(5 Stars)

I can't express how much I really love this series. I watched the televised series and started reading the books after, and both are excellent! This second full book is a great follow-up to Leviathan Wakes. It grows the characters and even introduces some new ones. The characters have depth, personality, and are consistent. The descriptions are vivid, imaginative, and plausible.

If you like space opera, hard science fiction, or even space-based action/adventure you should love this book. Don't let the number of pages scare you, and don't be overwhelmed by the number of books out there. This series is paced perfectly, so there are no boring "filler" parts, and the events are memorable and unique enough that you don't get confused about overlapping sequences or disconnected backstories. It is all handled perfectly.
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Really enjoyed the plot, characters, the Expanse! of the series ( )

The second full length novel in "The Expanse" series.   And what a novel it is.

The protomolecule has now taken over Venus and while it is now the most watched and analysed thing in the solar system, no one has any idea what is going on beneath Venus' clouds.

Meanwhile, on Ganymede, a space monster attacks a whole load of UN and Martian marines, and leaves only one alive.   Then all hell breaks loose between Earth and Mars and Ganymede gets laid to waste.

And while all this is going on someone is kidnapping children with a rare immune disorder.

And so the stage is set for a super long read.

All our favourite characters from the first series are back, and a few more really good new characters are thrown into the mix.

Super good, great writing, all round awesome sci-fi.

Next up is Gods of Risk. ( )

I was not particularly enthused with the first book in this series, but my friend Bob urged me to read this one, convinced that I would like it better. And he was right, as he usually is. The pacing of this did not drag, the plot and dialogue did not feel repetitive in the way that its predecessor did. The returning characters fleshed out nicely, but the new characters, if anything, seemed even more fully dimensional. The science and physical realities are nicely observed, making this real science fiction to my mind. I will definitely be getting the follow-on novel. ( )

Newcomers Bobbie and Avasarala are my favorite characters in the series so far. The Protomolecule is nice and terrifying. Interplanetary politics is just as awful as you'd expect. And I couldn't stop laughing at the scene near the end where half a dozen admirals yell orders at each other over the radio.

Lovely read, can't wait to start the next one. ( )