Exit Strategy (Martha Wells)

Exit Strategy
The Murderbot Diaries, Book 4
Martha Wells
Tor.com
Fiction, Sci-Fi
**** (Good)

DESCRIPTION: The rogue SecUnit known as Murderbot confirmed its suspicions about the GreyCris corporation's activities during its exceptionally eventful trip to Milu: they have been harvesting illegal alien synthetics from archaeological sites. The problems from the lawsuits fired by the Preservation representative Dr. Mensah have also hurt GreyCris - as has the interference caused by Murderbot's actions on Milu. The corporation put two and two together and decided Mensah must have ordered her "pet" SecUnit to sabotage GreyCris... which not only wasn't Murderbot's intention, but has endangered her survival. Now the doctor is being held hostage at corporate headquarters while terms of the ongoing lawsuit are negotiated. GreyCris has proven itself willing to kill before to protect its secrets, and they have only grown more desperate as Murderbot's meddling has exposed more of their dirty laundry, so there's an exceptionally high chance that neither Mensah nor her associates will survive this "negotiation." Once again, Murderbot must save the day - only, this time, it may not win.

REVIEW: Picking up about where Rogue Protocol (the third installment) left off, Exit Strategy starts with high stakes and tension, then just keeps raising both right up to the finale. The action is nearly nonstop as Murderbot once more juggles behind-the-scenes hacking with personal violence (and, naturally, takes a few breaks to stream media.) Returning to Mensah forces the rogue SecUnit to confront its own feelings about humans in general, about how it sees itself, and what it really plans to do with its hard-won freedom - a freedom most everyone seems determined to terminate. This may not bring its personal growth from mindless drone to independent being full-circle, but it does complete a significant arc. Also completed (or seemingly completed) by the end is the GreyCris plot, a resolution involving plenty of bot-fighting action, hacker attacks, and more. The series continues from here, apparently shifting to a longer format, but this works as a good resting place before Murderbot pivots to deal with new challenges, personal and professional... and, of course, finds new media to binge-watch. It's been an enjoyable series thus far, and I'm hoping it continues to entertain going forward.

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