Leviathan Wakes

This science fiction novel, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey, was the beginning of the Expanse series (now totaling 9 novels and additional stories). It is one of the best space science fiction novels of the 21st century and became the basis for one of my favorite TV/streaming series, The Expanse.

The books dive deep into the political, social, and cultural complexities of sending humans to live on the Moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt, and it’s a nuanced reflection of our current ideas and ambitions when it comes to… show more.

When The Expanse series hit television, a literary ripple spread through my reading circles; “Oh, if you think the TV show is good, you gotta read the books!” From the opening scene of Julie Mao hiding in a locker of a spaceship as her friends are tossed out the airlock by pirates, this book throws the reader into a fully formed universe of our solar system in the near future. 

As an author, I am very hardened to weak MacGuffins, the central plot device around which the narrative turns. When I unraveled the MacGuffin of Leviathan Wakes, I wanted… show more.

This one has all the geopolitical shenanigans that I adore in a book. To love a book or series, there has to be more than just narrowly drawn black-and-white hats. I need shades of grey. Yes, I may disagree with what a character does or find him/her to be the bad guy, but I need to understand why.

This book ostensibly presents three political alignments: Earth, Mars, or the Belters. It then throws in a game-changing macguffin that all sides want. From there, the book (and the series) evolves, showing why each side has a vested interest in this item… show more.

This book's storyline unfolds from the POV of two characters with similar but incompatible morals: a jaded, alcoholic Belter cop and an excessively honest Earther from Montana now serving as executive officer of a water hauler from Saturn's rings.

Their stories converge in unexpected ways as they chase down their own mysteries. They each have strengths the other lacks and weaknesses that put them at odds with each other, heightening the weight of their interactions as they strive to save the solar system, each in their own way.

I loved so much else about this book, from the full cast… show more.

The possibility of terraforming Mars and mankind moving further away from Earth has always intrigued me. Besides the politics, how it affected humanity felt based on reality.

Human nature doesn’t change. We all know that. I am not big on reading mysteries. However, I fell in love with the idea behind the mystery that was the foundation for the whole series and how its discovery affected everyone. Would I make the same hard choices as they had to do? I still don’t have an answer to that.

The Expanse series was a real game-changer for me. An epic space opera set in a very real and gritty future with a host of working-class heroes.

James, Naomi, and Amos work in deep space on an ice trawler and only become involved in the action by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When they get swept up in the story, the characters must learn and adapt to navigate the world of politics and espionage.

This book series walks the tightrope of creating a very possible future in space without getting too impeded, explaining the science of… show more.

Come for the space opera, stay for the detective story.

The heart of this first entry into the Expanse series is a missing person case, and I was instantly engaged with the path this plotline took. I found the book has more facets and depth than the TV series (as per usual) and was drawn into the detective’s growing attachment to the missing woman as he grows to understand her fate.

Great science fiction world-building without the flab!

Sometimes, I just want to read a good book. A safe pair of hands, immaculate world-building, a setup that pays off. Leviathan Wakes is one of those books. 

While there are several flawed heroes in the series, perhaps the most broken of all is Joe Miller. A detective for a private security company on a space station, he is laden with all the flaws you’d expect. He has a problem with the bottle and a problem with his boss.

With unconventional methods, a jarring personality, and an indifference to all forms of authority, Miller has the dogged (and often opaque)… show more.

At first glance, the setting is a common one: space. What makes it interesting is that space travel is advanced enough that humans have colonized the solar system, but no further. This makes it different from most space-faring sci-fi I’ve seen.

The plot resolves around the conflicts between Earth, Mars, and the belters, colonists living in and mining an asteroid belt. However, the story involves a lot more than that, including a missing person mystery, a potential war with Mars, and a conspiracy involving a mysterious proto-molecule.

This book is part of a long series, so if you enjoy it,… show more.

I thought I wasn’t a fan of space opera until I started reading Leviathan Wakes. I was drawn in immediately by the worldbuilding, which is some of the richest and most plausible I’ve ever encountered, but it was the characters that kept me reading.

I love a found family story; this series has one of the best. Spending time with Holden and his crew just made me feel happy; I’ve rarely been so invested in a set of characters’ lives and arcs. It felt like I knew them all personally.

I devoured this first book, reading late into the… show more.