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  • Network Effect

  • Written by: Martha Wells
  • Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
  • Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (235 ratings)

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Network Effect

Written by: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
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Publisher's Summary

Martha Wells' New York Times and USA Today best-selling Murderbot series exploded onto the scene in 2017, and the world has not been the same, since.

Murderbot returns in its highly anticipated, first full-length stand-alone novel, Network Effect.

You know that feeling when you’re at work and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot.

Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable AI you’ll listen to this century.

I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90-plus percent of my problems are.

When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

©2020 Martha Wells (P)2020 Recorded Books

What listeners say about Network Effect

Average Customer Ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story. Talented narrator.

Couldn’t stop listening to this, the author makes me care a lot about the protagonist. The narrator is really effective. The combination of the writing and narration made me kind of feel like I was missing a friend when the book was over.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Murderbot 1.0 💗

love this series, I love Murderbot's reluctant acceptance of emotions and 'caring' from humans and A.R.T.

one of my all time favourites series ever!! Can't not wait for the next book.

5 stars 🌟

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Martha Wells please keep telling us Murderbot stories. What a great character. MB sees the stupidity and brutality of his universe, and thus our own world, with humour, and childlike, simple truth. Kevin R Free you will always be the voice of his wisdom.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Among my favourite series’ of all time

Very different than the Expanse, but the only other series I’d invest that much time reading. I hope there are many more books to come.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

story is amazing, narrator makes it phenomenal

this series is one of my favoutotes and one of the few that I read in physocal form first but consistently listen to in audiobook format due to the narrator.

Kevib adds nuance and personality to the characters in a way that highlights murderbots strength as well as vulnerabilities without it being grating. and when other characters speak they have different ways of speaking and tones and i just love it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Why would you use the word ‘foyer’ twenty times?

..it also forces half the world to stumble whenever the narrator says ‘foyer’ instead of ‘foyay’.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great series!

The first full novel in the series and it is wonderful! I am hooked on this series and I cannot wait for more books (no matter the length). So give me more novellas and novels with Murderbot. The narrator does such a great job with this whole series!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

SecUnit is my hero.

Fabulous book. A pleasure beginning to end; the voice of Murderbot is full of insight, wisdom, and snark. The other non-humans are distinctly different and vividly believable. This book put heart in those who were created without one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story perfectly narrated

Excellent story, and Kevin R. Free does such a perfect job of voicing Murderbot. I am planning to buy this series in print format, but I know I'll still hear Murderbot in Mr. Free's voice.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Action with no substance

I think I get where the author is going with this character but falls flat imo. It’s like the books starts in the middle of the story, no character building of any of the characters, sound like a good video game concept or si-fi movie. Was disappointed but could appreciate the authors writing skills and story arc.

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  • pondo
  • 2020-05-06

I Hope You Remain Unmurdered

WOW, What a great ride! I haven't been this engrossed in a story since Red Rising. After listening to it for hours it came to a climax and I said "Man that was a great book", then I looked at my phone and there was still 7 hours left! What a bargain! It had been a long time since I listened to the other Murderbot stories so I wondered if I might have forgotten some important arcs, but that was not the case, this book could be a standalone. There's som fun Col Joe/Skippy type stuff too to make you laugh along the way. I absolutely guarantee this book is worth the credit. click on my name and you will see i give honest reviews good or bad. I did think the narrator did a great (4 star) job, just don't love (5 star) him. To Kevin, for the next novel If you could give ART the voice he deserves, (that I know you're looking for) Then I will gladly give your performance 5 stars. I suggest check how Hard Luck Hank's voice evolved, It is worlds better now than it was in the first couple books.

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40 people found this helpful

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  • James
  • 2020-05-23

Pretty Good, but Downhill from the earlier stories

On the plus side, Murderbot is a great character, and it is good to have ART back.

On the negative side, this is a full-length novel but it felt like there was a lot of filler and I ended up speeding up the reading to 1.2 times the standard.

Also, I might as well get this off my chest. The extra length was achieved in part by having more humans and devoting more attention to humans. For me, this was a negative. In particular, I found the treatment of male and female roles annoying. Virtually all the more dominant roles are filled by women. There are men around but I guess the author's idea is to "reverse" the more standard approach (at least as of 20 years ago) by having men pretty much entirely in support or subsidiary roles. There is not actually much behavioral difference between men and women in the novel except that the women are slightly more masculine and the men are slightly more feminine, And the (mercifully brief) allusions to sex seem to relate mostly if not entirely to same-sex relationships. I am not sure if the idea its to provide a :fresh or different perspective, or if it is just relentless political correctness. For me, it weakens the realism of the story.

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37 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Ryder
  • 2020-05-27

Not for me

As a huge sci-fi fan, the description of this book sounded really incredible to me and I was excited to listen to it. However for some reason I can't get into it!
Despite it's really high ratings, I found it very dull, poorly written, and hugely uninspired. I tried really hard for hours to give this book a chance but I can't do it anymore... I'm sure plenty of people enjoy it but it's just not for me. Really wish audible had a decent return policy.

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20 people found this helpful

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  • Kindle Customer
  • 2020-05-06

I did not think it could better but it did.

I enjoyed the first 3 books in the series but this one knocks it out of the park. The story is exactly what I want from this series and again Kevin R Free knocks the narration out of the park (I would give him 6 stars). I hope there are more books because Martha Wells has created a rich world with engaging characters that I could read forever. I totally lost track of time while enjoying this novel and was surprised when I finished around 1AM. I just could not put it down. Oh well time for my 2nd, 3rd and 4th listens. If you are a murderbot fan I know you will enjoy this book.

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19 people found this helpful

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  • Kindle Customer
  • 2020-05-08

More Murderbot!

If you like the Murderbot novellas, you'll probably like the Murderbot novel. I like them all, and I was delighted and not disappointed by the novel. There's more Murderbot, more snarky comments, more humans to be irritated with, but to save anyway. And ART is back. There's lots of action, and lots of stuff going on.

I loved it.

And Kevin R. Free does an absolutely fabulous job of narrating these books.

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18 people found this helpful

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  • A Customer
  • 2020-05-07

Brilliant, full-length novel featuring Murderbot, my favorite SecUnit. Recommend to science fiction readers.


I’ve read and enjoyed Martha Wells’ Murderbot novellas on Kindle, and I’m now making time to listen to the stories via Audible. As a Murderbot fan, I’ve always wanted to read a full-length novel, with hopes for a more complex, action-packed storyline to stretch Murderbot’s character and that of his humans/clients. I especially loved this book’s dry humor, sarcasm and pure snark.

Although I ordered both the Kindle and Audible versions of “Network Effect,” I spent most of yesterday listening to the Audible Version. Narrator Kevin R. Free’s stellar voice-acting brought this book to life. Bravo, Mr. Free! I will be listening to “Rogue Protocol” and “Exit Strategy”—both narrated by Kevin R. Free—during the coming weekend.

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13 people found this helpful

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  • Irene
  • 2020-05-10

Great follow up

The only downside to this episode was that it came to an end.

I can’t wait until the next book.

Narrator was perfect and story engaging.

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11 people found this helpful

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  • Zoltan Sisko
  • 2020-05-22

Longer but not better

I really enjoyed all of the earlier Murderbot novels, and each time I finished I wished that the story would continue. Network Effect is much longer, but the author achieves this by padding the basic story with excruciating mind numbing detail. The earlier novels were very tightly written and well paced. If you really like detail you will enjoy this novel. I could barely wait for it to be finished.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Angela Knight
  • 2020-05-09

The best Murderbot yet!

I’ve been a SF fan a looong time, and I’ve read everything from Heinlein’s YAs back in the 1970s to Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vor series, which I also adore.

I can’t think of the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a romp. Would make a terrific HBO series.

Free’s narration was, as always, terrific, and the pace never let up. I’ve listened to the rest of the series several times, and I can tell I’ll be re-listening to this one too.

Just one heck of a fabulous book! Well worth the money.

Brava, Ms Wells. You really should get a Nebula or Hugo for this one. I know you have at least one of them now, but it needs a 2.0.

Eagerly awaiting Murderbot’s next adventure.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Ronny
  • 2020-05-10

Didn’t expect it to be this good.

I loved the shorter murderbot stories, and didn’t really expect a full length story to be able to follow up with a similar level of quality and consistency. It did. With respect to the reader, Kevin R. Free is still perfect for 90% of the book. However, Mr. Free’s ‘adolescent female’ may need some work.

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