It's a grimdark space opera, I guess? Blended with cosmic body horror and gritty cop story. With the R-rating soup that's common to modern sci-fi. 

There's a "good" ending, but it takes a lot of excessive violence, cursing, sexual topics, cynicism, moral ambiguity, etc to get there. There were funny parts, and it was very well-written, but it's not my favorite thing. There aren't really any noble characters (I think it says there are, but they're super flawed). 

Hard to gauge pace, because there were times of nonstop action, but also some slow portions. 

It took me a little to get fully invested in both POVs, but I ended up loving it all by the end. The action sequences were well written and I was actually nervous at times. It's mostly plot driven, but I think the characters had their moments to shine.

I had high hopes, and Leviathan Wakes started off doing all the right things but as it went on it progressively got worse and worse. The blokey-ness (and psuedo-military and police speak) was a poorly executed attempt to take from Starship Troopers and Bladerunner (yes, I mean the movie), and a real turn-off for me. The dick jokes and other highly male sexual innuendos, I'm sure were meant to be playful ship banter, but were locker room trash and not witty or clever (haha, how funny that he's got something sticking out of his penis).

Technically, this didn't really get worse as the book went on, but I guess Fred was in it more as it went on... anyway, 'Fred said' had a frequency of about 4 or 5 times per minute. While 'Fred said' is particularly grating, all the dialogue was repetitive and insipid, normally following the pattern of: The engine looked broken. "I think the engine busted", Fred said. While that's not a real quote, it sums up most of the book; everyone seemingly feels to need to make completely obvious statements constantly. The ethical discussions between the characters were phrased in this jolty reportage, and were extremely basic and uninteresting to read. It essentially boiled down to simple binary discussions of freedom of information vs protectionism and vigilantism vs international legal process, and they weren't explored from interesting angles either.

Finally, I have major issues with the plot. Why would Holden's tiny team of survivors who are not particularly highly trained suddenly be kicking arse in military and para-military scenarios? They're nominally supposed to be grieving (oh wait, they drank that away... and as Miller says, that definitely fixes it), but also they're obviously intentionally flawed characters and to some extent are supposed to be ordinary citizens (or at the very least not the highly skilled elite). I understand wanting to have relatable characters and most of your readers are going to be ordinary citizens who might be a bit tired of the straight-forward hero trope, but characters should solve the issues facing them with actions and abilities that are compatible with them. There were also many, many unbelievable leaps of intuition, faulty decision making processes, plot holes, and tired stereotypes.

For me, this goes on the pile of very popular, over-hyped books that turn out to be quite disappointing. There's plenty of other science fiction with more depth, better plotting, and better characters, Leviathan Wakes just doesn't cut it.

Leviathan Wakes is a brilliantly entertaining, fast-paced, and engrossing entry into the sci-fi genre that combines mystery, political intrigue, and high-stakes action in a richly imagined futuristic setting. I found it difficult to put down once swept up in its clever, highly readable narrative. The plot takes a surprising turn around the 400-page mark when it seems to be wrapping up—only to launch into another compelling storyline, a development I welcomed rather than dreaded.

James S.A. Corey’s writing style shines throughout the novel. His (their..?) prose is engaging and accessible, with a knack for capturing relatable human experiences amid the foreignness of space. Despite the vast and often alien backdrop, the characters’ struggles and emotions feel grounded and real, making it easy to connect with them.

One of the standout aspects of Corey’s writing is his ability to articulate everyday human sensations in a way that resonates deeply. For example, Miller’s struggle with direction and purpose after losing his detective job is poignantly described:

This passage struck a chord with me, reflecting the disorienting experience of unemployment and the loss of purpose. 

Similarly, Corey’s portrayal of moral complexity through Holden is spot on. As Holden grapples with the consequences of his actions, Corey captures a very human cognitive response:

This illustrates a universal psychological coping mechanism when faced with overwhelming moral dilemmas—a relatable and insightful moment that adds depth to Holden’s character.

The novel also challenges assumptions about the value of physical versus digital media, cleverly subverting my own (perhaps profligate) preference for physical books through Miller’s eyes:

This humorous yet thought-provoking observation nudged me to reconsider my attachment to physical books in an increasingly digital world.

Overall, Leviathan Wakes delivers an exceptional blend of compelling characters, intricate plotting, and relatable moments that anchor the grandiosity of its space opera setting. Its unexpected plot twists and insightful character work kept me hooked from start to finish. This is a must-read for sci-fi enthusiasts and anyone looking for an accessible yet thought-provoking adventure.

If you are looking for an unsettling sci-fi  novel with themes of galactic politics, body horror, and morally neutral people just trying to do their best wrapped up in a healthy blanket of “what exactly do high and low gravity environments do to human bodies” and men being kind of dumb, then this is the book for you. Highly recommend. Half a star off because the women weren’t terribly well fleshed out, and exist as kind of perfect foils for the main characters to develop from, but I love Naomi and I hope to see more of her in the rest of the series. Also there was a bit of weird focusing on Naomi’s racial biology that was not equally applied to the other characters. Just say she’s mixed race, you don’t need to keep talking about her epicanthic fold. 

The plot was so interesting, I was trying to figure out what happened the whole time. They really weaved the mystery well. I liked the characters, too, but I don’t think it needed to be as long as it was. 

Sci-Fi, Moral Quandaries, Found Family

“Do I love you, or do I just want to love you so bad I can’t tell the difference?”