Abaddon's Gate Author: Visit Amazon's James S.A. Corey Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0316129070 | Format: PDF
Abaddon's Gate Description
Review
"A politically complex and pulse-pounding page-turner.... Corey perfectly balances character development with action... series fans will find this installment the best yet."—
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)"Riveting interplanetary thriller."—
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on Leviathan Wakes"It's been too long since we've had a really kickass space opera. LEVIATHAN WAKES is interplanetary adventure the way it ought to be written, the kind of SF that made me fall in love with the genre way back when, seasoned with a dollop of horror and a dash of noir. Jimmy Corey writes with the energy of a brash newcomer and the polish of a seasoned pro. So where's the second book?"—
George R.R. Martin"An excellent space operatic debut in the grand tradition of Peter F. Hamilton."—
Charlie Stross on Leviathan Wakes"If you like science fiction with great characters and set in real space, you'll enjoy this one."—
Jo Walton, author of Farthing on Leviathan Wakes"It gnaws at your soul."—
Sun on Leviathan Wakes"High adventure equaling the best space opera has to offer, cutting-edge technology, and a group of unforgettable characters bring the third installment of Corey's epic space drama (after Caliban's War and Leviathan Wakes) to an action-filled close while leaving room for more stories to unfold. Perhaps one of the best tales the genre has yet to produce, this superb collaboration between fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck should reawaken an interest in old-fashioned storytelling and cinematic pacing. Highly recommended."—
Library Journal on Abaddon's Gate (starred review)"Politics, philosophical ideals, and humor mingle in a tale that will shock and surprise."—
Publisher's Weekly on Abaddon's Gate (Starred Review)"Literary space opera at its absolute best."—
io9.com"[T]he authors are superb with the exciting bits: Shipboard coups and battles are a thrill to follow."—
Washington PostAbout the Author
James S.A. Corey is the pen name of fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. They both live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Find out more about this series at www.the-expanse.com.
- Series: The Expanse (Book 3)
- Paperback: 576 pages
- Publisher: Orbit (June 4, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0316129070
- ISBN-13: 978-0316129077
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
The protomolecule, once confined to Venus, has managed to launch a self-assembling Ring that sits outside the orbit of Uranus. Anything that tries to fly through the middle of the Ring comes to an immediate stop before it begins a slow motion trip in a different direction, leading to the conclusion that the ring is some sort of gate. Representatives of Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets all converge on the Ring, as do Jim Holden and his crew. Although Holden would prefer not to investigate the protomolecule's latest actions, he's given no choice. Of course, from the moment the Ring is introduced, the reader knows that Holden will fly through it.
As you would expect, Holden and his crew (Naomi, Alex, and Amos) return in this third novel of The Expanse. As you might not expect, so does Josephus Miller, who is back from the dead. Or maybe it's not Miller, but something Miller-like is a key character again. Speaking of the dead, Julie Mao is echoed in her sister Clarissa, now known as Melba Koh. She blames Holden for Julie's death (or transformation) and she's devised a cunning plan to obtain revenge. None of this will make the slightest bit of sense unless you've read Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War, which I would urge any fun-seeking fan of science fiction to do. You could probably understand and enjoy Abaddon's Gate without reading the first two novels, but you'd be missing sooooo much context that it would be a mistake.
"Abaddon's Gate" by the writing team of James S. A. Corey continues the Expanse series in page turning fashion with action galore. The book isn't quite as sharp as the first two as the expansion on-the-fly of the series weighs a bit on the plot and structure. Still, a fun summer read. 4 stars.
It's hard to find good modern space opera - likely since most people who are capable of writing it probably end up doing screenplays instead as the payoff is far more lucrative - but Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck really brought a breath of fresh air to the genre with Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War. Their mix of modern characters, reasonable science along with the fiction, plentiful action, and multiple plot twists resulted in two very good books and the expansion by the publisher of what was supposed to be a trilogy into a six book saga.
As "Abbadon's Gate" starts, all three major powers are at a standoff as to how to deal with the events of the cliffhanger ending of Caliban's War, where the original threat of the protomolecule has evolved into something larger - the gate of the book's title. Meanwhile, James Holden is still haunted by another cliffhanger, who turns out to be not just non-corporeal but nonsensical, and is generally enjoying life. However, the political events of the first two books inspire a conspiracy to jolt both the powers and Holden out of their complacency and deal with all the Gate represents, and the book takes off from there.
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