A review by smithjasont01
Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"It wasn't the ending of the thing that left Holden terrified. It was the prospect of something beginning that was utterly outside the human experience. Whatever happened next, no one could be prepared for it."
Book 2 of the Expanse and we pick up about a year after the end of the first one. Holden and crew running ops for the OPA, Mars and Earth on the brink of war and a bunch of kids on Ganymede have just been kidnapped. The book felt similar to the first, just replace the search for Julie with a search for Mei. But it also felt much different. We got to see much more of the political side of the universe outside of Holden's perspective by bringing in Avasarala of the UN and her new appointee Bobbie, a Martian marine who saw a new version of the protomolecule rip her squad apart on Ganymede. The story felt larger because of these characters as we spent time on Earth and not just the outer planets. There are plenty shifting alliances and maneuvers as well as the fast paced mystery that made the first book fun.
Parts of the ending did feel a bit rushed once they got to Io. It seemed like this big build up only to have certain threads wrapped up in a page.
It focused more on the broader cast, getting to flesh out members of the crew like Naomi and Amos, sorry Alex as you we relegated to pilot and never got to leave the ship. Avasarala is a fun character to follow being the foul mouthed elderly woman fighting for power in the UN against the boys club. Bobbe's character also had a fairly satisfying arc in this book with a good moment during the climax.
Overall a good follow-up to Leviathan Wakes.
Book 2 of the Expanse and we pick up about a year after the end of the first one. Holden and crew running ops for the OPA, Mars and Earth on the brink of war and a bunch of kids on Ganymede have just been kidnapped. The book felt similar to the first, just replace the search for Julie with a search for Mei. But it also felt much different. We got to see much more of the political side of the universe outside of Holden's perspective by bringing in Avasarala of the UN and her new appointee Bobbie, a Martian marine who saw a new version of the protomolecule rip her squad apart on Ganymede. The story felt larger because of these characters as we spent time on Earth and not just the outer planets. There are plenty shifting alliances and maneuvers as well as the fast paced mystery that made the first book fun.
Parts of the ending did feel a bit rushed once they got to Io. It seemed like this big build up only to have certain threads wrapped up in a page.
It focused more on the broader cast, getting to flesh out members of the crew like Naomi and Amos, sorry Alex as you we relegated to pilot and never got to leave the ship. Avasarala is a fun character to follow being the foul mouthed elderly woman fighting for power in the UN against the boys club. Bobbe's character also had a fairly satisfying arc in this book with a good moment during the climax.
Overall a good follow-up to Leviathan Wakes.