It’s taken me a bit to get into this book from the whiplash of being placed pre-network effect in the timeline, but now that I have a better grip on what is going on and when it’s supposed to be happening I think this is actually a fascinating look into murderbot’s state of mind. By the time we catch up with it in network effect it’s clearly settled in for the most part on preservation, but in this point in time things are much more up in the air with GrayCris, its spot in Mensah’s crew, and its place on Preservation as a whole. I think this is providing a lot of necessary context to it’s state of mind at the beginning of network effect and I’m actually really enjoying myself (also my beloved Mensah is here)

sleep with one eye open galen.

Fitz and Lady Patience’s relationship is easily the most interesting one so far in this book, her guilt and grief mixed with his lingering anger at his situation makes such a good dynamic it hinges on neither of them being entirely wrong. Sure Lady Patience caused a lot of the hardship Fitz has faced but c’mon the woman was cheated on and humiliated for not being able to have children and she wasn’t allowed to fix her mistakes when she realized them. And obviously Fitz has the right to be angry at his situation and since Chivalry is dead he has no one else to aim his anger at. But beneath all of this, they still both want to form a relationship because they are so lonely and long for a familial bond it’s too good