The previous books felt more episodic, which worked — this one, on the other hand, felt like a transition into a larger plot arc. By which I mean it seems more plot-heavy, with major developments that almost border on contrived (rather than a progression of events). And I constantly felt lost with all the tech jargon, of which there seemed to be more in this novella.

It also feels like I should already be attached to these humans since Murderbot is (despite its continued denials), but I didn't really connect with them in the first book so I had only vague goodwill towards them. If they'll be the main supporting cast going forward I can definitely see them growing on me, but we're just not there yet.