Will I love Leviathan Wakes?

A big complex adventure in a in a big, complex, and believable (within itself) future, but told through the points of view of very human, interesting characters. This is a gritty, workaday, human world, not some mythic galactic empire.

I love books that start me on a series with characters that grow and evolve.

Space Opera as it should be!

This science fiction novel, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey, was the beginning of the Expanse series (now totaling 9 novels and additional stories). It is one of the best space science fiction novels of the 21st century and became the basis for one of my favorite TV/streaming series, The Expanse.

The books dive deep into the political, social, and cultural complexities of sending humans to live on the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt, and it’s a nuanced reflection of our current ideas and ambitions when it comes to… show more.

When The Expanse series hit television, a literary ripple spread through my reading circles; “Oh, if you think the TV show is good, you gotta read the books!” From the opening scene of Julie Mao hiding in a locker of a spaceship as her friends are tossed out the airlock by pirates, this book throws the reader into a fully formed universe of our solar system in the near future. 

As an author, I am very hardened to weak MacGuffins, the central plot device around which the narrative turns. When I unraveled the MacGuffin of Leviathan Wakes, I wanted… show more.

This one has all the geopolitical shenanigans that I adore in a book. To love a book or series, there has to be more than just narrowly drawn black-and-white hats. I need shades of grey. Yes, I may disagree with what a character does or find him/her to be the bad guy, but I need to understand why.

This book ostensibly presents three political alignments: Earth, Mars, or the Belters. It then throws in a game-changing macguffin that all sides want. From there, the book (and the series) evolves, showing why each side has a vested interest in this item… show more.

This book's storyline unfolds from the POV of two characters with similar but incompatible morals: a jaded, alcoholic Belter cop and an excessively honest Earther from Montana now serving as executive officer of a water hauler from Saturn's rings.

Their stories converge in unexpected ways as they chase down their own mysteries. They each have strengths the other lacks and weaknesses that put them at odds with each other, heightening the weight of their interactions as they strive to save the solar system, each in their own way.

I loved so much else about this book, from the full cast… show more.

The possibility of terraforming Mars and mankind moving further away from Earth has always intrigued me. Besides the politics, how it affected humanity felt based on reality.

Human nature doesn’t change. We all know that. I am not big on reading mysteries. However, I fell in love with the idea behind the mystery that was the foundation for the whole series and how its discovery affected everyone. Would I make the same hard choices as they had to do? I still don’t have an answer to that.

The Expanse series was a real game-changer for me. An epic space opera set in a very real and gritty future with a host of working-class heroes.

James, Naomi, and Amos work in deep space on an ice trawler and only become involved in the action by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When they get swept up in the story, the characters must learn and adapt to navigate the world of politics and espionage.

This book series walks the tightrope of creating a very possible future in space without getting too impeded, explaining the science of… show more.

Come for the space opera, stay for the detective story.

The heart of this first entry into the Expanse series is a missing person case, and I was instantly engaged with the path this plotline took. I found the book has more facets and depth than the TV series (as per usual) and was drawn into the detective’s growing attachment to the missing woman as he grows to understand her fate.

Great science fiction world-building without the flab!