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A review by iam
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have been vibrating with excitement since I heard about yet another Murderbot novella coming out, and while Fugitive Telemetry probably won't be my favourite book in the series, it delivered exactly what I wanted from it.
Read the full review and more on the blog!
Content warnings include: murder, death, violence, injury, slavery, human trafficking, discrimination, character gets shot.
Fugitive Telemetry is the 6th Murderbot story, though chronolocially it plays before book #5, Network Effect, and after book #4, Exit Strategy. As such, it takes place on Preservation Station, and lots of old faces appear. It can probably be more easily read as a standalone as most of the other novellas, but I think fans of the series will enjoy it most.
Plotwise, the story has its own arc and doesn’t directly connect to any of the other books aside from reoccurring characters and some vague references.
Despite that lack of connection to other stories plot-wise, the book hit all the spots that I want a Murderbot story to hit: there’s Murderbot’s usual sarcasm, its exasperation and frustration with as well as somewhat reluctant yet tender care for humans; there’s an exciting plot centered around an issue that once again Murderbot is uniquely suited to solving; there’s Murderbot’s interactions with both humans and other bots, nuanced based on who or what it is talking to, and layered through the different levels on communications available in this setting – the direct audible dialogue, digital feed interaction, and bot-to-bot pings and databursts.
And, of course, it hits you with a good dose of feelings, both from nostalgia and just the situations Murderbot finds itself in.
I especially liked the way bots appeared in this installment of the series compared to the other books. It was in this direction that I think the novella most expands the setting, as well as show that Murderbot itself isn’t without its prejudices.
Another new thing was the murder mystery element. On its own, that maybe wasn’t the most original crime solving story I’ve ever read, but it didn’t need to be. It was solid in the mystery and murder departments, and most of its charm comes from Murderbot itself anyways. I could read about it staring at a wall and would still be entertained.
Overall this was a charming novella that doesn’t add too much new concepts to the series’ lore, but still satisfied me as a fan. It was enjoyable to read, both funny and with a serious core, and I’m already looking forward to Murderbot’s next adventures.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Audio reread July 2021: Loved this just as much as the other novellas in audio!
Read the full review and more on the blog!
Content warnings include: murder, death, violence, injury, slavery, human trafficking, discrimination, character gets shot.
Fugitive Telemetry is the 6th Murderbot story, though chronolocially it plays before book #5, Network Effect, and after book #4, Exit Strategy. As such, it takes place on Preservation Station, and lots of old faces appear. It can probably be more easily read as a standalone as most of the other novellas, but I think fans of the series will enjoy it most.
Plotwise, the story has its own arc and doesn’t directly connect to any of the other books aside from reoccurring characters and some vague references.
Despite that lack of connection to other stories plot-wise, the book hit all the spots that I want a Murderbot story to hit: there’s Murderbot’s usual sarcasm, its exasperation and frustration with as well as somewhat reluctant yet tender care for humans; there’s an exciting plot centered around an issue that once again Murderbot is uniquely suited to solving; there’s Murderbot’s interactions with both humans and other bots, nuanced based on who or what it is talking to, and layered through the different levels on communications available in this setting – the direct audible dialogue, digital feed interaction, and bot-to-bot pings and databursts.
And, of course, it hits you with a good dose of feelings, both from nostalgia and just the situations Murderbot finds itself in.
I especially liked the way bots appeared in this installment of the series compared to the other books. It was in this direction that I think the novella most expands the setting, as well as show that Murderbot itself isn’t without its prejudices.
Another new thing was the murder mystery element. On its own, that maybe wasn’t the most original crime solving story I’ve ever read, but it didn’t need to be. It was solid in the mystery and murder departments, and most of its charm comes from Murderbot itself anyways. I could read about it staring at a wall and would still be entertained.
Overall this was a charming novella that doesn’t add too much new concepts to the series’ lore, but still satisfied me as a fan. It was enjoyable to read, both funny and with a serious core, and I’m already looking forward to Murderbot’s next adventures.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Audio reread July 2021: Loved this just as much as the other novellas in audio!