Leviathan Wakes - A Review

"Leviathan Wakes"

(This book review is part of my effort to write down a few words after every book I read.) 

If you like science fiction, and love space opera in particular, then I highly recommend reading “Leviathan Wakes”. This is the first book in the 7-part “The Expanse” series by James S. A. Corey (a pseudonym for the writer duo, Daniel Abraham and Tyler Franck). And it is also the book upon which the first season of “The Expanse” TV show is based. I found the book just as riveting as the TV show and perhaps even more fast paced than the TV show. From what I understand, the show added sections from other books, such as what was happening on Earth, to show more facets of the space conflict, and to add more beef to the season.

In the story, people have dispersed across the solar system. Human tensions are high between Earth, Mars, and the Belt - the poor communities that dot the asteroid belt. The book starts out with two parallel stories. Miller, a detective, is assigned to find Julie Mao, a rebellious rich girl from Earth who has disappeared. At the same time, a motley crew of ice haulers lead by James Holden, have been flagged down mid delivery to investigate a distress call in deep space. Pretty soon, both story lines merge in a satisfying way and war threatens to breaks loose throughout the solar system.

Holden (R) and his partner are detectives hot on a case

The Motley Crew of the Rocinante

The book is a swashbuckling space opera in the best sense. There were plenty of epic space battles, and also plenty of exciting human shoot outs as well. There was a budding romance between Holden and Naomi, but more interestingly, a buddy romance between Holden and Miller as well. In one exciting sequence, both have been exposed to a deadly dose of radiation, but need to rely on each other to shoot through “vomit zombies” in order to reach their ship, where life-saving medications await. I also really appreciated the author’s visual imagination. There were some awe-inspiring space vistas, pulsing night clubs, all the way down to tightly cramped ships quarters reeking of unwashed bodies.

One of the co-authors of the book, Ty Franck was formerly George R. R. Martin’s assistant. George R. R. Martin, in case you didn’t know, is the author behind the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books (the basis for “the Game of Thrones” TV series). The first few drafts of “Leviathan Wakes” were developed under Martin’s watchful eye. As a result, I see a lot of influences from George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series on this book. Like in “A Song of Ice and Fire”, “Leviathan Wakes” has a complex plot line that really racks the reader’s brains to follow. There are feints and plot twists. The plot is revealed through characters’ points of view, who don’t always see the entire picture, so the reader is forced to put it all together themselves. I have seen the TV show, and I have read the first book, and I still struggle to fully grok the storyline and the different political interests. Another similarity with“A Song of Ice and Fire” series is that there are very strong, intelligent, fully fleshed female characters throughout. A final similarity is that the characters are not purely good or bad, especially in the case of Miller, the suicidal, broken cop who finds a hero’s purpose for the first time in his life in this novel. 

This book has brought me a much greater appreciation for the TV series as well. The actors who play Naomi, Amos, and Miller characters are spot on. I must give the actor who plays Miller special praise. Thomas James is much younger and much handsomer than the character he is supposed to play, who is supposed to be near 50 and possessing a “sad, basset hound face”. Just watch him in HBO’s “Hung” to see how classically handsome he can be. But in the TV series, the actor has managed to distort his features and embody Miller’s greasy qualities.

Finally, this book has some of the best space ship names ever.  The Rocinante, the Razorback, and Donnager are some of the quirkiest ship monikers I’ve ever heard. If ever I came to own a sail boat, I might have to name it The Rocinante for the way it rolls off the tongue.