L'humanité a colonisé le système solaire. Quand Jim Holden, second sur un transport de glace, croise la route du Scopuli, un appareil à l'abandon, il se retrouve en possession d'un secret bien encombrant. S'il ne découvre pas rapidement qui a abandonné ce vaisseau et pourquoi, le conflit latent entre le gouvernement de la Terre et les rebelles risque de se réveiller. Avec ce premier volume de la série « Expanse », James S. A. Corey signe « un space opéra qui déchire » (George R. R. Martin).
L'humanité a colonisé le système solaire. Quand Jim Holden, second sur un transport de glace, croise la route du Scopuli, un appareil à l'abandon, il se retrouve en possession d'un secret bien encombrant. S'il ne découvre pas rapidement qui a abandonné ce vaisseau et pourquoi, le conflit latent entre le gouvernement de la Terre et les rebelles risque de se réveiller. Avec ce premier volume de la série « Expanse », James S. A. Corey signe « un space opéra qui déchire » (George R. R. Martin).
For me, this was a frontier western story in space, and I was not sure why I should be interested. It made me question the whole premise of 'humanity conquers the solar system/universe' science fiction. Why would humanity settle Mars and the Asteroid Belt to begin with, and why would society change so little in that process?
If you like mystery, violence, horror and want it set in space, this might just be your thing; it did not appeal to me.
For me, this was a frontier western story in space, and I was not sure why I should be interested. It made me question the whole premise of 'humanity conquers the solar system/universe' science fiction. Why would humanity settle Mars and the Asteroid Belt to begin with, and why would society change so little in that process?
If you like mystery, violence, horror and want it set in space, this might just be your thing; it did not appeal to me.
It has been a long time since a piece of text made my mind grow cold from horror. "Leviathan Wakes" with regard to Mr. Dresden did just that. Magnificent!
It has been a long time since a piece of text made my mind grow cold from horror. "Leviathan Wakes" with regard to Mr. Dresden did just that. Magnificent!
So I started reading this book 1 year ago... I remember very vaguely that it kind of bored me; the vocabulary was complicated, the author uses some technical words I don't understand, and it generally didn't entertain me... However, the idea of an interplanetary society that's set up in this novel, is very fascinating, additionally with the perspectives of 2 different, opposite characters, is also a very interesting way of telling a story.
Ultimately, I would give it a 3/5
So I started reading this book 1 year ago... I remember very vaguely that it kind of bored me; the vocabulary was complicated, the author uses some technical words I don't understand, and it generally didn't entertain me... However, the idea of an interplanetary society that's set up in this novel, is very fascinating, additionally with the perspectives of 2 different, opposite characters, is also a very interesting way of telling a story.
This book was massive in scope and the author pulled it off with full marks. Incredibly well done story. I will absolutely read the next in the series.
Um, here's a thought, but don't read it unless you've already read the book, okay:
I feel kinda horrible to say it, but I was kinda glad when Miller got killed off. Not that I wasn't sad; he was one of my favorite characters, and I really loved how he developed over the course of the novel. It's just like this: if I'm going to stick around for a what, nine-book series, I want to see that the authors aren't afraid of change. Too many books I've read are afraid to let anything happen because they want their readers to keep loving the characters they first saw. (The Oz series is predominantly on my mind; every book solved the conflict with yet another magic object to the point where one of the later plots--and in my opinion one of the more interesting ones--has an evil magician steal all their magic …
Um, here's a thought, but don't read it unless you've already read the book, okay:
I feel kinda horrible to say it, but I was kinda glad when Miller got killed off. Not that I wasn't sad; he was one of my favorite characters, and I really loved how he developed over the course of the novel. It's just like this: if I'm going to stick around for a what, nine-book series, I want to see that the authors aren't afraid of change. Too many books I've read are afraid to let anything happen because they want their readers to keep loving the characters they first saw. (The Oz series is predominantly on my mind; every book solved the conflict with yet another magic object to the point where one of the later plots--and in my opinion one of the more interesting ones--has an evil magician steal all their magic stuff, so they have to work without. I mean, seriously: how can you keep a story interesting when one character has a belt that lets them do literally anything?)
Anyway, by killing Miller, the authors have convinced me that they're going to do what's right to make an interesting story, even if it hurts the reader's feelings a bit. And that's all right. In fact, I much prefer that to static characters. I don't want a bunch of novels with practically identical plots. (I'm talking to you, Sherlock Holmes and Hardy Boys.)
And to those who have read further into the series (preferably until Cibola Burn):
Yes, I realize Miller came back. My point stands; he definitely was extremely changed and arguably not even the original person at all.
Mankind has colonized the solar system. And just like the colonies of old, those colonies and the people living and working there are being abused to extract the resources there. Within this world of growing tension, an unknown party is willingly exploiting and aggravating that tension.
Leviathan Wakes is both a mystery novel and a grand space opera. It's an engaging and well written read. A real "just one more page" book. With all the talk about going to Mars, it's also still a very relevant "near-future" story with science that's fiction, but still, it could happen.
If you've seen the television series based on the books, the books are still very much worth a read. The story and characters are slightly different, which makes both interesting enough to experience on their own.
Mankind has colonized the solar system. And just like the colonies of old, those colonies and the people living and working there are being abused to extract the resources there. Within this world of growing tension, an unknown party is willingly exploiting and aggravating that tension.
Leviathan Wakes is both a mystery novel and a grand space opera. It's an engaging and well written read. A real "just one more page" book. With all the talk about going to Mars, it's also still a very relevant "near-future" story with science that's fiction, but still, it could happen.
If you've seen the television series based on the books, the books are still very much worth a read. The story and characters are slightly different, which makes both interesting enough to experience on their own.
Truly fantastic book, I enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the best pieces of sci-fi I've read in years. I spent many late nights on this story. I bought it because I liked the series, and I'm SO glad I did!
Truly fantastic book, I enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the best pieces of sci-fi I've read in years. I spent many late nights on this story. I bought it because I liked the series, and I'm SO glad I did!
I've been wanting to read this series ever since I read The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abrahams, one of two authors behind the name James S.A. Corey. I watched the first four episodes of the show and decided I needed to read the source first. Took me a while but here I am.
I'm a bit disappointed because the series came with so much praise, and at least the first book hasn't earned all this praise yet. The worldbuilding and setting are amazing. I really like to imagine this SF universe that is focused on different powers in our solar system. The two major powers of the inner planets Earth and Mars, opposing the rougher faction of the Belters, the Outer Planet Alliance, with their own lingo, physique and attitude to life. And in comes a life-threatening event that causes a solar system-wide war as diversion.
However, …
I've been wanting to read this series ever since I read The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abrahams, one of two authors behind the name James S.A. Corey. I watched the first four episodes of the show and decided I needed to read the source first. Took me a while but here I am.
I'm a bit disappointed because the series came with so much praise, and at least the first book hasn't earned all this praise yet. The worldbuilding and setting are amazing. I really like to imagine this SF universe that is focused on different powers in our solar system. The two major powers of the inner planets Earth and Mars, opposing the rougher faction of the Belters, the Outer Planet Alliance, with their own lingo, physique and attitude to life. And in comes a life-threatening event that causes a solar system-wide war as diversion.
However, what held this book back for me was the narrow PoVs. You just get two of them. There's Miller, a cop on Ceres, who gets charged with finding Juliette Mao, and Holden, the captain whose ship gets destroyed and who basically starts the war by announcing the destruction of his ship. Those two end up together eventually and find out where Julie Mao is, and save Earth from destruction. But Miller's chapters showed a broken and interesting character, whereas Holden mostly went on my nerves. He's a righteous, holier-than-thou character, who turned out to be super-needy and weird about relationships. I for one would have been happier if Naomi hadn't started a relationship with this needy dude, but whatever. I thought she was cooler as an independent, opinionated XO.
I would have loved to see more diversity in the PoVs. Someone at Protogen, someone else in the Belt, Mars, Earth, anything. Those two points of view were too self-contained somehow.
Of course, I need to continue now, because the threat was just stopped, not destroyed, and it was delightfully weird and fascinating. I just hope Holden becomes more interesting. He strongly reminded me of Geder Palliako from Dagger and the Coin somehow. Only that Geder was more interesting.
Dans cet épais roman, on va suivre deux hommes : un capitaine de vaisseau spatial un peu trop droit, et un ancien flic un peu trop désabusé. Ces deux hommes vont affronter une menace réellement étrange au sein d'un système solaire marqué par une ambiance nettement belliciste (qui 'est toutefois pas le coeur do roman). On a donc trois factions : la Terre, Mars, et les humains d'au-dela des astéroïdes. En quelque sorte, on pourrait placer cette histoire dans une période après la trilogie martienne de [a:K S Robinson|8245258|K S Robinson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] : l'humanité a colonisé le système solaire jusqu'à Uranus, mais dépend encore totallement de ce que peut lui fournir la Terre. Du coup, il y a une certaine tension politique. Et dans ce climat ... délétère, les événements à travers les personnages principaux vont passer sont assez ... effrayants. Franchement, je ne m'attendais pas à apprécier ce roman autant …
Dans cet épais roman, on va suivre deux hommes : un capitaine de vaisseau spatial un peu trop droit, et un ancien flic un peu trop désabusé. Ces deux hommes vont affronter une menace réellement étrange au sein d'un système solaire marqué par une ambiance nettement belliciste (qui 'est toutefois pas le coeur do roman). On a donc trois factions : la Terre, Mars, et les humains d'au-dela des astéroïdes. En quelque sorte, on pourrait placer cette histoire dans une période après la trilogie martienne de [a:K S Robinson|8245258|K S Robinson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] : l'humanité a colonisé le système solaire jusqu'à Uranus, mais dépend encore totallement de ce que peut lui fournir la Terre. Du coup, il y a une certaine tension politique. Et dans ce climat ... délétère, les événements à travers les personnages principaux vont passer sont assez ... effrayants. Franchement, je ne m'attendais pas à apprécier ce roman autant que je l'ai fait. Parce que la trame paraît assez classique et que le début du roman est, en quelque sorte, une déception : le capitaine Holden a un côté boy-scout dénonceur plutôt pénible, et Miller est souvent un peu trop déprimant. Cependant, la construction littéraire avec des chaitres alternés entre ces deux personnages fonctionne plutôt bien, et même franchement très bien à partir du moment où ils se rencontre, puisqu'on peut avoir successivement deux points de vue de la même scène, sans pour autant avoir la moindre impression de répétition. Du coup, cette construction très dynamique permet de faire passer assez bien certains passages typiquement longs du space-op (typiquement, les voyages interplanétaires, par exemple). Et puis, ce système solaire envahi par une humanité pas forcément heureuse, pas forcément libre, et pas forcément contente de la situation politique est une vraie réussite de roman noir : à aucun moment on a l'impression que cet essaimage est vu par les personnages comme une bonne idée, mais plutôt comme une conséquence nécessaire de la croissance de la population terrestre. Quant à la menace extra-terrestre, elle est bien crédible que bon nombre de celles que j'ai pu voir. Du coup, ce roman est bien meilleur que les cent premères pages peuvent le laisser supposer. Et en bonus, si il s'intègre dans un cycle, c'est d'une façon assez "propre" puisque la dernière page apporte une conclusion bien fermée. Ce qui en fait un space-opera bien sombre, mais également bien recommandable, sauf peut-être pour les coeurs fragiles.
Surprised and happy I read this one. The authors do a great job of keeping you in the story even when they are setting up something on the side. It's like the made a point to actively keep the reader engaged, which is weird--I know--as you'd think all books do that. Many books tell a story, this one keeps you focused while telling.
Surprised and happy I read this one. The authors do a great job of keeping you in the story even when they are setting up something on the side. It's like the made a point to actively keep the reader engaged, which is weird--I know--as you'd think all books do that. Many books tell a story, this one keeps you focused while telling.
I'm going to steal this review, as it basically sums up how I feel: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/562881283
..."All in all, a disappointing read. Adequate, and certainly not bad, but certainly not as good as I'd hoped for. I'm mildly interested in what happens next, but don't feel a burning need to buy the rest of the series."
I'm going to steal this review, as it basically sums up how I feel: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/562881283
..."All in all, a disappointing read. Adequate, and certainly not bad, but certainly not as good as I'd hoped for. I'm mildly interested in what happens next, but don't feel a burning need to buy the rest of the series."
