Posted in Book Reviews
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey
It isn’t always easy reviewing a fifth novel in a series. By now most people who are reading this series don’t need to be convinced to keep reading it. They need only one thing. The confirmation that the series is still great and heading in the right direction. I can assure you that all things are wonderful in The Expanse universe. Well not for the characters but for us, the spoiled readers.
It is hard to maintain the momentum in long series. It is particularly hard to maintain it in long books in long series. I have given up on quite a few series that I was in love with early on but eventually wore me out with the feeling that I had been there before. This has not been a problem with The Expanse series. The first three books were brilliant and then at the end of the third book (Abaddon’s Gate) Corey knocks us out with a twist that opens up hundreds of possibilities for new stories. So far the authors have not disappointed with those possibilities.
Nemesis Games is wonderful for a new reason though. While Holden has always been front and center in the series, this book dives into the other crew members’ histories and gives some meaning and nuance to their story that wasn’t there before. What I love the most about The Expanse series is how big the universe is but how intimate the story can be. How each book builds upon the last one and leaves you wanting more. How the plots are giant space operas filled with giant moments but you come back for your familiar friends.
As in every book before this one the plot is huge and full of future ramifications by the end of the book we have added some old characters to our crew and the story is barreling off in a direction that I did not see coming. James S.A. Corey seems to be writing these books in sets of three. This would make Nemesis Games the second book of the second arc. It spins the story into a new direction and leaves me waiting expectantly for the next book. Luckily, for all of us fans Corey has consistently put out a book a year. Of course, this still means I have to wait a year. I have said it before. The Expanse is the best thing going in science fiction right now. If you are not reading this series, you should be.
