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Persepolis Rising
(The Expanse #7)
by
In the thousand-sun network of humanity's expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace.
In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and ...more
In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and ...more
ebook, 608 pages
Published
December 5th 2017
by Orbit Books
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Start your review of Persepolis Rising (The Expanse, #7)

Posted at Heradas
"Your empire's hands look a lot cleaner when you get to dictate where history begins, and what parts of it count."
This one changes things. I assumed that the pace was going to quicken, since Persepolis Rising is moving us into the final three Expanse
novels, but I am in awe at how much this book moved the series forward from where we left off in
Babylon’s Ashes
. We are now nearing the end of the long Expanse arc that began with
Leviathan Wakes
in 2011, and it is th
...more
"Your empire's hands look a lot cleaner when you get to dictate where history begins, and what parts of it count."
This one changes things. I assumed that the pace was going to quicken, since Persepolis Rising is moving us into the final three Expanse




Re-Read 12/5/18:
Since reading all these books in a row, I can now honestly compare all the books against each other without long waits in between. Conclusion?
Yeah, this latest one is definitely one of my favorites. All that buildup about protomolecules and what killed the alien civilization is finally coming to a head. The questions are asked seriously. And now we're getting big hints about things to come.
The extinction of the human race?
Possibly. :) But really, I just wanna see the Roci all de ...more
Since reading all these books in a row, I can now honestly compare all the books against each other without long waits in between. Conclusion?
Yeah, this latest one is definitely one of my favorites. All that buildup about protomolecules and what killed the alien civilization is finally coming to a head. The questions are asked seriously. And now we're getting big hints about things to come.
The extinction of the human race?
Possibly. :) But really, I just wanna see the Roci all de ...more

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjh...
3.5/5 stars
This was another good volume in The Expanse, but I must say that the series is starting to overstay its welcome to me.
Persepolis Rising is the seventh book in The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, and I’m glad to say that it signaled the beginning of the end of the series. Now that I’m seven books into the series, I think I will now a ...more
3.5/5 stars
This was another good volume in The Expanse, but I must say that the series is starting to overstay its welcome to me.
“I actually read history. It’s like reading prophecy, you know.”
Persepolis Rising is the seventh book in The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, and I’m glad to say that it signaled the beginning of the end of the series. Now that I’m seven books into the series, I think I will now a ...more

So some time has passed and a new setting has to be established and what is better for that than new colonies, a fragile peace between Mars, Earth and the belt, a new enemy rising and waiting in the background, and the general preparation for the big showdown of the series.
It´s always hard to avoid spoiling, so I will cherrypick colonizing, getting old in space in Sci-Fi in general, and the Lovecraftian old ones from this part.
Colonizing thousands of star systems doesn´t just significantly boos ...more
It´s always hard to avoid spoiling, so I will cherrypick colonizing, getting old in space in Sci-Fi in general, and the Lovecraftian old ones from this part.
Colonizing thousands of star systems doesn´t just significantly boos ...more

Once you get seven books deep into a series it gets really tricky to review because you can’t talk about even the basic story set-up without spoiling stuff for anyone who hasn’t read the previous books. Since I’m really trying to encourage any sci-fi fan to check out The Expanse I don’t want to just spoiler tag the whole thing either. So how to discuss in a way that won’t ruin it for the newbs yet still be an informative review?
Weep for me, people of Goodreads!
Here’s what I can safely say to eve ...more
Weep for me, people of Goodreads!
Here’s what I can safely say to eve ...more

I admit that I went into Persepolis Rising thinking that this was the last book in The Expanse series. I continued to think that way until about 2/3’s of the way through, when I realized that there was still too much plot to effectively be resolved in the remaining pages. Ultimately it made the majority of the book bittersweet for me, as I truly thought this was the last adventure I’d have with the Rocinante and her crew. Thankfully we have two more books to go…though that just means I have more
...more

Dec 16, 2016
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
my-library-catalogue
The only thing I hated about Persepolis Rising is how long it’s going to make me wait for the next book.
I always come away from an Expanse novel reeling. Sometimes from massive events, but often just from the profound depth of character. This series continues to illustrate what it is to be human and I can’t help feeling deeply affected by the sentiment within each novel. A short interaction between two characters in this book (maybe 3 pages worth?) had the power to become one of the most memorab ...more
I always come away from an Expanse novel reeling. Sometimes from massive events, but often just from the profound depth of character. This series continues to illustrate what it is to be human and I can’t help feeling deeply affected by the sentiment within each novel. A short interaction between two characters in this book (maybe 3 pages worth?) had the power to become one of the most memorab ...more

Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 1/5
Corey gambled. Given the popularity of the series and the television adaptation, I hadn't expected them to take any risks. Granted, it was nothing radical, but starting with the whole "x years later" segue has tradeoffs. The obvious danger is that you skip over intervening years and developments fans have anticipated. The upside is that you can do some pretty neat tricks with character development and reveals. There are some dazzling optio ...more
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 1/5
Corey gambled. Given the popularity of the series and the television adaptation, I hadn't expected them to take any risks. Granted, it was nothing radical, but starting with the whole "x years later" segue has tradeoffs. The obvious danger is that you skip over intervening years and developments fans have anticipated. The upside is that you can do some pretty neat tricks with character development and reveals. There are some dazzling optio ...more

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/12/19/...
What do you do when your epic space opera series is seven books in, you’ve already put your readers through some of the most intense storylines they can imagine, and now you need to do something even bigger and better to usher it into the next phase with style? Well, you hit the “soft reset” button, so to speak. Not exactly starting things over, but there is certainly a sense we’re getting a new beginning of sorts in Perse ...more
What do you do when your epic space opera series is seven books in, you’ve already put your readers through some of the most intense storylines they can imagine, and now you need to do something even bigger and better to usher it into the next phase with style? Well, you hit the “soft reset” button, so to speak. Not exactly starting things over, but there is certainly a sense we’re getting a new beginning of sorts in Perse ...more

Thirty years after defeating the Free Navy and negotiating and end to the various conflicts between the belters and the inner planets, the crew of the Roci is still doing work for hire for the organization that spawned from the ashes of the OPA. Hovering at retirement age, Jim and Naomi agree to sell the ship to Bobby so they can enjoy their golden years together, just in time for the known universe to go sideways and shit all over their plans. Yes, the one loose end from Babylon’s Ashes comes b
...more

Calling time of death on The Expanse. This series is far too inconsistent.

“Because we’re human, and humans are mean, independent monkeys that reached their greatness by killing every other species of hominid that looked at us funny.”
It took me a while to get into this new instalment of the Expanse (mostly real life rearing its ugly head) but once the narrative got going, I was hooked! :O)
As we’ve grown accustomed to, the narration is divided between several narrators, each providing an important point of view, with the one constant being Holden. However, and this is ...more
It took me a while to get into this new instalment of the Expanse (mostly real life rearing its ugly head) but once the narrative got going, I was hooked! :O)
As we’ve grown accustomed to, the narration is divided between several narrators, each providing an important point of view, with the one constant being Holden. However, and this is ...more

Jan 12, 2016
William
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
extraordinary-books
Wow. (expletive)! Ten-stars! The best of the superb series.
What a fabulous book. Powerful, spare, poignant, full of hard sci-fi at a blistering pace. More than any other Expanse book, the authors here investigate deep and dangerous human motivations, and the nature of the Roci as a family after almost 40 years together (first book occurs 2350 AD, this book about 2388 AD). The book also delves deeper than any previous book into the human attraction to demagogues.

As usual with my reviews, please ...more
What a fabulous book. Powerful, spare, poignant, full of hard sci-fi at a blistering pace. More than any other Expanse book, the authors here investigate deep and dangerous human motivations, and the nature of the Roci as a family after almost 40 years together (first book occurs 2350 AD, this book about 2388 AD). The book also delves deeper than any previous book into the human attraction to demagogues.

As usual with my reviews, please ...more

It is tough enough to write a series to a seventh book let alone writing a good seventh book. And after the amazing climax of Babylon's Ashes I really had no idea where the duo of James S.A. Corey would take the story.
Turns out they decided to boldly go thirty years into the future, which is a pretty gutsy move in my book. On the one hand this choice allowed the colonization effort to be greatly advanced, the rogue Martian fleet to develop their own society, and for new institutions to grow in t ...more
Turns out they decided to boldly go thirty years into the future, which is a pretty gutsy move in my book. On the one hand this choice allowed the colonization effort to be greatly advanced, the rogue Martian fleet to develop their own society, and for new institutions to grow in t ...more

The events of this book take place roughly thirty years after the events of the Free Navy Conflict of the previous novel. While the trinity of stupidity that is the Mars-Belters-Earth troika manages to destroy itself and humanity along with it, a new power has been quietly rising.
Through the gates comes the Laconian Empire. Using advanced technology, fueled by the knowledge of the protomolecule, the Laconians bring a powerful warship into the system and begin the process of taking over the Sol s ...more
Through the gates comes the Laconian Empire. Using advanced technology, fueled by the knowledge of the protomolecule, the Laconians bring a powerful warship into the system and begin the process of taking over the Sol s ...more

Executive Summary: After a slow start it finished really strong but wasn't quite as enjoyable as the last two were for me. 4.5 Stars.
Audiobook: Jefferson Mays once again does a good job. He does a few voices, but mostly he's just a solid narrator who is easy to understand and reads with good volume and inflection.
Full Review
Well I had no idea there was going to be a 30 year time jump. I was initially upset about it, but as the book went on I see why they did it. In order to tell the story th ...more
Audiobook: Jefferson Mays once again does a good job. He does a few voices, but mostly he's just a solid narrator who is easy to understand and reads with good volume and inflection.
Full Review
Well I had no idea there was going to be a 30 year time jump. I was initially upset about it, but as the book went on I see why they did it. In order to tell the story th ...more

There's not much to say about this book, really. It's number 7 in the series, and by this moment most (everyone, actually?) of the readers already know what to expect and who's who and all those twists and little secrets that makes the plot tick and so on and on and on.
So, yeah, Persepolis Rising kept the all the best traits of the series, with all the familiar faces and all the familiar surroundings... Just fast-forwarded some thirty years, added some silver on guys' temples - unless they're A ...more
So, yeah, Persepolis Rising kept the all the best traits of the series, with all the familiar faces and all the familiar surroundings... Just fast-forwarded some thirty years, added some silver on guys' temples - unless they're A ...more

Book 1: 5*
Book 2: 4.5*
Book 3: 4.25*
Book 4: 3.5*
Book 5: 4.5*
Book 6: 4*
Book 7: 4.5*
If not for a really slow start where I was wondering if this series had finally run its course this may have been the best in the series. Years in the future our protagonists have all aged and the Protomolecule is back and more dangerous than ever as humanity tries to tame the usual and potentially fatal.
I loved that there wasn't closure at the end of this one. The crew of the Roci not quite intact. Avasarala and t ...more
Book 2: 4.5*
Book 3: 4.25*
Book 4: 3.5*
Book 5: 4.5*
Book 6: 4*
Book 7: 4.5*
If not for a really slow start where I was wondering if this series had finally run its course this may have been the best in the series. Years in the future our protagonists have all aged and the Protomolecule is back and more dangerous than ever as humanity tries to tame the usual and potentially fatal.
I loved that there wasn't closure at the end of this one. The crew of the Roci not quite intact. Avasarala and t ...more

When I read the previous six novels in the series, it only took less than three days for each. They were, mostly, page-turning, full-action, high-emotion, roller coaster rides.
Persepolis Rising is different. It is more somber, thoughtful. The kickass actions, tight plotting and twist-and-turns are still there, don't you worry, but they are not what define the book, even the series anymore. The world (space, slow zone, what-have-you) has changed, the characters have changed, there is a distinct ...more
Persepolis Rising is different. It is more somber, thoughtful. The kickass actions, tight plotting and twist-and-turns are still there, don't you worry, but they are not what define the book, even the series anymore. The world (space, slow zone, what-have-you) has changed, the characters have changed, there is a distinct ...more

Everything changed, and it went right on changing. A terrible thought when things were good, a comforting one now.
In this 7th installment of the series, a lot changes. First off, we have a time jump of almost 30 years from the last book. This means that the Roci as well as her crew have aged. However, this also enables us not to get bogged down with details but to actually see some development in human society throughout Sol. Earth still exists but it's more like a farm, providing food for p ...more

Dec 23, 2016
Tudor Ciocarlie
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017-my-best-of
Others have said it and I will say it: Persepolis Rising is the best book of the series. But for me is also the best novel that I’ve read in 2017. The level of writing craftsmanship that this book radiates is incredible. From the prologue to the epilogue, every chapter is a perfect roller-coaster with a length of exactly 22 minutes (in the audiobook format). Every word, every sentence have their place, but the construction has nothing artificial about it and the writers are using it to portrait
...more

The Expanse takes a major turn with Persepolis Rising, and I found it not entirely satisfying. The jump ahead in time nearly 30 years at the outset came as a shock, though the same crew remains at the center of the action with only some changes on the periphery. Mainly I find myself disappointed that the story primarily continues to center on the infighting among humans. True, the sides have evolved and changed considerably, but I guess I was hoping for more alien and protomolecule secrets and t
...more

Persepolis Rising is the 7th book in The Expanse series written by James S.A. Corey. The series has been adapted into a high-quality television series that airs on SyFy, but unlike other well-known speculative fiction adaptations (like Game of Thrones and American Gods) I think that in the case of The Expanse the book version is better than the filmed version. This is primarily because the books are written in such a fast-paced, action-packed, visually stimulating way that reading them is basica
...more

I think this is my favorite of the series so far. When I realized it was a 30 year time jump forward, I thought I would hate it (I didn't want to read about old Holden and crew), but it was necessary to the story (and everyone is still bad ass). Finally big things start to happen! I read Cibola Burn 3-4 years ago, so I didn't remember much about the events of that book, but I did remember that it left a lot of unanswered questions that were never touched on again.... until this book. With just 2
...more

With Persepolis Rising, The Expanse performs a thirty year time jump into the future, revealing new ideas, new plot points and an interesting world building development.
Sadly, I wasn't enamoured with the first half or so, but the story picks up towards the end becomes incredibly tense, fast-paced and interesting. I would have wished for more character development, since most characters felt the same as they did in the last book, despite having aged thirty years.
It's still a good read, and I thin ...more
Sadly, I wasn't enamoured with the first half or so, but the story picks up towards the end becomes incredibly tense, fast-paced and interesting. I would have wished for more character development, since most characters felt the same as they did in the last book, despite having aged thirty years.
It's still a good read, and I thin ...more

[7/10]
I’ve always rejected the great-man idea. The belief that human history was formed by singular individuals instead of broad social forces? Romantic, but ...” He waved a hand vaguely, like he was stirring fog. “Demographic trends. Economic cycles. Technological progress. All much more powerful predictors than any one person. And yet here I am.
Book seven of the Expanse marks the start of a new story-arc within the greater scope of mankind’s expansion from the Solar System to the galaxy. C ...more

Flippin' marvellous and, as usual with this fantastic series, different from the others.
...more
...more

A fun thing to do with this series is to predict the way the story will go based on the piece of mythology, history or religion featured in each title. Another fun thing to do is realize how wrong you were in your predictions, after the book has had its way with you.
It’s still fun afterwards, though. I bet the authors have a grand ole time coming up with these titles.
Some spoilies below, so if you want to go in blind, maybe don’t finish this review.
Persepolis was the capital city of the first Pe ...more
It’s still fun afterwards, though. I bet the authors have a grand ole time coming up with these titles.
Some spoilies below, so if you want to go in blind, maybe don’t finish this review.
Persepolis was the capital city of the first Pe ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hugo & Nebula Awa...: The Expanse #7: Persepolis Rising | 6 | 4 | Oct 17, 2020 08:50AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Persepolis Rising [November 19, 2019] | 4 | 18 | Nov 18, 2019 02:40AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Persepolis Rising [May 2018] | 23 | 102 | Jun 14, 2018 03:07AM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: PR: Section 4 - Chapter 41-Epilogue (Full Spoilers) | 6 | 48 | Jun 05, 2018 11:14AM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: PR: Section 3 - Chapter 26-40 | 11 | 15 | Jun 04, 2018 04:24PM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: PR: Section 2 - Chapter 13-25 | 12 | 19 | May 24, 2018 10:42AM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: PR: Section 1 - Prologue - Chapter 12 | 17 | 20 | May 22, 2018 01:47PM |
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“In his opinion, faith was generally for people who were bad at math.”
—
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“I actually read history. It’s like reading prophecy, you know.”
—
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