this is a new and significant direction that Martha Wells is taking Murderbot through, subjectively I didn’t like it. I’m here for the snark, the social awkwardness, the humor, and the action scenes – all of which there is a considerate dearth of. I’m not a stranger to people just standing around and talking in this series but usually there’s Murderbot’s internal sarcastic running commentary to save me. In this book though, Murderbot just back-burners all of these conversations and focuses on its trauma. It is realistic and makes sense with the events across N.E. and this book, but it’s just not enjoyable. Another factor is that the traumatic event is not discussed for the first half of the book at all, so Murderbot acknowledges it happened, but it doesn’t give any detail, it just mentions ‘redacted’ all over.

The last quarter of the book really saved it for me. The book returns to a lot of what made the previous novels so good. The action ramps up, Murderbot starts ̶s̶w̶e̶a̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ interacting more with the characters around it, one thing after the other goes wrong setting up for a proper roller coaster climax. I really like where the story is after the climax too, with some new and returning characters, making me hopeful for the next book. In conclusion, I liked this one a bit more than Fugitive Telemetry but it falls massively off the high standard set by the other books in this series and despite perpetually wanting more Murderbot I feel this book would have benefited with a much shorter page count.

I was so excited to get this ARC for “System Collapse” from the incredible Martha Wells. I highly recommend this sci fi book - I was such a fan!

Another solid entry into the Muderbot series. They continue to be fun, fast paced adventures. This one shows us a Muderbot with a lot of needed introspection that needs to happen. Here it is rescuing a group of colonists from a corporate entity, all the good stuff that we have come to expect from the series. There are definitely strong hints that something is brewing within Murderbot that is going to change things long term. A solid installment in a fun series. As always, I now want another one.

Good news, the newest Murderbot installment is everything I wanted. I like to give these alternate titles, and I’d go with “Oh no, Murderbot has PTSD!” for this one. It continues the adventure started in Network Effect, and Murderbot is struggling. Luckily, it’s surrounded by people who want to help. But first they have to get themself out of a pickle. The only bad thing about this book is that I now I have to wait a long time for the next one.