Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Caliban's War (The Expanse, #2)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Caliban's War

(The Expanse #2)

James S.A. Corey (Goodreads Author)

4.34 · Rating details · 104,433 ratings · 5,860 reviews

We are not alone.

On Ganymede, breadbasket of the outer planets, a Martian marine watches as her platoon is slaughtered by a monstrous supersoldier. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting. And on Venus, an alien protomolecule has overrun the planet, wreaking massive, mysterious changes and threatening to spread out into the ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 595 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Orbit (Hachette)

More Details... Edit Details

Featured Notes & Highlights

James Corey

1 note & 1 highlight

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Caliban's War, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century

881 books — 8,417 voters

Science Fiction & Fantasy Titles for 2012!

645 books — 1,523 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.34 ·

Rating details

· 104,433 ratings · 5,860 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Caliban's War (The Expanse, #2)

May 01, 2020 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5/5 stars

Avasarala is finally here!!!

Unlike Leviathan Wakes, I’m venturing into uncharted territory within the series for the first time here. By that, I meant that I haven’t watched any part of Caliban’s War, the second book in The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey duo, in the television series adaptation except for some episodes consisting of Avasarala and Bobbie. Caliban’s War is a superior book compared to Leviathan Wakes in every aspect. This is caused mostly by Corey’s decision to expa ...more

flag 201 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2016 Jeffrey Keeten rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, book-to-film

Things go very wrong in the colony on Ganymede.

”It grabbed an UN Marine in its huge hands and tore him in half like paper. Titanium-and-ceramic armor ripped as easily as the flesh inside, spilling broken bits of technology and wet human viscera indiscriminately onto the ice. The remaining five soldiers ran even harder, but the monster chasing them barely slowed as it killed.

‘Shoot it shoot it shoot it,’ Bobbie yelled, and opened fire.

The creature was a relatively slow-moving human-sized target, ...more

flag 201 likes · Like · see review

Jun 29, 2018 Mario the lone bookwolf rated it it was amazing

Shelves: corey-james-s-a

I´ve recently finished the eighth part and I must say that the immense coherency, precision in plotting, and meta context are so finetuned that it is a joy to read. The effort to polish this until perfection without hardly any logic holes, lengths, and errors and to stay comprehensible must be immense and I must say that I´ve rarely ever seen something like that in Sci-Fi because it´s such a difficult task.

Mostly, the novels of a series are closed in itself and there are not so many retrospects I´ve recently finished the eighth part and I must say that the immense coherency, precision in plotting, and meta context are so finetuned that it is a joy to read. The effort to polish this until perfection without hardly any logic holes, lengths, and errors and to stay comprehensible must be immense and I must say that I´ve rarely ever seen something like that in Sci-Fi because it´s such a difficult task.

Mostly, the novels of a series are closed in itself and there are not so many retrospects and connections because it can get too complicated. Peter F Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds, Banks, and some others come close, but Hamilton is the only one with similar interconnections and great character development.

It´s not just that the events, fractions, and happenings of the previous parts are just used for reminiscences, the whole power balance, allies, and economic motivations change and keep both the honest, direct war and the hidden, political messes and stabbing in backs evolving. In such cases I try to imagine the storyboard with interconnections and lines in different colors, metaplots, subplots,… and how complex and interwoven it must be for the creators standing in front and, while writing, in their work and expanding it, pun intended.

And there is everything, the war, supersoldiers, rebel fractions, big questions about the alien technology, mixed quantum fantasy elements, the highly recommended function of putting the name of the character whose POV is described in front of each chapter to get quicker and directer suspense without the need of explaining where we are, extreme attention on the detailed and realistic description of ship design, physics, life in space,... perfect balance of technobabble, harmless infodumps, tons of tropes, a perfect balance of believable characters who are great for constructing inner and outer conflicts, unbelievable worldbuilding, sense of wonder till surfeit, just everything is done completely right to write one of the greatest space operas ever.

Even people who aren´t so in Sci-Fi can read it just because of the characters, like someone who reads Game of Thrones because of an interest in the protagonists and not because of medieval times, magic and stuff. I think that Sci-Fi needed something like that, away from the, for an average audience, too complex hard sci-fi, the too slow and less explosive social sci-fi, too indodumpy and tech-focused cyberpunk and the general very long and complex novels of many authors.

One of the reasons why this series is so great may lie in the cooperation of the authors, that the weaknesses, if there are any, of the one can be compensated by the other and that everyone writes the stuff he ist best at. This practice could get interesting in the future, not just with more and more collaborations to produce high-quality content, but with collaborative writing in a fictional social cataloging network, let´s call it goodbook. Whose inhabitants could, with the help of the book adaptability quote, become professional at escalating the whole thing very quickly, because the knowledge and experience of thousands of readers of specific genres is immense and the one or other might have already played with the thought of writing something, but has problems with the plot or the characters or the twists or…

Growing food in space is a tricky thing, even with advantages such as permanent solar energy and sunshine or someday taming and using the power of black holes, etc., but the side effect is the omnipresent danger of being a very attractive target in case of a war, of getting sabotaged or of errors, black swans, tiny imbalances that accumulate to a collapse of the food production. Personally, I would avoid direct sunlight, drill deep inside asteroids, dwarfs planets or planets and build underground farming complexes, avoiding most dangers this way and focusing on a mix of bioreactors and farming, to have 2 independent food production lines in case of catastrophes.

Zombies in space that vomit, what else could ones´ hearth wish for. But seriously, the average umbrella corporation zombie reason with out of control bioweapons can be greatly extended when one goes to space. Be it parasites, symbionts, programs converting all biological mass in something more useful for them, mind control,... it´s always great fun.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
This series has some of the most amazing and massive tropeicaltiy t I´ve ever seen.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
...more

flag 177 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2015 Kemper rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, vast-conspiracy, space, expanse, 2017-reread, sci-fi

**Reread update 5/17/17**

One big thing that stands out to me going back to this after reading all the available books in the series is that my complaint about distinct bad guys not getting introduced until very late in the stories was addressed. From this point on we almost always have a face of the threat through most of the action, and that’s an improvement that made a great series even better.

I also wanted to check this out again after seeing the second season of the TV series. The show has g **Reread update 5/17/17**

One big thing that stands out to me going back to this after reading all the available books in the series is that my complaint about distinct bad guys not getting introduced until very late in the stories was addressed. From this point on we almost always have a face of the threat through most of the action, and that’s an improvement that made a great series even better.

I also wanted to check this out again after seeing the second season of the TV series. The show has gotten so good that I’m now visualizing all the characters as the actors who play them while reading. There’s also an interesting dynamic in that that the two-headed writer who makes up the James SA Corey name also works on the show, and since they have the advantage of knowing what’s going to happen for the next several books it’s able to shade in lot of character nuance and motivations that were just a little thin and simplistic in the early going.

So now I’m counting the days until the new book publishes and the next season premieres.

(Original review.)
Essentially this is a mix of Game of Thrones and Firefly without all the rape and child burning and people talking like they’re in a western movie.

Humanity has expanded throughout our solar system, colonizing Mars and various moons and asteroids. Since people are always gonna be people, and will therefore suck, political tensions are high between Earth, Mars, and the Belters, and the events of the first book in the series have the threat of war seeming higher than ever. And just like in Westeros everyone is so consumed with their petty scheming and power plays that they’re ignoring the much larger threat that is growing under their noses. So it falls to a crew of misfits running their own ship for profit to step in when the shit hits the air recyclers.

This on-going space opera has sucked me in to its world...er… solar system completely with its spaceships, action, politics, and weird sci-fi elements mixed with just enough humor and emotional weight to give it some heft beyond its pew!-pew! appeal. The characters are well drawn even if they aren’t particularly deep, and their motivations are plainly spelled out in their dialogue. So this is all text, no subtext, but it is entertaining. I particularly liked the new character of Chrisjen Avasarala, a grandmother and UN official from Earth whose little old lady appearance is subverted by her foul mouth and political cunning.

However, the series so far has suffered a bit from not giving us any perspective from the vast conspiracy that is causing so much of the trouble. Granted, some of this has been played as a mystery to solve, but for two books now we’ve gotten no sense of who the bad guys are or what they're planning other than what’s been figured out by the heroes. Both books have finally revealed a kind of mid-level mastermind character near the end, and in both cases these have been full on mustache twirling villains so the threat they pose seems kind of vague and cartoonish.

Still, this one ends on a helluva twist that has me itching to roll right into the next one, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough when I was in the midst of this. I’ll be happily returning to the Expanse series as soon as possible.

Plus, this trailer for the show coming to SyFy based on the series has got me even more excited. ...more

flag 130 likes · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2013 Alejandro rated it liked it

Shelves: novel, science-fiction

OK, I liked this book but...

WHERE I HAD READ THIS BEFORE?

I think that at its core, this second book is was too much similar to the first one.

I mean, there is a search for a girl (different age but the same basic idea), a mystery about a threat, and the tensions between the policital powers.

The only difference is that while the first book, Leviathan Wakes can be read a stand-alone book if you wish, maybe since the authors weren't sure to get the chance of... expanding it (pun intended)... ...more

flag 115 likes · Like · see review

Apr 12, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, paperback-own, sci-fi, own

Awesome! A+

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

flag 113 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2013 carol. rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: people who have series OCD and read Leviathan Wakes

Shelves: awards, yawn, sci-fi

Leviathan Wakes was one of my great reads this year (review: http://carols.booklikes.com/post/3263... ). It broke into my reading blahs and set off a trend of great reads. After finishing, I promptly placed a library request for Caliban’s War, out of general interest and just the tiniest bit of series OCD. When it arrived, I was in the middle of monthly reads for my book club, then all hell broke open over at Goodreads, resulting in a loss of reading mojo, quickly followed by reviewing mojo. Bri ...more

flag 105 likes · Like · see review

Dec 09, 2013 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com

I was a little hesitant to pick up Caliban’s War because the first book (Leviathan Wakes) was so amazing, how could the second book possibly compare? I was even worried I’d get bored because I thought I’d figured out which characters we’d be following and what direction the story was headed… Boy was I wrong! And happy to be so. It was definitely different from the first novel, and didn’t lack any of the adventure and excitement!

As I mentioned, I Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com

I was a little hesitant to pick up Caliban’s War because the first book (Leviathan Wakes) was so amazing, how could the second book possibly compare? I was even worried I’d get bored because I thought I’d figured out which characters we’d be following and what direction the story was headed… Boy was I wrong! And happy to be so. It was definitely different from the first novel, and didn’t lack any of the adventure and excitement!

As I mentioned, I thought I knew which characters we’d hear from in Caliban’s War and was pleasantly surprised with the introduction of a handful of brand-new POVs who added fresh perspectives to the story without losing any momentum. Of course, it wouldn’t have been the same without Holden and his crew and I’m thrilled he seems to be the through-line for the series. Some of the new characters are among my favorite so far (specifically Avasarala, the feisty old politician – if I had half of her gusto, I’d be unstoppable!). As always, each character was interesting and well-rounded and I am eager to see who’s featured in the third novel.

The conflicts in this novel are a lot narrower, but by no means less exciting. It’s all working to build this brilliant momentum, and great momentum is what sets apart good books from great books in my opinion. Most of my favorite series have that in common. To that end, Caliban’s War gets an A+ for pacing. It’s that “holyshit-hold-your-breath-until-it-over” type of stuff that I love. I actually had to stop reading it before bed because it would get me too wound up to sleep.

Overall, if you like fast-paced adventure and excitement in your books, you’ll love these! I am certain I will be reading them again.

Recommended Reading: I would hand this series to sci-fi lovers, but it’s definitely a space opera (my new favorite genre). This is also an excellent series to hand someone wanting to try either genre. All I can say is, hold onto your seats – it’s going to be a wild ride! ...more

flag 87 likes · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2016 Apatt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi

When I read the first book of The Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes I was not that impressed with it. It was, however, an instant hit with the majority of the sci-fi readership. My main problem was that I did not really care for the main characters. Consequently, I decided not to continue with the series. Then a few months ago Syfy started broadcasting The Expanse Season 1 their adaptation of Leviathan Wakes to practically universal acclaim. I wondered if I may have somehow misjudged the book s ...more

flag 64 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2016 Sanaa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-2016-2017

[5 Stars] That ending. Someone hold me. I wasn't ready for that. ...more

flag 64 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cthulhu-goes-ph-nglui-mglw-nafh-ct, sci-fi, space-opera, biopunk, fanboy-goes-squee, worldbuilding-sf, zombies-go-braaaaaaaaaains

Re-Read 7/7/18

It's so great doing a re-read. I mean, I was somewhat hesitant at first but it's so rich with detail and the action is perfect. And by action, I don't just mean Bobby in her Goliath suit. I mean Avasarala on her com. :) Avasarala is a FORCE to behold. :)

All in all, though, this second book happens to kick major butt. Venus really stole the show by the end, but all the Powers butting heads was also fun as hell.

Did anyone else whoop when Avasarala and Bobby got on the Rocinante?

It wa ...more

flag 60 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2016 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

5.0 Stars
Spoiler Discussion Video: https://youtu.be/M7uqM82nhAc
I often struggle with sequels, because, in my personal experience, they rarely live up to the perfection of first novels. Therefore, I'm happy to pronounce that Caliban's War was a solid sequel to Leviathan Wakes. I would even go so far as to suggest that it might even be a better novel than the first in some ways.

This novel provides a lot of character development to the cast of misfits introduced in the first book, along with introd ...more

flag 59 likes · Like · see review

Dec 17, 2017 Choko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

*** 4.25 ***

"...“That man’s asshole must be tight enough right now to bend space.”..."

It must be the right time for me and Sci-Fi, because I loved it! Caliban's War is the second installment in the "Expance" series and I actually enjoyed it better than the first one! No, nothing was wrong with the first one either, I even missed our pulp-noir drunken detective with nothing to lose, but fortunately the authors gave us to kick-ass female characters who more than made up for Miller's loss.

" ...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2020 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, audio, library, 2020

4 to 4.5 stars

The Space Opera continues and it ain't over until the fat lady sings . . . or, until you make your way through several oversized tomes!

I don't really have anything to add to this review that I didn't already already cover in my review of Leviathan Wakes. It is another epic in the middle of a bigger epic. The characters are dynamic and interesting. The action is intense. The horror is terrifyingly. All in all, a satisfying and exhausting experience.

When I read books and series like ...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Jul 05, 2018 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In this second installment, we're still following events I already know (more or less) from the show.

After billions of years of being in the Solar system, unable to do what it came here to do, the protomolecule is working hard on finishing its job now, whatever that job is.
We meet a few new players in this second installment, most notably Avasarala and Bobbie. The former is a potty-mouthed deputy to the UN Secretary General, the latter a kick-ass Martian Marine.
These two allow us glimpses at E In this second installment, we're still following events I already know (more or less) from the show.

After billions of years of being in the Solar system, unable to do what it came here to do, the protomolecule is working hard on finishing its job now, whatever that job is.
We meet a few new players in this second installment, most notably Avasarala and Bobbie. The former is a potty-mouthed deputy to the UN Secretary General, the latter a kick-ass Martian Marine.
These two allow us glimpses at Earth and the political crisis the events from book 1 have sparked throughout the Solar system. Avasarala, while being a politician, is actually a good person, swearing so much that any sailor would blush, but ultimately caring deeply about the future. Therefore, she wants to get the people behind Eros as much as Bobbie, who loses her entire platoon to a new version of a protomolecule-human hybrid and swears revenge.
Then, there is also Prax, a botanist and father of Mei - a child with a rare immune disease. While trying to get his daughter back and figuring out who took her and why, he meets Holden and his crew, and they agree to help him.
After some juggling of bureaucratic idiots, Avasarala and Bobbie team up and eventually also meet the crew of the Rocinante, bringing together all four POVs and giving the reader epic space battles and creepy space stations to explore and fight in.
But let's not forget the old players from book one, because they will factor into the events here as well.

Yes, my favourite characters were definitely "grandma" Avasarala and Bobbie, but also the entire environment of the book. I love the future the two authors are bringing to life here as well as the technology - most notably in this book the Martian Marine armor Bobbie wears.

I must say that I'm actually surprised at the number of events I liked better on the show such as (view spoiler). Both elements seem far better developed and thought through on the show.
However, there are also elements that are much more detailed here in the book, such as (view spoiler). Thus, one could say that the show and the books compliment and complete each other, which is actually quite nice.

Now, I've more or less reached the point where I don't know what's gonna happen (have to catch up on the show but there are also only 3 seasons of it and the book events are progressing farther) so it will be interesting to see how I think and feel about people and events from now on. Naturally, I'm most curious about the mystery behind the protomolecule (should we actually get answers) and (view spoiler). ...more

flag 49 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2015 Lindsey Rey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016, science-fiction, favorites

OMG!!!!!! WTF WTF WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

flag 49 likes · Like · see review

Sep 07, 2013 Dirk Grobbelaar rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, must-read-in-2014, acquired-in-2013, science-fiction, must-read-in-2015, must-read-in-2019

Dying she could handle.
Dying without any answers seemed terribly cruel.

I read Leviathan Wakes way back. While I enjoyed it well enough, I wasn’t compelled to rush off and start the next book immediately.

But, here we are. And given that this has now been adapted into a TV series (which I haven’t watched yet), the time has come to pick up where I left off…

“Ladies and gentlemen. This settlement is in security lockdown.”

…and I’m glad that I did! If this book is anything to go by the series is shapi ...more

flag 48 likes · Like · see review

Oct 11, 2017 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Avasarala and Bobbi are great! They get to be a lot stronger than the show.

Love the firefly led into the next book.

flag 45 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2019 Gabrielle rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, own-a-copy, thriller, reviewed, ongoing-series, speculative-fiction, read-in-2019

More like 4 and a half.

Yup, I drank the damn Kool-Aid and now I’m reading this series of inconveniently huge paperbacks. Sigh. What can I tell you: “The Expanse” is everything I could possibly want a space opera to be, both on the page and on the screen. It’s intricately plotted, furiously paced (I have screamed: “One more episode!” at my husband too many times to keep count), filled with awesome and diverse characters, and the world building is amazing. Now my struggle is figuring out how to fr More like 4 and a half.

Yup, I drank the damn Kool-Aid and now I’m reading this series of inconveniently huge paperbacks. Sigh. What can I tell you: “The Expanse” is everything I could possibly want a space opera to be, both on the page and on the screen. It’s intricately plotted, furiously paced (I have screamed: “One more episode!” at my husband too many times to keep count), filled with awesome and diverse characters, and the world building is amazing. Now my struggle is figuring out how to free up shelf space for them…

“Caliban’s War” begins pretty much where “Leviathan Wakes” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) left off: Earth has been saved by the skin of its teeth, thanks to James Holden and Joe Miller’s unlikely team work and sacrifice, but that doesn’t mean anyone in the Solar System has had much time to catch their breath. The Ganymede station is attacked and no one seems to know by whom (or what!), the governments of both Earth and Mars are simply itching to launch bombs at each other, and while crashing Eros on Venus was the best option available at the time, it turns out to have had serious consequences… Holden is still shaken up from saving Earth from the protomolecule, and seems to grieve by taking on some of Miller’s less recommendable traits, like extreme snarkiness and being a reckless wildcard who shoots first and asks questions never… He decides to help one of the survivors of the attack on Ganymede, a botanist named Prax Meng, who believes his daughter was kidnapped for nefarious purposes. On Earth, formidable political animal Chrisjen Avasarala works on preventing a System-wide war, and while her intentions are good, her methods can best be called questionable on certain occasions. She enlists the help of Martian Marine (ironic that they use the word "Marine" for soldiers from a desert planet...), Bobbie Draper, a rather intimidating woman who saw things the Martian military would like her not to talk about...

The Earth vs. Mars vs. the Belt conflict strikes me as depressingly realistic: the sign of excellent speculative fiction is that you read it and think to yourself “yup, that would totally happen”, which is absolutely the case with the complicated political mess that is this colonization of the Solar System. The SyFy adaptation is perfectly cast, so I now picture all the characters as they are portrayed on TV, but I must say that I am really pleased with the characterization as the series evolves: while the pacing doesn’t leave much room for deep dives into anyone’s back story, I find them all interesting and endearing in their own weird way. It’s also really lovely to have female characters in sci-fi who are not cookie-cutter stereotypes or defined by their sexuality: they have personalities, are competent at their jobs, flawed and layered.

Obviously, I missed Miller (#rememberthehat), who will always be sexy AF Thomas Jane in my (admittedly dirty) mind, but I was so excited to revisit the Rocinante’s crew (I simply adore Naomi!) and to finally meet Chrisjen Avasarala on the page! I am both fascinated and freaked out by this incredible lady, who makes Machiavelli sound like a garden-variety pencil pusher, and who rocks a million colourful saris. Of course, no Miller POV means the noir detective storyline and tone is gone, but the Firefly-type humor is still there (“If he hadn’t been the executive of the largest government body in the history of the human race, he’d have made a killing promoting health drinks.”), as is the plot’s constant hopping from fire to frying pan, which makes the book hard to put down. The addition of Prax is great, because it gives the reader a scientist’s perspective on the events unfolding, which makes the world building even more complex and interesting.

I don’t think any space opera series will ever top Becky Chambers’ “Wayfarer” series in my nerd-heart, but I’d say this is coming in at a close second. If you liked the first book, keep reading the series! And watch the show! ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: 21th-century, fiction, science, space

Caliban's War (Expanse, #2), James S.A. Corey

Caliban's War is a 2012 science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It is about a conflict in the solar system that involves Earth, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt (colonies of people living on asteroids, referred to as "Belters"). It is the second book in The Expanse series.

On Ganymede, Mei Meng is kidnapped from her preschool by her doctor. Several hours later, Earth and Martian space marines are attacked and e Caliban's War (Expanse, #2), James S.A. Corey

Caliban's War is a 2012 science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It is about a conflict in the solar system that involves Earth, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt (colonies of people living on asteroids, referred to as "Belters"). It is the second book in The Expanse series.

On Ganymede, Mei Meng is kidnapped from her preschool by her doctor. Several hours later, Earth and Martian space marines are attacked and effortlessly killed by a super soldier, with Bobbie Draper, a Martian marine, the only survivor. Earth and Mars begin a shooting war which throws Ganymede into chaos. In the aftermath, Mei's father Praxidike Meng fruitlessly searches for his daughter in the midst of the societal breakdown in the Ganymede colony.

Several months later, the crew of the Rocinante are tasked with delivering emergency aid to Ganymede. Meng spots James Holden during a food riot and asks the crew to help find his daughter. They agree and are able to trace her kidnappers to unused tunnels on the moon. Holden, Meng, and ship mechanic Amos Burton discover a secret lab. In the midst of a shootout with lab security, they inadvertently release another super soldier who kills some of the lab personnel. In the wake of the battle, the crew find remnants of the protomolecule and the corpse of Mei's friend, who was being treated by Mei's doctor for immunodeficiency. The crew rush to escape the station as more chaos erupts around them, and are able to make it back aboard the Rocinante.

Draper is brought to the peace talks between Earth and Mars occurring on Earth, giving testimony regarding the super soldier attack on Ganymede. She violates diplomatic protocol and is dismissed by the Martian delegation, but is then hired by Chrisjen Avasarala, who is leading the UN negotiations. Draper discovers that Avasarala's assistant is betraying her, leading Avasarala to conclude that her UN superiors are trying to get rid of her, from which she deduces that a group within the UN is responsible for the super soldier attack. Avasarala allows Draper to be brought along as her bodyguard on a slow-moving yacht headed to Ganymede on an ostensible relief mission.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه ژانویه سال 2018 میلادی

عنوان: گستره: کتاب دوم: جنگ کالیبان؛ نویسنده: جیمز اس.ای. کوری؛

ا. شربیانی ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jun 09, 2020 Char rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, from-library, science-fiction, humor

CALIBAN'S WAR is the second book in The Expanse series, and this is the one that made me a true fan and ensured my continuation of the series.

I want to make a special mention of the character Chrisjen Avasarala, the UN official-OMG her foul mouth had me laughing my ass off! She was a new character in this volume, as was Bobbi, (a Martian Marine), and Prax, a botanist on Ganymede. I loved them.

I also want to say that this narrator is fabulous!

Highly recommended! (But you must read this series i ...more

flag 49 likes · Like · see review

Oct 19, 2017 Gary rated it really liked it

The second novel in The Expanse series finds Holden and the crew of the Rocinante trying to stop further attempts to weaponize the protomolecule, with a little help from a Martian marine, a belt-born botanist, and a UN power broker.
As exciting and action packed as the first book, and nearly as good. The ending, while spectacular, doesn't quite pack the emotional punch of its predecessor.
...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2021 Em Lost In Books rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-19, 3-star, 2021

3.5*

So similar to the first book in structure but I enjoyed it much more than the first one.

flag 45 likes · Like · see review

May 30, 2018 Hannah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I am buddy reading this series with my boyfriend – which is something we have not done before but which is enhancing my enjoyment of this series immensely. But that meant that I had to take about a month’ break in the middle of the book so that he could catch up – and then he sped up and finished the book around 200 pages before me (which is just rude).

This book starts some time after the events of the first book – and the structure mirrors that one a bit too closely I found. In the prologue we ...more

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Becky rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook_kindle, highly-recommended, bad-shit-and-atrocities, mystery-and-thrillers, 2014, horror, science-fiction, politicalish, reviewed, zombies

Way back in 2012 I listened to the audiobook of Leviathan Wakes, and loved it. It was awesome. And then I picked up a nasty case of "Series Blah" which left me in this emotional hinterland between wanting to continue the series because I really loved the first book, and dreading to read it because either it wouldn't live up to my expectations, or it would be so awesome that I would need more and there was no more to be had, at the time.

Now I have read it... and I was kinda right on all counts. Way back in 2012 I listened to the audiobook of Leviathan Wakes, and loved it. It was awesome. And then I picked up a nasty case of "Series Blah" which left me in this emotional hinterland between wanting to continue the series because I really loved the first book, and dreading to read it because either it wouldn't live up to my expectations, or it would be so awesome that I would need more and there was no more to be had, at the time.

Now I have read it... and I was kinda right on all counts. So, uhh... Yay me?

I have to say that my last point (that it would be so awesome that I'd feel like I need to continue immediately) was right on the money. That last paragraph was a doozie. Doozey? Doozy? I don't know how to spell that and every version is apparently wrong to my spell-check. In other words, it was crazy. I seriously looked up from my book and stared at my boyfriend across the dinner table like "WHAAAAAAAAAAT??? This book can't just end like that!"

Perhaps I should have expected it... Perhaps it's one of those things that some people are able to predict from time to time. (I'm generally bad at that - so when I say a book is predictable, it's gotta be pretty damn predictable. Just FYI.) But this... THIS last paragraph's revelation hit me like an Earthbound toiletseat to the cranium. I totally did not see it coming and would not even think that this was a thing that could happen, so I wasn't even listening for the incoming whistling sound. (Also, thank you to Dead Like Me for alerting me to the dangers of falling lavatory apparatus. Apparatuses? Eh. Whatever.)

So... I feel like I was right to wait at least until Abaddon's Gate was out to read this, because had I been forced to end like that and then have a wait ahead of me, things mighta got ugly-like. Also, I'd like to add that it's nice to be reading a series that doesn't have multi-year waits in between books. Not namin' no names... but you authors know who you are.

Regarding my other dreaded possibility, that it wouldn't live up to my expectation... This is also a little bit true, for a couple reasons. None of them came anywhere close to overwhelming my enjoyment of the book, but they should be mentioned nonetheless.

First, I listened to Leviathan Wakes on audio, and it was great. However, I read Caliban's War on my kindle app in ebook form, and I kept getting hung up on sentences that, to me, would flow better if commas had been used in them. For example: "Holden felt that way too." I feel like there should be a comma before "too": "Holden felt that way, too." In my mind, it just seems right with the comma, even though technically it's not required, so these bits kept snagging my attention, which was a little irritating.

Secondly, I loved Miller as a character in Leviathan Wakes. He had just the right amount of brash ballbuster and Eagle Scout mixed all in together. Crack a few reticent skulls to get shit done but try not to trample over a helpless little old lady while doing it. I felt that Caliban's War kind of suffered for his absence from it. There were attempts at filling the Miller gap - Holden picking up some Millerisms, for one, and Avasarala's character for another, and Bobbie, too. But it just wasn't really the same. Avasarala felt... well, like a politician. I never really felt like I saw HER as much as the her that people were expected to see. In short, I felt that the characters, while still being great, for the most part, just didn't quite hit the watermarks left from the first book.

Third, the politics in this one didn't work for me as well. I liked that aspect of the first book because it was a sub-plot. It was important, but not to Holden, Miller, or me. This time around, the politicking took center stage, and it just felt awkward. It was both too heavy handed and not explanatory enough. I am not interested in politics and power games as a general rule, so maybe this aspect would work better for someone who is, but it just didn't do much for me.

Lastly, the bookend-type 'little-girl-lost' format was a little bit much in this one. It works, technically, but it felt just a bit manipulative this time around. I think that there could have been a different thread moving the story along.

All of that being said - I still pretty much loved this book. It kept me interested and wanting to know what would happen next. Even though I feel like I have very little time to read anymore, when I pick up this book, I'm right back on Ganymede Station or the Rocinante with the characters, and I love that.

I also love the scope of this series. I was telling my mom about this series during a long drive, and I mentioned that one of my favorite things about it is that it's a possible real future for us (though hopefully sans-protomolecule). There's no Beam Me Up, Scotty, there's no warp drive or anything super-future-technological - there's just realistic advancements of the kind that we'd have in a couple hundred years. Maybe we'll be more advanced than The Expanse predicts, but I won't be around to see it, so for me, it's realistic enough.

I like the human aspect of the series as well. I don't necessarily think that space-based sci-fi has to have aliens, especially when so often the aliens are just different versions of us. This series actually does happen to have an 'alien', a very dangerous, very adaptive and invasive one at that, but it's still the human aspect that interests me most. How we relate to the dangers that this 'alien' poses to us... how we relate to each other... how we can expand humanity millions of miles throughout our solar system and it's still too small for us to cohabitate. Figures. ...more

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2020 mina reads™️ rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult, about-poc, sff

I was only gonna give this three stars because the beginning was a bit of a slog but then Jim proposed to Naomi, Amos and Alex and told them he loved them so perhaps it was worth it.

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Sep 14, 2015 Justine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-read, 2016-read

Reread 2021 - 4 stars
I enjoyed this even more than the first time around. Bobbie and Avasarala are such great characters, and watching the way the Rocinante team comes together is a treat.

I'm finding it interesting to reread these after watching Seasons 1-5 of The Expanse show, and seeing the choices that are made not just with respect to storyline, but also how certain characters develop. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, they are just quite different. What they have in common is tha ...more

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012

It's a pretty safe bet that those who liked the first Expanse book, will enjoy Caliban's War , too. I would add that new readers should start the journey with Leviathan Wakes , and not here, as this is not one of those loosely connected, self-contained, ongoing francizes like The Dresden Files or Vorkosigan Saga. The story picks up a few months after the cataclysmic events described in the debut novel, and will spoil said events for the less cautious reader. My review also may contain spoilers It's a pretty safe bet that those who liked the first Expanse book, will enjoy Caliban's War , too. I would add that new readers should start the journey with Leviathan Wakes , and not here, as this is not one of those loosely connected, self-contained, ongoing francizes like The Dresden Files or Vorkosigan Saga. The story picks up a few months after the cataclysmic events described in the debut novel, and will spoil said events for the less cautious reader. My review also may contain spoilers of this nature for anybody unfamiliar with what happened before.

Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank saw they were on to a good thing with their space opera and decided to change as little as possible, to the point where some of the plot devices are recycled and used in an almost identical way as in Leviathan Wakes, instilling a strong deja-vu sentiment: the main story arc is about chasing a missing girl from one asteroid station to another; James Holden once again decides to emulate the Wikileaks founder and to broadcast dangerous secrets to all and sundry; vomit zombies are still part of the landscape, and Earth, Mars and the OPA are still at each other throats. The epic starts with an explosive conflict between Earth and Mars marines on Ganymede, and keeps gaining steam until a spectacular finale (view spoiler) . I stayed more than one night up into the early hours, unable to stop reading, going for one more chapter, for one more switch in POV, sleep forgotten - so at least I felt that the book is well written and fast paced. This is for me the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, and like them it makes me think of popcorn and amusement park joyrides. I got this vibe also in Leviathan Wakes, but it was less glaring there and now I'm having difficulty taking the series seriously.

One of the reasons for my detachment may be the scarcity of scientific speculation, almost abandoned after the built up in the debut novel (view spoiler). Another reason may be found in my lukewarm reaction to the new characters introduced as major POV's. While Praxidike Meng was interesting enough with his exo-botanical credentials and his bumbling attempts at becoming an action man, I found Gunnery Sergeant Roberta "Bobbie" Draper too bland and stereotypical of the Space Marine template. Chrisjen Avasarala is a major political player, and my dislike for her is of a more personal nature, as I don't like people in power who use potty language agressively and then claim this is the only way to gain respect.

I may have some reservations about the depth of characterization and the rigorousness of the scientific detail in this series, but at another level I'm still the kid who enjoys space battles and alien monsters and rides to the outer planets. So I am really looking forward to the next installment. ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2017 Veronique rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, scifi, r2017

Second instalment of The Expanse.

“Well, you’ve got a full load of torpedoes and bullets, three Martian warships trailing you, one angry old lady in tea withdrawal, and a Martian Marine who could probably kill you with your own teeth. What do you do?”

Always a bit worried with second volumes but Caliban's War is another amazing adventure, very cinematographic, which explains why the series is being filmed for TV. The plot carries on from the events of Leviathan Wakes and once again Holden is one ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2017 Scott Hitchcock rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, expanse

Book 1: 5*
Book 2: 4.5*

This one took a while to get going whereas the first one I was engaged from the start. Still this book delivers and the ending is fabulous. I hear a lot of readers saying all the books out there are YA and there's no good adult characters. Abraham/Corey delivers in all of his series this one included.

Avasarala who is a new character to this series is multilayered and beyond that just a lot of fun. I'd love to share a glass of scotch with her just to see how she would insul ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Hugo & Nebula Awa...: The Expanse #2: Caliban's War	40	30	Mar 17, 2020 11:38AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Caliban's War [Sept 10, 2019]	24	30	Oct 03, 2019 10:50AM
Why is it titled Caliban's War?	10	703	May 11, 2019 04:59PM
Beyond Reality: The Expanse--Caliban's War: Roll call & first impressions	10	26	Oct 06, 2017 09:09PM