Caliban’s War (Expanse #2)

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Title: Caliban’s War

Series: Expanse

Author: James Corey

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Genre: SFF

Pages: 583

Format: Kindle digital edition

 

Synopsis:

The protomolecule is transforming Venus at a ferocious rate. So much so that everyone, Earth, Mars and Belters, are extremely worried about it.

At the same time someone has figured out how to weaponize the original piece of proto-crap into controllable super soldiers. All they need is children with completely compromised immune systems. But of course, things don’t quite go as planned and everything begins to spiral out of control.

Now it is up to the crew of the Firefly, errr, Rocinante, a U.N. official, a Ganymedian soybean scientist and a Martian Marine to stop the badguys, save the kids and give humanity a chance to collect its breath before Venus takes everyone out.

 

My Thoughts:

Hot diggity! I am enjoying this series like it is a huge bowl of vanilla bean icecream. It just hits the spot. Thankfully this time around Holden isn’t as much a dew’y eyed idealist and I liked this kick ass version of him better, even if he and his Belter lady didn’t.

The number of viewpoints increased and I was worried that it would make things confusing or unstable. Never happened. Having the extra viewpoints of the soybean scientist, UN official and martian marine simply expanded the scope of the story.  I also felt like “Corey” summed up politics really, really well. A game to those who play.

By the end of the book Venus has become it’s own player in the story and we see its opening moves. But of war, exploration or a game, we don’t know. I am really looking forward to the next book when it comes through my reading rotation in about 2 months.

On the tv side of things, I figure I’ll read “ahead” to the 3rd book before starting the tv series. I like the books enough that I’m actually hesitant to watch the tv show as it’ll put limits of my imagining of the characters and everything. Once I watch the tv show, I’ll be picturing those characters as I read the rest of the books. Sometimes that can be good but sometimes it can be pretty bad.

Before the Dawn

BEFORE THE DAWN
Dark Angel #1
Max Collins
Epub-291 pages
3 Stars
Scifi

Having never seen Dark Angel, just heard of it, I was interested in the books. If the books were interesting, I’d probably check out the tv series [even with the incomplete ending].

Standard prequel. A child super soldier escapes into a post-apocalyptic world and grows up trying to escape her former captives and trying to find her brothers/sisters.

Nothing superduper about this book, but I certainly didn’t feel like I’d wasted my time. I’ll definitely be checking out the tv series based on my reading of this book

The Devil’s Hand

The Devil’s Hand
Robotech: The Sentinels #1
Jack McKinney
SF
2 Stars
Epub, 133 Pages

about the SDF3 going off into space before the Masters came to earth. Lots of characters from the Macross saga along with a host of new ones. Minmei is still around sadly, and Rick, even though married to Lisa, hasn’t got much of a spine. Will see how this sub series turns out.

About the same level as the Macross saga. So Minmei is as spoiled and selfish and useless as ever. Rick is as dashing, spineless and brave as ever and Lisa is as dependable and rock solid as ever.
Then the new bad guys, made me roll my eyes. If I had been Rick Hunter, I would have shot all the southern cross contingent and continued with just the RDF people. Would have solved a lot of problems 🙂

Symphony of Light

Symphony of Light
Robotech #12
Jack McKinney
SF
2 Stars
epub, 158 pages

oh my goodness. this was the book that would never end! Except where hints about the Sentinels and the past life of Hunter, etc, were concerned, this was yet another word for word from the anime. No character stood out. They were all cookie cutter, cast away putzes. I did not enjoy this at all and am wondering about the wisdom of starting the Sentinels series. We’ll see.

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis
Robotech #11
Jack McKinney
SF
2 Stars
epub, 148 pages

ugh. This arc, New Generation, of the Robotech saga was my least favorite in the anime and it is tough reading. Boring and slogging.

The team is almost at reflex point and the invid simulacrom joins up with them, Ariel.

Don’t know when I’ll read the next one, going to be awhile though.

Invid Invasion

Invid Invasion
Robotech #10
Jack McKinney
SF
2 Stars
epub, 135 pages

the first in the New Generation trilogy.

Scott is the only survivor of the doomed Mars Expedition to survive the re-invasion of earth. This book mainly deals with the gathering of the group as they start their way to Reflex Point.

The book offers a whole lot more info in regards to the Sentinels and Hunter’s Fleet and hints at things already taken place affecting this time and place.

The Final Nightmare

The Final Nightmare
Robotech #9
Jack McKinney
SF
2 Stars
epub, 171 pages

these 3 books comprised the “Robotech Masters” trilogy. About the Robotech Masters coming to earth to get the Protoculture matrix in the SDF1. They fail, the flowers bloom, life on earth is blown even further downwards and the Invid are coming. Also fleshes out more about Dana being a unique creature in regards to Protoculture and ties into the Sentinels subseries coming up later. The overall plot was not nearly as interesting as the “Macross” saga and Dana was not a very dynamic character.

Metal Fire

Metal Fire
Robotech #8
Jack McKinney
SF
2 Stars
epub, 151 pages

these 3 books comprised the “Robotech Masters” trilogy. About the Robotech Masters coming to earth to get the Protoculture matrix in the SDF1. They fail, the flowers bloom, life on earth is blown even further downwards and the Invid are coming. Also fleshes out more about Dana being a unique creature in regards to Protoculture and ties into the Sentinels subseries coming up later. The overall plot was not nearly as interesting as the “Macross” saga and Dana was not a very dynamic character.