Reviews

4 stars. This novella adds little to the Expanse series, but it is an entertaining story in its own right, as it is self-contained. It has compelling characters and a good plot. The tension is masterfully written; I was often uncomfortable worrying about David but never for too long.

souponthebarby's review against another edition

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4.0

Reading this put me back into the world of The Expanse more than [b:The Butcher of Anderson Station|11570653|The Butcher of Anderson Station (Expanse, #0.5)|James S.A. Corey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316999513s/11570653.jpg|16511459] did, and I think it's because it included one of the my favorite characters from my readthroughs of the novels in the series so far. I won't reveal exactly who it is, but this character had a voice that I could hear so cleanly and crisply in my head that the instant I saw their name, it all came back to me. They aren't the main focus of the story, but this really does further their story line in a way that isn't just some cheap side story. This is worth a read, and it really builds out more of Mars in a way I hadn't expected to read.

This makes it a lot easier to have sympathy for every side in this fight for the solar system. I think that, honestly, this is what these stories are about. There are bad folks and bad organizations out there, but that doesn't necessarily mean that [i]everyone[/i] is terrible. There's a line about fear and what it looks like that's in this story that I think perfectly encapsulates this, and I think this brings the belters, the martians, and the earthers together in the same umbrella.

This is once again a great read, and it's amazing how much this universe can suck me in every time I go back to it.

kelseysmith's review against another edition

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3.25

I read this after reading Babylon’s Ashes and wished I read it at the correct time after reading Caliban’s war. I would have understood the political situation better and gained a new perspective for Bobby.

Overall it was a nice little story. I find it uncomfortable to read from the perspective of a horny teenage boy. But I liked the ending of the story with the time jump and the lack of a future with Leelee.

curly_entropy's review against another edition

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4.0

Love the point of view of a kid who has never been earther or martian or belter. It actually makes me think about how even tho we want to discover new things we tend to be afraid of them.

smmrmmrmmr's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

All of my reviews for these short stories are influenced by the fact that I adore this world and these characters and am desperate for all of the scraps I get given. That being said, the way that violence is written from the perspective of an outside character vs how it is from the character doing the violence is insane. The quick brutality and shift in power in a scene is so well done I could scream (and did).

Did I mostly enjoy this one because we got to see Bobbie being an annoying aunt? Yes... maybe. but it did a really good job of reminding me how much time she is out of work after Caliban's War. Also! Baby Bobbie Nephew being a GOOD BOY (and a dumb one)
(I have so many thoughts about the contrast between reading this story and how it was portrayed in the show but ahhhh)

rmasinelli's review against another edition

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reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

liketheday's review against another edition

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2.0

A whole lotta nothing happens in this book, but at least it's short and also Bobbie gets to be a badass. A decent read for half-hours on the treadmill.

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