Caliban's War (The Expanse, 2)

James S.A. Corey’s Caliban’s War (The Expanse, 2) follows shortly on the heels of Leviathan Wakes. When we last left off, the mysterious alien mass on Eros had been diverted to Venus by appealing to the remaining bits of humanity in the woman whose infection started the whole chain reaction. Now, on Ganymede, a Doctor Strickland abducts four-year-old Mei as well as other children who all have major immune system problems–and he does it several hours before everything goes to hell. Gunnery Sergeant Roberta (Bobbie) Draper, a Martian Marine, is the only person to survive the attack on Ganymede’s surface by a vicious, deadly monster that can’t be stopped–and that seems to have something to do with the “protomolecule” that caused the alien infection that’s on Venus now. Somehow, at the same time a shooting war has started between Earth and Mars in Ganymede’s orbit–it’s the major source of agriculture in the solar system and no one’s willing to give it up even as it’s being evacuated. As the situation deteriorates, Captain Jim Holden, who’s been working for the OPA with his crew, is sent to check out what’s going on. When he meets scientist Prax Meng, Mei’s father, he and his crew decide to rescue the girl. Meanwhile, UN politician Chrisjen Avasarala is doing her damndest to tamp down on hostilities between Earth and Mars–but the further things go, the more she realizes that some of her own people are trying to out-maneuver her and trigger outright war.

We get plenty more on Holden and his crew. They’ve been working for the OPA by rounding up pirates, and Naomi is not so happy about how this is changing them. Holden seems to be taking after Detective Miller these days by being quick to shoot rather than talking things out as he used to. When they inevitably come into conflict with Fred–as usual, Holden jumps to conclusions with no real proof of anything–they get fired, and they’re going to need to come up with a means to pay their way. I have to say, having a sci-fi book that includes the futuristic equivalent of a GoFundMe to help find Mei is just delightfully hysterical!

Avasarala makes me so happy. She’s a little ol’ grandma with a foul mouth who enjoys playing political “games” while still trying to do good. She has so much depth to her–a husband she adores, grandkids she spoils, and a tendency not to realize when maybe the politics has progressed beyond games. She ends up hiring Bobbie after Bobbie is brought to Earth to testify about the monster she saw, and the two of them, although there’s some friction at first, become a fascinating team. She also has access to much surveillance information on Venus, so she discovers that at the exact same time that the monster on Mars attacked, the alien mass on Venus responded in some way. The politicking is intriguing and definitely not boring!

We finally meet Julie’s father, and he’s even more of a terrible human than we gathered from her actions. In fact, there are a number of terrible people involved in the goings-on. We already know that one company had deliberately altered its scientists to be sociopathic so they could be convinced to engage in horrific experiments. Now we find out how much further they’ve progressed in their work.

I’m totally enjoying this series and am absolutely going to read the next installment!

Content note: child death and bloody monster attacks.

The first book in the Expanse series, Leviathan wakes, introduced a not too distant future in our own solar system where an alien life form has been discovered. It probably wouldn't have caused much trouble, but an evil company is trying to understand the potential of the molecule and also start a war between Mars and Earth to cover up their nefarious activities until it is too late. In so doing, they start a chain reaction of events that could wind up wiping out humanity altogether.

After the disastrous conclusion to the first novel, this one picks up 18 months later with James Holden and three new characters. This book advances the story in every way imaginable, showing the increasingly ominous signs of the alien molecule which has made Venus its home and the political machinations that these events engender. We get a good look at Earth politics and more evil plots that are afoot.

This book is better than the first in nearly every way. The action is more engaging, and the characters more fleshed out. While I didn't like Holden's character all that much in the first novel, and his crew felt completely one dimensional, everyone's personality really shines in this one. The new characters are all spot on, each point of view consistent and realistic throughout the novel.

Plus the plot is way cooler than the first. I don't think the story slowed down at all from the original. I would argue that it is actually much more fluid and fast paced because of the increased character POVs, you can pretty much expect something interesting to happen in each chapter as events unfold. There was a fair amount of introspection, especially with Holden, but it didn't get too bogged down because even the character development had to take place quickly in between all the crazy stuff happening. Also, I love politics and this is something the first novel didn't have nearly enough of.

This book could have easily sucked given all the cliches it deals with, but instead it is one of the best books I have read all year. I can judge that because I read it really fast right after finishing second book in the Dagger and Coin series (awesome book as well). What's interesting to me is that even though I have traditionally liked fantasy more than SF, and even though both books were excellent, I really enjoyed reading Caliban's War more.

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This is definitely another very good book in the Expanse series. Most people will probably consider it as good as the first one. I think it was almost as good as the first one but I will get back to that.

Holden and his friends are back. Unfortunately all the dirtbags that wanted to turn the alien protomolecule into a weapon without much thought about the potential consequences were not cleaned out after the events in the first book. So, it is up to the good guys to save the day…again.

As with the first book in the series this is a quite well written book. The story is good and each of the characters are very well done. So much that you really enjoy reading and following them even though you might not really like the characters themselves. Although having said that, most of the characters that you follow any closer you probably will like most of the time.

Again this book is more of a futuristic thriller than a space opera where we get to follow the various players while they slowly discover and foil the latest devious plot by the bad guys. That is not to say that the book is missing action. It has that as well, both in space and on the ground. After the events in the last book Miller is gone but two other players are introduced and although they, well at least one of them, are rather different from Holden and his team the author(s) manage to make reading about them as enjoyable as the other ones. Also, as with the first book this one arrive at a decent enough conclusion without ending in a real cliff-hanger but at the same time it opens a huge door into the next book at the end which makes you look forward to the next one.

So why did I write that it was almost as good as the first book?

Well as you know if you have read any of my reviews I just hate politics. While the first book managed to keep the politics present but at the same time in the back it is much more in the foreground in this one. It is especially brought to the front by the fact that one of the persons we are following is smack in the middle of the despicable political and treacherous game. Having said that, she was one of the persons that I liked the most. She is a real bitch but a very likable one, and she is on the side of the good guys.

While I am at it I also have to say that I miss Miller as a counterpart to Holden which, when standing on his high moral horses and whining, can be rather tiresome. Actually I think holden is the character, among the good guys, that I like the least.

Bottom line is that this is a very good book though. Now I have to make up my mind if I am going to read something else in between or just dive straight into the next one.

This is such a good book. The sci-fi ranges from medium to hard, creating a vivid landscape and relatable characters. Holden can be a bit annoying of course, but the plot arcs are far more entertaining than in the show. The book held my attention during this epoch where the show didn’t, avoiding the cringe moments. Without giving any spoilers, it’s safe to say this installment of The Expanse series is fantastic. Fans of the show will enjoy seeing familiar characters in a more engaging context. Overall, a great read!

Great second entry a very different from the Amazon series in terms of characterizations and motivations. It's a great story involving interplanetary politics, human foibles, human greatness, human ugliness, and a truly alien element that is more than one part Stephen King horror show! In other words it's great fun.

Can't wait to read the next one too, David Puerner

The Expanse series continues with Caliban's War, the sequel to Leviathan Wakes. Familiar characters are back and we're also introduced to some new points of view as James S. A. Corey continues to weave the tale of humanity, the protomolecule and the solar system. As a fan of the first book a lot of the same qualities carry over to the sequel including a overall dark, gritty, realistic feel to the galaxy, political intrigue, and good old science fiction.

At a high level for this basic review the book picks up right where Leviathan Wakes leaves off. The protomolecule survives on Venus and life continues in the solar system. That is until strange events occur on Ganymede leading Earth and Mars back into battle against each other. James Holden and company return and get right into the middle of things after visiting Ganymede to investigate on the behest of the Outer Planets Alliance.

I've said it to many people, one of my favorite aspects of The Expanse series is the sense that it is not that farfetched. Corey makes a concerted effort to tie this science fiction universe back to real world physics and technology. From the aspects of travel time, the problems with executing high G accelerations and maneuvers, and the physics of space combat to name a few. This sense of almost realism really connects the reader to the story in a different way from when reading or watching a Star Wars or Star Trek type of sci-fi.

The story continues to be told in point of view chapters simply titled with the character's name. While in Leviathan Wakes we were treated to only 2 dueling points of view Corey takes things up to four characters in this installment including James Holden, Praxidike Meng, Chrisjen Avasarala, and Bobbie Draper. While the simplicity of the original books two view points (and their contrasting ideals and personalities) was nice the system continues to work when adding in additional characters. You have a general understanding of what to expect when reading from each point of view which helps frame the events that occur.

With the addition of the new characters this installment in the series adds in a much more expanded view of the political intrigue and battles going on via Avasrala and Bobbie's chapters. While Leviathan Wakes certainly highlighted the political tensions occurring within the solar system having this deeper insight is much appreciated and helps the reader get a better sense of the forces at work beyond just the battles. Gaining the understanding of just how torn and divided humanity is underscores the true peril caused by the protomolecule.

While the initial portion of the book felt almost a bit predictable and cliche it really evolves into an intriguing story as you get further along in the story. The characters develop along the way and the story takes a few unexpected twists and turns to keep things interesting. I will say one of my biggest knocks on the book is it almost felt like there was too much emphasis on the early events in the book and a rushed feel to the ending. Not to say the ending was bad, it was just condensed into fewer chapters than I would have liked and I feel it could have been fleshed out a bit more.

All in all I was pleased with this installment in the series and I feel that I enjoyed it even more than Leviathan Wakes. The addition of new point of view characters provided good context around all the events occurring and allowed me to feel even more involved in the universe rather than just riding on the shoulders of Holden and Miller. The story develops into something truly exciting and the universe of the Expanse continues to enthrall me with it's more gritty and realistic approach to science fiction; I can't wait to read more.

This is a fantastic follow up to the first book in this series, and it's got it all: epic space battles, political intrigue, a gripping mystery, and at the center is a small crew of people just trying to do the right thing.

The crew of the Rocinante has been working for the OPA for the past year. After a catastrophic event on Ganymede, the breadbasket of the outer planets, they arrive bring relief supplies. Soon they find themselves committing to help a scientist search for his missing daughter. But, of course it doesn't remain a simple missing person's case for long when they find ties to Protogen and the protomolecule. Holden & his crew once again find themselves in the middle of a sh*tstorm of epic proportions.

This book gives us three new POV's in addition to Holden's: Pax - the botanist on Ganymede who is searching for his daughter. Bobbie - a Martian marine who watched as her entire platoon was slaughtered by some kind of monstrous supersoldier. And, Avasarala - a UN politician who is doing everything she can to prevent a war between Earth, Mars & the Belt.

This takes everything I loved in the first book and bumped it up a notch. You've still got plenty of found family goodness with the Rocinante crew. But, they didn't come out of the ending of the first book unscathed. And, Holden especially is really struggling to deal with the fallout of the decisions he's made and the person he's becoming. There is a compelling mystery in Pax's search for Mei. As a parent, his grief and worry felt palpable to me. And, this story didn't shy away from the grim reality of the aftermath of what a cascading failure in space is like for regular, everyday people. And, Avasarala and Bobbie's chapters really dived into the political machinations taking place. Bobbie is dealing with the grief of losing her friends while finding herself in the middle of political quagmire she feels completely unprepared for. And Avasarala is working to undo the mess made by politicians who care more about lining their pockets than the people they are meant to serve. All of these pieces worked together to tell a really compelling story without anyone storyline feeling unnecessary or like it was taking up too much space. There wasn't a single POV that I found myself wishing there was less of.

Three Things:

1. Avasarala is a fantastic character. There is something incredibly satisfying about watching a bunch of pompous men get their butts handed to them by a grandmother in a sari.
2. Amos is still a menace. And, I still love him for it.
3. I kept hoping for some kind of resolution to the whole Nicola thing. An apology or something. What she did was cruel - and, I still want to know why. But, Pax handled it with far more grace and kindness than I would have.

The ending of this book was a gut punch in the best way possible. I cannot wait to see where this story goes from here.

This is book two of the author’s very popular Expanse series, following Leviathan Wakes. I read Leviathan Wakes over five years ago, and didn’t particularly care for it, but running out of things to read, I elected to proceed with the Expanse series.

Having taken a five year hiatus, I had little memory of the characters or details from the first novel, but after reading my review and immersing myself in the new book, I didn’t feel lost at all. The author includes several information dumps which assisted greatly in this regard.

In a nutshell, the political landscape of the solar system includes the United Nations of Earth, Mars and the Outer Planets Alliance, in an uneasy peace, which is shattered by the appearance of a protomolecule on Ganymede. The action in this novel centers on destruction of the agricultural domes on Ganymede, attempted weaponization of the protomolecule, and the resulting military responses by the three human factions.

Primary characters are an undersecretary for the United Nations, an Indian or Pakistani woman named Avasarala; James Holden, captain of the Rocinante, and his crew; and a scientist from Ganymede named Prax, whose kidnapped daughter holds the key to unlocking the mystery of Ganymede. The chapters of the book largely rotate from the points of view of these characters.

I felt like this was a better reading experience than Leviathan Wakes and have no hesitation in proceeding on to book three.

*** This is the SECOND book in this series ***

As was the case with "Leviathan Wakes" (the first book in this series), the author manages to weave a narrative that is captivating for its mystery, frankness, and interesting characters, but also suffers some signficant, though not fatal, shortcomings in the actual writing of that story.

PROS: The author's narrative style, as before, evokes a sort of dirty, well-lived-in, working-man's space drama not unlike "Firefly" or "Star Wars"; there's no window-dressing, no near-magic technologies, no shiny glass-and-polished-metal architecture. In that sense, it's a nice spin on the "new frontier" genre. Things are relatively simple, straightforward, and easy to understand and grasp. Everything feels realistic.

The story continues with the same characters as before, only now their social group has been solidified far more; now it's less "people thrown together through circumstance" and more "people pursuing a common goal out of common friendship". To this end, things seem a little clearer and more jovial between the crew members of the Rocinante. And now it's less about a "borrowed without permission" Marian ship, and more about how the Rocinante IS their ship, no question. Again, think of "Firefly" here.

And as before with "Leviathan Wakes", the author creates a thoroughly mysterious string of events that are not completely resolved until almost the very end. This keeps the reader wanting to read, even when some scenes slow down or get a bit bogged down with too many details or such.

CONS: Some of the same narrative problems from the first book are present here. As before, the author repeatedly offers too little description of certain things, events, or environments. For example, later in the book the characters arrive at a secret base for a final showdown, so you'd expect some scene setting ... instead, it's mostly portrayed as: "Characters exit ship, characters run across landscape, characters go into airlock." We're not given a description of whether this secret base is above or below ground, what it looks like, how big it is, number of people, etc. And this kind of thing is not a one off; this happens on a fairly regular basis throughout the novel. And it's not that the author doesn't know how to be descriptive; there are many scenes where there are no questions as to what's happening, and others where the author actually breaks down the tech or physics involved to make it easier to imagine things. This doesn't happen often enough to break the narrative as a whole, but it does happen often enough to be frustrating.

Also as before, the author does a great job of mystery and story building, but when it comes down to the final moments, things just kind of ... end. Not in a "Sopranos", ends in the middle of a scene thing, but "just ends" in the sense that there's no dramatic standoffs or large-scale final shootouts. All the threads are tied-up, and final questions are answered (and a new threat emerges right at the end), but things just happen too fast. The author could do a better job of building situational drama.

All in all, this is a good book. Despite various shortcomings and mild frustrations, the author has a captivating narrative style that just kind of pulls you in. The characters are unique and interesting, there are various truly comedic moments to lighten the oppressive atmosphere, and things just feel relatable.