The Expanse

The Expanse is one of those series that a ton of people know about, but it rarely seems to enter the conversation of the most recommended or lauded series, which I think is a shame.

I was hesitant to take on Leviathan Wakes, the first in the series, as I've never been a fan of co-authored books. Whole LW is written under one name, for those who are unaware, James S. A. Corey is a pseudonym for the combination of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Abraham I had previously read and really enjoyed (The Long Price quartet was truly top-notch writing and The Dagger and Coin series was solid). Ty Franck I only knew as an employee of GRRM, who strongly recommended on his blog.

I really enjoyed LW. I thought it was engaging, well paced, with solid and interesting world-building. I didn't become enamored with LW in a way that made me chomp at the bit desperately waiting for book 2, but I was actively following along for updates on when future books would emerge. Thankfully, the series delivered 9 very strong entries (plus a host of novellas) in a very reasonable timeline. Looking at my goodreads, I gave 6 of the 9 books 4*, 1 book 3*, and the final 2 books 2*. The vast majority of this series could best be described as "really solid and enjoyable". Individually, book 8 was the only entry where I was truly captivated and would include amongst the upper echelon of my read list, which I think is why it's so easy to overlook the true brilliance of The Expanse.

When you think of the series that have developed massive, rabid followings (Harry Potter, ASoIaF, WoT, KKC, etc.), I think one of the primary factors is that people fell in love with the first/early books; which often leads people to view the entire series through rose colored glasses. For me, The Expanse doesn't get that early boost to the same level, but it's strength is not in it's individual entries, but in the overall series as a whole. The sum is truly greater than its parts. The characters develop throughout the series, but always feel like themselves and stay true to their established voice (even with 2 authors). The major through plots feel organic and dovetail successfully with each other. The writing is consistently solid; more steady and serviceable more than flowery and poetic. The worldbuilding starts strong and continues to develop as we move through the timeline without ever getting sketchy, even as more abstract concerns come into play. And the dialog, character interactions, and general plot developments all feel real, rather than scripted. To deliver these core aspects consistently throughout a 9 book is truly remarkable. And then to satisfactorily deliver on the ending, really solidified The Expanse for me as one of the best series around.

I remember Brandon Sanderson commenting on WoT about how he grew up with Rand, Mat, and Perrin, and how they felt like his friends. I didn't grow up with the crew of the Rocinante, but they felt so real and have been with me for so long, I think it is easy to develop the emotional attachment to each of them that is critical for buying into a long series. This is why I gave book 9 5*. Not because it was that caliber of work on its own (like book 8), but because I legitimately cared about what happened to the Roci and its crew. I was legitimately sad while those that remain reminiscing about those who had passed. I was legitimately moved but the decisions each crew member made as the story wrapped. And I was legitimately happy with where everyone ended up. The plot was resolved in a satisfactory way, no extraordinary twist or revelation that makes the ending mind blowing or incredible, but the plot was not the driving force behind this book. It was absolutely the characters, and the authors nailed that.

I really don't know what else to say about The Expanse. If book 1 captures your interest, I can pretty much promise you that you will enjoy the ride all the way through. I can say this with a far stronger degree of certainty that I think I can with nearly any other series, and if that doesn't tell you something about how successful James S. A. Corey were in penning a masterpiece, I don't know what will.