Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jun 20, 2017 Trish rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction, zsrc-2017-2-summer, zzhugos-2017

Well, IMO, the first 90% of this book was pretty bog-standard Mil-SF, with a dash of conspiracy theory, that didn't seem to bring anything new to the genre. But in fairness, the last 10% actually turned it into something a bit different, and opened up the possibilities for where it went from here. That said, I really don't understand why so many people have given it rave reviews.

Of the main characters, Miller was the best-drawn, and the only one I actually cared about, although his obsessive im Well, IMO, the first 90% of this book was pretty bog-standard Mil-SF, with a dash of conspiracy theory, that didn't seem to bring anything new to the genre. But in fairness, the last 10% actually turned it into something a bit different, and opened up the possibilities for where it went from here. That said, I really don't understand why so many people have given it rave reviews.

Of the main characters, Miller was the best-drawn, and the only one I actually cared about, although his obsessive imaginary relationship with Julie Mao grated, even if the reason for it being included did finally resolve in the last 10%. I also kind of liked Fred Johnson, who managed to avoid the stereotype that his previous title of "the butcher of Anderson Station" might have dumped on him.

From the Rocinante side, I thought Holden was an idiot who didn't think of the consequences of pretty much anything, and both Alex (the pilot) and Amos (the foul-mouthed engineer) seemed like cut-outs, who didn't even remain consistent, for example Alex swinging between professional and panicking, depending on what fitted the scene. And then there was Naomi...

What annoyed me most, was that for the most part, there's not a decent, well-drawn female character anywhere in the book. Needless to say, as a result, the book is a Bechdel-fail. Naomi had the most potential, but too much of the time it seemed like she was there for window dressing as the "XO who tells the captain he's an idiot" stereotype, and Holden's hard-to-get lust interest. In my view, she would have been a better character if she hadn't ended up sleeping with him, because that just played into the stereotypes. Aside from her - and in a very different way, Julie - about the only women with a decent role were Muss (Miller's second partner), and Captain Shaddid , and even there we don't really see enough of them for them to come to life.

All in all, a ratio of 1:9 of original:nothing special doesn't make a good book in my view. The last 10% really only brought it up from one star to two - maybe two-and-a-half - and gave me a vague interest in what happens next, whereas before that I just didn't care. I suppose it was needed to kick off the series, but with decent editing the same scene-setting could have been done in half the length.
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Jul 15, 2018 Lesa Divine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-it, botm-selection, library, 2018

4.5 🌟
So I started reading this. I swear it sounded very familiar. I thought I've read this before and may hadn't posted it on Goodreads. But the more I read it I just couldn't figure out why it felt as if I read this but I hadn't so Google this book and find out it's the Expanse series and I've watched it. But hey books be so different from the show.
I enjoyed this a lot. It felt more low key on characters in the book than the show. I think it was Alex that was more bad a** on the show but not m ...more

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Aug 27, 2017 Cora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, science-fiction, space, mystery, 1st-in-series, space-opera, series, american-author, two-authors

I really liked this story. I have found that I enjoy science fiction detective stories. The characters were interesting and complex. I liked the camaraderie of Holden's crew and Miller's (the detective) noir personality. The plot was well done with plenty of action as well as philosophy and politics to keep my interest. The science seemed plausible but not too heavy. They dealt with gravity, speed of space travel, and the vacuum of space in ways that rang true to my inexpert mind. This series wa ...more

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Jan 10, 2024 Jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sean

3.5, rounded up to 4 stars.

"“What kind of half-assed apocalypse are they running down there?” Amos said. “Give ’em a break. It’s their first.”

Space opera isn't usually my jam, but this one came highly recommended to me.

I really enjoyed this for what it is! The plot moves quickly, and it kept me interested for nearly 600 pages (no small feat for me.)

Set somewhere in between present day and the far distant future where we have conquered the stars, this felt like a somewhat realistic idea of what ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Kathleen (itpdx) rated it liked it

Some reviewers call this a space opera. And that fits well. We have a washed-up detective and a good-looking, righteous, smart second officer on an ice transport in a solar system that is divided along origin and class lines. Although the characters make their divisions between origin lines—Earthers, Martians and belters, much of the conflict is class-based—workers vs. corporations. A threat from outside the solar system shows up and war starts within the system. The detective and the now-captai ...more

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May 03, 2020 Jeanne rated it it was amazing

This is even better than the TV show! And it's funny! (...how horrible can my reviews be before I'm kicked off Goodreads?)

I wish I could make it 4.5 stars, but it def. closer to 5 than 4, but I wish I could have a real special "five stars" are worth something special rule. ...more

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