interlibraryprone reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
My favourite of the series
5 stars
Avasarala POV? Hell yeah.
640 pages
Spanish language
Published Oct. 1, 2017 by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial.
La guerra de Calibán
Caliban's War is a 2012 science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It is about a conflict in the Solar System that involves Earth, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt (colonies of people living on asteroids, referred to as "Belters"). It is the second book in The Expanse series and is preceded by Leviathan Wakes. The third book, Abaddon's Gate, was released on June 4, 2013. One of eight short stories and novellas published by James S. A. Corey, entitled "Gods of Risk", takes place directly after the events of Caliban's War.
Caliban's War is a 2012 science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It is about a conflict in the Solar System that involves Earth, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt (colonies of people living on asteroids, referred to as "Belters"). It is the second book in The Expanse series and is preceded by Leviathan Wakes. The third book, Abaddon's Gate, was released on June 4, 2013. One of eight short stories and novellas published by James S. A. Corey, entitled "Gods of Risk", takes place directly after the events of Caliban's War.
Maxim reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
As good as the first book
4 stars
Great world building, excellent character development and a strange feeling of incoming doom. Will look forward to reading the next volume.
The only drawback is that antagonists are not developed at all. When people behave badly just for the sake of being bad it's a fairy tale, not sci-fi.
Great world building, excellent character development and a strange feeling of incoming doom. Will look forward to reading the next volume.
The only drawback is that antagonists are not developed at all. When people behave badly just for the sake of being bad it's a fairy tale, not sci-fi.
»ƑŗǡǹǩƁĮǡċǩ⁷⁸« reviewed Caliban's war by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
As good as its predecessor
5 stars
What to say other than: As good as its predecessor.
I really enjoyed reading Caliban's War. It expands the cast, continues the very good storyline consistantly and is exciting and diverting as hell. I can't believe I missed out on these books for so long. I think I will watch the TV show Season 2 now and see how good it is compared to the book.
I definitely will continue the series after having a short break from the crew of the Rocinante.
What to say other than: As good as its predecessor.
I really enjoyed reading Caliban's War. It expands the cast, continues the very good storyline consistantly and is exciting and diverting as hell. I can't believe I missed out on these books for so long. I think I will watch the TV show Season 2 now and see how good it is compared to the book.
I definitely will continue the series after having a short break from the crew of the Rocinante.
joelchrono reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Continuing from Leviathan Wakes, and beyond!
4 stars
I don’t really think this will be a long review, this book is part of The Expanse series and by itself, it’s probably not as thought provoking or insightful as some of the other books I’ve read.
This is straight up awesome world building, characters, great action and cool science fiction, further developing the universe that I got introduced to since the first book Leviathan Wakes.
In this book we get introduced to three new characters that get involved in a plot where the events of the previous book have basically turned reality on its head, and Humanity is trying to make sense of things it still can’t comprehend.
We have Bobbie, essentially a Spartan from the Halo universe who goes through some rough stuff, Prax, a botanist whose daughter gets kidnapped for mysterious reasons, and Avasarala, a politician who is trying to keep the delicate balance …
I don’t really think this will be a long review, this book is part of The Expanse series and by itself, it’s probably not as thought provoking or insightful as some of the other books I’ve read.
This is straight up awesome world building, characters, great action and cool science fiction, further developing the universe that I got introduced to since the first book Leviathan Wakes.
In this book we get introduced to three new characters that get involved in a plot where the events of the previous book have basically turned reality on its head, and Humanity is trying to make sense of things it still can’t comprehend.
We have Bobbie, essentially a Spartan from the Halo universe who goes through some rough stuff, Prax, a botanist whose daughter gets kidnapped for mysterious reasons, and Avasarala, a politician who is trying to keep the delicate balance of relative peace between the different factions of Humanity. And of course, the original cast, which remains as awesome as ever.
I won’t say much more of the plot, which is great, develops characters and relationships further and kept me and my book club turning pages for a while.
Each character gets a moment to shine, in fact, like the first book where we have two concurrent plots from the point of view of two characters, here we do the same, but with four! And despite how confusing that may seem, it just works, and keeping the thread of the general plot is not difficult, at least not for me.
Basically, if you liked the first book, the second one is just as good.
I don’t think of this as ground-breaking, philosophical, thought-provoking stuff, even though as a whole it kind of is. What I mean to say is that this is much more action heavy, with cool moments, great sciencey stuff, tremendous world building, and fun characters, it is a journey I want to follow for as long as it keeps my interest, and so far it has managed to achieve with absolute success. It really is like watching the best action blockbuster ever in book form, and I am loving it.
Jakers reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
The series is like a freight train, constantly picking up speed
5 stars
Everything I loved about the first book, the second book built on. The politics have higher stakes. The characters begin to really grow in interesting ways. Where the first book wrote rules, the second book breaks them in a way that never feels contrived or arbitrary. And the humor is still there.
I am still thinking about why I think the humor in this series is such an important part of it. I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think it's because as high stakes as the story is, it's still a series about humans who grow and laugh. Maybe humor is just important to me because it's where I look for characterization. Like I said, still thinking about it.
Everything I loved about the first book, the second book built on. The politics have higher stakes. The characters begin to really grow in interesting ways. Where the first book wrote rules, the second book breaks them in a way that never feels contrived or arbitrary. And the humor is still there.
I am still thinking about why I think the humor in this series is such an important part of it. I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think it's because as high stakes as the story is, it's still a series about humans who grow and laugh. Maybe humor is just important to me because it's where I look for characterization. Like I said, still thinking about it.
VITI reviewed La guerra de Calibán by James S.A. Corey
Dos grandísimos personajes a la palestra
5 stars
Si bien la primera parte era un duo entre dos personajes. Este ya es más una novela río, tenemos 4 personajes que se van alternando por cada capítulo. Y presentan a dos absolutas cracks de la saga, Avasarala y Bobby. Que les pondrías un piso a cada una.
La historia ahonda en las consecuencias de lo ocurrido en la primera parte, y en un maremágnum político y económico por intentar controlar un poder que nadie conoce, y las consecuencias que puede acarrear.
Muchas facciones implicadas pueden y falsas acusaciones pueden prender una mecha hacia la destrucción total.
Acción divertida, las relaciones entre los personajes aumentan a mayores, ya empiezas a sacarles sus cositas a cada uno. Y lo que quieres es que sigan teniendo aventuras a montones.
Tengo que buscar tiempo y ponerme con el siguiente.
Silencer of Dimensions reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Good read but not outstanding
4 stars
Shines on TV even more than in the books. Nethertheless worth the read (especially as the tv series is incomplete...)
Woile reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Review of "Caliban's War" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Excellent
Eric Lawton reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Review of "Caliban's War" on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
Fast paced space opera, with a social and political background.
Fast paced space opera, with a social and political background.
ridel reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Read this Series, and forget the TV Show
3 stars
I watched the second season of the TV show and wasn't a fan. I mentioned this in my review of Leviathan Wakes, but the TV show added so many Belter characters, and Avasarala was a main character from day one, so it felt more about Solar Politics than it did about the protomolecule. After finishing Caliban's War, I'm delighted to join the fans of the Expanse universe, and that's strictly because of one thing:
The books are better than the TV series.
I'm sure you're eyerolling, but I'm serious, and I think anyone who liked the TV series will be blown away by the superiority of the novels. It's not a mismatch in expectations, or real-world constraints preventing the fantastical elements from coming to life on-screen... it's about how the author tells a story.
The TV series rewrote the plots of two books, interweaving …
I watched the second season of the TV show and wasn't a fan. I mentioned this in my review of Leviathan Wakes, but the TV show added so many Belter characters, and Avasarala was a main character from day one, so it felt more about Solar Politics than it did about the protomolecule. After finishing Caliban's War, I'm delighted to join the fans of the Expanse universe, and that's strictly because of one thing:
The books are better than the TV series.
I'm sure you're eyerolling, but I'm serious, and I think anyone who liked the TV series will be blown away by the superiority of the novels. It's not a mismatch in expectations, or real-world constraints preventing the fantastical elements from coming to life on-screen... it's about how the author tells a story.
The TV series rewrote the plots of two books, interweaving them into about 3 seasons of content. The climax of Leviathan Wakes occurs in the middle of season 2, muddling the conclusion of Eros with that of Caliban's War. Equally important, Bobbie and Avasarala spend episodes doing nothing of import because their role is to interact with the events of Caliban's War. What felt like plots that go nowhere, filler sequences that had no emotional impact... that's because they really were filler! It's a fantastic example of how difficult it is to adapt a novel into a TV series. Even introducing someone like Avasarala doesn't work if she isn't doing anything important.
Meanwhile, the novel Caliban's War starts with solar-system changing events and never stops. Avasarala is the stand out character, making even Holden feel like a second fiddle, and she puts us in the driving seat of high-stakes politics that we only heard about through hearsay. Bobbie and Prax add a welcome balance of humanity vs the polar opposites of Holden and Avasarala, and the mystery of Ganymede brings back the blend of detective work and action that made the first novel memorable.
Recommended.
suffolkbadger reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
None
5 stars
Great sci fi theme, I find myself wanting to pick the book up
again and immerse myself in the story. Great central characters with a changing side cast as the story progresses.
Great sci fi theme, I find myself wanting to pick the book up
again and immerse myself in the story. Great central characters with a changing side cast as the story progresses.
again and immerse myself in the story. Great central characters with a changing side cast as the story progresses.
Isaías "McAllus" reviewed La guerra de Calibán by James S.A. Corey
Review of 'La guerra de Calibán' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
No puedo más que seguir alabando esta saga. El tercer libro ya lo recogí hace dos días y en cuanto me termine dos novelas más cortas (una ya empezada y otra por empezar) me lo empiezo a leer y encargo el siguiente.
achim reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
None
4 stars
Not as strong as the first book in the series, but still: Space opera with space cowboys and space zombies, you have to like it ;)
Sean Gursky reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Review of "Caliban's War" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Holden's an idiot, but he's not stupid. If he realizes he's being watched, he'll start broadcasting pictures of all our Ganymede sources or something. Do not underestimate his capacity to fuck things up.
Like in Leviathan Wakes it will be difficult to separate this review from the Syfy/Amazon series but I will do my best.
Caliban's War benefited from additional characters and providing perspective on events happening elsewhere. The scope of conflict and political posturing required more than a Miller or Holden view and the additional voices resulted in an excellent read.
The TV show tried to handle the introduction of Drax and Avasarala and Bobby but it felt incomplete and didn't do their characters justice. The source material was excellently crafted and these new characters resulted in the best chapters in the book.
Avasarala is noted as being a 'bitch' (as per Soren) and she was all bark and …
Holden's an idiot, but he's not stupid. If he realizes he's being watched, he'll start broadcasting pictures of all our Ganymede sources or something. Do not underestimate his capacity to fuck things up.
Like in Leviathan Wakes it will be difficult to separate this review from the Syfy/Amazon series but I will do my best.
Caliban's War benefited from additional characters and providing perspective on events happening elsewhere. The scope of conflict and political posturing required more than a Miller or Holden view and the additional voices resulted in an excellent read.
The TV show tried to handle the introduction of Drax and Avasarala and Bobby but it felt incomplete and didn't do their characters justice. The source material was excellently crafted and these new characters resulted in the best chapters in the book.
Avasarala is noted as being a 'bitch' (as per Soren) and she was all bark and yelling, she thrived on high pressure scenarios and when there was a crisis she could only use her words. I disliked her in the TV show but she won me over in text, which is true for the rest of the newcomers.
"So I'd like to find this little girl before someone uses her up, and she disappears. I'd like to do that for her," Amos said. His voice caught for a moment, and he clear it with a loud cough. "For her dad."
In the TV show the friendship that Amos and Drax developed was charming but I didn't appreciate how deep it went. It was adorable that Amos said "he was the best friend I had" but I felt that what lead to that comment missed some weight. Like most areas of the TV show I didn't like the book has done a wonderful job filling in the gaps, and with Amos and Drax, explaining their friendship.
"Point of clarification," Alex said, raising his hand. "We have an apocalypse comin'? Was that a thing we knew about?"
"Venus," Avasarala said.
"Oh. That apocalypse." Alex said, lower his hand. "Right."
The action started and didn't let up. Leviathan Wakes had a slow build and then concluded with a frantic finish, but Caliban's War took off like a shot and didn't ease up. The breathes between action sequences were necessary but it wasn't all guns blasting and vomit zombies.
Reputation never has very much to do with reality.
The book also did an excellent job damaging relationships and then trying to patch them together. There were moments between characters where they talked about their lives, their issues and concerns. Problems are discussed aloud and the team works with what's been presented. In some ways the character development in Caliban's War is the real gem and it is supported but excellent action and some terrifying bad guys.
No one on the screen is who they are when you breathe their air.
I'm committed to reading the series and right now it's a pleasure because the books are so enjoyable!
"Cap," Amos said with a grin. "Anything that kills me has already killed everyone else. I was born to be the last man standing. You can count on it".
Martijn Reintjes reviewed Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (The Expanse, #2)
Review of "Caliban's War" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Second book of the series.
Fun read, but the plot became less interesting fast. It's very one dimensional. Just one thing happening after another and you never really feel any characters are in real danger.
Hardly the "scifi game of thrones" that some claim it is.
I'm not going to read more in this series
Second book of the series.
Fun read, but the plot became less interesting fast. It's very one dimensional. Just one thing happening after another and you never really feel any characters are in real danger.
Hardly the "scifi game of thrones" that some claim it is.
I'm not going to read more in this series
