Nemesis Games: Book 5 of the Expanse (now a Prime Original series) (utgåvan 2016)

Cannot wait for the next installment of the series -- the main characters' backstories have been foregrounded, and the disasters just keep coming. ( )

Five books down, and the writers still manage to make this one as epic a story with heavier stakes (and a more fleshed out cast of characters) than ever before. Amos was a particular favorite, while some of Naomi’s scenes made me curl up, weepy.

From the start, Team Roci separates and everyone goes off to do their own thing—Amos to earth, Alex to Mars, Draper to investigate some deep shit, Naomi to go find her son—and all of it ties up nicely with a 1-2 punch at the epilogue’s end.

God I love this series. ( )

I've enjoyed all the Expanse books so far, but sometimes I find them a little light on character. Not true of this one. We dive deep into Naomi's backstory -- I always hoped she had a backstory. Up to now she's been very much a sidekick, but finally she's on her own and dealing with some very heavy stuff from years ago. It's emotionally intense and gives so much more weight to the fast-moving, complicated plot. ( )

Possibly the best book in the series, which is saying a lot! Splitting up the Roci team is really effective in focusing on each character's personality, struggles, and development. Very tense action throughout. ( )

The books series is become more and more like a standard space opera and I am not sure I like it. This, the fifth book in the Expense series, starts with the crew of the Rocinante getting some shore leave while the ship is being serviced. It did take quite a beating in the previous book after all. So, they all have personal matters to attend at Earth, Mars and the asteroid belt and they manage to all become involved in a greater scheme. This is is so utterly illogical that the only explanation must be a higher power directing the moves of the whole solar system, which makes everything predetermined and boring. Or it's so illogical so that it is the idea of an author reluctant to introduce more characters.

All in all I am a bit disappointed in this book. It is not bad, but it feels more like a placeholder, transport route, to something bigger. The character development of Naomi was good, but the rest was rather unsurprising. No new interesting characters. Some rather earth shattering events, but it feels like I could summarize those in a few sentences if I wanted to so no need for 16 hours of audio book.

When/if the next book comes, I am not sure I will continue reading. ( )