The Murderbot Diaries: An Exploration of 'Rogue Protocol'

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Rogue Protocol is the third Murderbot Diaries novella. Murderbot heads to an abandoned terraforming facility to dig up evidence against GrayCris and meets Miki, a naive bot whose human treats it as a friend. The contrast does more character work than any monologue could, and it earns a 4/5.

Rogue Protocol is the third book in The Murderbot Diaries series, and I have been reading them back to back ever since I stumbled on the series last month.

The Mission to Milu

This book follows the adventures of a self-aware SecUnit Murderbot, who travels to a deserted terraforming facility called Milu, where it hopes to find evidence of the shady activities of GrayCris, a corporation that tried to kill Murderbot and its human clients in the first book.

Along the way, it meets a group of humans, and a friendly bot named Miki, who considers its human owner as a friend. Murderbot has to protect them from the dangers lurking in Milu, while also dealing with its own feelings.

Miki, and What It Does to Murderbot

I liked this book because it showed more of Murderbot's personality and emotions, as well as its growing sense of morality and justice. The plot was fast-paced and suspenseful, with some twists and surprises.

The characters were well-developed and diverse, especially Miki, who contrasted with Murderbot's cynicism and sarcasm.

Verdict: 4/5

However, I felt that some of the relationships that Murderbot formed in the previous books were not resolved or continued in this one, which made me wonder what happened to them and if they will ever meet again. I'm off to read the next one in the series.

A 2026 note from the future: the relationships do come back. The original crew returns in the very next book, and ART returns in Network Effect and steals it.

Reading the series in 2026? My Murderbot Diaries reading order guide has every book and short story in sequence, updated for Platform Decay.

Quick Answers

Do I need to read the first two books before Rogue Protocol?

Yes. The GrayCris storyline driving this book starts in All Systems Red, and Murderbot's growth here builds on Artificial Condition.

Who is Miki?

Miki is a friendly bot at the Milu facility whose human owner treats it like family. Its innocence is the perfect foil for Murderbot, and it quietly carries the book's emotional weight.

Is ART in Rogue Protocol?

No. ART appears in Artificial Condition and doesn't return until Network Effect, the fifth book.

How long is Rogue Protocol?

Like the other early novellas, it's under four hours on audio and easy to finish in a sitting.