Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1)

I hate to follow the crowd with my reading choices so I was slow to try the expanse series. Now I know better. This was a good read. If you get past nit-picking the technological and astrophysics details, then you can settle back and enjoy the ride. The pace really makes this work. I watched the first couple of episodes of the TV series and hesitated to read the books because I was not interested in reading about palace intrigues and politicking. I’m glad that I finally bit the bullet and bought the book because the authors – it’s actually two – do a great job weaving the politics into the plot without dragging out the story. I did like the characters and though the detective was particularly interesting. But overall, the pacing is just well done. If you want engaging material, then look no further. I bought this as a Kindle special and bought the 2nd book in the series at full price as soon as I finished this one. I’d call it a great space opera but it all takes place in our solar system, so maybe it’s more accurate to call it great “solar opera.” Whatever you call it, it’s a great epic tale.

I usually find movies depart so far from the book it ruins the read. After finding, then binge watching The Expanse on Amazon Prime, I HAD to get the books. Leviathan Wakes was very enjoyable. It paints a broader picture that helps me appreciate the nuances of the show. I particularly enjoyed getting a better understanding of Miller. I love the little details the book has (eg: the vice cops rant in the bullpen about the department report system screwing up his work – that’s a bit of reality I know well from 36+ years of cop work.). Such details might not even factor into the plot but they provide a richer appreciation of the characters. They seem grounded in a reality that shows the author(s) know what life really is like. Miller’s insights into the post shooting trauma often referred to as PTSD are a good example, as is the book’s examination of situational ethics Vs standing on principle. It is great how REAL the story seems. Despite being science FICTION, the technology they have in the books seems very plausible developments of real things we already have in 2017 that really might happen in 200 more years. (eg: rail guns, personal data devices, facial recognition). I hope lots of Expanse fans try the books. I got the Kindle set, in part to show my support of Jeff Bezos for saving The Expanse from premature termination. What I got is the richer experience of watching AND reading the saga. It would be out of this world if Amazon underwrites future seasons of the show that continue to faithfully represent the rest of the book series as well as seasons 1 to 3 have.

I was worried about starting this book after watching the show on SyFy. I thought the show would be one big spoiler for the book. Well the show is great and so is the book. I knew basically were it was going but the book expands on the show in great and beautiful detail. I learned more about the characters and their motivations. As well as more details about the over arching politics of the solar system. I am excited to start the next book.

Since it seems like George R.R. Martin is not exactly going to be putting out the next installment in his epic series any time soon, I really felt like I needed another one to get into in the meantime. With the SyFy show based off these books, “The Expanse”, gaining traction, I thought why not give sci-fi a try. I was not disappointed. This first installment only hints at the politics of the universe the authors have created, though I suspect we will get more detail about it in the following installments, but suffice it to say they do a great job setting up a believable world in which humanity has spread out into our solar system, having colonized Mars, the asteroid belt, and beyond. As can be expected of human nature, over the centuries of this arrangement, people in different places have come to have varying degrees of distrust for people from other locations, making the possibility of war ever-present. Amidst this environment we are introduced to a missing-girl case on Ceres Station being investigated by private security Agent Miller and the adventures of Jim Holden and his crew, who are trying to find out who attacked their ship. These 2 plots and the fate of the galaxy all wind up intertwining in intriguing and exciting ways. The story moves along at a quick pace, but still allows time to develop the characters and the world they populate. It is a thrilling tale that you will have a hard time putting down, even if you don’t normally read science fiction, and which will leave you eager to get started on the next in the series.

I downloaded this book with the expectation of reading an enjoyable sci-fi book and then I found that this thing is filled with F bombs. In general they were usually unneeded. A simple adjective would have been quite sufficient.

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