The Expanse novel series thread WARNING TV SPOILERS

I've been reading the novellas, and man, the writing is awful.

Aren't the novellas by one half of Corey (possibly the bad half?)

I really only liked one of the novellas. The latest one, I think.

I finished Tiamat's Wrath a few nights ago, it's really good!

Chuck, did you go on with the novels? I had a hard time finishing the first one, but after that the plotting gets tighter and tighter (the prose, not so much).

I'm starting Nemesis Games right now. This is the one people are really into, right?

that's the one that's considerably different (in terms of setting, the characters being split up) than the previous books -- it's good!

Finished the first four books, reading the novellas while I wait for book 5 to turn up in the post. Enjoying them hugely, while making no great claims for the writing quality... but then I read THE VITAL ABYSS (first-person induced-sociopathic Protogen researcher in prison) and it seems actually really well written? Is this Stockholm syndrome?

Anyway, very much enjoying this series and hanging out for the return of the TV version.

fuckin' Marco

Oh my god. First they give Ashford some real depth on the show, then, well, you know. I'll be looking forward to Marco eating it.

I wonder if they're going to continue to give TV Drummer book Pa's threads and have her join with Marco, which I hope not, but given that her current whereabouts are unclear...

I'm curious whether Filip's ever going to be seen again in the books. I'd be cool with it either way -- he got the exit he deserved

Miller dies.

The final book is out at the end of the month but I want it NOW

Miller dies.

As he does in the TV version, I just found out. I guess maybe you were reading the first novel in between S1 and S2?

He (or "he") dies twice in the books.

Just a week till Leviathan Falls comes out, and I find myself in the situation I always find myself in when a new one drops: not remembering what happened in the preceding book. What do people use for quick capsule summaries, preferably shorter than e.g. https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Tiamat%27s_Wrath?

I don't have a go-to for plot recaps but the wikipedia summary is much more manageable. I'm really excited for this last book

Just picked up the first book today, will give it a whirl

Thanks Vinnie, I will check out the WP recap.

Moodles, I found the first book to be sloggy, and IMO it takes a few books for them to hit their pacing stride, although when they do (IMO book 3), you will feel TEH BURN.

I've just reread books 7 & 8 earlier this month so am good to go xps

There was one massive plot point I'd completely forgotten so glad i did:

I remembered Amos getting killed but had somehow completely forgotten the fact the protomolecule repair dog things bring him back

Out today!

Already reading it, definitely needed to reread the Expanse wiki summary of book 8 to remind myself where we were up to.

https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Tiamat%27s_Wrath#Plot

LEVIATHAN FALLS

I finished it. Some good stuff in there!

Jeez! When did you start reading??

Got about an hour in before work yesterday, long lunch, late evening. Then cheated and half-paid attention to a meeting today.

It’s a bit light on one of the main plot threads when it comes to the the reappearance of an antagonist, but imo it’s not really their story anymore so I’m willing to let that go

I'm not too far in but if anything bad happens to hero of book 8 Muskrat, I will completely lose it.

<3

Can confirm Muskrat survives unscathed, other than needing a steroid shot for a zero-gravity-induced sore hip at one point.

Two-third through and I keep expecting it to really reel me in, but it hasn't happened yet.

Sadly, it never did reel me in. Generalized impressions (but no plot details): it didn't have as much plot as the preceding books, and a lot (too much?) of the action was mostly focused on moving the characters into place for a climax that never really comes. The denouement was really dragged out too -- in fact, a lot of details throughout felt like they were at best there for flavor and didn't contribute much to the main story.

Very much agree with you.

I found book 6 and book 9 to be the weakest books in the series for kind of the same reason - not much plot, lots of flavor detail. In the concluding book, I want exactly the opposite! maybe they're just not that good at writing climaxes/endings. There's still a satisfaction in the story resolving but I felt let down. Liked the epilogue though

Ah hell, that blue block was supposed to be SPOILERS but I did keep it pretty vague. Sorry

New, presumably final story collection now out, collection all the previous stories/novellas, plus 1 new one which is about 50-something Filip stranded on a very thinly populated backwater planet after the gate system closes down.

2-1-5-3-4 so far - they remind me of reading a bunch of Bernard Cornwell novels, compulsive page turners even when they’re not exactly good and as soon as I finish one it’s like “well shit gotta find out what happens next.”

21534?

ranking the novels