Book Review – ‘This Is How You Lose The Time War’ by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

A trippy love story through the ages…

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 224

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.

This was beautiful and quaint. Packed with story and subtext. Told in alternating perspectives, Blue and Red are epyphonous creatures and hard to pin down, as is the mulit-verse and multi-dimensional landscape in which they travel. While romantic and full of colourful, this ethereal tone did make it hard for me to truly connect with the characters and the world. Everything is so changeable, malleable. While brilliant and a masterstroke in storytelling it did leave me feeling like I wasn’t quite grounded in the story. I struggled at the start to find my footing. To make sense of it all. But war is messy (not to mention jumping around in different points of time) so I guess the chaotic nature of battle marries the format of the novella.

Some may find this hard to get into. It is a dense read. There’s a lot to decipher in story and subtext. Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mothar’s writing style is embellished, melodic, and a little pretentious. It didn’t flow easily for me… I had to really concentrate to work out who each character was and who they are in relevance to the world at large – I think this may isolate some readers (depending on your reading level.)

The romance at the heart of the book is gorgeous, visceral, and all encompassing. I really enjoyed it, but at times the flowery language had me skipping forward. And I felt like I wanted more story. More exploration of strange new world’s that held symbolism or secondary storylines. 

There is a lot to unpack ‘This is How You Lose the Time War’ is a weighted read. I loved the allegory of the Mobius strip, the symbolism of the seed… but I still grapple with questions of who/what are red and blue? Who/what are Garden and Commandant and why are they at war? What is there to gain? I understand it’s to control the time line, but to what end? So many questions but all we get is a snapshot (a millennia long) of a part of Blue and Red’s budding relationship and covert measures. 

I love the concept more than the writing style. I can see this isolating some readers. It’s like reading mid-century poetry… hidden meanings and symbolism, subtext, and needing to look up the definition of words. For some this will be a roadblock, but for more experienced readers this will feel melodic and whimsical.

Overall feeling: kaleidoscopic

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Boyfriend Material’ (#1 London Calling) by Alexis Hall

A clash of culture in this gay romantic romp…

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT

No. of pages: 425

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend

Practically perfect in every way

Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad’s making a comeback, Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.

What a gorgeous and adorable romp! ‘Boyfriend Material’ has a certain English charm dripping with comedy and angst.

There is a heavy undertone of homophobia and microaggression throughout the story which added some nice colour and tension. It wasn’t my favourite part, but it helped to add shades of light and dark to ‘Boyfriend Material.’ I’m a fan of some tropes, and fake boyfriend/girlfriend happens to be one of my favourites; and Alexis Hall really pulled this off… though it didn’t really feel like a fake boyfriend storyline, because it was obvious there were real feelings there from the start.

Our protagonist Luc and his love interest Oliver are charming and not the overly fantasised perfection you sometimes get in contemporary romance – though there is a lot of overtly good-looking characters – our cast are all flawed in some respect to give them a point of view, or something that makes them stand out. I can’t say how much that delighted me.

Luc and Oliver’s relationship is a rocky one, they are both navigating past trauma and trust issues, and while not totally believable, and their journey is both touching and at times hilarious. Just the right amount of angst, genuine affection, and comedy to keep me glued to the page.

Alexis Hall managed to get me out of a mini reading slump with ‘Boyfriend Material,’ with an imperfect protagonist and love interest, I was pulled into the world of aristocracy, charity events, and quirky friends. There were only two minor details that held me back from fully being immersed into the story; the length and stylized characters. While the pacing was great and the story moved along at a clip, there was an awful lot of detail that increased the page count which I would have like to see edited down. And some of the secondary characters are so scatter-brained and stereotypically British (like what you see in rom-com movies) that they did not feel all that real. But it was most definitely a lot of camp fun.

The writing style is as charming as the main characters. I loved the idiotic scenes with oddball characters that brought levity and poked fun at English culture and aristocracy. But as I mentioned earlier I felt it could have been a good 50-100 pages shorter to keep the story punchy, the pacing even, and juxtapose the key scenes more effectively if they weren’t spaced out so much with detail. (Overwriting.)

There were a number of things that I felt weren’t quite resolved properly – it was more about the two main characters getting out of their own way to find a chance a happiness, but knowing that this is the first part in a trilogy lets me cut some slack in the plot points left hanging. Definitely eagerly awaiting the sequel ‘Husband Material’ in the near future.

A high recommendation from me.

Overall feeling: Snuggly and cuddly.

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘To Be Taught If Fortunate’ (#3.5 Wayfarers) by Becky Chambers

Challenging the concept that your identity is your body.

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, LGBT

No. of pages: 153

A future in which, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the solar system instead transform themselves.

Ariadne is one such explorer. As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds and wake up each time with different features. Her experience is one of fluid body and stable mind and of a unique perspective on the passage of time. Back on Earth, society changes dramatically from decade to decade, as it always does.

Ariadne may awaken to find that support for space exploration back home has waned, or that her country of birth no longer exists, or that a cult has arisen around their cosmic findings, only to dissolve once more by the next waking. But the moods of Earth have little bearing on their mission: to explore, to study, and to send their learnings home.

When I spied this novella and saw the cover I was so excited for some more space exploration, some more aliens, and what the concept of adapting the human body for space travel meant.

The science side of this is fantastic, I’m a huge science geek and have a BA in Marine Biology, so all the talk of classification, biology, ecology and geology fascinated me. As too did the discussion on somaforming – the enforced adaptations to the human body to cope with space travel and different types of environments encountered on exoplanets. Like I said: Nerd alert!

But there wasn’t much else to this story – it was a collection of visited planets, a cast of four astronauts interacting with each other, all in the collected quest of exploration and scientific discovery. There is an underlying theme of why we explore space… is it for the good of the human race? For curiosity? And if a space mission is brought together by the might of many, whose decision is it to change the parameters of the mission if something went awry? I loved the exploration of these questions, but found myself wanting more: There was no character arcs, the plot was relatively simple. It was more about excitement of exploration than of tension between characters.

I think some readers may find this novella a bit dry, because it was less about the characters and more about the mission. It’s hard to say, because novellas face different rules and structure than novels… I like the journey, the facing of unsurmountable odds, the characters growing and changing from their experiences… you can’t really fit a lot of that into a novella. This shorter type of prose is usually to explore a question or feeling or unpack a scene. And while the content of ‘To be Taught if Fortunate’ did what it was supposed to do, I felt like there was something missing to really drive that tone or underlying theme home. It felt like it ended abruptly, and I kind of went… huh?

In hindsight I can see what Becky Chambers was doing, but in the moment I felt a little like the story was left unfinished. I’m not sure if fans of the Wayfarers series will really get this read. It’s more for hard core sci-fi fans and die-hard stans of the series. It was short, intelligent, and inspirational.

Overall feeling: Just a taste that left me wanting more…

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘The Sky Blues’ by Robbie Couch

A story about resilience and first love…

Genre: Y/A, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT

No. of pages: 328

Sky Baker may be openly gay, but in his small, insular town, making sure he was invisible has always been easier than being himself. Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom—and he has thirty days to do it.

What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen?

Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral. He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether—until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his thirty-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator.

But what happens at the end of the thirty days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self?

I read this in one sitting. It was emotionally compelling… I had tears falling from my eyes so frequently because I was all torn up in the challenges our protagonist Sky was facing. There are moments of hopelessness, of powerlessness, and moments bringing back all of that teenage angst and anxiety. I forgot how that age of high school was living like a guitar string pulled too tight.

We are introduced to Sky as he is reeling from the fact his religious mother has kicked him out of home for being gay while Sky is still grieving for the loss of his father. But luckily he’s landed in a safe place with his bff’s family. Now he’s navigating the rest of high school to a looming graduation, an uncertain future, dodging bullies, and growing the courage to prom-pose to his crush. The build up to the inciting incident was a little long, but I barely noticed it because Robbie Couch’s writing style makes everything so compelling. Sky is all of those teen insecurities we have all felt at one time or another, but with the support of his chosen family and friends, Sky manages to push through all the turmoil.

This is a positive story about endurance, and the realisation that it does get better. Not to be afraid to ask for help from those who truly love and accept you for who you are – because that love is given freely and without conditions. It shows how a chosen family is stronger that some of those blood ties. And the reality of the challenges LGBTQIA+ youth faces when coming to terms with their identity. I loved ‘The Sky Blues,’ it was like the cutest, warmest hug imaginable.

There are a lot of characters in ‘The Sky Blues’ but it was easy to distinguish them all and I never lost track of who was who. Some authors cannot do this so effectively. The stand out aspect of this novel was the friendships. Even though most of the story is discussing Sky and his crush, the friendships are what impacted me the most. Bree and Marshall are the besties I wish I had in my life. But the friendship circle grows as the narrative unfolds to include so many more interesting individuals.

It also challenges perceptions, or preconceived notions we have about people – you never know what someone is about, or going through until you get close to them. You better check those assumptions. And another aspect of behaviour and respect… always be aware of how your words and actions can affect someone else. Be kind, reserve judgement. I know all this sounds preachy, but ‘The Sky Blues’ is anything but, it’s a compassionate snapshot about all of these themes.

I felt I wanted a stronger threat with the romance stakes with Sky, but that’s just a personal preference for my taste in contemporaries. Though, I feel the narrative made sense for the character. And although the book concluded on a positive note and all the plot threads were tied up, I felt it needed a more romantic punch. Again, just the angst-ridden teen in me begging for more. Insatiable and insufferable she it at times.

The overall plot is fairly predictable, but the nuances are surprising, the strength of moral character in the subtext and the strong connection I had with the protagonist are what drives this story more than anything else. It’s a book I’d enthusiastically recommend to all who enjoy this genre.

Overall feeling: Really packed a punch to my heart

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Fugitive Telemetry’ (#6 The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

Secret sleuth Murderbot tracks down a murderer…

Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery

No. of pages: 168

No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

This was a murder mystery for Murderbot and dealt less with him sorting out his identity and purpose, but more about having to work in more human-like parameters and forge relationships in a similar fashion. Murderbot is a gumshoe interviewing suspects and trying to get station inhabitants outside the circle of trust to trust them. Granted it is a slight shift in tone, but important in Murderbots development nonetheless. 

A slow start in setting up the parameters for the story and establishing a different structure. But we soon see Murderbot back to his familiar risk assessment, sassy attitude, and extreme rescue scenarios. 

Again, I love this series, ‘Fugitive Telemetry‘ is a self-contained story with a great reveal. But it did slightly lack that element of Murderbots inner turmoil at figuring out who/what it is, and what it wants. 

‎The pacing was a little slower than I’m used to from this series, but that’s because the action didn’t kick off in the first few pages, instead switching to an investigatory mode. We still get that phenomenal writing style from Wells. I’m fangirling. A delightful and quick read you can devour in one setting. Definitely recommend this one, though it is what I think of as the weakest instalment of the series so far. 

Overall feeling: I’m a detective detecting…

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Network Effect’ (#5 The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

The best team-up in the universe…

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 350

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 A.I. you’ll read 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.

I just love Murderbot, and in my past reviews for the previous novellas in this series I was hoping ‘Network Effect’ would be a Murderbot/ART team-up that involved some sort of contact with alien remnants, or a first contact scenario, maybe not quite that but this novel was everything I could have dreamed of.

As fast and easy a read as ‘Network Effect’ was (and the pacing fairly standard throughout) it read a lot like a longer version of the serialised novellas. So there were moments where the pacing dropped off a little. The format Murderbot Diaries has been following in the novellas does not work as well in a full length novel… you need more than one or two twists/reveals, and you need a lot more character development and exploration of secondary characters and their arcs. ‘Network Effect’ did manage this successfully, but it wasn’t a home run. I still had so many unanswered questions. But this is a part of an on-going plot that is continuing on for another four confirmed sequels. So rather than look at this as a standalone novel, or a novel in the traditional sense, I’m viewing it as another novella addition/episode… that happens to be a ‘big’ novella.

Murderbot gets put through the ringer again and we see him get shot, maimed, and suffer forced reboots. It’s become standard that Murderbot will sustain some sort of damage in each adventure; all while pondering its existence, meaning, and relationships.

The snarky/abusive banter between ART and Murderbot is up front and centre in ‘Network Effect’ and added much needed comic relief – and this time some of the humans get let in on the jokes. But in this episode we see the human-type failings of the personalities from both Murderbot and ART.

I wanted a few bigger twists and reveals from ‘Network Effect,’ for some reason the plot did not feel big enough for what I’ve expected from the series to date. But the concept of Abandoned/Reclaimed colonies and seeing the effects of actual alien remnants was a joy. It’s been hinted at for so long in the series, it was so much fun to have a front row seat to an encounter…. well not for the characters in the story, but definitely for the reader.

We start to see a real jump in the expanding universe of Murderbot and I am excited for the possibilities.

The story was mostly predictable with the exception of final reveal – but it wasn’t too shocking, so I think that’s where the slightly underwhelming feeling come from.

Wells does a brilliant job of constructing the world of the Colony, space, and constructs (AI/bots), as well as that of an alien threat. I was completely engrossed and not pulled from the narrative once.

I also loved the discussion of what a friendship or relationship means/is for an artificial construct. Though it’s not defined, ‘Network Effect’ takes some solid steps in that direction. Now I’m totally amped up for the next in the series ‘Fugitive Telemetry.’

Overall feeling: Everything, everywhere, all at once.

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Home, Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory’ (#4.5 The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

How other people see Murderbot… does it deserve autonomy?

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 19

There’s not a lot to review with this short. It’s really just a scene from Dr. Mensah’s point of view as she ponders the Companies predicament, and Murderbot’s issues regarding autonomy, rights, and humanity: and how to relay that to the rest of the board…. and how Murderbot has a sense of humour, loyalty and compassion of their own.

A great little glimpse into Dr Mensah’s mind and the issues Murderbot faces – even in this new more accepting environment.

That’s about all I can say.

Overall feeling: Cool.

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Exit Strategy’ (#4 The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

Is Murderbot becoming more human or is it a glitch in its programming…

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 172

Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?

Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah — its former owner (protector? friend?) — submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?

Another gut-punching action packed fast paced adventure with an intelligent protagonist with a dry sense of humour still learning about its human side. But I love that it did not want to be human. Humans are flawed, and Murderbot is something different – a new species.

Wrapped up many plot points. Less about who Murderbot is and more about what Murderbot wants (to do). Like he was graduating high school and facing an uncertain future with possibilities. He suddenly had friends, choices.

Murderbot is showing courage, bravery, loyalty and self-sacrifice… and sarcasm. He is more complex and developed that many other protagonists I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing in my reading journey. Hat’s off the Martha Wells for crafting such a wonderful character and addictive series.

I kind of get a sense of a small crush between Mancha and Murderbot – whether it be friendship or a one-sided romantic crush. But I like it. She seems to respect Murderbot in all its expression of existing. I really want this pairing to grow and develop even more. They have chemistry.

On a side note: I want a Murderbot and ART team up again, and I want to meet some aliens, or at least get into some alien archaeological sites/tech. I hope that is in the future. I mean as well as passing a law for higher level artificial intelligences/bots for independence.

I’m always left with a satisfied smile and a hunger for more when I complete one of these books.

Extremely highly recommended – this seems to draw this part of the novellas to a close, next is a short ‘Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory’ followed by a full length novel ‘Network Effect’ which I am really looking forward to.

Overall feeling: Sci-fi satisfaction.

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Rogue Protocol’ (#3 The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

A mission for Murderbot the shows him humanity in the unlikeliest of places – another robot.

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 158

SciFi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is again on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

Another all-consuming instalment in the Murderbot Diaries. I love how Murderbot is still growing – questioning his own motivations and analysing how others treat him and Miki (a human shape bot that ends up being his sidekick) on this mission to uncover evidence against GrayCris.

There is action galore and I did not want to put the book down. I did feel like it ended a little abruptly and there are some issues raised that are going to have to be addressed in the next instalments, though I wish there would have at least been some acknowledgement at the end of ‘Rogue Protocol…’ Murderbot seemed to be a bit all over the place emotionally, and his processing power is stretched to its limits, so it really did seem like we were missing bits. I think that’s why this is my lowest ranked book in the series so far.

I loved the human interactions with a new group on this mission, though there was less of an emotional bond on the surface as there was in previous books. Murderbot seemed to take a backward step as he switched back into the SecUnit role, rather than that of Consultant.

Miki was a great contrast for Murderbot, and provided the reader, and Murderbot, with a nifty lens to show a path that is open, an identity that can be crafted, oh the possibilities. But we only get fleeting glimpses of it because Murderbot stays on task and moves on once the mission is complete.

I like that these novellas are fairly unpredictable in the sense that you never know what wrench is going to be thrown into the storyline, but predictable enough in that it is episodic by nature. I’m still really excited to pick up the next book in the series, but am trying to pace myself out because I am so thoroughly enjoying the Murderbot Diaries.

Martha Wells knows how to craft a story, set a cracking pace, and possesses an ironic tone in her writing style that is endearing and engaging.

Still highly recommending this series. Next up: ‘Exit Strategy.’

Overall feeling: cute, but all over the joint.

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Artificial Condition’ (#2 The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

Murderbot makes a friend, sort of…

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 158

It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

This had everything I want in a novella. It was engaging, allowed me to be dragged into the sci-fi world with little effort – which says a lot for Well’s writing style. There were interesting and complex characters, mystery, and plenty of surprises. I’m finding that Wells loves to jump right into the action, gets right to the heart of the story fast and then lets it resonate with the reader while it moves towards the end, only to leave us with a few more zingers.

Definitely an episodic read, but one that has me addicted.

Murderbot is definitely evolving. Through internal probing and influences from external sources. A true representation of how we grow as humans. The ship AI was an intriguing character and I have no doubt we will be finding out a lot more in some future book in the series.

I will say that the price point for this novella is extremely high. But I notice TOR does that, other titles like Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series are charging a similar price. I’m a little insulted as a consumer about this, production of a novella this size does not cost as much as that of a full-length novel, and certainly the formatting/editing cost would be lower too. I’d like to see their justification for charging such a high price point. Do the authors actually get a larger kick-back? Maybe I wouldn’t grumble so much if I knew the bulk of the proceeds went to the creator instead of being assumed into the publishing machine… but still it’s an issue that irks me.

I loved the internal monologue about Murderbot having conflict about appearing more human. Like it shouldn’t have to alter its image to fit into society and have autonomous rights. It has colours of women gaining the vote, people of colour fighting for equality, and transgender individuals struggling equal access to facilities and medical procedures.

Does Murderbot have sympathy for the humans it helps, or is it a simple Pavlovian reaction of its programming… as we get further in the series I can see how it will explore what it truly means to be a compassionate individual being.

This tops my recommendation list. I fell in love with this, instantly and hard.

Overall feeling: Instant favourite!

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.