Review

Please be aware that Rogue Protocol is Book #3 in The Murderbot Diaries, so this review contains a few *spoilers* for Books #1 All Systems Red & #2 Artificial Condition.

Stop now if that’s a problem!

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Murderbot, a cyborg SecUnit (security guard) who has hacked its way to autonomy and is now sort of on the run disguised as a human, is looking for some information about GrayCris, the evil corporation from All Systems Red, to help his friend Dr Mensah. He reaches out to a bot, Miki, and pretends to be extra security for Miki’s humans, in order to hitch a lift to a former terraforming facility and check whether they had really been terraforming or doing something more nefarious. But what should have been a relatively simple data retrieval excursion turns into something both more sinister and more dangerous.

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I enjoyed this sci-fi action-comedy novella. It wasn’t as good as Artificial Condition (lacking the banter between Murderbot and ART), and was a little bit stiff at the beginning. But once we hit the main action, things started humming along nicely, with lots of cinematic action sequences and Murderbot’s ultra-competence, grumpiness and sweetness.

Recommended for sci-fi fans from year 7 up. 160 pp.

> Click here for content info — spoilers, proceed at own risk!

Sci-fi violence, injury & death including of a liked character; perilous situations; some swear words, including f-words and s-words. Themes include friendship and equality.

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Wells, M. (2018). Rogue protocol. Tor Books.

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