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jessgj's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
So the first thing you need to know about this book is that it feels like 2 books happening at the same time. The book moves between two narratives, the space opera and the futuristic noir. For the space opera, we're in the head of the idealistic (Some might say naive) Jim Holder, th leader of the surviving crew of the Canterbury. The noir follows Miller, a nihilistic cop who has seen better days who was assigned to find a missing girl, Julie Mao.
Sometimes the book gave me whiplash from the tones from the two POVs but in a good way. The book is very much a slow burn, which isn't my style but it does give you enough room to understand both characters and their very flawed and at times, tragic thinking. And while the book does have some old-school sci-fi feels, it does a good job of setting up some toxic "romantic" tropes in the genres and then calling both characters out for them.
Also, if you're worried about finishing the book but not feeling compelled to continue with the series, don't worry. It does answer the questions contained in the book while setting up a much bigger and more dangerous world for our characters.
Sometimes the book gave me whiplash from the tones from the two POVs but in a good way. The book is very much a slow burn, which isn't my style but it does give you enough room to understand both characters and their very flawed and at times, tragic thinking. And while the book does have some old-school sci-fi feels, it does a good job of setting up some toxic "romantic" tropes in the genres and then calling both characters out for them.
Also, if you're worried about finishing the book but not feeling compelled to continue with the series, don't worry. It does answer the questions contained in the book while setting up a much bigger and more dangerous world for our characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Police brutality, Body horror, Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Genocide
Minor: Sexual violence and Gaslighting
yoursupremereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
You know how when you read a Crichton novel you felt like you were smart because his books had a way of just laying out the scientific rules of the worlds he created? Well James S. A. Corey has done that but based everything in Leviathan's Wake on actual science. This is an adventure on a galactic scale. Literally. Humanity is spread over the Milky Way from Earth all the way to the asteroid belt and the consequences of that expanse (ha see what I did there?) of space when it comes to the analysis of this world's political intrigue was awesome. If something was happening in the Belt, because humans have been colonializing asteroid satellites in our galaxy's asteroid belt for generations in this world's timeline, then news about what's happening there would take lots of time to reach other pockets of civilization spread across the galaxy. Add to that a crew of of Belters and Earthers who are set up to solve a mystery regarding a newly discovered alien bioweapon that threatens to throw the galaxy into full out war and you have yourself an modern sci-fi epic that's deeply captivating and arresting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Cursing, Death, Medical content, Racism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Murder, Drug use, Genocide, Violence, and War
rynaissanceenby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a dramatic, classic sci fi adventure. I say classic because it has all the correct vibes for classic sci fi, but there's really nothing cliche about it. There were almost no plot twists that I saw coming.
The characters were relatable, and their flaws were infuriating in the best way. The one character flaw I didn't really jive with, though, was how Miller thought about Julie. He is supposed to be like 50 and she is supposed to be like 26 or something, and his romantic pinings for her come off as really creepy. Furthermore, this easily could have been fixed by him viewing her more as a daughter figure than a romantic interest.
I appreciated the diversity in the cast. The culture that was developed for people who lived outside of Earth and Mars felt rich and interesting. The author took the time to think about what sorts of things would shape such a culture, and he did a good job of expressing those characteristics in writing. It was a bit frustrating how often the women felt completely outnumbered by men, though. It was used as a plot point, so it made sense why it had to be that way, but I would rather the author find a different point to make, so women could have more equal treatment.
Overall, I think the author put a lot of thought into the science and technology of the universe in a really satisfying way. He's no Andy Weir, but the technology generally passes the first and second glances. He seems to have thought a lot about the implications of life throughout the solar system, and he did a great job bringing that thinking into the book.
The enemies were visceral and unique. Disturbing in the best way.
This book definitely lives up to the label of "space opera," and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
The characters were relatable, and their flaws were infuriating in the best way. The one character flaw I didn't really jive with, though, was how Miller thought about Julie. He is supposed to be like 50 and she is supposed to be like 26 or something, and his romantic pinings for her come off as really creepy. Furthermore, this easily could have been fixed by him viewing her more as a daughter figure than a romantic interest.
I appreciated the diversity in the cast. The culture that was developed for people who lived outside of Earth and Mars felt rich and interesting. The author took the time to think about what sorts of things would shape such a culture, and he did a good job of expressing those characteristics in writing. It was a bit frustrating how often the women felt completely outnumbered by men, though. It was used as a plot point, so it made sense why it had to be that way, but I would rather the author find a different point to make, so women could have more equal treatment.
Overall, I think the author put a lot of thought into the science and technology of the universe in a really satisfying way. He's no Andy Weir, but the technology generally passes the first and second glances. He seems to have thought a lot about the implications of life throughout the solar system, and he did a great job bringing that thinking into the book.
The enemies were visceral and unique. Disturbing in the best way.
This book definitely lives up to the label of "space opera," and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, War, and Xenophobia
nebulous40's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Gun violence, Addiction, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Gore, Grief, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
ehparrish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Moderate: Genocide, Colonisation, Classism, Gun violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Rape
beyourbestshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and War
idksamiguess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, Medical content, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Alcoholism and Cancer
katastrophi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Didn't think I would be as invested in this as I became, after space cop was introduced. But I became completely engrossed in the book quickly, already have a request in for the second at my library. if you like space opera and haven't read this I would be shocked and tell you to bump it up your list. Looking forward to continuing on this saga down the Expanse rabbit hole, despite the fact that several places dragged pretty hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Cancer
abby_b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: War and Violence
Minor: Rape
amandabcook's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, War, Confinement, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Gun violence and Death
Minor: Police brutality and Injury/Injury detail