Another fun romp with Murderbot.

Much like "Artificial Condition," if you enjoyed "All Systems Red," you'll likely have a good time with this quick, snappy adventure in the universe those first two books established. I was a little concerned going into this one that Murderbot's shtick might start to wear a bit thin but the author wisely and deftly continues to tweak and evolve the character throughout "Rogue Protocol" to keep things interesting, though some may not care for the almost Deadpool levels of snark and fourth-wall breaking that have become increasingly common by this point in the series.

There were a few little things here and there that I didn't love, or that felt a little too convenient and hand-wavy for my personal taste, but they admittedly do mesh with the generally lighthearted and whimsical tone of the overall tale. That said, as with the previous books, there are some nice occasional moments of depth and sophistication to balance out those questionable or rough spots, so the overall effect creates a similarly satisfying and dynamic read akin to its predecessors.

I particularly enjoyed the ending of "Rogue Protocol," which struck me as very well paced, timed, and executed, and provided perhaps the best "heavy" moment and sequel hook of the series so far. As a result, I'll definitely be continuing on to book four at some point and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the series to just about any science fiction reader but by all means, start from the beginning with "All Systems Red" as reading the books in sequence is an absolute must by book three for various reasons.