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Nemesis Games

(The Expanse #5)

James S.A. Corey (Goodreads Author)

4.41 · Rating details · 60,840 ratings · 3,414 reviews

The fifth novel in James S.A. Corey's New York Times bestselling Expanse series--now being produced for television by the SyFy Channel!

A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.

Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies ...more

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ebook, 544 pages

Published June 2nd 2015 by Little, Brown Book Group

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Jul 30, 2020 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5/5 stars

It’s all about the crew of Rocinante, and that’s the main reason why Nemesis Games is the best book in the series so far.

Here we are at the halfway point of the series. Nemesis Games, the fifth volume in The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, once again put Holden, Naomi, Alex, and Amos in a tough spot. But get this, for the first time in the series, we finally have an entire book with POV chapters told exclusively through the eyes of these four characters. Let me repeat that, Holden ...more

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Mar 07, 2015 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: space-opera, sci-fi, 2018-shelf, worldbuilding-sf, biopunk

Re-Read: 10/11/18:

Shit. I said everything I wanted to say in my old review. It's still a stirring adventure for each of the characters as they split up and eventually came back together.

Truly a character-driven novel this time, though. Not much alien stuff. Just humans doing the god-awful crap they do. :)

Old review:

This was one hell of an easy read. I got sucked back into the characters as if I had never left and was delighted to see that they shone brighter than in several of the previous novel Re-Read: 10/11/18:

Shit. I said everything I wanted to say in my old review. It's still a stirring adventure for each of the characters as they split up and eventually came back together.

Truly a character-driven novel this time, though. Not much alien stuff. Just humans doing the god-awful crap they do. :)

Old review:

This was one hell of an easy read. I got sucked back into the characters as if I had never left and was delighted to see that they shone brighter than in several of the previous novels. They're back in the Solar System. The main crew got a hell of a lot of face time. If it isn't enough that this qualifies as a wonderful character-driven adventure, then rest assured. It's still all about the big ideas, big events, and big space.

The pacing is near perfect on this one. I never once had to force myself to pay closer attention. Indeed, the revelations kept everything pumping. Every character is evolving, growing older or wiser. The novel has struck a perfect balance in this. Hell, I'm just tickled pink that it turned out to be a better novel than Cibola Burn. There weren't any moments where I wondered why we were spending time on one thing or another instead of the big action. The threads in this novel were woven so nicely that I swear I saw a bow. What was inside, you ask? Oh, Bobby is back! And don't forget Fred or our absolute favorite foul-mouthed politician. It was a perfect gift for me, the reader, and I've got to shout out to Daniel and Ty: "Thank you!"

This is fifth novel in the Expanse is so very worthy, I have to say it easily nudges out the third and forth novels in being my favorites, but it does somewhat lack in the sense of grand mystery that those had developed. I mean the grand scope of mystery, the big scary objects, or the ominous death of so many intelligent species. Instead, we've got very human tragedy and a very interesting power grab in the local system, not to mention mysteries closer to home for our main characters which feel more important, somehow, than the mind-blowing ones.

I can easily say this satisfied my deep craving for truly excellent space opera. So many tend to have holes that that suck my attention into the void, requiring me to spend a ton of reaction mass to get back on track. It's a delight to have one that shows me so much love. ...more

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Aug 31, 2015 Kemper rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: space, aliens, expanse, 2015, terrorism, sci-fi, 2020-reread

“This is as good as it gets. Can’t expect everyone to be on the same page. We’re still humans after all. Some percentage of us are always going to be assholes.”
- Naomi Nagata - Nemesis Games

"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."
- Ron Burgundy - Anchorman: The Legend of Run Burgundy

After their latest misadventure the Rocinante is in need of extensive repairs that will keep the ship sidelined as the crew finds itself with a variety of personal matters that need ...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Mario the lone bookwolf rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: corey-james-s-a

That´s the slowest conceptualized one so far, mainly focused on showing the personal lives of the crew, their past, and what´s going on on earth.

And that´s so great because we learn so much about the characters out of the backstory that they evolve and become more eclectic, the power balance keeps changing and all in all it´s more of a preparation for the further parts, because there is not so much big action as one is used to. Now we are prepared with more three-dimensional characters, amounts ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Hannah Greendale rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, science-fiction, space-opera

Nemesis Games offers a perfect blend of intimate character stories with a broad scale intergalactic adventure of epic proportions. The book takes about 200+ pages to establish the stakes before launching into one thrilling close call after another.

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Sep 15, 2014 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, review-copy

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/06/19/b...

*Warning: May contain spoilers for previous books if you haven't read them*

The Expanse is my favorite space opera series right now – the only space opera series that I’m still following, to be honest, when I’ve given up on so many others. Not only are things still going strong at book five, they also just keep getting better and better. I thought Cibola Burn was going to be the best installment we’ll see for a while, but 5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/06/19/b...

*Warning: May contain spoilers for previous books if you haven't read them*

The Expanse is my favorite space opera series right now – the only space opera series that I’m still following, to be honest, when I’ve given up on so many others. Not only are things still going strong at book five, they also just keep getting better and better. I thought Cibola Burn was going to be the best installment we’ll see for a while, but then along comes Nemesis Games, teaching me what a mistake it was to underestimate Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the writing team behind the pseudonym James S.A. Corey. Bottom line, this book was simply stellar.

The reason why I think this series is so successful? Every book gives the reader something new. The universe of The Expanse is constantly evolving, with major consequences following in the wake of each installment. No longer are the stories simply focused around the mysterious proto-molecule introduced in Leviathan Wakes. Ever since it was released into the solar system in the third book Abaddon’s Gate, opening a literal doorway to a thousand new worlds, the potential for more interesting stories has exploded.

I see Abaddon’s Gate as a turning point for this reason. And now I think Nemesis Games may be another one. The events of the last novel have not stopped the frantic land rush through the massive ring-like gates, as settlers fight tooth-and-nail to be the first to colonize new planets. This has created a drastic change in the power structure of the old solar system, where three main factions exist: Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance. OPA was mainly formed to bring together the population born in the Asteroid Belt. Called “Belters”, they are an oppressed group, marginalized and frequently discriminated for their distinct culture and language, as well as for looking physically different from the humans from Earth and Mars. But recently, Belters have started to resist the powers of the inner planets, and one extremist group has gone as far as to target Earth in catastrophic attack, killing millions upon millions.

In the middle of this mess, the crew of the Rocinante are separated. The decision to go on shore leave right after surviving the events of Cibola Burn meant that Holden, Naomi, Amos and Alex were all in different places when the attack on Earth occurred, so for the first time in this series the four of them aren’t together for the majority of the novel. Before you get too disappointed though, this turn of events also means that for the first time ever, we get perspective chapters for every member of the crew.

I can’t tell you how excited this made me. I’ve been waiting a long, long time to see the points-of-view for the others besides Holden – especially for Naomi, the only female and the only Belter of the Rocinante crew. It’s hard to believe that it took so long, but after four books, we’re finally getting the chance to get up close and personal to characters we’ve been following since the beginning. But that’s not all, either. The authors continue to sweeten the deal, bringing back some perspective characters we’ve seen in previous books, familiar names that include Bobbie Draper, Clarissa Mao, and – wait for it – Chrisjen Avasarala! (Best. Character. Ever.) While none of them return as POV characters, all three women have significant roles to play in Nemesis Games.

I’ve also said before that the books of The Expanse tell very human stories. This one is no exception. Separated in the wake of the Earth attack and in the midst of all the death and suffering, the four members of the crew realize how much they mean to each other. It’s very touching as each character struggles to find their way back together, realizing that the spaceship Rocinante has become a home for their little family. During their individual fights for survival, we gain a lot of insight into each person’s past. Naomi’s backstory is perhaps the most surprising of all, and also the most heartbreaking. Every book in this series so far has had four character perspectives each, and one always seems to stand out for me above the rest. No question about it, in Nemesis Games it was definitely Naomi’s. As much as I enjoyed Amos and Alex’s POVs as well, I just couldn’t get enough of Naomi’s chapters, which really brought her courage and resourcefulness to the forefront.

The book ends with a promise of much more to come, including possible new additions to the Rocinante family, which would be very interesting to see. It doesn’t quite leave us with a cliffhanger, though we do get the sense of unfinished business, so you can bet I’m on board for book number six.

All told, The Expanse shows no sign of slowing down, a great sign for a series that is planned to include a total of nine books, and I’m grateful that thus far we’ve been seeing a very reliable release schedule of one installment per year. With the TV adaptation coming to Syfy, now there’s yet another reason to get excited. Nemesis Games is the last novel to come out before the series airs, so get on it! ...more

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Sep 26, 2014 Rob rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, science-fiction, own, read-2015, author-male, audio-book

Executive Summary: Best one yet! I've always enjoyed this series, but I really loved this book. My only complaint would I don't have more to read! I can't wait for book 6.

Audio book: Jefferson Mays is back! Huzzah! Don't get me wrong, he's not one of my favorite narrators or anything, but he is good. And the guy they got to replace him for book 4 was not. I was considering switching to text for this book if that narrator was used again. Thankfully I didn't have to.

His accents for Avasarala and ...more

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May 31, 2016 Derkanus rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A 15 year-old Belter operative named Filip and a small team infiltrate the twin Earth/Mars shipyards on Callisto to steal canisters of High Density Resonance Coating, Stealth tech used on Martian military ships. They have a ship in orbit called the Pella that releases tungsten slugs to take out the Martian ships in orbit, as well as the Martian marines in power armor on the surface. The team suffers a few casualties but manages to escape with their loot--just as their ship launches a rock into t ...more

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Feb 10, 2015 Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, political-plots-and-maneuverings, addictive, space-opera, violent-and-epic, not-quite-five-stars-but-sooo-close, class-gender-race, speculative, sci-fi, the-end-is-nigh

First, a warning: I have officially passed the point of objectivity for this series. You know you’ve passed that point when you no longer care what happens in a book series as long as you get to spend more time in its world hanging out with its characters. This isn’t a place I get to easily, but once I’m there, I never ever leave. Love, it is irrational.

With that said, oh boy, this book was awesome.

In retrospect, one of my favorite things about each book in the series is how different each one First, a warning: I have officially passed the point of objectivity for this series. You know you’ve passed that point when you no longer care what happens in a book series as long as you get to spend more time in its world hanging out with its characters. This isn’t a place I get to easily, but once I’m there, I never ever leave. Love, it is irrational.

With that said, oh boy, this book was awesome.

In retrospect, one of my favorite things about each book in the series is how different each one of them are to each other. They’re all essentially told with the same style and tone, but Corey* wastes no time languishing in story plots. His characters evolve. Things in his world change, most often in ways that are terrifying and wonderful, in the most basic sense of the word: full-of-wonder. There’s always a moment in each book that Things Change Forever. And in this one, that thing is probably the biggest thing of them all, and it’s even more exhilarating because if you’ve read the four books prior to this one, you are likely very attached emotionally to the characters experiencing these world-changing events.

*A penname for writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.

This book also brings us POVs from all the four main crew members of the Rocinante for the very first time. We’ve always had Holden in there, but now we get Naomi, Alex, and Amos up in there, too. And with their POVs comes much needed backstory on all of them, especially Naomi. Hoooooo, Naomi. By the end of the first chapter, you know what’s coming in terms of what I’m about to spoil, so I’m not really counting it as spoilers. The Roci is so beat up from her years of space travel, and particularly her last voyage through the proto-molecule gate, she’s going to need serious revamping and repairs. It’s going to take weeks, months. So the crew split up for some “shore leave.” Amos receives news that his foster mother has died on Earth, so he takes off to take care of things. Alex follows his lead and heads home to Mars, and Naomi heads back to Ceres station after a mysterious message from a man from her past. So, when the trademark Horrific Thing happens, we are in a unique position to get lots of different viewpoints on it, and of course, Holden and Co. are right smack dab in the middle of everything.

I loved this book. I love this crew. It was so satisfying. It was terrifying and horrible and I never wanted to stop listening to it. It makes me want to re-read the first two books to see if I will love them more now. It makes me want book six* PRONTO.

*If you decide to start reading this series, know you are in safe hands. They release a new book every year like clockwork.

So, bottom line, this book was awesome, but you maybe can’t trust my opinion because love is irrational. But you probably should anyway because I have excellent taste.

[4.5 stars] ...more

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Dec 14, 2017 Gary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The most nerve-wracking Expanse novel yet sees the crew of the Rocinante separate for a variety of personal reasons during some down time for ship repairs. Slowly, they find themselves drawn back together as a strange conspiracy morphs into a shocking, game-changing event.
This time, each of the Roci crew has their own POV storyline, instead of the usual cycling through a new cast of supporting characters. The opportunity to take an even closer look at these people we’ve come to love (instead of ...more

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Apr 07, 2018 Choko rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

*** 4.75 ***

"... “We’re not making any official statements, especially when James Holden’s in the room. No offense, but your track record for blurting information at inopportune moments is the stuff of legend.” ..."

OK, this was awesome!!! I think after the short story "The Churn", which was all about how Amos got to be who he is and where he is, this is my favorite book of the series so far!!! It was everything you want from a Science Fiction + Space Opera + Drama!!! And none of that manufa ...more

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Jun 02, 2015 Tom Merritt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved getting the perspectives from each of the view of the Rocinante. I also loved splitting them up so we can see a little more of what they're like outside of Holden's orbit. My only quibble would be that the story arc leaves me hanging which in show business I believe is called leaving me wanting more. Which ultimately is a good thing but damn. All of the Expanse novels have left you on a hook for the next one but never as intensely as this one I don't think. SO MANY MYSTERIES! ALL THE MYS ...more

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Nov 16, 2017 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Nice addition to the series.

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Dec 29, 2014 Mike rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: here-be-aliens, science-fiction, reviewed, also-a-tv-show, space-opera

After the shortcomings of the previous installment, I was a bit concerned that the shine might be off this delicious space opera apple (not a Star Carrier level of concern, but still some). I was extremely happy to see my concerns obliterated and my faith in this series more than restored.

My biggest problem with the last book was that it felt very claustrophobic. I mean, the series is called Expanse , but Cibola Burn mostly took place on one planet, nothing like the solar system (and beyond) ...more

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Aug 25, 2016 Lindsey Rey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, favorites, science-fiction

I need book 6 RIGHT NOW!!!!!

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Aug 18, 2015 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

Only last week I wrote that I don’t like to start multi-volume stories in progress, as I have neither the patience to wait years, nor the sharp memory to keep events and characters sorted out long term. But, what good are rules if you can’t make exceptions! Five years ago, my friends were all praising this new space opera thing by a new author: “The Expanse” by James S A Corey. When I learned that half of the creative team behind this alias is Daniel Abraham, I didn’t hesitate, and today I consi ...more

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Feb 17, 2015 Kevin Kelsey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015, read-it-again, read-2016

Easily the best in the series so far. No question about that. Instead of introducing several new characters and slowly weaving them into the plot along with the Rocinante crew, this one buckles down on the core characters and delivers in strides. A lot happens, considering that no time had to be spent giving us info on all new people, the bulk of the book fully develops backstories and gives us the goods on the main characters.

Naomi brings it all home in this one, and it's amazing to finally se ...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-05-may, 2016-read

This was yet another great entry into The Expanse series. This book provides some insight into the personal backgrounds of some of the long time characters as the usual action filled tale unfolds. The story continues to be full of excitement and I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment! ...more

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Oct 11, 2018 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The first three books took place in our solar system, some time in the future. The fourth book switched to a more outwards look thanks to the ring gates and all the pathways they had opened. Since I'm a fan of stories about galactic discovery, I LOVED the new setting and all its possibilities. Alas, we are now back in Sol.

Part of me wanted to be out in the deep black and explore, see aliens or at least find more artifacts, connecting the dots, getting closer to solving the mystery of the builder The first three books took place in our solar system, some time in the future. The fourth book switched to a more outwards look thanks to the ring gates and all the pathways they had opened. Since I'm a fan of stories about galactic discovery, I LOVED the new setting and all its possibilities. Alas, we are now back in Sol.

Part of me wanted to be out in the deep black and explore, see aliens or at least find more artifacts, connecting the dots, getting closer to solving the mystery of the builders.
Another part of me must admit that this story about the political turmoil that got started when the ring gates opened is realistic and still very interestingly executed. I mean, it would be utopic to think humanity would suddenly just get along because there are enough worlds out there for the individual factions so nobody would have to fight any longer. That would be the smart way to see it but since when have humans ever been this smart?
There is also the problem of the economies collapsing (or threatening to) as well as the different governments trying hard not to be left behind by their own subjects. *lol*
I guess it therefore comes as no surprise that there is quite the struggle in Sol and that the authors wanted to highlight that, to give the reader a bit more introspection.

Thus, the crew of the Roci are at Tyco station at the beginning, where the ship needs extensive repairs. In order to pass the time, they split up (what could possibly go wrong?) with Amos going to Earth, Alex to Mars and Naomi ... Holden stays behind with Fred Johnson and that awful reporter Monica.
However, the past that is slowing reeling Naomi back in is also threatening the entire system and soon shit really hits the fan.

As such, this more narrow perspective of events also served as a more closer look at the characters themselves. A bit more flesh on their bones so to speak. More about their pasts (for those who've read the short stories as much as for those who haven't), setting the scene for the crew to grow both in character and numbers (yep, you heard that correctly).

Some events here are truly heartbreaking, such as (view spoiler) but the authors managed to balance that heartbreak against some of the best dialogues I've ever read, mostly between Avasarala and Amos. Chrissy, you're the best. ;)

I did not, however, connect with Naomi. *lol* If anything, this has confirmed what I think about her, namely that (view spoiler)?!
Nothing new, really, and it's actually a good sign since it points to the authors sticking with how they built their characters instead of catering to the audience or making unrealistic changes.

Anyway, this was not what I had expected and except from the one massive thing happening this was on a smaller scale event-wise, but it was still written impeccably and had me enjoy every minute that I sat on the edge of my seat. To say nothing of that epilogue! Way to hook the readers! ...more

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Sep 05, 2014 Renay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, 2018

Friends, I have been having paroxysms of joy whenever I think about this book, these characters, their friends, AVASARALA, BOBBIE, FRED.

THIS WAS LIKE AN ACTION MOVIE IN BOOK FORM FROM THE HEAVENS WHERE EVERYONE IS BOTH BADASS AND VULNERABLE AND DEADLY AND STRONG AND HEARTBREAKING AND HILARIOUS. EVERYTHING I WANTED FROM THIS SERIES THIS BOOK GAVE TO ME AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. IT'S SO GREAT. IT'S THE GREATEST. ARE THERE OTHER WORDS TO TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT THIS ...more

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Aug 17, 2020 Sud666 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

The cosmic epic of The Expanse continues. While there are some similarities to Season 4 of the show (which was a combination of this book and the previous "Cibola Burn"), but this is a fra darker and much more complex story.

The crew of the Roci decides to do some individual missions. Amos heads back home to Baltimore for a funeral; Alex goes back to Mars to try to reconnect with his old life; Naomi stupidly decides to go "help" her son and Holden is stuck on the Roci trying to help Fred Johnson. ...more

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Mar 02, 2015 Andreas O rated it liked it · review of another edition

Moving the pieces.

Unspecified spoilers ahead.

Excitement. Drama. Character. Vast, sweeping changes to the universe. The book has it all.

Still, at the end, little that was not started in this book is resolved. The implications are not expanded on. What should have been a momentous, earth shattering change has less impact than the Ilus incident in the last book. The book ends long before the story does. This is half a book pretending to be whole. A good half. But still only half.

Pieces are moved a ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, x2018-read

4.5 stars. A tense story with a shocking development. The Roci team is split up and in different locations. We get a better view into each team member's thoughts, finally, and Bobbie and Chrisjen are back, too.
People are leaving for the new unexplored planets, and that's changing things politically throughout the system, shaking up governments and making Belters very uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Naomi gets a reminder from her past. And damn! I am so glad we finally get some insight into Naomi, and ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 Mr. Matt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, sci-fi, favorites, aliens

After the resolution of Cibola Burn, I thought surely the series was due for somewhat of a step back. Nope. The Expanse delivers again! Holden, Burton, Nagata, Kamal, and all the rest are back ... and so is the tension that the author has managed to keep at a high pitch over five books. Impressive.

Holden and company return from New Terra and split up - each pursuing some personal, somewhat hidden agenda. The break up of the company leaves Holden morose and struggling. His crew had become his fa ...more

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Mar 31, 2018 Olivia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Finally we get to explore more points of views from the crew of the Rocinante. I especially enjoyed reading more of Naomi and found her backstory very interesting, but also Amos and Alex got an interesting and enthralling story. I even grew to like Holden!

Avasarala is my favourite character and I think my only complaint this time around was that we don't get to see as much of her as I'd like.

I'm excited to read the next book! ...more

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Jun 07, 2015 Raja rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, fiction

The entire book is great... except for anything that has anything to do with one particular character. But first, the good: We're back to big spaces and high stakes, which is enjoyable after the sometimes claustrophobic fourth book in the series. It's more my speed. My favourite characters return, which is also pretty great. The earth-shattering events are handled deftly, and we see enough characters react to them that you can probably find your likely response in there somewhere. The ending, as The entire book is great... except for anything that has anything to do with one particular character. But first, the good: We're back to big spaces and high stakes, which is enjoyable after the sometimes claustrophobic fourth book in the series. It's more my speed. My favourite characters return, which is also pretty great. The earth-shattering events are handled deftly, and we see enough characters react to them that you can probably find your likely response in there somewhere. The ending, as usual, ties things up neatly while leaving hooks for the next book.

MAJOR SPOILERS FROM HERE ON IN.

NO, SERIOUSLY. HUGE SPOILERS.

Frustration #1: Naomi's ex is Space Hitler.

Frustration #2: Naomi has now spent two books in a row being a prisoner.

I'll elaborate on those a little.

(Side note: I can't believe that 1) the word "genocide" doesn't appear in the book, and 2) no one mentions Hitler, even when Fred is describing what he knows about Marco and more or less describes Hitler.)

More importantly, though, Naomi's characterization in this book is approximately one hundred percent defined by how she relates to male characters. Marco says she needs to go help her son and she abandons everything; Marco lays a trap to kill Jim and she moves heaven and earth to stop it.

I'd hoped that Naomi's deep dark secret would be something unrelated to her gender or past relationships. "I was a terrorist" is a great dark secret. "My ex is Space Hitler and he can still manipulate me into doing stuff" doesn't add to the first secret; I think it actually detracts.

On the plus side, Naomi is intelligent and resorceful, and in both cases of book-length imprisonment she escapes on her own rather than being rescued. But for me, that wasn't enough to overcome my issues with the rest of her arc in the book.

Hopefully, though, we're past that now and can carry on with the good stuff. Only four books left, so I'm expecting the alien revelations to start flowing a little faster now. Yes, Earth got blown up. But let's not put too fine a point on it: that was GENocide, and we know the things that perpetrated the XENocide of the protomolecule creators are still out there. The stakes are a lot bigger than Earth.

Some spoilery good stuff: Everything involving Amos was awesome. Alex was also pretty great in this one. Bobbie was spectacular, Avasarala was her usual wonderful avuncular self. Watching Jim and Fred bounce off each other was also good. And, you know, spaceships. ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Jamie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Frequently wistful and sometimes maudlin, as the Roci is stripped down for repair and the crew leaves Holden temporarily, going their separate ways to catch up on personal business. The first half has some deeply personal back stories on Naomi, Amos and Alex, each back on his/her home turf after a long absence and pondering the meaning and value of family, both old and new. Mars Marine Bobbie Draper and Clarissa "Peaches" Mao also play large roles, both great characters making a most welcome ret ...more

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Oct 29, 2020 Char rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

Another great entry in the series!

We learn a lot about the backgrounds of our favorite crew members and some hated people from previous books make an appearance.

Earth is in real trouble now and its future is totally uncertain. I'm looking forward to the next book.

*Thanks to my library for the free audio download. Libraries RULE! ...more

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Oct 28, 2018 Samir rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

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Jan 09, 2018 Cathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fabulous. I think I have a new favourite in the Expanse series! 5 stars with a cherry on top. Some slight spoilers ahead...

All about Holden, Naomi, Alex and Amos, instead of the usual introduction of a new host of characters never to be seen again.

And Bobby is back! And Avasarala, potty-mouth and all.

This is like pure gold for the fans of the series. No distractions of getting to know other characters or slowly diving into a complicated storyline. Just our favourite crew, with their odd-ball hu ...more

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