I’ve read science fiction for almost sixty years now and some books and series of books are the ones I would take to a desert island. This series is one of those as it combines action, ideas, and a great understanding of interpersonal relationships. The family that the characters build is one of the best I have seen in any series. The ending of this book is one of the smartest and most poignant of any of my favorite books. I look forward to more books in the series and extend my deepest thanks to the authors.

This novel is a turning point in The Expanse series. The Free Navy tries to become the liberators of the Belters, but may in fact be destroying mankind throughout the solar system. Captain Holden and his crew get pulled into another war. It seems humanity cannot endure peace for long. A megalomaniac leading the Free Navy must be stopped, along with the traitorous Martians who enabled him. However, can the Earth, Mars, and the moderate factions of the Belt overcome their own differences to fight this battle? In this installment of the series, our crew finds themselves in the center of events. They work together and with new and old allies to overcome the odds and save what they can. The characters continue to mature, while still being comfortably relatable. Another solid installment in a mature series.

Easily the worst book of the series. It is full of characters and their developments that no one cares about. filled with excruciatingly boring self reflections and “thoughtful” recollections. The whole big alien mystery/artifacts took the backstage in the previous book and plainly missing in this one. The book is a choir and pain to read, horrible endless dull drivel... ughh... just awful.

Sadly the series is starting to turn into a run on sentence…

The most boring of the series, especially compared to the previous one.