Series
Description
"The seventh novel in James S. A. Corey's New York Times bestselling Expanse series--now a major television series. AN OLD ENEMY RETURNS 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... Persepolis Rising is the seventh novel in the New York Times bestselling Expanse series"--… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-12-05
Physical description
8 cm
Publication
Little Brown, 2018
ISBN
9780356510323
Local notes
This novel is set about 29 years after "Bablyon's Ashes", the biggest time jump in the Expanse series.
Library's review
One of the best entries in a series that's always held a very high quality. The moral greys Expanse excels at are very present, as is a real sense of peril and danger for the protagonists (something which has on occasion been a bit of an Achilles' heel, even during the most devastating
The thirty year time jump is a bit surprising, but handled tolerably well. I could have liked the realism of a bit more references to these decades in the dialogue, it seems a bit odd for the characters to (with a few small exceptions) only reference events that happened half their lives ago, but I get that this is a balancing act with not boring the reader with needless vague hints at things we won't ever know. The well-established sci-fi innovations on personal health and aging makes their relatively spry actions more easily believable, and I like that some of their personalities have matured considerably, while others remain largely like they've always been.
As some of the earlier volumes have as well, this novel does end on a bit of a cliffhanger (this felt fairly likely very early, due to the nature of the plot, so it is not a disappointment or shock when reading ,or at least wasn't to me), so if the final two volumes do not deliver, it might retroactively make me feel less happy with this installment. But for now, this is, as I wrote at the start, one of my favourites in an already top-tier series of novels.
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circumstances). The plot itself is a very satisfying fruition of the seeds placed throughout the earlier volumes, with the preceding six novels in many ways now being revealed as simply an awe-inspiringly elaborate setting the stage for this final set of books.The thirty year time jump is a bit surprising, but handled tolerably well. I could have liked the realism of a bit more references to these decades in the dialogue, it seems a bit odd for the characters to (with a few small exceptions) only reference events that happened half their lives ago, but I get that this is a balancing act with not boring the reader with needless vague hints at things we won't ever know. The well-established sci-fi innovations on personal health and aging makes their relatively spry actions more easily believable, and I like that some of their personalities have matured considerably, while others remain largely like they've always been.
As some of the earlier volumes have as well, this novel does end on a bit of a cliffhanger (this felt fairly likely very early, due to the nature of the plot, so it is not a disappointment or shock when reading ,or at least wasn't to me), so if the final two volumes do not deliver, it might retroactively make me feel less happy with this installment. But for now, this is, as I wrote at the start, one of my favourites in an already top-tier series of novels.
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Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 2018)
Dragon Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 2018)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Whiskey3pa
I am sad to be disappointed in the latest volume of the Expanse. It just did not feel like the story moved forward enough for a full book. I like the jump forward in time, 30 years, and maybe the next book will give this one more meaning.
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
After I found the middle trilogy of The Expanse a bit rough, the opening book of the final trilogy is a return to form. Humanity is increasingly an interstellar civilization, but that comes under threat as General Duarte and the Laconian Navy return through the gate they vanished across so many
Like the best of The Expanse books, this one balances character, action, and engaging plot twists; despite its large size, I read it quickly, and I found it more engaging than any Expanse novels since Abaddon's Gate. While I wouldn't say the middle books had to be the way they were, one can see how the set-up they did is paying off as The Expanse moves toward a climax and a conclusion. The book is suspenseful; Holden and the Rocinante crew work best when they're on the back foot, scrappy underdogs trying to push their way out of situations so complex as to be beyond the capacity of a handful of cargo haulers, and that really comes across here as they have to figure out how to deal with an occupying force. Lots of good character moments, lots of clever action. I was a big fan of Singh's arc, the commander of the occupying forces. The Expanse is back, and I ended the book hyped for number eight.
One quibble, though, and I can't decide if it's a big quibble or a little quibble. There's a thirty-year jump between this book and the last! I'm fine with that on principle, but Holden and the other Rocinante crewmembers aren't written like sixty-somethings, they're still written like thirty-somethings. In terms of characterization, it's like they were all held in stasis for those three decades. Clarissa, for example, still comes across as someone they barely know, even though they've literally spent half their lives working with her! It just totally fails to convince, and was seemingly only done for plot reasons: Laconia needed three decades to develop to the point where it could threaten the solar system. I feel like a more sfnal solution could have been found, protomolecule time shenanigans or something. But as annoying as it is, once the book gets underway, you basically stop thinking about it, so they kind of get away with it? Like I said, I don't know if it's a little quibble or a big quibble.
One last thing, mostly an observation. The character of Drummer was technically in the first couple books, but she was really just a passing reference. She debuted on season 2 of the television program (2017), and over the next couple years her role got bigger and bigger because the actress who plays her (Cara Gee) was so good they wanted to give her more to do; Drummer replaces roles played by different characters in books three and five. Persepolis Rising was the first book to be written after season 2 went into production, and suddenly Drummer has a huge role in it, one of those moments where the adaptation feeds back into the original. And it's easy to see how the show could maneuver the character to be in the same position as the book one by this point in time, so the two versions who had somewhat different stories would end up converging into one! Neat. (Except that between when I finished Persepolis Rising and wrote this review, it was announced that The Expanse would come back for a sixth season, but not a seventh, so there never will be a tv version of these events. Oh well.)
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years ago-- now with fantastic destructive powers in their hands, thanks to their use of the protomolecule. The book alternates between the Laconian occupation of Medina Station (where the Rocinante crew get caught out) and a wider vision of the Laconian invasion of the solar system (as they crush Earth, Martian, and Belter resistance).Like the best of The Expanse books, this one balances character, action, and engaging plot twists; despite its large size, I read it quickly, and I found it more engaging than any Expanse novels since Abaddon's Gate. While I wouldn't say the middle books had to be the way they were, one can see how the set-up they did is paying off as The Expanse moves toward a climax and a conclusion. The book is suspenseful; Holden and the Rocinante crew work best when they're on the back foot, scrappy underdogs trying to push their way out of situations so complex as to be beyond the capacity of a handful of cargo haulers, and that really comes across here as they have to figure out how to deal with an occupying force. Lots of good character moments, lots of clever action. I was a big fan of Singh's arc, the commander of the occupying forces. The Expanse is back, and I ended the book hyped for number eight.
One quibble, though, and I can't decide if it's a big quibble or a little quibble. There's a thirty-year jump between this book and the last! I'm fine with that on principle, but Holden and the other Rocinante crewmembers aren't written like sixty-somethings, they're still written like thirty-somethings. In terms of characterization, it's like they were all held in stasis for those three decades. Clarissa, for example, still comes across as someone they barely know, even though they've literally spent half their lives working with her! It just totally fails to convince, and was seemingly only done for plot reasons: Laconia needed three decades to develop to the point where it could threaten the solar system. I feel like a more sfnal solution could have been found, protomolecule time shenanigans or something. But as annoying as it is, once the book gets underway, you basically stop thinking about it, so they kind of get away with it? Like I said, I don't know if it's a little quibble or a big quibble.
One last thing, mostly an observation. The character of Drummer was technically in the first couple books, but she was really just a passing reference. She debuted on season 2 of the television program (2017), and over the next couple years her role got bigger and bigger because the actress who plays her (Cara Gee) was so good they wanted to give her more to do; Drummer replaces roles played by different characters in books three and five. Persepolis Rising was the first book to be written after season 2 went into production, and suddenly Drummer has a huge role in it, one of those moments where the adaptation feeds back into the original. And it's easy to see how the show could maneuver the character to be in the same position as the book one by this point in time, so the two versions who had somewhat different stories would end up converging into one! Neat. (Except that between when I finished Persepolis Rising and wrote this review, it was announced that The Expanse would come back for a sixth season, but not a seventh, so there never will be a tv version of these events. Oh well.)
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LibraryThing member rivkat
The narrative jumps ahead several decades; many of the key characters are still around, but new people are taking over—and Bobbie is going to be the new captain when James Holden and Naomi Nagata retire, as they are preparing to do when the novel opens. Then, of course, it all goes to shit when
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an invasion changes the shape of the human race. The main villain, Winston Duarte, is a great example of an understandable but deeply evil person—not in the least dumb, but convinced of his right to rule others, to live forever, and to sacrifice anyone to the protomolecule if it helps him. Show Less
LibraryThing member KingRat
The Expanse series continues with another installment that puts James Holden and his crew in dastardly peril, where they must fight long odds and work their political skills to their utmost just to survive. And although long, the book isn't as tedious as a couple of the earlier entries in the
In Persepolis Rising, mutinying Martians who had taken over a solar system and prevented anyone from following are now returning. And they are returning in force, with technology from the proto-molecule that is vastly superior to anything the rest of humanity has. And their leader, Winston Duarte wants to be a benevolent dictator.
For the first time since the first book, I got the feeling that the band was actually in danger of losing. Losing people. Losing ships. Losing the war. In previous books, bad things happened such as the near total destruction of Earth, but the Rocinante itself was always fine. When the Laconians enter the "slow zone" near the beginning of the book, the Rocinante crew has to sit by powerlessly. They are no match for the Laconians ships. It's clear from early on that this is not an underdog-who-will-ultimately-win kind of story.
And that makes it more enjoyable than previous books.
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series. In fact, the story does something new with the band of adventurers.In Persepolis Rising, mutinying Martians who had taken over a solar system and prevented anyone from following are now returning. And they are returning in force, with technology from the proto-molecule that is vastly superior to anything the rest of humanity has. And their leader, Winston Duarte wants to be a benevolent dictator.
And that makes it more enjoyable than previous books.
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LibraryThing member jwilker
Another great entry in this amazing saga. It was a little off putting at the beginning the whole 30 year jump, but I got used to it.
LibraryThing member Vinjii
With Persepolis Rising, The Expanse performs a thirty year time jump into the future, revealing new ideas, new plot points and an interesting world building development.
Sadly, I wasn't enamoured with the first half or so, but the story picks up towards the end becomes incredibly tense, fast-paced
It's still a good read, and I think The Expanse is well worth it for any space opera fan.
Sadly, I wasn't enamoured with the first half or so, but the story picks up towards the end becomes incredibly tense, fast-paced
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and interesting. I would have wished for more character development, since most characters felt the same as they did in the last book, despite having aged thirty years.It's still a good read, and I think The Expanse is well worth it for any space opera fan.
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LibraryThing member TheCrow2
The seventh book of the series didn’t disappoint. It was a great idea to jump 30 years in the timeline, although sometimes it’s hardly visible on the main characters. If it’s possible the story even more action centred than the previous ones. Fast actions, good characters, great to see that
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one of the opponent, ‘negative’ character has the best character development. The book has an open ending so give me the next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member macha
i was disappointed in this installment for the first time. the 30-year time jump suited the specific story being told, but not so much the characters, who seemed a bit on the defeated side even before stuff started to happen, contributing to a kind of general vibe of old and tired that pervaded
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everything. the main villain also seemed more of a cardboard stock figure than a real character. altogether, it's the first book in which it felt like there was a lot of filler and too little of the passionate intensity that generally drives the action in this series. maybe it's running out of ideas and it's time to stop? or maybe all the meat's reserved for the next book, since this one's mostly setup and is left open-ended, in which case the two books would have been better folded together, with a lot of this one cut as preamble. don't get me wrong, it's still good. it's just not up to the standard of the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChrisRiesbeck
While I'm a fan of the Expanse series, this is my second least favorite. It's not a grim slog the way Cibola Burn was for long stretches, but, as the first book in the final trilogy of trilogies, it's a middle of a middle book. There's a lot of reconnecting to previous books, and, more so than any
The main evolution in the arc is a jump of several decades in time. Everyone is older (and one favorite character has died of old age). This time jump is necessary for the plot, but there's an artificiality to it. Given how busy the first 6 books were over the space of a few years, it appears that absolutely nothing of interest happened for the next 30 years. At least no one makes references to events we the reader know nothing about. I have not read the Expanse short stories yet.
But even lesser Expanse is still an engaging read. It's no surprise it's not an entry point to the series, but neither is it time to get off the ride.
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of the other books, a lot of holding off on major developments for the remaining two books in the series. The main evolution in the arc is a jump of several decades in time. Everyone is older (and one favorite character has died of old age). This time jump is necessary for the plot, but there's an artificiality to it. Given how busy the first 6 books were over the space of a few years, it appears that absolutely nothing of interest happened for the next 30 years. At least no one makes references to events we the reader know nothing about. I have not read the Expanse short stories yet.
But even lesser Expanse is still an engaging read. It's no surprise it's not an entry point to the series, but neither is it time to get off the ride.
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LibraryThing member malcrf
Excellent, just excellent. Another page-turning, intriguing chapter in the Expanse series, and no excess baggage on this one! Only problem is they're addictive. Now I want to read the next one!
LibraryThing member wordsampersand
The time jump that sets this book up was jarring for me initially, but once I got past that I loved it. The whole series works as a set of three trilogies, with this being the first book of the final third. Tense, creative, and--like the rest of the books in this series--well-written with an eye
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for humanity's failings and collective triumphs. Really excited to see what happens next. Show Less
LibraryThing member libgirl69
Excellent, picking up more on the world building and not just the fallout of science and politics.
LibraryThing member Guide2
First part is a bit slow, but second half is better. My main problem is around the number of ships used, the timing, etc... is just too unbelievable. The whole station director arc is also just too much: hard to believe at first and then when it's somewhat explained, it's just so improbable that it
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would have happened that way... Show Less
LibraryThing member StormRaven
Persepolis Rising is the seventh book in the ongoing Expanse series that started with Leviathan Wakes. Like the other books before it, the book focuses primarily on the crew of the Rocinante - James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton, Alex Kemal, Bobbie Draper, and Clarissa Mao, and the continuing
As has become de rigeur for this series the book opens with a prologue that both gives a bit of world-building background and sets the stage for the rest of the volume. Focused on Cortázar, a scientist working for the Laconian government, the prologue establishes that the mutinous Navy men have been busy in the intervening years, building themselves massive buildings that are far in excess of their relatively small population's needs, with the idea that they will conquer and assimilate the rest of humanity and Laconia will become the new center of human government and commerce. This is run-of-the mill villainy, even with the apparent callback to Hitler's plans to build Germania as the center of his envisioned thousand year Reich, as dreams of empire have beguiled many nations in history. What indicates from the outset that Laconian society is rotten to the core is that they have been experimenting with the protomolecule that they stole in Babylon's Ashes, and to ensure that they have a steady supply of protomolecule to experiment upon, they have instituted a system in which people are sent to the "pens" and infected as punishment for even trivial offenses. Once you start condemning people to agonizing death by alien infection as punishment for things like sleeping on duty, it doesn't matter what other high-minded principles your society might espouse, your way of life is twisted and irredeemably evil. Right from the outset, the authors have given the reader a glimpse of the vile core at the heart of Laconian society.
[More forthcoming]
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efforts of humanity to deal with the changes wrought by the alien protomolecule. Unlike the previous book, which all took place over the course of a fairly short time period, with only a handful of months at most between each book, Persepolis Rising takes place decades later, and all of the familiar personalities who populate the books thus far are all getting fairly advanced in age. Society has advanced as well, with colonies having been established on hundreds of the worlds now accessible through the alien gate ring and the Transport Union assuming the position of the de facto government of the rapidly expanding human sphere of influence Everything seems to be going swimmingly, when the splinter group of the Martian Navy, now calling themselves the Laconians, that seized control of one of the systems accessible through one of the gates and then sealed themselves off from the rest of humanity reemerges and sets the plot of the book into motion.As has become de rigeur for this series the book opens with a prologue that both gives a bit of world-building background and sets the stage for the rest of the volume. Focused on Cortázar, a scientist working for the Laconian government, the prologue establishes that the mutinous Navy men have been busy in the intervening years, building themselves massive buildings that are far in excess of their relatively small population's needs, with the idea that they will conquer and assimilate the rest of humanity and Laconia will become the new center of human government and commerce. This is run-of-the mill villainy, even with the apparent callback to Hitler's plans to build Germania as the center of his envisioned thousand year Reich, as dreams of empire have beguiled many nations in history. What indicates from the outset that Laconian society is rotten to the core is that they have been experimenting with the protomolecule that they stole in Babylon's Ashes, and to ensure that they have a steady supply of protomolecule to experiment upon, they have instituted a system in which people are sent to the "pens" and infected as punishment for even trivial offenses. Once you start condemning people to agonizing death by alien infection as punishment for things like sleeping on duty, it doesn't matter what other high-minded principles your society might espouse, your way of life is twisted and irredeemably evil. Right from the outset, the authors have given the reader a glimpse of the vile core at the heart of Laconian society.
[More forthcoming]
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LibraryThing member Gkarlives
So begins the final three books in this series. A new player comes into control of the solar system thinking to save humanity from the forces that destroyed the makers of the proto-molecule. Unfortunately, while the solar system has finally managed to forge a new future, the new power hasn't
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learned the hard won wisdom of the home system. Now the heroes of the home front find themselves taking up the sword of rebellion. Leaders will fall and make sacrifices far beyond what is fair, but will it be enough to stop a deadly mistake from being made? Another great entry in this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
For most of The Expanse series, I find it to be smart, well-researched, and well-executed, containing strong characters who have enough development to prevent them from being caricatures. Then, I listened to the end of book six and all of book seven. Unfortunately, Persepolis Rising by James S. A.
Because reading the series became a joint project, I reached out to my son to debate at length the plot and one character at the heart of my issues with Persepolis Rising. While we both conclude that the character is nothing but an archetype and that the plot suffers, for the first time, from predictability, I take it one step further. Much like my opinion about the anticlimactic ending of the previous book, I believe the authors became lazy. In doing so, they created a character that is the archetypal moral villain, so firmly convinced of his own righteousness that he is incapable of growth. The character contains no complexity, no moral flexibility that allows him to learn from his mistakes. Given the depth and development of the majority of the other characters in the series, this lack of development within this one person screams of laziness.
Because this character is essentially a blueprint, the storyline in which he plays a significant role suffers from predictability. A lot. For the first time, I saw exactly how this story was going to unfold. Because this character is as complex as a piece of blank paper, I knew there would not be any plot twists. This character is completely incapable of the duplicity and moral ambiguity plot twists require. Thus, the story did occur exactly as I expected, something that has not been the case with the other books. In fact, part of what I love about the series is that it constantly keeps me guessing, and I usually have no idea what is going to happen. Not so here.
What makes this such an egregious error is simply because it occurs in book seven. Had the first book or two had such an overly simplified character and predictable plot lines, that would make more sense to me. One expects authors’ writing to improve with each book, so one expects weaker writing and a lack of development in an author’s first few books. By the seventh book, I do not expect nor want poor writing. Sadly, Persepolis Rising gave me just that.
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Corey has neither excellent execution nor strong characters.Because reading the series became a joint project, I reached out to my son to debate at length the plot and one character at the heart of my issues with Persepolis Rising. While we both conclude that the character is nothing but an archetype and that the plot suffers, for the first time, from predictability, I take it one step further. Much like my opinion about the anticlimactic ending of the previous book, I believe the authors became lazy. In doing so, they created a character that is the archetypal moral villain, so firmly convinced of his own righteousness that he is incapable of growth. The character contains no complexity, no moral flexibility that allows him to learn from his mistakes. Given the depth and development of the majority of the other characters in the series, this lack of development within this one person screams of laziness.
Because this character is essentially a blueprint, the storyline in which he plays a significant role suffers from predictability. A lot. For the first time, I saw exactly how this story was going to unfold. Because this character is as complex as a piece of blank paper, I knew there would not be any plot twists. This character is completely incapable of the duplicity and moral ambiguity plot twists require. Thus, the story did occur exactly as I expected, something that has not been the case with the other books. In fact, part of what I love about the series is that it constantly keeps me guessing, and I usually have no idea what is going to happen. Not so here.
What makes this such an egregious error is simply because it occurs in book seven. Had the first book or two had such an overly simplified character and predictable plot lines, that would make more sense to me. One expects authors’ writing to improve with each book, so one expects weaker writing and a lack of development in an author’s first few books. By the seventh book, I do not expect nor want poor writing. Sadly, Persepolis Rising gave me just that.
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LibraryThing member tduvally
Another excellent installment in this series.
LibraryThing member tduvally
Another excellent installment in this series.
LibraryThing member stevenmg
Persepolis Rising was well worth the wait. Much of the devastation in the Sol System caused by the Marcos Inaros and the Free Navy in the previous installments of this series has finally been turned around, peace has come to the Sol System and to the 1300 worlds that the Protomolecule-constructed
The writing team that comprises James S.A. Corey have consistently painted a future that is uncomfortable, messy, compelling, and very, very human throughout the Expanse series. All of my favorite characters were back, the stakes are incredibly high, and the chosen family that makes up the crew of the Rocinante are at their best in this book. I can't wait for the next installment.
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gates has provided access to, and a new normal has been reached by the wide-flung human species in the 30 years that have elapsed since the last book. But Winston Duarte, the Martian military leader who absconded with 1/3 of the Martian fleet and armed Inaros and the Free Navy in the previous books has built a new dystopic utopian empire in the Laconian system and intends to export that "perfect" society, with himself as an near-immortal emperor. I couldn't put this book down and read it in its entirety in two sittings over a two-day period. The combination of space opera, human drama, and flawless writing made it impossible to set this book down. The writing team that comprises James S.A. Corey have consistently painted a future that is uncomfortable, messy, compelling, and very, very human throughout the Expanse series. All of my favorite characters were back, the stakes are incredibly high, and the chosen family that makes up the crew of the Rocinante are at their best in this book. I can't wait for the next installment.
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LibraryThing member quondame
I kept putting this book down to do Christmas prep. Not only is the setup outrageously improbable even for Space Opera, it really gets in the way of interesting story telling. Having a technically unbeatable opponent really limits narratives based on resistance to tyranny. Plus the idea of our
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geriatric leads being the most capable of carrying out terrorist attacks in an era of newer tech, is so sad. At least the stories in the earlier books were interesting and fun to read, not a slog to get to set up for the next episode. Show Less
LibraryThing member James_Knupp
This series just stays consistently great. I appreciated the different than usual perspectives we got in this book, a good chunk of it from an antagonists point of view. Corey does a great job of understanding the mind of imperialists and how they feel justified in their subjugation and oppression
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of communities they feel destiny gives them the right to rule over. With only two books left in the series, I'm really curious to see how the mysteries of the protomolecule wrap up since it still feels like we're far from the end of it. Show Less
LibraryThing member DanTarlin
I watched The Expanse television series, and loved it. Apparently, the series is quite loyal to the books, and each season corresponds generally to one of the books. So I started reading on book 7, this one, which takes place chronologically right after the TV series.
There is a big time jump
In Persepolis Rising, the Laconians come back, armed with new tech that they have created thanks to ancient construction platforms that were orbiting the planet when they found it. The ships are based on the protomolecule technology, and they are much more advanced than anything possessed in Sol system or anything else, quickly taking control of the Ring Space and Sol and declaring the Laconian Empire, ruled by Duarte.
Just before the Laconians arrive, Holden and Naomi have decided to retire and sell the Rocinante to Bobbi, but their plans are waylaid by the invasion. The book then follows the attempts at resistance to this unstoppable force. A key point of view character is the Laconian military commander of Medina Station, trying to keep a lid on the unrest while following Duarte's philosophy of authoritarian rule, which is really interesting: if you possess greatly superior tech that your enemies can't recreate, you can be a quite benign ruler, allowing autonomy to a great degree.
Speaking generally about The Expanse- it's really great! In both the books and the TV show they are pretty committed to "realistic" sci fi, in that the laws of physics are taken seriously (e.g. there is no handwaving "artificial gravity" onboard ships- gravity is created through spin or thrust). And the adventure is great too, with exciting missions and interesting international relations implications that are thought through. I'll be finishing the series in short order.
There is a big time jump
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though- 30 years since the events of book 6, which chronicled the civil war begun by Marco Inaros. Marco received lots of really good tech from a group of Martians led by Winston Duarte, which supplied him with the materials to wreak havoc against Earth and then defected through the ring gates to Laconia, where they had no contact with the known worlds for those 30 years. In Persepolis Rising, the Laconians come back, armed with new tech that they have created thanks to ancient construction platforms that were orbiting the planet when they found it. The ships are based on the protomolecule technology, and they are much more advanced than anything possessed in Sol system or anything else, quickly taking control of the Ring Space and Sol and declaring the Laconian Empire, ruled by Duarte.
Just before the Laconians arrive, Holden and Naomi have decided to retire and sell the Rocinante to Bobbi, but their plans are waylaid by the invasion. The book then follows the attempts at resistance to this unstoppable force. A key point of view character is the Laconian military commander of Medina Station, trying to keep a lid on the unrest while following Duarte's philosophy of authoritarian rule, which is really interesting: if you possess greatly superior tech that your enemies can't recreate, you can be a quite benign ruler, allowing autonomy to a great degree.
Speaking generally about The Expanse- it's really great! In both the books and the TV show they are pretty committed to "realistic" sci fi, in that the laws of physics are taken seriously (e.g. there is no handwaving "artificial gravity" onboard ships- gravity is created through spin or thrust). And the adventure is great too, with exciting missions and interesting international relations implications that are thought through. I'll be finishing the series in short order.
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LibraryThing member Cataloger623
There are a lot of excellent reviews of this book. Some give incredible detail and analysis of of Persepolis Rising. I whole heartedly recommend reading them. I listened to the audio book version. I enjoyed the audiobook. It was well spoken gave a good emotional feel for each character. The
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narrator aged a pacing to the novel that could not be gotten from a reading of this novel. There is a certain pathos the narrator was able to impart during particular critical moments. There were times when I felt honest sympathy and pity for the circumstances and ultimate fate of both heroic and villainous characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarcUK
This is a a great book...
LibraryThing member Nodosaurus
This is the seventh book in The Expanse series, it takes place thirty years after the events in Babylon’s Ashes. Earth and Mars are part of a coalition and the Belt has come into its own power governing trade through the gate.
============= SPOILERS ================
The Roci is sent on an
The main plot revolves around Laconia, who has been experimenting with the protomolecule and developing new technologies. The Laconians invade with one ship, quickly taking over the Medina station, leaving Santiago Singh as governor, then heading for the inner planets, with another ship on-way to the gate. The Roci crew don’t have access to their ship and join Saba in the underground. Jim Holden is ultimately taken prisoner and transported to Laconia. The first Laconian ship was defeated in a costly series of battles, but not destroyed. The book closes with Holden arriving on Laconia as prisoner and the Laconians still a looming thread with their second ship near to arriving.
Another twist is that when the Laconians use their protomolecule-based technologies, an odd black sphere appears on their primary ship and moves completely with the ship. Holden identified it as belonging to the people who destroyed the civilization that made the protomolecule.
One problem is that after 30 years from the last book, the characters have aged, but there doesn’t seem to be any character growth in that time. It’s still the same characters, the book could have taken a month and it would be the same, the time frame only seems to provide an opportunity for the Laconian technology development.
Aside from that, this is one of the better books in a while. It is a lot of action with some weird technologies thrown in.
============= SPOILERS ================
The Roci is sent on an
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incidental mission to Freehold, where Holden renegotiates the Transport Union’s demands on Freehold, who would have died from those demands. Holden brings back Houston, their leader as prisoner. On returning, Holden and Noami decide to retire leaving the Roci to Bobbie as captain.The main plot revolves around Laconia, who has been experimenting with the protomolecule and developing new technologies. The Laconians invade with one ship, quickly taking over the Medina station, leaving Santiago Singh as governor, then heading for the inner planets, with another ship on-way to the gate. The Roci crew don’t have access to their ship and join Saba in the underground. Jim Holden is ultimately taken prisoner and transported to Laconia. The first Laconian ship was defeated in a costly series of battles, but not destroyed. The book closes with Holden arriving on Laconia as prisoner and the Laconians still a looming thread with their second ship near to arriving.
Another twist is that when the Laconians use their protomolecule-based technologies, an odd black sphere appears on their primary ship and moves completely with the ship. Holden identified it as belonging to the people who destroyed the civilization that made the protomolecule.
One problem is that after 30 years from the last book, the characters have aged, but there doesn’t seem to be any character growth in that time. It’s still the same characters, the book could have taken a month and it would be the same, the time frame only seems to provide an opportunity for the Laconian technology development.
Aside from that, this is one of the better books in a while. It is a lot of action with some weird technologies thrown in.
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