Nemesis Games

I read this entire book in one day because I couldn't put it down. It was both compelling and heartbreaking, and I had to see what happened next.This book picks up about a year after the previous book. After the damage done to the Roci, the crew is grounded on Tycho Station so repairs can be completed. Given the amount of down time they're going to have, Amos, Alex, and Naomi head off on their own to take care of some business. Alex is heading back to Mars to check in on his ex-wife and hopefully get some closure. Amos is headed to Earth to make sure that Lydia really died peacefully and exact revenge if she didn't. Naomi's past has come back to haunt her as she is forced to confront the one man she hoped to never see again. And, Holden is left alone and soon realizes that the Roci isn't the Roci without her crew. Alongside these personal adventures ships start disappearing as they go through the ring, the last remaining protomolecule is stolen, and a terrorist attack devastated Earth, and each member of the crew must find a way to make it home.This is the first book that we get POV chapters for each of the Roci's crew: Holden, Naomi, Amos, and Alex. And, while I didn't love that they had to all be separated for that to happen, the the way these storylines converged kept me invested. I loved getting to spend more time with each of these characters and learn new things about them and gain a deeper understanding of who they are as people. The plot structure kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for them all to find their way home. Both Alex and Amos's storylines were compelling, but it was Naomi's that broke my heart. I cannot even imagine the pain having to make the choice she did to save herself. And, then to be back in clutches of her abuser? Awful, just awful. I always knew she was an incredible strong character, but this book really drove that point home. "'Didn't break me when I was a girl,' she said to the tiny black kit. 'Don't know why he thinks he can break me now.'"Each book in this series seems to have a moment - a game changing, world changing moment. And, this book is no different. But, it feels worse in this one - the level of devastation is almost incalculable, and we are experiencing it in real time with our characters. And, because we have spent the four books prior to this getting to know and love these characters, their pain and confusion and loss feels even bigger. The world will quite literally never be the same.Three Things:1. I loved that we got Bobbie and Avasarala back as main players in this even if they don't get their own chapters. They are two of my favorite characters.2. I wasn't expecting to see Clarissa Mao again. That storyline is going to be interesting.3. Avasarala breaking down just about broke me. "I'm trying to save humanity here. It would be just fantastic if someone would help."This isn't a particularly fast-paced story, but it is a gut wrenching one. And, the actions taken in this book are going to have huge implications for the rest of the series. I'm nervous, but determined to find out where things go from here.

Several weeks ago, my son and I were out to dinner and talking about various things, as you do, when he asked the following question: "How do you know when you're done writing a book review?". Most times when he asks a question I can answer almost immediately. This one caused me to pause for a few moments before I could formulate an answer. The more pressing question for me is not how I know when I'm done writing a review, but just how do I go about starting one. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. Many times I'll fumble around looking for a way to get started. You may be able to tell that this is one of those times. But I'll see what I can do.Luckily, James S.A. Corey - the pseudonym of the writing pair of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck - don't have the same problem I do. Oh, it's probably true that when they start writing an Expanse story, they have some problems getting started, but the final product that we see on the page - or on our e-readers - or hear from a narrator always seems to get off with a bang. NEMESIS GAMES, book five of the Expanse series, does just that. The book starts with an attack on the shipyards of Callisto, and while it does have its quiet moments, it really never stops moving. And while we're used to that with Expanse stories, NEMESIS GAMES is truly a totally different animal that is still somehow the same.The Rocinante is back in the Solar System, badly in need of repair after the events chronicled in CIBOLA BURN. It's going to be several weeks before the ship is ready for action again, so the crew - Holden, Alex, Amos, and Naomi - all depart from Tycho Station where the Rocinante is docked and undergoing repair, to deal with personal business. So, for the first time in the series, the characters are not together during the crisis that occurs during their journeys. Alex returns to Mars to tie up some personal business with loved ones, Amos returns to Earth to do much the same but in a different way, Naomi takes a trip to deal with what is, at least to me, a surprising (but maybe it shouldn't be) past, and Holden is tasked to help look into the mysterious disappearances of ships.There is much unrest within the structure of the Solar System. The galaxy outside the Solar System is home to countless worlds that are now available to settlers because of the gate that the protomolecule - or whoever or whatever made the protomolecule - left us. Those settlers are leaving in droves, and the political stability of the Solar System, what with the inner planets, the Outer Planetary Alliance, and the belters, while always tenuous, has gotten worse. The attack on Callisto is followed by one of the most spectacular and audacious attacks on Earth we have ever seen, and the Solar System is thrown into chaos. And how our four main characters, separately and eventually together, deal with that chaos while at the same time dealing with their own personal issues, is what lies at the core of this book.For the first four Expanse novels Holden, Naomi, Alex, and Amos have been together, interacting with and playing off each other. For the first time, we not only see them apart for an expanded period of time, but we see how they handle things in the absence of the rest of their friends. And yet, their friends are never far from their thoughts. Several times we hear one character or another ask "What would Holden do", or "What would Alex do?". Just as interesting is learning about the past and private lives of the four. We certainly find out some surprising things, but we also find out what makes these people tick, what made them into the people they are today, what caused them to get where they are from where they were.And yes, for the first time, there are very few new characters introduced. Oh, there are a few, certainly, and while at least one of them drives the plot, they are not the focus. They appear to be there for the convenience of having events in the series move forward. We do have a few old favorite friends back along for the ride. Fred Johnson, the butcher of Anderson station, plays a key role in the book, as does Bobbie Draper, who makes a welcome return to the story. And we really couldn't get through this without Chrisjen Avasarala, who is as feisty and vulgar as ever, but who is also funny and, of course, effective.This book is also about change, but it needs to be. When you hit book five in a series, the story and characters can tend to get stale and routine. With NEMESIS GAMES, Corey seems to be saying "alright, it's time for a shakeup; let's stir the pot a bit". The book ends on a cliffhanger, with events of the book irrevocably changing the shape of the Solar System. Similarly, as a result of their separate journeys, each member of the crew of the Rocinante has changed, both individually and as a unit, as their relationships with each other have changed. There are a projected four more books to go in the Expanse series, with BABYLON'S ASHES, book six, due out this summer. Corey has turned what we know about the Expanse on its ear. It is going to be interesting to see what comes next.I can't say enough about the narrator, Jefferson Mays. He brings each character to life, giving each their own voice, reading them with expert enthusiasm. My favorite is his portrayal of Chrisjen Avasarala. I looked forward to those scenes more than the rest - he brought her to life in a way I believe no other narrator could. Mays makes listening to this book worthwhile. This is the first of the Expanse books that I have listened to, and I wish I had listened to the others he narrated as well.NEMESIS GAMES is a book that expertly changes the face of the Expanse universe. If the rest of the novels in the series come anywhere close in quality to this one, which I believe is the best of the lot so far, then we as readers have a lot to look forward to.

Another great read for the Expanse series!!Only issue I had was distances in chapter 40 are too short. Baltimore is more like 300 kilometers from NY C and 650 from Boston. But if that is the worst I can find, that says a lot.

I watched the show and loved it so much, I had to read the books. This is the first book I've read without being aware of some of the storyline beforehand. Nothing really happened? Without spoiling anything, a big thing happens which I guess was already tipped to happen at the end of Series 4 the show, the crew of the Roci split up and this book is basically them all trying to get back to each other. It's the shortest book in the series so far and I felt it was so lacking of any kind of storyline whatsoever, just the same as the previous four books, people trying to kill other people, as soon as the crew got back together, it ended. There is no payoff for readers in terms of learning any more about what's going on in the other ring gates apart from two lines about 75% of the way through where one of the characters overhears a newscast about some issues on one of the worlds and alien artefacts and the obvious cliffhanger at the end of the book. I have honestly read each book hoping there was more to learn about the alien races, hoping the books were more descriptive than the shows, but unfortunately they aren't. I honestly think the shows are better than the books at this point and I doubt I will continue to read the books as the next book, Babylons Ashes, has a lot of critique where some people say its the weakest book. I was told the books get really good at book 5, but I've clearly missed it?

The reason I read The Expanse series is because of the amazing universe the writers have created. There are many different factions (Earth, Mars, The Belt), each having their own inner political differences and then problems coming together as a whole. There is a Sci Fi element too it which can be fun its at its best when looking at the people.The series can drag on at times. Some of the books antagonists are 1 dimensional uninteresting people and the 'Good Guys' can be a bit too American gun slinging hoorah army types for my liking. That said when that get it right they do it well.Nemisis Games has brought the best characters back from previous books, watched an incredibly big terrorist (freedom fighter?) attack happen and everyone is left dealing with the consequences. It focuses on the main crew of the Rocinante who quickly spread out over the solar system. There is character depth and progression, particularly so in Naomi's character. It's also about 150 pages shorter than the books and benefitted from it. I can't remember it dragging at all which is a first for this series.I seriously thought about giving this a 5 but landed on 4. The Expanse is a lot of fun but can I call it a literary masterpiece? I don't think so.

I reach Volume 5 of this exceptional series which presumably was already good before it was made for TV - I very rarely read sci fi but now I trust these books to deliver the goods and whilst the format of alternate chapters dealing with each characters perspective is rigid it works and helps layer the action. Why change a winning formula- so we get Holdens view and Amos and Naomi and Alex each alternately as the same narrative unfolds. It seems to work even better in this volume because the writers have decided to contrive separating them all as they each go off at the summons of something or someone to deal with a problem or a crisis leaving Holden to supervise the repairs to the Roci whilst hanging out with Fred. Nice to see Bobbie again and Avarasala is there cursing and kicking arse. Naomis backstory is not so much revealed as exploded which is also pretty much what happens to earth (as a result) and there is the issue of missing ships and an investigation that draws all the characters in. No spoilers here but another solid five star affair- the writing is top notch- both reflective and detailed and fine at reestablishing mood and milieu. Very skilful in fitting this in to what becomes the whole and im only just over half way through. Fabulous and gripping (again)!!

Firstly, this is book five in a continuous narrative. Whilst it is possible to get a sense of things coming in blind that would be a big mistake. If you haven’t already go and read book 1 and work up to here - it’s worth it.I really enjoy this series of books; it fills in the whole left by the absence of Firefly, since several characters are similar between the two series. This one has been the best so far, in my opinion. The usual multiple narratives are there but this time it is the four main crew members and I enjoyed every moment with each of them. It was good to get to know them all a bit better.I don’t think the ending is as strong as others in the series: whilst the book’s major arcs are concluded satisfactorily, I am irked by some lose ends - this book more than any of the others (to my memory) sets up a sequel, which left me feeling a little cheated by the penultimate chapter.Overall though a very good read and it won’t be long before I read book 6.

I watched the tv series before I read any of the books. I love the tv series which is why I am so far behind in the book series. In my experience, the tv or the film version of something -no matter how good - is never as enjoyable as the book. I can still enjoy the book even though I know what is going to happen whereas if I'd read the book first, and then watched the tv series, I would have been disappointed slightly. On saying that, reading this book was a joy. It's like watching a Star Trek movie - you know all the characters so it just goes straight to the plot and carries on with the narrative. It's always a pleasure to be in the company of Jim, Naomi, Amos, Alex, Bobbi and Avarasala. I can't wait for Amazon's next series to air so I can read the next book.