Caliban's War (Expanse, #2)

May 20, 2013 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Holy hell - this is great science fiction. I gave the first book in the series four stars, but I'm going to change it to five, if that's possible. This is not only some of the most action-packed sci fi I've ever read, but it's also got some of the best characters I've ever read in sci fi. The remaining crew of the Rocinante is back again, along with some new characters, of course. One standout character that's new in the second book is a female politician who is as smart and believable a charact...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Igor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, favorites

After such a great first book, Leviathan Wakes, we get the 2nd one that's maybe even better. There are more POV characters, much more political intrigue, just as good fast paced action and more insight into everything related to protomolecule, experiments and general Earth/Mars/Belt relationship.
I really got into series with the first one so the 2nd book continues on with the same tempo, feels like its the same book.
Anyway, waiting for the 3rd one, that comes out at 4th of June, which could be...more

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May 17, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi

I really liked the first book and, when I read the summary of Caliban's War, I thought that is seemed like the same thing. But I didn't think that the Coreys (the two authors that make up James S.A. Corey) would do that to us. So I bought it and read it. And, no, it's not a simple rehash.

There is a lot of action between Holden and his crew. Holden, of course, still reminds me of Captain Malcolm in Firefly. Or, now that I've read more of these authors, Marcus in The Dragon's Path. There is some f...more

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May 14, 2013 Michel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ik heb maar één negatief punt: de slechteriken zijn echt wel minder-dan-eendimensionele slechteriken. Het zijn er van het genre “duister militair-industrieel complex”, en we krijgen zelfs geen begin van zwijm van verklaring wat of waarom.

Voor de rest: rollicking good fun, gelijk ze zeggen.

Het is een jaar na Leviathan Wakes, Jim Holden en crew doen klusjeswerk voor de Outer Planet Alliance (grote politiek-militaire speler nummer drie in het zonnestelsel, na Aarde en Mars).

Ganymedes, de grootste m...more

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May 05, 2013 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Second verse, same as the first –intrasolar medium-future scifi heavy on the politics with occasional alien goo monster horror set pieces. It even introduced a new character whose arc depends entirely on his pain over the fact that a girl he cares about is missing. That being necessary to replace the nearly identical plotline from the first book that was resolved, you understand. At least take 2 was way less psychosexually creepy.

Basically, it's another summer blockbuster. Splashy, surprisingly...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Hana added it

Caliban's War moves at an even faster pace than its predecessor, Leviathan Wakes. And it does so from the various perspectives of even more characters, alternating between Avarasala, an Earth politician; Prax, a civilian scientist; Bobbie, a Martian marine; and Capt. Jim Holden. The shifting narratives blend together better than in Leviathan Wakes.

Attempts to humanize the main characters occasionally fall short, as in Avarasala's trite interactions with her husband and grandchildren, which add...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Noah Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

All authors have a very unique writing style; they are able to express themselves through their literary works and instill ideas using tone. Very few authors share the same writing style and many even seem to speak an entirely different language; this is the key reason that readers prefer some authors’ writings opposed to others. It is also common that most books are written by a single author and that they contain ideas unique to that writer; In Caliban’s War, this is not the case. Similar to L...more All authors have a very unique writing style; they are able to express themselves through their literary works and instill ideas using tone. Very few authors share the same writing style and many even seem to speak an entirely different language; this is the key reason that readers prefer some authors’ writings opposed to others. It is also common that most books are written by a single author and that they contain ideas unique to that writer; In Caliban’s War, this is not the case. Similar to Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War is written by James S.A. Corey, who is, in fact a pseudo name and pen name for Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham. Throughout the story, it is apparent that these two authors have varying writing styles. Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham use tone, genre and character development to indicate their separate, but unique writing styles throughout Caliban’s War.
Each author writes a separate chapter in this book and each one follows the path of individual characters in third person limited. It is not indicated which author writes which section; however, it is obvious that certain chapters are written by certain authors. One author uses the tone of excitement, thrill and adrenaline to describe the theme. His use of this tone adds a specific interest to his part of the story and attracts readers. One scene is described just before an argument escalates into a gunfight, “In Holden’s mind, the room shifted into a tactical problem,” this goes to show that this authors tone is very intense and exciting (Corey 175). The other author uses a nostalgic, nurturing tone to give his readers a feel of intimacy and keeps them attached. This authors tone adds connectivity and “reels in” readers.
Another way these authors express their differences is through individual genre. One author is definitely a realist and uses ideas that also convey intimacy. This author focuses on the normalness of society and follows two very realistic characters: Praxidike Meng and Chrisjen Avasarala. Prax is a botanist and Avasarala is a diplomat. These two characters are very regular people and they behave normally. In contrast, the other author is very idealistic and decides to write about a more extreme topic: military. His chapters focus on very intense military genre. He features scenes in his writing that describe naval warfare and other military engagements. In one such engagement, Bobbie is operating the warships torpedo system; she “pulled up the torpedo targeting system” and exclaimed “Two away”; shortly after, they had destroyed several UN destroyers (Corey 477). His writing makes the book filled with adrenaline and keeps the reader excited and engaged.
The last way the authors identify their differences is through character development. The more idealistic author follows a Martian marine and a commanding officer on board a stolen Martian warship. His characters are very exciting and are almost always engaged in some sort of epic entanglement, whether it’s a battle between two spaceships or a firefight in a space station hallway. His characters seem more like superheroes than actual human beings; however, they add excitement to the book. The other author characterizes Prax and Avasarala as regular, realistic people. Prax runs a job as a botanist: a farmer; Avasarala is a UN diplomat but is also a little old lady. She runs a very regular job and seems more human than anybody else in this book. When Avasarala is first introduced, she was in a meeting where she “snuck a pistachio out of her purse, cracked the shell discreetly and popped the salted nut into her mouth” (Corey 45). Whether she is sipping tea or eating pistachios, Avasarala is always acting rationally and normally; she does not appear to be an idealist superhero like Holden or Bobbie the marine. Again, Prax is a farmer, a fairly regular dude who runs a regular business and raises a mostly regular family. Both authors identify their writing using characterization.
Even though many books only have one author, the books that have multiple authors are just as harmonious. Even though these authors have very different writing styles, their work fits together like a puzzle and make a wonderful piece of literature. Caliban’s War is a great book because it utilizes the writing styles of two separate authors and combines them to explain both sides of a futuristic society.
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Mar 27, 2013 Hugo Stetz rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Caliban’s War,” a novel written by James S. A. Corey, is a book that does a great job of telling a tense story set in a future where biological advances have advanced beyond Human control, space colonization is just as common as the present day refrigerator, and military forces around the galaxy use giant spaceships and fully weaponized and strength-augmenting armor. The plot of this novel does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in, and, in addition to that, the setting of the book is very...more “Caliban’s War,” a novel written by James S. A. Corey, is a book that does a great job of telling a tense story set in a future where biological advances have advanced beyond Human control, space colonization is just as common as the present day refrigerator, and military forces around the galaxy use giant spaceships and fully weaponized and strength-augmenting armor. The plot of this novel does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in, and, in addition to that, the setting of the book is very well-made and inclusive, and the story is able to cover various conflicts and aspects of the time in which this work is set. It is a great book for nearly all readers to go through, and will definitely not leave you regretting ever picking it up.
One of the things that sets this book apart from others is the fact that it tells a very widely inclusive story in a very fluid manner. Throughout the novel, the main view of the ongoing plot is switched between a politician dealing with a large amount of corruption, a Martian Marine attempting to survive and fight against a newly discovered and very dangerous virus, a wanted starship captain attempting to simply get by and help those that he can, and even more people past that. Using this frequent change in perspective, Corey is able to submerge the reader into a very well thought out and all-encompassing plot, allowing them to better imagine the world in which this book’s story is set.
Another aspect of this work that also allows the book to differentiate itself from others is the extensive setting. The time chosen to be the set period for the actions happening in this novel is a well-chosen one, and allows the author of this book to exhibit a large amount of flexibility in creating the physical and ideological setting, a flexibility which he uses to its maximum extent. Many things in this novel, such as space colonization, military power armor, and starship design and engineering, are simply well thought out ideas, and every single one of them have every little detail about them planned out and explained somewhere throughout the story. This allows the reader to gain a large amount of knowledge on the subject, and also gives them the opportunity to feel as though they are part of the story themselves, as if what is happening in the novel is really happening all around them in real life.
In short, “Caliban’s War” is a great novel for many different readers. It is highly recommended for those that enjoy the fiction and science fiction book genres, but also encompasses a large variety of subjects in it, and can therefore be a great choice for readers of all other genres as well. If you haven’t read it yet, pick up a copy as soon as possible!(less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Fil Garrison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another solid entry into what is really becoming a go-to science fiction series for me. The unique setting (a colonized solar system with fantastic, yet realistic technology), colorful characters, and snappy plot are all on display in this novel.

The characters, particularly, deserve a mention. Some of the most diverse and interesting people form the points of view in 3/4 of the chapters of this novel (the 4th being Captain James Holden, from the previous novel). Included are Bobbie Draper, a 2 m...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Meron Axos rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Caliban's War is a good example of a fantastic premise and strong basic plot ruined by weak characterization, poor dialogue and over-the-top action scenes.

The author seems to feel that the way to write complex characters is to basically just give each one two completely different personalities, bounce between them and expect that somehow that will create depth. All it really creates is a sense of low-grade schizophrenia. I never felt I knew who these people really were, hence I couldn't really...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Koen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Caliban’s War is definitely better than Leviathan’s Wake and Daniel Abraham and Ty Frenck exceeded themselves. The number of key characters increased with regard to Leviathan’s Wake. Chrisjen Avasarala is one of the new key characters and plays an important political role. One of my favourite new characters is Bobbie, short for Roberta Draper, a Gunnery Sergeant from Mars. Of course the crew of the Rocinante is still present and their characters develop further during this book. I think Daniel A...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Melissa Prange rated it 2 of 5 stars

The curse of the second book has struck again. James S. A. Corey’s second book in the Expanse series, Caliban’s War, was less than stellar and at times down right boring. Color me unimpressed.

Caliban’s War picks up several years after the events of Leviathan Wakes. Holden’s now working for the OPA and, still, no one knows what the heck is going on with Venus. It’s been relatively peaceful. No major wars have broken out and nothing has climbed out of the second planet’s atmosphere. Things, howeve...more The curse of the second book has struck again. James S. A. Corey’s second book in the Expanse series, Caliban’s War, was less than stellar and at times down right boring. Color me unimpressed.

Caliban’s War picks up several years after the events of Leviathan Wakes. Holden’s now working for the OPA and, still, no one knows what the heck is going on with Venus. It’s been relatively peaceful. No major wars have broken out and nothing has climbed out of the second planet’s atmosphere. Things, however, are about to blow up in everyone’s faces.

First, several children with immune disorders are abducted from Ganymede.

Second, teams of UN and Mars marines are slaughtered by a protomolecule monster.

And finally, Venus begins to show escalated activity.

These three sparks could have sent our cast of characters on a merry ride, but unfortunately, Corey sticks us with hundreds of pages of political mumbo jumbo. Now, maybe for some, this is their cup of tea, but I don’t like my Science Fiction with a heaping dose of politics. I prefer running and screaming sort of Scifi (a la Leviathan Wakes, Alien, and Prometheus). It’s a lot less dry and stuffy that way. Oh, and Caliban’s War was very stuffy. I wanted to skip every chapter that was focused on Bobbie or Avasarala. I just couldn’t get myself to care about all the Mars/Earth/OPA politics that were going on or about the characters invested in them. I really liked the noir/horror vibe of the first book. Without Miller, the noir vibe was completely gone and the horror was severely lacking. This book wasn’t exciting. Ever. And the big climax just fizzled. I might have given up hope on the whole thing about halfway through if I hadn’t looked at the last page.

I really, really wanted to like Caliban’s War. I mean, I absolutely loved Leviathan Wakes, but this clunker just couldn’t stand up to the awesomeness that was the first book. I really think it was a mistake for the authors to change storytelling styles. In addition to the political angle, I also think it was a mistake to include Prax as a POV character. His viewpoint added next to nothing since he was with Holden for the entire book. I’m just really disappointed in this book as a whole. I hope the third will prove to be better. (less)

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Nov 11, 2012 M T rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a continuation of Leviathan Wakes and it is pretty much identical in context and style, though it does get a bit thicker.

The characters are fleshed out a little more; some in a more human way, others become even more cartoonish - especially the new characters introduced for this novel.

I know its a soap opera, and I keep telling myself it needs to be a little cheesy, but it sometimes goes a bit too far. I can not shake the feeling that sometimes there are words on the page that are purely...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Readers who want space adventure populated with well-developed characters

Caliban’s War will satisfy readers who want a fast-moving plot populated with believable, well-developed characters. Corey tells the story through four viewpoints: Holden, the renegade but charismatic spaceship captain; Roberta, a career soldier who has to switch sides; Avasarala, a sharp-tongued U.N. administrator; and Prax, a scientist whose daughter Mei has been kidnapped. The most personal urgent quest is Prax’s search for his child, who is being held by terrorists. She disappears from Ganym...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Michael Cummings rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I reviewed Leviathan Wakes, I mentioned that I sat on that book for too long and was kicking myself for it. This time, I didn't make that mistake, and now I have to live with the repercussions - waiting another year for the third volume.

Readers of Leviathan Wakes will be able to step into the pages of this book without pause. The writing duo that makes up James S.A. Corey took an approach I have to respect - there's no backstory, no summation of the previous novel, not even an awkward chapt...more When I reviewed Leviathan Wakes, I mentioned that I sat on that book for too long and was kicking myself for it. This time, I didn't make that mistake, and now I have to live with the repercussions - waiting another year for the third volume.

Readers of Leviathan Wakes will be able to step into the pages of this book without pause. The writing duo that makes up James S.A. Corey took an approach I have to respect - there's no backstory, no summation of the previous novel, not even an awkward chapter of "well, you remember when we did this thing just happened a day ago for us but was up to a year ago for the reader?" It also means that the 600+ pages of this book are written with the intent of making this story move forward.

Book two begins with the tensions between Mars and Earth still high. On the breadbasket and nursery of the outer Solar System, Ganymede, the tensions is broken with an attack by a creature that is very reminiscent of Eros. Is this a sign that the protovirus has spread out from Venus, or is this another example of greed gone wrong?

While Leviathan Wakes was well balanced between Holden and Miller, this second book is more wholly Holden's story. There are four other characters with POV time, but Holden is a solid 30% of the book, and like before, he doesn't always know when to keep his mouth shut - which is probably why we like him. He's the cocky know it all who's too busy trying to do the right thing to notice when he's totally messing it all up. Our new cast members, besides the always lovable band of rogues that is the crew of the Rocinante, include a Martian gunnery sergeant, an Earther politician, and a botanist from Ganymede, Pax.

Which, sadly, is why I reluctantly did not give this a full five stars. The story of Caliban's War begins and centers around the disappearance of Pax's daughter, Mei, which as far as plot devices go is a great one. I know as a father I wouldn't let a little thing like interplanetary hostilities or marauding alien viruses get in my way if one of my girl's was kidnapped. What bothered me, as readers of Leviathan Wakes will understand, is that this is the second time in a row we've used the missing daughter gambit to justify our adventure. I have nothing but respect for the collective brains that made this book, I just wish that they had done something a little different this time. Yes, without getting spoilerly, the plot device works, probably even better than it did it in the first book. It makes sense of what we learn and it fits - its just too bad we've done this before.

Is there fighting? Of course!

Are there starships on fire off the shoulders of Orion? Sort of, if by Orion you mean Jupiter.

Is it space opera? You bet. Spaceships whiz and the fate of worlds - and humanity - can be seen in the balance. If that's your thing, then there's no good excuse for why you aren't reading the Expanse series with me.(less)

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Sep 27, 2012 Jacqie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I still really enjoyed this novel of the Expanse series, but there were a couple of things that I didn't like quite as much as the last book.

The book is set a couple of years after the end of the last book ( I believe). The first and second chapters of the book are gripping- great writing! Bobbie, the Martian Marine, ends up being about my favorite character in the book. Although we certainly get the picture- she's a big girl, yes, she certainly is big.

Another reviewer noted that the plot is alm...more I still really enjoyed this novel of the Expanse series, but there were a couple of things that I didn't like quite as much as the last book.

The book is set a couple of years after the end of the last book ( I believe). The first and second chapters of the book are gripping- great writing! Bobbie, the Martian Marine, ends up being about my favorite character in the book. Although we certainly get the picture- she's a big girl, yes, she certainly is big.

Another reviewer noted that the plot is almost exactly mirrors that of the first book- there's a missing girl who sets everything in motion. We see more of Holden and his crew. Holden is scarred by his experience on Eros and beyond, and it's interesting to see the change. We also get a lot more of Earth/Mars politics. This is a book more about ideas than action, but you don't even really notice that as you're swept up in the story.

The sad fact of a second book is that the wonder of entering a new universe of the first book is dimmed, even if slightly, and the author has the difficult job of either instilling wonder through a new mechanism, or going deeper into the issues and giving the reader meatier things to think about.

The first book in the series, Leviathan Wakes, is a hard act to follow. You had two well-drawn characters who were sharp contrasts to each other, and the difference in their philosophies interested me as much as the actual plot. In this book, we have 4 POV characters, not two. And at least 2 of the characters just didn't seem to have as much nuance for me. One was a scientist who wanted to save his little girl, and ended up often being the mouthpiece for intellectual insight that the other characters couldn't realistically have. The other, an old Indian lady who says f*** a lot, seems to be loved universally by everyone but me. I wasn't charmed by her incongruous use of f***, and she didn't seem to be nearly as smart as she thought she was. She also strongly reminded me of a middle-aged female character in the Dagger and the Coin series. She was a political animal who counted on her alliances, only to find out that reality wasn't what she thought.

I really liked Bobbie, although I felt her last big scene was a bit anticlimactic. I'd always been fonder of Miller than Holden, so Holden was still not my hero in this book.

It's harder to hold the tautness of any book with 4 POVs instead of 2. This book was perhaps a bit longer than it should have been, although not so long that it lost my interest.

But I'm really looking forward to seeing what the third book brings. More on Venus, please!(less)

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rastronomicals You touch on a lot of my reservations so though I want to talk about the book, I'll just comment on your review, rather than write a new one.

I had a r...more
Oct 31, 2012 09:19am

Jacqie I like how you've seen the parallels between the two books- you caught a lot of equivalencies I missed.

I agree that the book seemed to peak early, on...more
Oct 31, 2012 09:44am

Jul 24, 2012 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy

Sequel to LEVIATHAN WAKES, but there's enough recapping to stand alone (assuming you'd want to, because the first book is terrific too). Here along with continuing the adventures of Holden and his merry crew against the scarily powerful alien protomolecule that is reshaping the entire planet of Venus the authors introduce two absolutely fab new characters--one a UN official who is a tiny East Indian grandma with the most hilariously wonderful potty mouth and the other a female Marine gunny with...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Bobscopatz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Bobscopatz by: lots of people

This is shaping up to be a great series. I'm impressed with the setting and the sort of "next tick of the clock" time frame for humanity. The villains are believable. The characters are well rounded, multidimensional, and their motivations make sense. It is extremely well written--like its predecessor.

More please!

One other thought occurred to me after a day or so of reflection -- this is what I kind of remembered the original Foundation series (the older books) to be like. Interestingly, when I...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Jacqui rated it 4 of 5 stars

Second books in a trilogy can sometimes be duds, they meander around the narrative, the characters limping along, shadows of their first book selves, their sole purpose to set up the scenario for the final installment. But "Caliban's War", part 2 of The Expanse trilogy (part 1 is "Leviathan wakes"), doesn't do that, it becomes its own book, pulling out of the evolving narrative its own themes and heart. There is never a dull moment, there are no weakly written or limping plot lines here.
It is a...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Last year’s Leviathan Wakes was pretty well received on the whole (though some did question its science.) Not only was it one of the Locus Books of the year and a Hugo nominee, it was one of our SFFWorld SF Books of 2011, on the part of Rob and myself. So this sequel is much awaited, and not just by us.

Set a few months after Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War moves things along on a bigger and grander scale. Some of the events of LW continue to make their mark. The planet Venus is being altered by...more Last year’s Leviathan Wakes was pretty well received on the whole (though some did question its science.) Not only was it one of the Locus Books of the year and a Hugo nominee, it was one of our SFFWorld SF Books of 2011, on the part of Rob and myself. So this sequel is much awaited, and not just by us.

Set a few months after Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War moves things along on a bigger and grander scale. Some of the events of LW continue to make their mark. The planet Venus is being altered by the protomolecule that threatened Earth in Leviathan Wakes. James Holden and his crew on the Rocinante are involved in OCP supply runs, bringing aid to beleaguered places such as Ganymede, whilst the war between Earth and Mars continues with the Belter worlds and the outer planets holding together an uneasy autonomy.

Whereas last time the tale was mainly told from space pilot Holden and detective Miller’s points of view, this time we have just Holden’s but added to that are the characters of Bobbie, a Martian soldier who is the sole survivor of a massacre on Ganymede, Avasarala, a diplomat trying to bring the Earth-Mars-Outer planets dispute to an end, and Praxidike/Prax, a scientist on Ganymede whose daughter is mysteriously kidnapped just before a solar mirror crashed down on the planet-sized moon of Jupiter. It seems that the disaster may have been an attempt to cover the kidnapper’s tracks, and like on Eros in LW, the actions of multi-corporations are again suspected.

So: bigger range of characters, bigger vision, more complex plot. The book really benefits from these new points of view. The new characters are generally great, from the potty-mouthed granny figure that is Avasarala, to the stubborn fish-out-of-water character of Bobbie who finds that political fighting can be as bad as real warfare, and Prax who spends most of the novel being used in a battle of hearts and minds as the politics and the fighting starts.

Interestingly, the authors have improved some of the characters we have met before – most especially Holden, who, as less of a Dan Dare type hero this time around, I appreciated much more than I did in LW. Having got to know the characters in Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War is where the books build on the friendship between Holden and the rest of his crew to keep things together. This works especially with Naomi, but also Alex and Amos. Their mutual affection reminded me here of Chris Wooding’s Ketty Jay series. Like that series, friendships are tested here, and the outcome is not always pleasant.

As the plot quickens at the midway point – the protomolecule spreads, there’s fighting around Ganymede and Holden begins to suspect that an ally is not what he seems to be – the book steps up a notch. It’s not easy juggling all these aspects but it is done well on the whole.

On the down side, the rotation of each chapter between the characters can be quite wearying. The space of the plot is fast, which is good, but often this speed can be used to cover up some of the contrivances, as it is here. There were times when a couple of the plot points seemed a little too coincidental: the meeting of Holden and Prax was just a little too convenient, as was the speed at which Holden took on Prax’s plea for help.

However, as the plot becomes more complex, it cannot be denied that it is an engaging read.
You need to really read Leviathan Wakes first. But those who enjoyed LW will enjoy Caliban’s War as much, if not more, than the first book. As revelation after revelation is revealed, the pace of the novel keeps those pages turning, and there’s a very interesting event at the end that is the precursor to the next book.

If Leviathan Wakes was Star Wars (fast pace, great action, lots of running about on a space station) then this is The Empire Strikes Back (better script, more complex characters and more intricate plot, based in an ice station and a space ship rather than on a space station.)
A crackingly enjoyable read that I’m pleased to say didn’t let me down.

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Jun 18, 2012 Rory rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Leviathan Wakes just a month or so ago, and was immediately impatient for the follow up.

Caliban's War doesn't disappoint, at all. It continues the story of James Holden and his crew, taking them to a darker place. It's interesting to see how they've changed in the year (their time) since we last saw them. Holden is very much compromised by the things he's seen, and the things he's done, making for a different sort of protagonist than he was the first time around.

The other characters in th...more I read Leviathan Wakes just a month or so ago, and was immediately impatient for the follow up.

Caliban's War doesn't disappoint, at all. It continues the story of James Holden and his crew, taking them to a darker place. It's interesting to see how they've changed in the year (their time) since we last saw them. Holden is very much compromised by the things he's seen, and the things he's done, making for a different sort of protagonist than he was the first time around.

The other characters in the book draw attention to this, telling him he's becoming like Miller, the jaded and doomed co-protagonist of Leviathan Wakes. His relationships with his friends are put to the test, and you can feel how close Holden comes to falling apart, as those relationships seem to fragment.

Ultimately, this is more of a personal arc for him than the first novel was. A redemption story, where he has to hit somewhere close to rock bottom before he can climb his way back out. Naomi, Amos and Alex all remain appealing back up characters to that story, and I'm glad that Corey isn't turning out to be the kind of writer who just kills background characters for effect.

The added POV characters are interesting. Avasarala is a fun one. Cantankerous, deadly smart, no time for bullshit politician. She adds a much needed view of the bigger picture, shedding light on the brinkmanship and sensitive political issues that were hinted at in the first novel.

I wasn't keen on Prax, or his quest to find his daughter. Kids in peril isn't really something that tugs at my heartstrings, and as a result I never really figured out why Holden wanted to help him so much. Bigger issues at stake, and all that.

Of the new POV characters, my favourite was Bobbie Philips, the Martian marine that goes through a trauma at the beginning of the novel, then slowly regains her footing, finding new purpose and relevance. I found myself really hoping she'd join the crew of the Rocinante by the end of the novel.

James S.A. Corey is good at creating amoral, sociopathic villains, who seem to have more in mind than just personal power. But I felt that the ones in Caliban's War were a bit too similar to Dresden, from the first book. In a way, they should be, given their similar goals, but I think the 'unveiling of who's behind this' moments in both books have been a little weak.

I think the protomolecule is a fantastic idea. In the first book, it was a great macguffin to build the plot around. In this one, it's become something much more. What's happening on Venus is as much of a mystery as anything else, and it's there where I feel Corey must have done the most planning. Because with this build up, it's got to be something truly spectacular and earthshaking.

All in all though, it's a very good novel, and I look forward to book three of The Expanse. This one certainly ends on a tantalising moment that leaves you desperate to know what happens next.(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Christian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

We readers can be a cruel, vicious pack of jackals, sniffing out a novel's flaws with a singular, Darwinian determination - honing in ruthlessly on the padded protagonist; the fictional filler; the cornflour of creativity. We hate that juddering lurch where a clanging InfoDump forces your eye to reflexively skip a bunch of paragraphs, or when the Enter Stage Left of a Prêt à Cliché stock character snaps you out of the fragile, euphoric equilibrium of the Lost Reader's Trance and back to the tedi...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is shaping up to be an excellent series. I really enjoyed Bobbie and Avasarala. Both are well written, strong yet human characters who happen to be women.

Bobbie's a Martian Marine who gets catapulted from a ground war into the political intrigue of Earth, Mars and the OTA (and the sects within them). She has to unpack circumstances in her own way and does so in rather memorable ways at times. As a space marine she has a suit that she admits at one point makes her a super-hero, but her stren...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Dana Stabenow rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was up until 1:30am this morning reading this book because there was no way I was going to wait until I got up to finish it. Even better than the first in this series (Leviathan's Wake), which as here combines good characters and dialogue with a fully realized setting from Earth to Jupiter. Throw in some great combat scenes on and in orbit around Ganymede and Io and a seriously spooky alien growing way too big for its britches on Venus and Corey's pretty much got the Solar System covered. As H...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, science-fiction

I enjoyed Leviathan Wakes enough that I bought Caliban's War as soon as it was published. This is one of those rare times that the second book in a series is better than the first. It picks up a year after LW, and the feel of the story is quite different.

LW had the two very different POV's of Miller and Holden. This one has four POV's: Holden, whose character has hardened a lot since the first book; Prax, a scientist whose daughter is kidnapped right before an attack on Ganymede by a monstrous p...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok - anti-pet peeve book here. Can't tell you how many times I pick up a series and just read them in a row. But when you pick up say book#2 in the series, you have to have a bunch of recap stuff everywhere - as if you can really fit the 500-600 pages you missed if you just started the series with the second book. Caiban's War kept this to an absolute minimum. Well done.

So I am not sure if I am just in a good mood or I liked what might be an impossible character. Chrisjen Avasarala is one of th...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Edward Hazzan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

After the first book in this series, I just had to read this. Another good page turner, right up until the very, very end which left me feeling a little cheated. It drops such a massive cliffhanger, right at the end, that I was left wondering if the was any point to this instalment other than just to kill time whilst the writers get number three ready.

Some new characters are introduced, and those that persist are developed in interesting ways. Holden is feeling a little out of sorts after Leviat...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Robert H rated it 5 of 5 stars

Caliban's War is the second in a trilogy by James S.A. Corey (actually two authors writing together), and while it could be read as a stand alone book, a lot of understanding of what happened in the first book is required to make sense of this story. As in Leviathan Wakes, the book moves between the viewpoints of several characters whose paths cross and part over the course of the book.

The pace of this book was a little different than Leviathan Wakes, possibly because instead of two main viewpo...more

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Jul 02, 2012 David Sven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Just like Leviathan Wakes, a fast and easy read. This second book in the series was even better than the first I felt with more POV characters and the political system expanded on. See my review for Leviathan Wakes (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...).
Again this book doesn't leave us hanging but completes its main plot lines. It does however give us a bit of a teaser at the end that has me itching for the next book in the series.

Continuing on where the first book left off, Jimmy Holden is...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-reviews

I loved this book. It seems rare to me to find a 2nd book in a series that lives up to the first. I would rate it even higher than the first book, but that may just be personal preference as I wasn't the hugest fan of the noir style in the first book. The thing I liked the most were the little personal moments. They were usually just a couple sentences, a half a page at most. Avasarala and her husband expressing how much they love each other. The crew voting Holden as captain immediately with th...more

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Caliban's War (Expanse #2)

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