Book review: Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1), by James S. A. Corey
This book reminded me of the Game of Thrones1 books in many ways:
- Both are written in the limited third-person, with each chapter following a different character, although Leviathan Wakes only follows two characters.
- They have a political/human side and a, let's say, "supernatural" side, and I enjoyed much much more the political side.
- Both have great world-building and, especially, great history-building. Neither goes into the details of the past too much, but they make you want to learn more about what happened in the universe before the story started.
The writing is decent, but they2 could've used a better editor, someone who told them that they can't use the same description twice, let alone four times:
Miller saw Havelock laugh along with the crowd, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Shaddid’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
The smile didn’t reach his eyes, which were as empty as a shark’s.
Fred’s smile reached all the way to his eyes.
But not every genre author can be Ursula K. Le Guin or John le Carré, so whatever.
The second part felt a bit slower than the fantastic first part, but I still enjoyed it. And the ending was both a good way to finish the book and a great setup for the next. I think I'll read Caliban's War soon.