Hey Jared,
I’m late and I don’t really care at the moment. For the past couple of days I’ve been strung out on meds with a box of tissues within arms reach. It’s either an anvil of spring allergies or a hammer blow of a cold……ugh. Thankfully I finished this book before it hit because I don’t want to do anything at the moment.
Title: Persepolis Rising
Series: The Expanse; Book 7
Author: James S. A. Corey (Pen Name)
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Audience: Adult
ROTS Setting: CU, Futuristic, FTL Gates
Synopsis: In the thousand-sun network of humanity’s expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace. In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and uncertain alliance still haunted by a history of wars and prejudices. On the lost colony world of Laconia, a hidden enemy has a new vision for all of humanity and the power to enforce it. New technologies clash with old as the history of human conflict returns to its ancient patterns of war and subjugation. But human nature is not the only enemy, and the forces being unleashed have their own price. A price that will change the shape of humanity — and of the Rocinante — unexpectedly and forever…
Recommendation: I strongly recommend this book to mature audiences only. (Late teens or adult.) This is due to the quantity and detail of the violence.
Honestly, I’ve got mixed feelings with this one. We get a thirty year time jump so the characters are practically strangers and we have to relearn everything about them. On top of that there’s a major shift on the political landscape at the end of Book 6 which we need to be reacquainted with for yet more major political shifts. So I felt like I was continually on my back foot and on the defensive.
The flow wasn’t quite up to snuff when compared to previous books and the characters felt a bit weak. That said the plot was as absolutely amazing as ever and the timing for the major plot lines was spot on!
Something I also noticed was a few instances of different characters using the same words or phrases to describe the same thing. Not horrible, but it does indicate that this book might not have been as polished as much as we’ve come to expect.
In summary, the promise for what’s going to happen in the future is the key motivating factor with this book. Overall, it’s less refined than it’s predecessors and I’d honestly put this as my least favorite or second to least favorite book in the series so far. But considering how awesome the series is, it doesn’t take much to be at the bottom.
Robert
Reading Over The Shoulder 