Platform Decay

Murderbot is at it again in this 8th installment of Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries series. The book takes the readers on another adventure, this one begins with a rescue operation of some humans that Murderbot cares about. As usual, there is a lot of action, in this case it is nonstop. There’s cursing (which works so well in the series, one of my favorite parts), and Murderbot’s unique and adorable personality. The ending is hopeful and I was ready to turn to book 9, which I wish was available already.
I have a couple of criticisms. One is that it takes dozens of pages to understand what Murderbot is doing in the beginning, which I found to be confusing. My other criticism is that the book lacks the “next step” in the series or in the character development that I was hoping for. It doesn’t read like a continuation, but a bit like a filler book. However, Murderbot’s personality, “emotion checks”, and hilarious observations are a comfort read for those of us who love the character.