Nemesis Games (The Expanse, 5)

I read this entire book in one day because I couldn't put it down. It was both compelling and heartbreaking, and I had to see what happened next.

This book picks up about a year after the previous book. After the damage done to the Roci, the crew is grounded on Tycho Station so repairs can be completed. Given the amount of down time they're going to have, Amos, Alex, and Naomi head off on their own to take care of some business. Alex is heading back to Mars to check in on his ex-wife and hopefully get some closure. Amos is headed to Earth to make sure that Lydia really died peacefully and exact revenge if she didn't. Naomi's past has come back to haunt her as she is forced to confront the one man she hoped to never see again. And, Holden is left alone and soon realizes that the Roci isn't the Roci without her crew. Alongside these personal adventures ships start disappearing as they go through the ring, the last remaining protomolecule is stolen, and a terrorist attack devastated Earth, and each member of the crew must find a way to make it home.

This is the first book that we get POV chapters for each of the Roci's crew: Holden, Naomi, Amos, and Alex. And, while I didn't love that they had to all be separated for that to happen, the the way these storylines converged kept me invested. I loved getting to spend more time with each of these characters and learn new things about them and gain a deeper understanding of who they are as people. The plot structure kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for them all to find their way home. Both Alex and Amos's storylines were compelling, but it was Naomi's that broke my heart. I cannot even imagine the pain having to make the choice she did to save herself. And, then to be back in clutches of her abuser? Awful, just awful. I always knew she was an incredible strong character, but this book really drove that point home. "'Didn't break me when I was a girl,' she said to the tiny black kit. 'Don't know why he thinks he can break me now.'"

Each book in this series seems to have a moment - a game changing, world changing moment. And, this book is no different. But, it feels worse in this one - the level of devastation is almost incalculable, and we are experiencing it in real time with our characters. And, because we have spent the four books prior to this getting to know and love these characters, their pain and confusion and loss feels even bigger. The world will quite literally never be the same.

Three Things:

1. I loved that we got Bobbie and Avasarala back as main players in this even if they don't get their own chapters. They are two of my favorite characters.
2. I wasn't expecting to see Clarissa Mao again. That storyline is going to be interesting.
3. Avasarala breaking down just about broke me. "I'm trying to save humanity here. It would be just fantastic if someone would help."

This isn't a particularly fast-paced story, but it is a gut wrenching one. And, the actions taken in this book are going to have huge implications for the rest of the series. I'm nervous, but determined to find out where things go from here.

In the previous book of James S.A. Corey’s marvelous series “The Expanse”–Cibola Burn–Holden was sent to mediate a dispute between self-avowed colonists and an Earth corporation who both wanted the same planet. We learned a little more along the way about what might have happened to the extinct aliens who built the Ring system. Now, in Nemesis Games (The Expanse, 5), the form the story takes gets a bit different. The crew of the Rocinante is forced to take some downtime while the ship gets fixed, and one by one the various members (except for Holden) take some time off to take care of various personal issues. Amos goes to Earth to find out what happened to a woman he cared about who died. Alex goes back to Mars to reach some sort of closure with his ex-wife (yeah, that’s never a good idea). Naomi receives a message that sends her off to the Belt and into contact with some old friends who are up to no good. Somehow, one by one, they end up in the middle of a spreading series of disasters engineered by someone who wants to see the Belters come into control of the solar system. The availability of new worlds past the Ring is making Belters obsolete, and some of them think the only way to solve this is to blow things up.

Plans within plans within plans. Marco is a charismatic Belter who has organized a group to take over the solar system. He plans to get rid of Holden and Fred, rope Naomi back into his world (the world she escaped from years ago), get his hands on a small fleet’s worth of Martian military ships, and even attack the Earth. That’s some serious ambition.

I like the timescale things are on. It’s been three years since they left for Ilus, because space travel still takes time. It’s going to be several months for the Rocinante to get fixed up, because major repairs take time. As much as I think near-instantaneous space travel in other books can be a good thing, the scale in these books allows for more political development and a world rich in consequences.

Filip is a 15-year-old boy who’s in deep with the Belters, because Marco is his father. He already has blood on his hands, and his place in things is particularly interesting. He and the rest of Marco’s little cabal let us in on Naomi’s darker secrets, the things that have been barely hinted at that she hasn’t even wanted to tell Holden. Speaking of Holden, I love that he’s growing as a person but sometimes falls back a step. He’s trying to cope with not knowing where Naomi is, and it’s making him look at himself a little bit closer. Journalist Monica returns and takes a more active role in this particular plot, such as poking at Holden to help her look into some ships that went missing when they went through the Ring. We also get to see some of the crew finally having to deal with the fact that they’re well-known now. Maybe not as much celebrities as Holden is, but interesting in their own right.

This is tightly plotted, with fascinating stories going on in parallel. It also seriously digs into all of the crew, examining their past and present lives, their relationships, their secrets, and more. All of that without bogging down at all. I can’t wait for more!

Content note for emotional abuse, manipulation, and gaslighting.

Several weeks ago, my son and I were out to dinner and talking about various things, as you do, when he asked the following question: "How do you know when you're done writing a book review?". Most times when he asks a question I can answer almost immediately. This one caused me to pause for a few moments before I could formulate an answer. The more pressing question for me is not how I know when I'm done writing a review, but just how do I go about starting one. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. Many times I'll fumble around looking for a way to get started. You may be able to tell that this is one of those times. But I'll see what I can do.

Luckily, James S.A. Corey - the pseudonym of the writing pair of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck - don't have the same problem I do. Oh, it's probably true that when they start writing an Expanse story, they have some problems getting started, but the final product that we see on the page - or on our e-readers - or hear from a narrator always seems to get off with a bang. NEMESIS GAMES, book five of the Expanse series, does just that. The book starts with an attack on the shipyards of Callisto, and while it does have its quiet moments, it really never stops moving. And while we're used to that with Expanse stories, NEMESIS GAMES is truly a totally different animal that is still somehow the same.

The Rocinante is back in the Solar System, badly in need of repair after the events chronicled in CIBOLA BURN. It's going to be several weeks before the ship is ready for action again, so the crew - Holden, Alex, Amos, and Naomi - all depart from Tycho Station where the Rocinante is docked and undergoing repair, to deal with personal business. So, for the first time in the series, the characters are not together during the crisis that occurs during their journeys. Alex returns to Mars to tie up some personal business with loved ones, Amos returns to Earth to do much the same but in a different way, Naomi takes a trip to deal with what is, at least to me, a surprising (but maybe it shouldn't be) past, and Holden is tasked to help look into the mysterious disappearances of ships.

There is much unrest within the structure of the Solar System. The galaxy outside the Solar System is home to countless worlds that are now available to settlers because of the gate that the protomolecule - or whoever or whatever made the protomolecule - left us. Those settlers are leaving in droves, and the political stability of the Solar System, what with the inner planets, the Outer Planetary Alliance, and the belters, while always tenuous, has gotten worse. The attack on Callisto is followed by one of the most spectacular and audacious attacks on Earth we have ever seen, and the Solar System is thrown into chaos. And how our four main characters, separately and eventually together, deal with that chaos while at the same time dealing with their own personal issues, is what lies at the core of this book.

For the first four Expanse novels Holden, Naomi, Alex, and Amos have been together, interacting with and playing off each other. For the first time, we not only see them apart for an expanded period of time, but we see how they handle things in the absence of the rest of their friends. And yet, their friends are never far from their thoughts. Several times we hear one character or another ask "What would Holden do", or "What would Alex do?". Just as interesting is learning about the past and private lives of the four. We certainly find out some surprising things, but we also find out what makes these people tick, what made them into the people they are today, what caused them to get where they are from where they were.

And yes, for the first time, there are very few new characters introduced. Oh, there are a few, certainly, and while at least one of them drives the plot, they are not the focus. They appear to be there for the convenience of having events in the series move forward. We do have a few old favorite friends back along for the ride. Fred Johnson, the butcher of Anderson station, plays a key role in the book, as does Bobbie Draper, who makes a welcome return to the story. And we really couldn't get through this without Chrisjen Avasarala, who is as feisty and vulgar as ever, but who is also funny and, of course, effective.

This book is also about change, but it needs to be. When you hit book five in a series, the story and characters can tend to get stale and routine. With NEMESIS GAMES, Corey seems to be saying "alright, it's time for a shakeup; let's stir the pot a bit". The book ends on a cliffhanger, with events of the book irrevocably changing the shape of the Solar System. Similarly, as a result of their separate journeys, each member of the crew of the Rocinante has changed, both individually and as a unit, as their relationships with each other have changed. There are a projected four more books to go in the Expanse series, with BABYLON'S ASHES, book six, due out this summer. Corey has turned what we know about the Expanse on its ear. It is going to be interesting to see what comes next.

I can't say enough about the narrator, Jefferson Mays. He brings each character to life, giving each their own voice, reading them with expert enthusiasm. My favorite is his portrayal of Chrisjen Avasarala. I looked forward to those scenes more than the rest - he brought her to life in a way I believe no other narrator could. Mays makes listening to this book worthwhile. This is the first of the Expanse books that I have listened to, and I wish I had listened to the others he narrated as well.

NEMESIS GAMES is a book that expertly changes the face of the Expanse universe. If the rest of the novels in the series come anywhere close in quality to this one, which I believe is the best of the lot so far, then we as readers have a lot to look forward to.

This series is so good. I've mentioned it in previous reviews, but I've really been taking my time with this series. Waiting a good chunk of time between installments because I'm going to try to eventually marry up my catching up with the series with the release of the final installment. I think I'm on track to do so. Anyway, as a result of this it feels like a nice little homecoming every time I pick up the next Expanse book. The fifth time was no different.

Nemesis Games kicked off with some major excitement for me. Before the first chapter. Before the prologue even! The table of contents itself revealed to me that this would be the first book consisting entirely (excluding the prologue and epilogue) of POV chapters from the Rocinante. Furthermore, it would be the first time we get actual POV chapters from Amos, Alex, and Naomi, rather than just seeing them through Jim Holden's eyes. As I mentioned this was a very exciting prospect for me, and it ended up being an eye-opening experience, as we grow to understand these characters we've been reading about for four books on a much deeper level. Amos, emotionally stunted from an intensely hard upbringing and yet so eager to protect those close to him. Alex, who cared only for the pilot's life, until he realizes a family has grown around him. Naomi, who has come from the darkest of times, been swallowed by that darkness, and persevered when it spat her back out. I was taken by surprise when the crew was separated almost immediately at the beginning of the book, but it worked extremely well as our chance to examine each of them. Holden actually had the least plot-impactful story line in this book, which felt thematically appropriate. I was also really pleased with the reappearance of Bobbie Draper and Chrisjen Avasarala into the story. The latter has to be one of the best characters of all time. I laughed out loud like three times in her first scene alone.

I'll leave the plot summation to the Amazon page. And besides, diving further into it would be going deeper into spoiler territory than I care to tread. But know this. After the events in this book, coupled with the galaxy-changing revelations that began around the end of book three, this story could go anywhere. And that's another thing I find so endearing about this series. Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham have crafted a story here that has a multitude of elements that could eat up entire books in other series. The ideas expressed and the consequences that unfold are just so big that they could go anywhere with it. I remember the expectations I had at the end of book three and I have to laugh a little at how far off I was. But if there's anything I know now it's this; wherever this story heads next, I'll be along for the ride.

"The ocean, just outside, seeped into everything. An olfactory reminder to everyone passing through the Ellis Island of the space age that Earth was absolutely unique to the human race. The birthplace of everything. The salt water flowing in everyone’s veins first pulled from the same oceans right outside the building. The seas had been around longer than humans, had helped create them, and then when they were all dead, it’d take their water back without a thought."

I love the way these guys write. I know that they are stringing readers along and are milking this series for all it's worth, but I don't care. They create a realistic world with true character development--in Nemesis Games, we finally get to know the back stories of Alex, Amos, and Naomi, and Corey makes a villain from a previous volume somewhat sympathetic. The future world is simultaneously optimistic and dystopic. After discovery of the true nature of the Ring and what it has to offer in previous entries, it was hard to imagine anyone being harmed by the endless opportunities created by the Ring. Yet, Corey not only fabricates a plausible reason for opposition, but also a truly villainous plot. Although the story arc is rather unbelievable at times, it does set up well for future entries in this space soap opera.

Specifics about the book (I will avoid spoilers as much as possible): the first half of the book is rather boring and action free. Alex has a few squirmishes that reinforces his bona fides as a bad--ss and the book starts with a mysterious strike on a shipyard that doesn't get explain until 200+ pages later. But the rest of the first half is really all setup and explanation of who the characters are. I have to admit that I put the book down and started reading the Divergent Series, which is an interesting story, but the narrative writing style struck me as freshman HS creative-writing level compared to the crisp narrative of the Expanse series. When I couldn't take anymore of Divergent, I came back to Nemesis Games with a new-found appreciation for the high quality writing of Corey. I really felt like I was on a rapidly depopulating Mars and a decaying overpopulated Earth with many of the same vices and urban problems that hinder us today. Corey's detailed description of these environments, while tedious at time, really brought the varied locations to life.

The work to get through the background--which was tolerable, again, because of the quality of writing and the insights into the rest of the crew--was worth the investment because the action that followed was truly nail-bitter quality. Of course coming down to the final chapters, I began to realize that there was going to be no resolution in this novel. To learn more, I'd have to invest in yet another entry in this series.

Therefore, if you have read the Expanse series to this point, I can recommend Nemesis Games. The criticisms are the large amount of time spent explaining the crew's backstories--which, I believe is worth it to any fan of the series--and the lack of resolution at the end. However, if you are just starting, I recommend starting with the first book in the series, or skipping to the middle of NG. Alternatively if you have read the first 4 books in the series (I lose count, I think this is the fifth), you might consider stopping. The pre-Nemesis Games books are self-contained and provide a nice resolution. You can simply imagine the crew of the Rocinante flying off into the sunset and enjoying the rest of their lives in peace.

As for me, I guess I'm hooked. Corey (the authors who write under this pseudonym) has made the Expanse into a corporate industry, which if they continue the quality of writing, the series can continue indefinitely. For me, as long as the writing is there, I will likely continue flying with the crew of the Rocinante.

I absolutely hated this for the first 30% to 40% of it. From 40% to 50% it looked like it might not suck that bad after all. Suddenly at around 48% it got good. Then it got great. Then it got incredible. By the end, it was easily up to the very very high standards of this series.

If I didn't know how good the other books were, though, I would never have made it to 48%. At about 15% to 20%, I posted my original one-star review. That's below. For a brief period after I posted it, between about 20% and 30%, the book got even worse.

(I read this on my Kindle, it was set to percentages rather than page numbers.)

But again, as I said, the second half is fantastic. If you know this series, you know what you're in for, and it's absolutely worth it. If you don't know the series, do NOT start here. First of all, it just makes more sense to start at the beginning. Secondly, James Corey is a pseudonym. I've read at least six books by Daniel Abraham, one-half of the writing team which uses this pseudonym, and at least seven books by James Corey, and the first 40% of this book is easily the worst writing that I've ever seen from either name.

Sorry, fanboy/fangirl commenters. It was a fantastic thrill ride in the second half, but the first half was like going to see the dentist when you already have a hangover.

Original review:

Not finished yet. About 15% into the book, maybe 20%. I'm here on Amazon checking out the reviews because I want a reason to read even one more page.

For perspective, I read every other book in this series in under 24 hours, with the exception of the last one, #4. That one took me two days. It was mostly up to the incredibly high standards of the first three, but not quite.

These books are typically amazing. Typically, I cannot put them down. They wrestle with topics worth wrestling with. They set out to be a good old-fashioned space adventure and they make it happen. These books are usually incredible. But with this one, I get the feeling they just don't care any more, and they take their audience for granted.

Every member of the crew except Holden coincidentally decides to part ways temporarily at the same time. Alex is the only one who even makes a decision about it; Amos and Naomi both get random communications out of the blue from family members we didn't even know they had. The thing with Naomi stinks to high heaven of adding maternal qualities to a strong female character because somebody in Hollywood told them to. Like they saw the money they were getting from SyFy and they threw their one little bit of token feminism under the bus.

I could be wrong, but I'll tell you where this impression comes from: Naomi's surprise family member feels just unbelievably contrived, clichéd, and out of character. And when I see two writers who are making a series for the first time, and their characterizations went from nuanced and interesting to contrived and dumb overnight, I tend to blame Hollywood.

To be fair, the characters were always Firefly fan fiction anyway, but they worked beautifully. They worked better than Firefly itself. But this latest one, I can't even read it.

Obviously, I'm hoping to edit this review and say that it got better, but I'm not optimistic.

This book is horribly sad, and yet, it doesn't really seem to realize it, spending most of its time navel-gazing. The horrors it revolves around are secondary, almost meaningless except as a prop. I got the feeling the entire time that I was the only person who seemed to be truly upset about the major plot point. The main cast of the book was too busy being a bunch of narcissistic twits.

Having said that, and without spoilers (because spoilers for this book robs it of its entire backdrop), Amos stands head and shoulders above the rest. Amos may not understand compassion the way most do, but he emulates it and maybe that's enough. This sociopath is jarringly humane here. He is a complex and compelling character and I love him.

Interestingly, we also reacquaint ourselves with Clarissa Mao, and it is here that we see Amos at his most human of all. He sees himself in her to some degree, and the authors have done a great job of humanizing her enough that she is a remarkably sympathetic character. She knows what she is, what she's done, what she deserves...and yet, there is a yearning in her that I think we can all understand. She's a mass murderer. She's in prison for life. But my heart weeps for her nonetheless.

Naomi though...if you like her you'll probably be fine here, but for me, for a book that revolves so heavily around her story, it was a reminder of what an awful person she is. We do understand, finally, why she is so pointlessly hostile to everyone around her though, why she is so often casually cruel to Holden, and that's not a little thing. Even so, she remains a caricature, and a relatively poor one.

Holden grows here as well (he remains one of the best-drawn Dudley-D0-Rights in fiction, in spite of his issues in this book), and Alex finally starts to stand out as something other than the pilot with a drawl. And Yay! Bobbie! Such a badass.

For a book so heavily focused on the individual stories of its protagonists, it is wildly uneven with Amos and Alex commanding the top tier chapters with Holden and Naomi pushing all my buttons, trying to get me to dislike them.

When the book isn't bashing me over the head about the 'family' of the Rocinante, it is epic and terrifying and heart-wrenching and it makes me want to read more, which is good because for the first time, an Expanse novel does not feel like a complete story.