Exit Strategy
Ratings789
Average rating4.3
Ah, Murderbot. I've missed its jaded-ass voice, and its obsession with entertainment media is so relatable. “Why am I compelled by my guilty conscience to work, I just want to stay in my corner and watch drama serials all day” is definitely a mood.
I'm starting to think that the episodic nature of Murderbot novellas are probably... deliberate? To perhaps mirror the episodes of the serials that it loves watching so much. In any case, that's completely up my alley and my short attention span these days. This installment was enjoyable, with Murderbot teaming up with some old friends to bring down a nasty corporation.
There're definitely some interesting messages to be had if you dig a bit deeper below the surface - there is criticism about capitalism and big corporations gaining too much power, there is questioning what exactly makes humans human, and then also living through events from the perspective from a robot for whom the boundaries between AI and humanity is tenuous at best. This is the book where Murderbot catches feelings, and it doesn't like it.
I'm not a huge sci-fi reader so there are occasionally passages where I zone out quite a bit. Murderbot can sometimes get a bit technical in its narrative, but even just being there for its hilarious asides and commentary on the events and people around it, as well as the dialogue that goes on between itself and its companions is worth reading this whole series for.
Certainly continuing on the rest of the series.
As I mentioned in my previous review of Rogue Protocol, I did start this final novella of the series immediately after the previous one ended because I don't have sang patience and I didn't wanna wait. And wow do I feel rewarded for doing that.
I think the author did plan to end the story of Murderbot in this novella, so everything comes full circle here and I loved every second of it. The writing is heart wrenching and emotional, while also being extremely dangerous and high stakes and totally action packed. I was really worried for the characters' safety on multiple occasions and kudos to the author for keeping up that tension. The plot also becomes much more expansive because we finally get to see the tactics of the villains and the extent to which they'll go for their nefarious purposes. Despite all this, the humor and entertainment factor that's the highlight of this series is still intact, and it was a joy being back in the head of Murderbot and listening to its sarcastic voice.
I never discussed the themes that the author tries to capture throughout the series but it would be remiss if I didn't now. We see Murderbot grapple with the question of what it means to be human, does it really want to be one even though it is increasingly empathizing with them and how much agency does it have in its own life. On a larger scale, we see giant corporations trying to use their influence and power to perform illegal activities and harm anyone who comes in their way - it was eerily reminiscent of our real life; on the other hand, we also have a group of humans from one non political entity trying to fight for everybody's rights and providing safety for refugees. And it was nice to see the message that we have to treat each other kindly, and let people (or Murderbot) make their own choices and provide them whatever support we can - and this will lead to good outcomes.
Murderbot is amazing and you all already know how much I love it. It was at its most vulnerable this time around because it finally goes back to find Dr. Mensah and the preservation group, and I found its worries about how they would react to it so heartbreaking. It's struggle with not wanting to feel emotions or attached to humans is kinda adorable because it's obvious that this group of humans matters to it, even though it hates that. And I loved that the humans, and Dr. Mensah never gave up on it either. They all make for a great team and I loved watching them together. And I can't help but adore the fact that every time Murderbot feels some anxiety, it starts binge watching it's favorite shows and it's hilarious because I do the exact same thing. What more can I want than a super powerful Murderbot that I can relate to.
To conclude, this novella was the perfect finale to this series and I'm so happy that I read them back to back because it was such a joy. If you are looking for some fun sci-fi which also explores the themes of identity and freedom, then you can't go wrong with this series. I promise that it is full of laughs but also unexpected tears, and just an overall delight to read. While the story arc that started in All Systems Red is complete, I'm glad that we are getting a new stand-alone novel and I've heard rumor that a certain transport vessel might make an appearance, so I'm very very excited for the release of Network Effect. It can't come soon enough!!
DNF. Nothing ever really happens. It's just the murderbot going from one place to another for half the book. I got bored and couldn't finish even though it's pretty short.
Murderbot comes to the rescue
Again there are a few reminders about the events of the previous—now three—books, still not a fan of this.
The plot thickens but it's still not too deep or difficult to follow. Although all of the main character's actions are mostly familiar they still feel interesting because of different situations and environments and the action is pretty cool. Also there are a few personal, emotional conversations so I have to rate this one higher even considering the length.
And the ending is really nice!
Still can’t get enough of this series, and the novella size should make it fun to reread.
“I was having an emotion, and I hate that.”
That one line sums up everything I love about Murderbot. Exit Strategy wraps up the story that started in book one and brings the crew back together for a fast-paced, fun ride. It doesn't dive as deep emotionally as book two or lean as heavily into the snark of book three, but the balance and pacing really worked for me. Murderbot's awkward but heartfelt growth, especially when it starts talking about “being a person,” really hit the spot.
I'm so glad I read this knowing there are more books after it because I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to Murderbot. The ending ties things up well but still leaves the future open, which feels perfect for the series. This book could've been a satisfying conclusion, but honestly, I'm just happy there's more Murderbot to look forward to.
Martha WellsinMurhabotin päiväkirjat -sarjan neljäs osa Taktinen vetäytyminen saattaa päätökseen neljästä pienoisromaanista koostuvan ensimmäisen tarinakaaren. Siihen näyttäisivät toistaiseksi loppuvan myös sarjan suomennokset: Hertta on julkaissut Mika Kivimäen suomennoksia tasaiseen tahtiin puolen vuoden välein, mutta nyt kevään 2025 kuvastosta ei enää uutta Murhabotti-kirjaa löytynyt. On kuitenkin hienoa, että tämä ensimmäinen kokonaisuus saatiin suomeksi nopeaan tahtiin.
Kun palasin HaveRattonin asemalle, joukko ihmisiä yritti tappaa minut. Se tuntui vain reilulta, kun otetaan huomioon, kuinka paljon olin ajatellut tappavani joukon ihmisiä.
Oikullinen protokolla
Murhabotin päiväkirjat
Network Effect
Network Effect
Alexander Skarsgård
Becky Chambersin
Veisu luonnonkoneille
The Murderbot Diaries
Exit Strategy
The Murderbot Diaries
Network Effect
Monk & Robot
Good ending (although there are more books in this series).
A solid completion of a character arc, I'm glad Murderbot made peace with the idea of a home.
A bit cheesy sometimes and not as funny as the first 2 books but I really enjoyed it. I relate to Murderbot too much and I think that's a problem. Accepting being cheesy and having emotions is part of the mortifying idea of being known (and human) so, in that sense, it and I are the same.
Will definitely read the other books but I think this was a good original endpoint and will treat the rest as either bonus content or a “new season” so to speak.
I always include major spoilers (hidden), to help with my memory issues. Read them at your peril!
MurderBot finds out that Dr Mensah has been blamed for its activities , and is being held to ransom MurderBot to the rescue again. It meets Mensah's team again. It is almost deleted/ destroyed in defending their ship
TL;DR
Doesn't beat the third book in my opinion but still interesting. Getting to see some old characters back was nice but now cool new ones, specially not another AI like in the previous entries. I do feel like we're getting to the point where it's almost the same story being repeated. I hope the next entries bring something new to the table.
My Scoring System
I have five things I look for in a book, if the book checks all five it's a 5/5 stars book, if it checks none it's a 1/5 stars and everything else is a combination:
✓ - Main Story: Not as good as the previous book but I really like this story as well. Murderbot interacting with Dr Mensah is one of my favorite parts of the book.
X - Side Stories (if it applies):
✓ - Characters: Great to see the original characters back into play, I like them the most out of all the humans we've met. Dr. Mensah is my second favorite behind ART so it was nice to see her again.
X - Setting/Ambiance: We're back to the station again so it's not as interesting and the previous location.
✓ - Ending: Good ending, not as good and the previous books but was nice.
Extensive Review
By this point I hope you bought the entire series as bundle because buying them individually isn't worth the price. They are really short stories that are getting a bit stale. We will see how the rest of the series turns out but I hope it doesn't keep going like this.
Very fast-paced, but also felt like it was just a bridge to the next installment. Still, Murderbot is delightful as usual. Can't wait to see what happens next.
I think this was possibly the best entry into the series since the first. It was nice to see some familiar faces back with murderbot again. I liked that original team and I was glad to spend more time with them. Looking forward to book five.
Murderbot continues to evolve, thinking beyond programming and making its own choices. It's soul seems to be taking shape and Murderbot is figuring out who it is.
I loved this as much as the first two books! It had some really great moments and conversations between the characters. I'm really happy Murderbot is back together with its crew from book 1. Finally some reoccurring side characters! I loved the questions this brought up, like Mensah's conversation with Murderbot about why it likes Sanctuary Moon so much. This also touches on what makes someone human, and where robots fit in a human world.
I also loved that Murderbot was trying to offer other bots freedom, instead of just fighting and killing them
This might be my favorite Murderbot book so far
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells is the thrilling fourth book in the Murderbot Diaries series. I feel like each book has been better than the last. Wells has written another very exciting story, possibly some of the best action so far, while also revealing so much humanity in both the humans and Murderbot. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/3/2023 Update
I re-listened to this along with the prior three novellas. I love it! This book continues the story of Murderbot and its relationship with Dr. Mensah and the Preservation crew. This one has some high stakes and great action, but didn't include any awesome new loveable characters like A.R.T. and Miki.
I've really enjoyed this novella series and I am excited to read the full length novels that follow. I am impressed by the consistency between entries in the series so far, the pacing has been perfect and the characters grow on you just as they do with murderbot itself.
A mostly satisfying conclusion to this novella series, wherein Murderbot gets back together with the band, so to speak, takes out the baddies once and for all, and almost gets wiped out completely, only to recover and take some time to figure out what comes next. Action-packed as the previous novellas, and I like these original clients quite a bit, so I'm glad to spend more time with them.
I was a little sad that this was the end of these books, but then I looked it up and it turns out there are two existing full-length novels featuring Murderbot and ART, and another novel on the way, so maybe after I finish a few book club reads I'm overdue on, will check the next one out.
3 stars for the actual story, but I really am enjoying this series a lot more than my rating indicates. I just thought this one was a little rushed.
(I know Murderbot is neither male nor female, but I kind of picture them as a semi-organic Lisbeth Salander. It's fitting, I think.)