Author: James S.A. Corey
(Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck)
Pages: 592
ISBN: 9780316129084
Series: Expanse #1
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2011
Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera
Source: eARC from Publisher
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/ Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for - and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.
Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to The Scopuli and rebel sympathizer, Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.
Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations - and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.
The story is set in a future world where humanity has taken its first steps into the cosmic ocean having colonized most of the habitable planets, moons and asteroids in the solar system. There is constant tension between Earth, Mars and the Belters since they are dependent on each other for survival and trade. When an ice hauler, The Canterbury, is destroyed things are taken past the breaking point and the two main characters, Miller and Holden, are unwittingly thrust into the middle of a conspiracy which could lead to humanity’s destruction.
The chapters alternate in viewpoint between Holden, the XO of the Canterbury, and Miller, a jaded and life-weary detective on Ceres, as they try to make sense of a world that has suddenly gone mad. Both characters are excellently portrayed and I was immediately drawn into the world each of them inhabits. Holden is an idealist; he sees the best in people and his primary concern is to ensure the safety of his crew. Miller has seen it all; he knows that the world isn’t black and white and that you sometimes have to make difficult decisions for the greater good. Their differing worldviews and the conflict it creates is what makes the alternating viewpoints so effective and had me reading at a ferocious pace to see how things turned out.
There are many twists and turns to the plot, some expected, others taking you completely by surprise. As more pieces of the puzzle fall into place the action and suspense is ratchet up to a heart-pounding finale that leaves you both satisfied and craving for more.
The Verdict:
Leviathan Wakes has everything you would want in a space opera - great action scenes, nail biting space battles, unscrupulous corporations and an alien threat with a macabre twist. If you are looking for a breathtaking space adventure focusing on the characters rather than the technology then look no further. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I definitely can’t wait to see what the writing duo will dish up in the sequel, Caliban’s War.
The Rating: 8/10
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