Paperback, 624 pages
English language
Published June 26, 2012 by Orbit Books.
We are not alone. On Ganymede, breadbasket of the outer planets, a Martian marine watches as her platoon is slaughtered by a monstrous supersoldier. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting. And on Venus, an alien protomolecule has overrun the planet, wreaking massive, mysterious changes and threatening to spread out into the solar system.
In the vast wilderness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been keeping the peace for the Outer Planets Alliance. When they agree to help a scientist search war-torn Ganymede for a missing child, the future of humanity rests on whether a single ship can prevent an alien invasion that may have already begun...
The Expanse, by way of "Caliban's War" continues apace. It is Space Opera for the 21st Century, and Chrisjen Avasarala is my new fucking spirit animal!
Much improved compared to the first book of the series, simply for the reason that there's finally more PoVs than frigging James Holden, the shining knight of the Expanse so far. I far preferred the new characters, especially Bobbie and Avarasala. The latter is far more interesting than the watered down version in the TV show.
As far as the plot goes, it definitely thickens. However the book feels too long and a bit dull in parts. Though it definitely goes out with a bang of a cliffhanger.
What do I need to do to get less Holden and maybe Amos or even better Naomi as PoV?
This was a very enjoyable book and very approachable despite being so long since I read the prior book, Leviathan Wakes. The setting is cool, as it's futuristic space-based but with plenty of realism. Characters and plot are decent as well and keep the story moving at a fast pace. It's a solid book in The Expanse series and sets the stage for future events in the series.
For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2017/01/book-review-calibans-war-by-james-s.html
