Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-Read 8/18/18:

Doing a full re-read of the series is almost like coming home. I've read a lot of space-opera at this point and this duo keeps hitting the ball out of the park. Tops.

I mean, who else can run a great character arc for Cassy, from all-out revenge to such a believable change of heart? Or the whole craziness of the slow zone? Or Miller?

The whole idea of doors and corners when it comes to the whole damn universe kinda freaks me out. It's Dark Forest time.

And even if I know what happens in the later books, it doesn't diminish the feel of this book. I'm right there with them all over again. Brilliant. And now... I really need to binge-watch the new season on tv.



Original Review:

All of the implicit promises made to me as a reader have been fulfilled and titillated and stoked to a nice fine fire. I wanted something with huge scope, and while I kept thinking about Iain M. Banks Culture or more to the point, Brin's Uplift War, or even Pohl's Gateway series, I was thoroughly impressed with the Expanse because it kept me grounded in the multiple scales needed to fully appreciate it. Sure, there's series that have galaxy-wide adventure, but how does one truly draw the reader into a true appreciation of it? Answer: have an extremely fully-fleshed solar system and the need for an equation between time and distance. Keep all of the action in that localized space but throw the implications of something so vast and horrible into the mix that it makes everyone feel like ants. These guys have that little literary monster on a leash and they like to let him snap at pedestrians. I love it.

The characters are all spectacular and engrossing. I'm not just talking about the standard crew, either, but even the many who fight, love, and die in this fantastic story. The quality of story and writing is amazing.

I will be following this series forever, I do believe. :)

View all my reviews