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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
After 6 books and 3,379 pages, I am still enjoying this series so much. The only other series that have kept me engaged this long are Ender's Game and Game of Thrones. Book 6 is a little slower with less action and more exposition. And, sadly, there is not much dynamism in the characters. However, there are some great hard science fiction moments; it gets philosophical in places; and it considers the Expanse saga within the historical context of humanity and the physical context of the universe.
One characteristic that I have enjoyed about this series is that we are always clearly headed toward something, yet it is not entirely predictable. In the case of this book, there was less momentum toward the climax than usual, and the climax was not very dramatic. However, this made the story unpredictable and realistic, so I appreciate its value.
One characteristic that I have enjoyed about this series is that we are always clearly headed toward something, yet it is not entirely predictable. In the case of this book, there was less momentum toward the climax than usual, and the climax was not very dramatic. However, this made the story unpredictable and realistic, so I appreciate its value.
slow-paced
Mankind is stupid and selfish and evil, but it's also compassionate and caring. Most of us are already aware of this. Humanity has known about this paradox for a very long time. Our legacy is making mistakes and correcting those mistakes, and correcting those corrections and so on until the end of time. James S.A. Corey makes these ideas well known in Babylon’s Ashes, which is part of why it works so well for me. I’m a sucker for emotion and introspection, and this book was full of it.
The emotional element was ramped up to eleven. Everyone had an opinion on everything. Every action was done with best intentions, and the results affected every other character in a meaningful way. Marco was a phenomenal villain. Mostly because he was such a terrible father. He wasn’t abusive, but he was dismissive and manipulative to both his son, Filip, and the rest of his Free Navy crew. Filip’s teen angst never got annoying, as his angst was generally justified.
The attack on Medina and the railgun station was the best fight in the series (so far). Super fun and creative, it's a fight we could only get from a series like this.
Life is going to kick the shit out of you. It's going to beat you down, and eventually it is going to kill everyone you care about. The human experience is flawed and painful, but we have an innate tenacity that shines through in the darkest moments. So long as we stand together and continue to right the wrongs, we can make this a life worth living.
The emotional element was ramped up to eleven. Everyone had an opinion on everything. Every action was done with best intentions, and the results affected every other character in a meaningful way. Marco was a phenomenal villain.
The attack on Medina and the railgun station was the best fight in the series (so far). Super fun and creative, it's a fight we could only get from a series like this.
Life is going to kick the shit out of you. It's going to beat you down, and eventually it is going to kill everyone you care about. The human experience is flawed and painful, but we have an innate tenacity that shines through in the darkest moments. So long as we stand together and continue to right the wrongs, we can make this a life worth living.
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
adventurous
dark
inspiring
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
Man, I love these books.
"Babylon's Ashes," the sixth *Expanse* novel, tells the story of the full fledged Solar System - wide war that follows in the wake of the events of "Nemesis Games." This is tense, nail biting stuff, almost as gripping as its predecessor.
However, this novel feels like events playing out as they more-or-less must. It's very well written and very entertaining, but I'd recommend it only to those already invested in the longer story that is *The Expanse.*
"Babylon's Ashes," the sixth *Expanse* novel, tells the story of the full fledged Solar System - wide war that follows in the wake of the events of "Nemesis Games." This is tense, nail biting stuff, almost as gripping as its predecessor.
However, this novel feels like events playing out as they more-or-less must. It's very well written and very entertaining, but I'd recommend it only to those already invested in the longer story that is *The Expanse.*
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-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
adventurous
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
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