Persepolis Rising (The Expanse #7) by James S.A. Corey

"It felt like a bit of a forced reboot, Crew of the Rocinante, 2.0 or something. I liked it and I didn't. The time jump was confusing and felt like lot of missed character growth. Not a terrible addition but not my favorite."

3 Stars

Pros: Same cast of characters, so not a lot of new people to remember/Sanchez was frighteningly inept but powerful and that's what made him terrifying.

Cons: I think it was the pacing that put me off, or the fact that a number of years were supposed to have passed in between Babylon's Ashes and Persepolis Rising that made me feel like I'd missed something. I feel like this was trying to be a reboot, kind of like "The Force Awakens" for "Star Wars."

Full Review

Years have passed and the crew of the Rocinante have been through it all together. But, there comes a time when the life of derring-do adventure loses its flair and Holden realizes that, he doesn't want to be the pilot of the Rocinante anymore. He wants to just, live his life with Naomi and not worry about the Transport Union's rules or the Earth/Mars Coalition. He just wants to relax.

Of course, things never work out that way in The Expanse and just as he and Naomi have finished transferring the command of the Roci to Roberta, Bobbie, Draper, all Hell breaks loose. The Laconian Gate, one of the 1300 that were discovered once the Sol Ring Gate opened, activates and a nightmare ship crawls out into the Slow Zone and wreaks havoc. Led by a militaristic authoritarian Martian, Winston Duarte, the Laconians believe that their way of life is the only way of life and all those who resist will be dealt with, harshly.

So, there goes Holden and Naomi's plans of a peaceful retirement.

They return to find the crew of the Roci working an underground uprising which has sprung up, thanks to the Laconians takeover of Medina Station. Of course, there's self sacrifice, there's anger, there's violence but it's all in the realistic way of The Expanse. At the same time, I wanted to see more into these characters lives. I feel like with the time jump, I lost opportunities to see them live and work together. I would have liked to have seen more of that.

I'm definitely interested to see how Corey can extend this for another two books, so #8's on my nightstand and we'll get to it soon. Not a terrible addition but I feel like it had such potential and was a bit of a disappointment. Alas, they can't all be home runs.

Comments

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore

"Though dark, disturbing and at times, truly disgusting, Blakemore has created an unforgettable character in Tarare and his sad, sordid tale. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time for many different reasons and to me, that's a sign of a great read." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ Pros: Tarare wasn't a monster, it just seemed that the world was against him/I liked Lozeau and his strange band of misfits/Dr. Dupuis seemed like a genuinely good person, or at least, he had his moments. Cons: Some of the timeline/people of the French Revolution were just white noise to me/Courville was a despicable man. Full Review: The Bottomless man, the Glutton of Lyon, Tarare the Terrible. The man who has many titles but who's name is simply, Tarare, is dying in a hospital in Versailles. Citizen Doctor Tissier has written to his friend, Dupuis, in hopes that he'll be able to cure this mysterious illness that plagues Tarare. For now though, he lays, chained to his bed and waits for...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

All the Books.

Search This Blog