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heidihazelton's review against another edition
4.0
Solid break from reality, and love the characters.
whisperingwaves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
cottonmanifesto's review against another edition
5.0
After a recent re-read, I’ve decided this is one of my favorites of the series.
eliotscratch's review against another edition
5.0
I've seen enough of The Expanse on Prime to know the plot of the first two books. Even then, I ripped through them constantly wondering "then what happens?" or "how do they get out of this?" even though I knew the answers. That's just excellent writing and pacing. I don't normally enjoy sci-fi books but holy shit guys. Holy shit. Also I stan Chrisjen Avasarala no matter if it's on screen or on the page. She's the fucking best.
vira_sakhniuk's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 stars
Avasarala is the best political character. I love her! So mush personality!
I wish the book had just a bit more exploration of the protomolecule science (monsters, Venus).
Otherwise it's great 2nd book in the Expanse series.
Avasarala is the best political character. I love her! So mush personality!
I wish the book had just a bit more exploration of the protomolecule science (monsters, Venus).
Otherwise it's great 2nd book in the Expanse series.
tiepig's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what to make of this one, in comparison to Leviathan Wakes. The three new POV characters add a lot of extra variety that was somewhat lacking in the first book, and all of them are very interesting and likable. However, upon finishing the book, everything about it feels like it was just a subplot to the main story of the series. At the end of Caliban's War, I don't feel as though the main story has moved along from the end of Leviathan Wakes, which is a little frustrating. Of course, I won't know whether or not that's true till I've read the rest, so I guess I'll find out.
meyers5j's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lurath's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely, hands down, one of the best books I've read in the past year. It made me laugh out loud, feel anxious and sad, make my heart rate speed up for the action scenes... in other words, it made me have all the feels like good fiction should.
It reads like a gun shot from the hip: it feels like a spaghetti western with the "western" replaced by a richly layered space/science-fiction world set in our solar system. The language doesn't bog down the story, but I wouldn't call it simplistic. Instead, it's cocky, light, without wasting any time. The authors have a great way of describing a scene (and the actors) with a few poignant details. Characterizations are the same, and as such, the characters are very very real. There is no simplification of adversaries and heroes to typical black and white roles that have become so tired in science fiction and fantasy.
The world is built up from several characters viewpoints, which is a strategy I've seen fail with other authors. Here, it works wonderfully. Each character has something unique to offer and there were no chapters that felt like filler.
If I had to sum up: Caliban's War like an action movie/political intrigue/space opera that doesn't skimp on character development.
It reads like a gun shot from the hip: it feels like a spaghetti western with the "western" replaced by a richly layered space/science-fiction world set in our solar system. The language doesn't bog down the story, but I wouldn't call it simplistic. Instead, it's cocky, light, without wasting any time. The authors have a great way of describing a scene (and the actors) with a few poignant details. Characterizations are the same, and as such, the characters are very very real. There is no simplification of adversaries and heroes to typical black and white roles that have become so tired in science fiction and fantasy.
The world is built up from several characters viewpoints, which is a strategy I've seen fail with other authors. Here, it works wonderfully. Each character has something unique to offer and there were no chapters that felt like filler.
If I had to sum up: Caliban's War like an action movie/political intrigue/space opera that doesn't skimp on character development.
casedesmond12's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
johnbyers1500's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.25
Kitchen Lummi