Caliban's war - The Expanse #2

“We gotta talk”
The second book of the Expanse series, which by the way has been adapted into a well made tv sci-fi show(The Expanse) is pretty different from the first. Originally meant to be a mmorpg game developed by a chinese video game producer, it never got the greenlight so the authors decided to publish what they had written as books. Originally the game was meant to have three factions which you can guess if you’ve read the first book. It was an overly ambitious game that could not be made in 2004. Ty Frank is the video game geek, while Daniel Abraham is the more traditional writer. Thus the Universe encompassing Earth, Mars and the belt got it’s unlikely start.
Caliban’s War is different in feel and scope from Leviathan Wakes. The second book follows the adventures of the Rocinante crew but it’s more of a horror space opera than a noir horror-sci-fi thriller.
There is focus on human drama - in this case a missing child, while the war between Earth, Mars and the Belt serves as the backdrop. Of course the protomolecule on Venus is always in the background.
I have a few gripes with the book - it wasn’t as immersive as the first and it got to a slow start. I had to force myself a bit to go through some parts of the book to get to the good stuff.
It is still a good book and I recommend it. The writing style is good and the space stations are described really well.
Even if you end up not liking the book I would suggest that you watch the TV show. It’s got a good cast, especially Miller, Amos and Fred Johnson.
Pros:
  • Continues following the Rocinante crew
  • Good character development
  • More space battles!
  • Diverse universe
Cons:
  • Not that catchy in the beginning
  • Feels a little like an intermediate book
  • Feels just a little bit like a formula
Grade : 6.7 out of 10.

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