A review by kitreadsromance
Tiamat's Wrath by James S. A. Corey

5.0

Genre: Science fiction, space travel, alien tech, but most of all politics! We follow the scattered remnants of our favourite crew of the Rocinante as the galaxy adjusts and rebels to the presence of Laconia.

Spoiler

Main characters:James, Naomi, Alex, Bobbie, Elvi, Teresa
Favourite character: Timothy forever!
Villain(s) High Consul Duarte, Colonel Illich, Dr. Cortazar

Character rating: 9/10
Plot rating: 10/10
Setting rating: 10/10
Overall rating: 10/10

Pros: I'm not going to lie, at the end of book seven I had no idea how the latest plot twists would be expanded and resolved. And like every Expanse book, Tiamat's Wrath isn't a nice little present with the plot all tied up by the end. It is a colossal, intricate and far reaching epic that still manages to make you care about the tiny little humans grinding through the cogs of time, politics and intrigue.

This book ripped my heart out, stomped on it a bit and stuck some pins in it for good measure. And I loved it. Events happen in this series that cannot be undone. Not everyone gets a happy ending. I love a plot that packs some punch and isn't afraid to take a world, screw massively with it, and then hand it back with a tag saying "you're welcome!"

But we got to see what life was like under the control of, and it was a really interesting glimpse of a regime that views itself as a benevolent dictatorship and how most people's lives settle and continue after major political turmoil and transition to autocracy.

It was also great to see how the authors chose to move forward with the rebellion against Laconia. The plot of the Expanse is always a puzzle - a brilliant, complicated riddle that you desperately hope the characters can somehow start to solve and overcome. In Tiamat's Wrath we were given tentative, precious hope that there is a way forward from the devastating events of book seven. And along the way prepare for some big twists and turns! You're going to want to strap in and hit the juice with the thrust this novel has in it.

Cons:I want to say the loss of some characters, but I can't because apparently I'm an emotional masochist.

Teresa is a character that I wasn't 100% sold on. She is a young teenager, which is immediately a minus point in my book, sorry! And she had the attitude to go along with it. She was brilliantly written, just not my cup of tea. She was also rather slow on the uptake sometimes which was mildly frustrating but probably realistic for someone of her status and experience.

Final opinion: Every book I read from the Expanse series becomes my new favourite. But I really loved this one for direction of the plot, the ever-excellent authorship, and the imaginative, intelligent solutions to the questions and tensions in the plot which still manage to be believable courses of action.