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jbyoderdotorg's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-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? No
4.0
jedikermit's review against another edition
3.0
The jump ahead a few decades is jarring, but opens up some new storytelling possibilities. I miss UN Secretary-General Chrisjen Avasarala, who was always good to shake things up and put other characters in their place.
By the seventh book in a series, things often get stale, and there are parts of this saga that aren't aging well. It does, however, end on a cliffhanger that has me invested in book eight. Sigh.
By the seventh book in a series, things often get stale, and there are parts of this saga that aren't aging well. It does, however, end on a cliffhanger that has me invested in book eight. Sigh.
nuk's review against another edition
4.0
What to say? Finally, I'm out of the TV Show space, and it feels great.
This book was a great journey in how vast the Expanse universe feels and can be.
Every step of the way I was wondering what would happen and how each character would react. Especially since many of them have changed a lot over the time jump of 8 years in the future. Can't wait to get to the next one.
This book was a great journey in how vast the Expanse universe feels and can be.
Every step of the way I was wondering what would happen and how each character would react. Especially since many of them have changed a lot over the time jump of 8 years in the future. Can't wait to get to the next one.
spacemanchris's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
I wasn't sure where they were going to take things in this book since the previous one seemed to wrap up the story fairly conclusively, well all except that little fleet that went off to Laconia never to be heard from again...
Of course there are a lot of other loose threads involving the massive gateways to other star systems, the protomolecule and the hundreds of new colonies that have popped up, but it took things in a surprising direction, starting with a time skip and escalating from there.
This is essentially the first book in a new storyline and while I've enjoyed the previous books, I loved this one.
I wasn't sure where they were going to take things in this book since the previous one seemed to wrap up the story fairly conclusively, well all except that little fleet that went off to Laconia never to be heard from again...
Of course there are a lot of other loose threads involving the massive gateways to other star systems, the protomolecule and the hundreds of new colonies that have popped up, but it took things in a surprising direction, starting with a time skip and escalating from there.
This is essentially the first book in a new storyline and while I've enjoyed the previous books, I loved this one.
omills's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Violence
rlongjohn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
joshmccormack's review against another edition
5.0
This is the 12th book in The Expanse series I've read, and again I'm excited and delighted.
The Expanse series is part of the near-future science fiction sub genre, depending on your definition. Things don't come easy. They need to be figured out. They don't always work perfectly. Terraforming has not been perfected. There are whole populations that grew up without sufficient gravity, who could never safely go down a gravity well to a planet like Earth, and whose bodies look like they've always lived in low gravity. Weapons, propulsion, food, it's all work, and all discussed in the series in ways that pull you deeper into the world that's created.
And that's where The Expanse is part of another sub genre of sci-fi - space opera. In space opera the author creates an entire world, with distinct languages and cultures and histories, not just characters and stories. You could feel this from the earliest books in The Expanse series, but in Persepolis Rising you definitely feel it.
You also experience so many characters and their motivations and needs and wants and pain. The way all of the stories and desires of different characters overlap and crash into each other makes this a really fantastic story. Early on it seems like all hope is lost, and later on the feeling might be the same, but for different reasons.
Doors and corners. Doors and corners.
The Expanse series is part of the near-future science fiction sub genre, depending on your definition. Things don't come easy. They need to be figured out. They don't always work perfectly. Terraforming has not been perfected. There are whole populations that grew up without sufficient gravity, who could never safely go down a gravity well to a planet like Earth, and whose bodies look like they've always lived in low gravity. Weapons, propulsion, food, it's all work, and all discussed in the series in ways that pull you deeper into the world that's created.
And that's where The Expanse is part of another sub genre of sci-fi - space opera. In space opera the author creates an entire world, with distinct languages and cultures and histories, not just characters and stories. You could feel this from the earliest books in The Expanse series, but in Persepolis Rising you definitely feel it.
You also experience so many characters and their motivations and needs and wants and pain. The way all of the stories and desires of different characters overlap and crash into each other makes this a really fantastic story. Early on it seems like all hope is lost, and later on the feeling might be the same, but for different reasons.
Doors and corners. Doors and corners.
deadlyavocado's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bookworm517'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
4.75
Docked a little because the pacing of this one wasn’t as good as the previous ones, but once I hit the point of no return I couldn’t put it down and they did a great job tying everything together.
I’m excited to see how they close out the series in the next two books. Up until now they’ve left 1-2 big things unresolved with each book so I’m hoping they’re able to give us closure on all the big plot points even with only two books left to do it.
I’m excited to see how they close out the series in the next two books. Up until now they’ve left 1-2 big things unresolved with each book so I’m hoping they’re able to give us closure on all the big plot points even with only two books left to do it.
nickbarata's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine you're the writer of an extremely successful six-volume sci-fi series. Do you end there, rake in the profits from your very good television spinoff, and move on to something else? Or do you fast-forward thirty years in the story, have your lovable crew of misfits and their friends invaded by the space-faring equivalent of the Roman Empire, and then write a book about how that empire kicks their collective asses? The authors of The Expanse chose the latter, and I'm thankful to them for it.
The thirty-year time jump between the end of Book 6 and the beginning of this book allows the series to make the effortless leap from hard sci-fi to borderline science-fantasy with grace, and the story benefits from this decision in many ways. The most impressive part of this book is the fact that it manages to maintain the connections to the earlier books while pushing the overall story forward leaps and bounds-- story threads and characters set up as far back as Book One become important here, and the effects of the previous six books set the stage for the action in unexpected ways.
Beyond the time jump and plot, this book measures up to the standard of the series overall, with great character work, compelling action, and top-tier writing. While it's not my favorite of the series, it definitely has inspired me to read through the two remaining books back-to-back.
The thirty-year time jump between the end of Book 6 and the beginning of this book allows the series to make the effortless leap from hard sci-fi to borderline science-fantasy with grace, and the story benefits from this decision in many ways. The most impressive part of this book is the fact that it manages to maintain the connections to the earlier books while pushing the overall story forward leaps and bounds-- story threads and characters set up as far back as Book One become important here, and the effects of the previous six books set the stage for the action in unexpected ways.
Beyond the time jump and plot, this book measures up to the standard of the series overall, with great character work, compelling action, and top-tier writing. While it's not my favorite of the series, it definitely has inspired me to read through the two remaining books back-to-back.