Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collections
Publication
Orbit (2015), Edition: Reprint, 624 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:The fourth book in the NYT bestselling Expanse series, Cibola Burn sees the crew of the Rocinante on a new frontier, as the rush to colonize the new planets threatens to outrun law and order and give way to war and chaos. Now a Prime Original series. HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIES Enter a new frontier. �?? "An empty apartment, a missing family, that's creepy. But this is like finding a military base with no one on it. Fighters and tanks idling on the runway with no drivers. This is bad juju. Something wrong happened here. What you should do is tell everyone to leave." The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonize has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Ilus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire. Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage, and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world. The struggle on Ilus threatens to spread all the way back to Earth. James Holden and the crew of his one small ship are sent to make peace in the midst of war and sense in the midst of chaos. But the more he looks at it, the more Holden thinks the mission was meant to fail. And the whispers of a dead man remind him that the great galactic civilization that once stood on this land is gone. And that something killed it. The Expanse Leviathan Wakes Caliban's War Abaddon's Gate Cibola Burn Nemesis Games Babylon's Ashes Persepolis Rising Tiamat's Wrath �??Leviathan Falls Memory's Legion The Expanse Short Fiction Drive The Butcher of Anderson Station Gods of Risk The Churn The Vital Abyss Strange Dogs Auberon The Sins of Our Father… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member stefferoo
The Expanse is probably my science fiction series right now, and I think Cibola Burn is the best installment yet.
Why, you ask? Well, unlike the previous books, which I felt started off slow but gradually built up to bigger and better action, Cibola Burn breaks this pattern and kicks things off
Violence erupts when the company finally arrives to protect what they think of as their property, with the colonists pushing back. This is how the book starts out – literally with a bang. Protagonist James Holden, deemed as the best person to act as mediator in this conflict, is dropped into the middle of things before they can escalate and both sides end up killing each other. The whole situation is a lit powder keg waiting to explode and the atmosphere could not be more intense, and this is all just within the first handful of chapters. There’s none of that “slow climb to the apex”, which is how I described Abbadon’s Gate. Here, you get to the good stuff right off the bat.
But before you think all the action is front-loaded, rest assured that this is not the case. The tension continues to build and it’s safe to say that circumstances get worse for the characters (which translates to “More exciting!” for the reader) before they get better. Cibola Burn is part space colonization story and part space disaster thriller. For those reading this series who might be suffering from proto-molecule fatigue by now, the good news is that while the proto-molecule still plays a big role in the overall story, it takes a backseat to the more dramatic and more human events happening right there on the frontier planet. It’s wild and lawless territory out there, with neither side willing to relinquish control. With no real police force, no courts and no legal system, authority is determined by who has the greatest firepower, and when you’re in a region of space eighteen months from the closest civilization, that there pretty much spells a recipe for disaster.
Like all the previous books in the series, Cibola Burn is told from the perspective of a handful of point-of-view characters. The cast has expanded yet again, changing up all the key players except for Holden, who as the main protagonist has kept up a constant presence in all four books now. For the first time in this series, however, I became partial to his chapters. In books 1-3, I’d always felt that Holden’s character was eclipsed by more powerful and interesting personalities (in Leviathan Wakes, by Miller; in Caliban’s War, by Chrisjen Avasarala, my favorite potty-mouthed UN politician; and in Abbadon’s Gate, by Bull) and he’d never managed to capture my attention. That is, until now. What changed? It’s not like the other POV characters here were any less compelling. But somehow, Holden definitely came into his own in Cibola Burn. As someone who’s always so sure of his moral position, it’s a new experience to see him try to compromise for the sake of keeping the peace, and when the situation devolves, his leadership skills are put to the test.
In fact, all the POV characters – Holden, Basia, Havelock and Elvi -- were enjoyable to read about in their own way. Compared to a relatively weaker cast in the last book, Cibola Burn was a much more engaging read for this reason. The only character I didn’t care for was Murtry – and not because he’s the villain. I notice the authors seem to have a tendency to paint the “bad guys” in this series as really BAD guys, all super evil psychopaths with terrible motives and inflexible attitudes. While it leaves little room for doubt who you should be rooting for, that doesn’t add much to the person or situation. Other characters who sometimes lack in depth is an occasional issue I encountered, but the baddies seem to have it the worst.
Still, if that’s my only complaint, and it’s a minor one at that, this book is clear a winner in my eyes. Like I said, I found this to be the most exciting and powerful book so far. When a strange planet that no one understands turns against colony and corporation alike, the notion of people putting aside their differences to help each other survive becomes a central theme, and all the while the clock is ticking. It’s really no surprise that the series is heading to TV, being the perfect mix of science fiction chills-and-thrills with the passion and weight of human drama. Fans of The Expanse will eat this book right up. And if you haven’t started this series yet, what are you waiting for?
Why, you ask? Well, unlike the previous books, which I felt started off slow but gradually built up to bigger and better action, Cibola Burn breaks this pattern and kicks things off
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right away with an explosive conflict you can’t ignore. The mysterious proto-molecule that somehow created a massive ring structure just outside the orbit of Uranus has turned out to be a gate leading to thousands of habitable planets on the other side. To the annoyance and chagrin of the corporation with the planetary exploration and harvesting rights, a ship of refugees have made it over and settled on the first of such new worlds, claiming it as their own and starting up their own mining operations.Violence erupts when the company finally arrives to protect what they think of as their property, with the colonists pushing back. This is how the book starts out – literally with a bang. Protagonist James Holden, deemed as the best person to act as mediator in this conflict, is dropped into the middle of things before they can escalate and both sides end up killing each other. The whole situation is a lit powder keg waiting to explode and the atmosphere could not be more intense, and this is all just within the first handful of chapters. There’s none of that “slow climb to the apex”, which is how I described Abbadon’s Gate. Here, you get to the good stuff right off the bat.
But before you think all the action is front-loaded, rest assured that this is not the case. The tension continues to build and it’s safe to say that circumstances get worse for the characters (which translates to “More exciting!” for the reader) before they get better. Cibola Burn is part space colonization story and part space disaster thriller. For those reading this series who might be suffering from proto-molecule fatigue by now, the good news is that while the proto-molecule still plays a big role in the overall story, it takes a backseat to the more dramatic and more human events happening right there on the frontier planet. It’s wild and lawless territory out there, with neither side willing to relinquish control. With no real police force, no courts and no legal system, authority is determined by who has the greatest firepower, and when you’re in a region of space eighteen months from the closest civilization, that there pretty much spells a recipe for disaster.
Like all the previous books in the series, Cibola Burn is told from the perspective of a handful of point-of-view characters. The cast has expanded yet again, changing up all the key players except for Holden, who as the main protagonist has kept up a constant presence in all four books now. For the first time in this series, however, I became partial to his chapters. In books 1-3, I’d always felt that Holden’s character was eclipsed by more powerful and interesting personalities (in Leviathan Wakes, by Miller; in Caliban’s War, by Chrisjen Avasarala, my favorite potty-mouthed UN politician; and in Abbadon’s Gate, by Bull) and he’d never managed to capture my attention. That is, until now. What changed? It’s not like the other POV characters here were any less compelling. But somehow, Holden definitely came into his own in Cibola Burn. As someone who’s always so sure of his moral position, it’s a new experience to see him try to compromise for the sake of keeping the peace, and when the situation devolves, his leadership skills are put to the test.
In fact, all the POV characters – Holden, Basia, Havelock and Elvi -- were enjoyable to read about in their own way. Compared to a relatively weaker cast in the last book, Cibola Burn was a much more engaging read for this reason. The only character I didn’t care for was Murtry – and not because he’s the villain. I notice the authors seem to have a tendency to paint the “bad guys” in this series as really BAD guys, all super evil psychopaths with terrible motives and inflexible attitudes. While it leaves little room for doubt who you should be rooting for, that doesn’t add much to the person or situation. Other characters who sometimes lack in depth is an occasional issue I encountered, but the baddies seem to have it the worst.
Still, if that’s my only complaint, and it’s a minor one at that, this book is clear a winner in my eyes. Like I said, I found this to be the most exciting and powerful book so far. When a strange planet that no one understands turns against colony and corporation alike, the notion of people putting aside their differences to help each other survive becomes a central theme, and all the while the clock is ticking. It’s really no surprise that the series is heading to TV, being the perfect mix of science fiction chills-and-thrills with the passion and weight of human drama. Fans of The Expanse will eat this book right up. And if you haven’t started this series yet, what are you waiting for?
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
I was a little irritated by the whole half-book-long "you really just need to get laid" plotline, but the space western bits were fun, and I absolutely loved everything from the planet-wide disaster on.
LibraryThing member macsbrains
This installment had some of my favorite moments of the series so far, but this volume still retained too much of the depressing bleakness of the previous book for me to fully enjoy it. I think humanity's insistence on trying its hardest to utterly destroy itself is part of the authors' point, but
Except for Miller. Because that persona, whatever its incarnation, just commands the narrative and I can't get enough. I find Holden and his crew to be quite boring -- non-offensively so, but boring nonetheless. Miller sparkles, and there is much of him in the book. But I will admit to a bias towards Daniel Abraham's work in general. His characters tend to resonate well with me.
There is also some fun and interesting science-y discussion about the biology of the life forms and the geology of the new worlds. I wish there had been more of that and less of everyone trying to utterly annihilate each other, but that's my inner frustrated scientist talking.
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it is really hard to get behind the story when I just want the characters to do us all a favor and space themselves.Except for Miller. Because that persona, whatever its incarnation, just commands the narrative and I can't get enough. I find Holden and his crew to be quite boring -- non-offensively so, but boring nonetheless. Miller sparkles, and there is much of him in the book. But I will admit to a bias towards Daniel Abraham's work in general. His characters tend to resonate well with me.
There is also some fun and interesting science-y discussion about the biology of the life forms and the geology of the new worlds. I wish there had been more of that and less of everyone trying to utterly annihilate each other, but that's my inner frustrated scientist talking.
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LibraryThing member kinwolf
The books gets better as they go on, but it's still mostly a light sci-fi serial.
LibraryThing member Ann_Louise
While this is another good entry into the Expanse Series, it's not exactly paced well. It takes the first 60 pages to explain a lot of back story before introducing the main character, and to be honest, I was tempted to give up on it because I felt it was slow to get started. Granted, you've got
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one of George R R Martin's writing assistants co-authoring with Daniel Abraham, another fantasy writer, where writing tends to get bogged down in expository history, but space opera is meant to be quick-paced, fun and exciting to read. Too much time is spent setting the whole thing up, and it truly drags in some spots as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully, the next tome with be quick on its feet and get to the action faster. Still, it should be interesting to see how it translates to television when it's broadcast. Show Less
LibraryThing member bgknighton
I probably would have rated it higher but this is the fourth in the series and I haven't read the others so I had to fill in the background on the characters myself. Solves the problem of getting to new planets to settle, opens up the question of the Elder race, but what happens to the planets left
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behind in the race to the new frontier? Show Less
LibraryThing member santhony
I acquired this science fiction novel from LibraryThing Early Reviewer program, free of charge in exchange for this review.
Apparently this is book four of a series, and while it is not strictly necessary to have read its three predecessors, I can’t imagine why you would start with book four. For
In Cibola Burn, the universe has been opened to colonization through discovery of an alien constructed time portal. Colonists have jumped the gun and established a colony on Ilus, also named New Terra, without the consent of the United Nations or the Outer Planets Association (two competing governing bodies). Details of this settlement are apparently part of one of the preceding books. The UN has granted a charter to a multi-national corporation to explore and settle the planet, as well as exploit its valuable lithium deposits. This obviously creates conflict between the rogue colonists and the corporation.
James Holden, seemingly the hero of the series, has been appointed as the mediator of the dispute. Upon his arrival, several acts of terrorism have already been perpetrated by the colonists and escalated by the corporate security forces. However, the planet presents its own set of dangers as both natural forces and long dormant alien constructs come to life.
This is pretty run of the mill science fiction, with little to differentiate it from hundreds of other such stories. Perhaps I would feel differently if I had read the first three books of the series, but regardless, if you are looking for space opera, Peter Hamilton does it far better.
Apparently this is book four of a series, and while it is not strictly necessary to have read its three predecessors, I can’t imagine why you would start with book four. For
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that matter, it seems silly to offer this novel in exchange for a review. People who have read the first three installments are probably going to buy the fourth. I can’t imagine why anyone would start with this one. Perhaps they think that the reviewers will be compelled to go and buy the first three, but having been filled in on the “back story” through frequent information dumps, I’m not likely to go back and read a book that has already been summarized.In Cibola Burn, the universe has been opened to colonization through discovery of an alien constructed time portal. Colonists have jumped the gun and established a colony on Ilus, also named New Terra, without the consent of the United Nations or the Outer Planets Association (two competing governing bodies). Details of this settlement are apparently part of one of the preceding books. The UN has granted a charter to a multi-national corporation to explore and settle the planet, as well as exploit its valuable lithium deposits. This obviously creates conflict between the rogue colonists and the corporation.
James Holden, seemingly the hero of the series, has been appointed as the mediator of the dispute. Upon his arrival, several acts of terrorism have already been perpetrated by the colonists and escalated by the corporate security forces. However, the planet presents its own set of dangers as both natural forces and long dormant alien constructs come to life.
This is pretty run of the mill science fiction, with little to differentiate it from hundreds of other such stories. Perhaps I would feel differently if I had read the first three books of the series, but regardless, if you are looking for space opera, Peter Hamilton does it far better.
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LibraryThing member irapearson
I hadn't realized this was the fourth novel of a series in progress when I requested it from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I read all four in the last month so this review will, of necessity, be more about The Expanse series than about this novel, Cibola Burn, specifically. I enjoyed these a lot.
Great characters here. Maybe a few too many main characters for my taste. Chapters alternate between a still-growing list of POV characters. The fourth book switched between five main characters, not including the prologue and epilogue with two other characters. I guess it does keep it from getting stale.
The main plot of the novels is about the protagonist, James Holden, and his crew having to deal with an alien proto-molecule which deconstructs human beings and uses the bio-matter as construction material, while the governments of Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance chase him around and war amongst themselves. That's a vast oversimplification.
The novels so far have all been slow burners with most of the action in later chapters. But you'll barely notice. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
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High quality space opera. My least favorite in the series so far, the third, Abaddon's Gate, is still pretty good. There are a few prequel novellas which I have not read yet.Great characters here. Maybe a few too many main characters for my taste. Chapters alternate between a still-growing list of POV characters. The fourth book switched between five main characters, not including the prologue and epilogue with two other characters. I guess it does keep it from getting stale.
The main plot of the novels is about the protagonist, James Holden, and his crew having to deal with an alien proto-molecule which deconstructs human beings and uses the bio-matter as construction material, while the governments of Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance chase him around and war amongst themselves. That's a vast oversimplification.
The novels so far have all been slow burners with most of the action in later chapters. But you'll barely notice. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
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LibraryThing member tdashoff
The fourth book in the Expanse series begins with the settlement of the first planet discovered after the introduction of the jump gates in the earlier trilogy. The Belters, who got to Illus first but illegally, and the ship sent by Royal Charter Energy (RCE), who has the charter from the home
Highly recommended. Helps to have read all three prior books before this one, but there's enough back-story scattered throughout to bring new readers up to speed quickly.
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planets for what they call New Terra, are at each other's throats, figuratively and almost literally. At the same time, something left over by the ancient creators of the planet, long since vanished, is coming after both of them. Into this mess comes James Holden, ostensibly sent to make peace between the factions, although his superiors have their own plans for the conflict. Holden, who has already come through one planet-wide crisis, now finds himself and his crew in the middle of another, and it will take all his skill and a lot of luck if he's going to be able to repeat his earlier success. Fortunately (or not), Miller is nearby to assist, even if Holden's the only one who can see him...Highly recommended. Helps to have read all three prior books before this one, but there's enough back-story scattered throughout to bring new readers up to speed quickly.
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LibraryThing member tlockney
This is one of those books that really makes me wish Goodreads (or any other review site) allowed for more than a simple five-star spectrum for ratings. This book was very enjoyable and, like the others in this series, I would not hesitate to recommend it. But my usual heuristic for the four-star
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and above rating is whether it's a book I'm likely to read again. Truthfully, as much as I enjoyed this one, I doubt I'd read it again. But that's not to say you should not read it. If you like gritty adventures, that just happen to be set against a sci-fi background, this book is one to check out, but read the rest of the series first. Show Less
LibraryThing member kbuxton
This is the 4th book in a series. It will make a lot more sense if you read the others first. Holden and the rest of the crew of the Rociante are sent through the Ring to try to mediate a conflict between "squatters" and the employees of a corporation that's been given the first new planet.
LibraryThing member ljbryant
While this book could be read on its own, outside of the rest of the series, I wouldn't recommend it. The series is just TOO good to miss any of the installments!
As another reviewer mentioned, it is a bit depressing to see humanity constantly trying to destroy itself. However, I believe that the
As another reviewer mentioned, it is a bit depressing to see humanity constantly trying to destroy itself. However, I believe that the
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point of these books is to explore good versus maybe not so good. You can't call it evil -- the men that do the most damage seem to be well-intentioned, or at least loyal. They're damaging everyone because they're inflexible, greedy, or misinformed, not because they're evil. That's the great downfall of humanity, as pointed out in this story and previous installments -- there is no right side or wrong side in many cases, but that doesn't stop the damage. Show Less
LibraryThing member EmScape
The fourth installment in the Expanse series brings us to a planet on the other side of one of the rings. Some refugees from Ganymede have claimed the planet as theirs and begun a settlement. Unfortunately, an Earth corporation has filed the proper paperwork with the UN and is on their way out to
This series just keeps getting better, and this is probably not the last (although it is the most recent) book in the series. Plenty of suspense, philosophy, character development, political maneuvering and humor. Also, I've heard recently that this series is being developed for television by the Syfy channel, due to begin airing in 2015! I've told several friends and coworkers that they need to check out this series, and now I'm telling you~
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roust the "squatters" from their property. James Holden and crew are sent out to mediate between the parties. Meanwhile, the ghost of Miller, protomolecule puppet, has another mission for Holden there involving dormant alien technology that threatens to destroy the whole place, leaving both "squatters" and RCE claimants out of luck.This series just keeps getting better, and this is probably not the last (although it is the most recent) book in the series. Plenty of suspense, philosophy, character development, political maneuvering and humor. Also, I've heard recently that this series is being developed for television by the Syfy channel, due to begin airing in 2015! I've told several friends and coworkers that they need to check out this series, and now I'm telling you~
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Free LibraryThing Early Reviewer book. Fourth in Corey’s Expanse series, which has pulled off the intriguing trick of completely changing the type of space adventure it is in each book. In this one, humanity suddenly sees the potential of hundreds of Earth-type planets open for settlement. But on
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the first one, unauthorized settlers are clashing with the corporation that has the official charter, and the planet’s rich lithium stores are at stake. The UN sends James Holden and his ship to fix things, but Holden is still seeing the ghost of his quasi-friend Miller, who is actually a manifestation of the protomolecule that’s almost all that’s left of the alien race that set up the transportation system humans are now using to get to these planets. As it turns out, there are alien artifacts on New Earth/Ilus as well, and Miller wants Holden to go deal with them while the colonists and corporate scientists are duking it out. A sociopathic security officer is the worst bad guy, but the great thing about this kind of sf is that everyone has intelligible (if occasionally unsympathetic) motivations, and there is a lot of competence displayed across factions, both technically and politically. I enjoyed it a great deal. Show Less
LibraryThing member lpmejia
As a huge fan of science fiction, I was excited to receive Cibola Burn even though I hadn't read the other books in the series. That said, this book is probably not suited to be a stand-alone volume. Even so, I have nothing but good things to say about this book, as Corey successfully navigates not
Without going too much into spoilers, in Cibola Burn Corey juggles both the intimate story of the main character, James Holden, along with the much larger story of interplanetary colonization and the inevitable corporate interests that seek to exploit it. Deftly changing points of view keep the reader engaged along with generous amounts of humor. If you love science fiction adventure, you'll love this book and its predecessors.
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only some familiar science fiction tropes, but also finds new, interesting ways of telling each story in the series, so it's definitely worth your time to start at the beginning. Without going too much into spoilers, in Cibola Burn Corey juggles both the intimate story of the main character, James Holden, along with the much larger story of interplanetary colonization and the inevitable corporate interests that seek to exploit it. Deftly changing points of view keep the reader engaged along with generous amounts of humor. If you love science fiction adventure, you'll love this book and its predecessors.
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LibraryThing member heradas
A departure in their method of storytelling. It's nice to see that the authors aren't one trick ponies. In some ways this might be the strongest entry in the expanse yet. In other ways, it isn't quite as strong. I have a hard time placing my finger on why exactly, but it's not my favorite. I
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suspect that it will be a favorite for many though. It's wickedly fun, and a solid entry in a terrific series. Now the waiting for 'Nemesis Games' begins. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
This series continues to be highly entertaining. This is perhaps the least complicated book so far. Holden is sent to mediate on a planet within the Gates, where colonists are in conflict with a corporation over lithium mining on a habitable planet. The long-gone proto-molecule aliens continue to
I listened to the audiobook, which has a different narrator than the other books in the series, and he's nowhere near as good.
The epilogue is the best part of the book - it gives a fun twist to the rest of the story and neatly sets up the next book.
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have an effect on the planet. I listened to the audiobook, which has a different narrator than the other books in the series, and he's nowhere near as good.
The epilogue is the best part of the book - it gives a fun twist to the rest of the story and neatly sets up the next book.
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LibraryThing member nwhyte
Slightly to my surprise, I was really impressed by this take on Space Opera, updated to the demands of the twenty-first century reader. I realise that it's the fourth in a series of which I've only read (and mostly forgotten) the first, but I felt it was still pretty approachable considered as a
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standalone volume. I thought that this was actually a good example of the sub-genre of Two-Fisted Spaceship Adventures. Show Less
LibraryThing member Becky_McKenna
Basic "Baz" Merton and his family arrived on the planet Ilus with many other refugees, after losing everything in the disaster on Ganymede. The refugees banded together, worked hard, built a small settlement colony, mined precious lithium, and now call Ilus home. After all their hard work, they
When violence breaks out, Holden is sent in as a neutral party and official Peacemaker. As usual, Holden has a mess on his hands with new and bigger challenges arising daily. In addition to the volatile tension between the two parties, there's something strange going on beneath the surface of the planet that threatens the lives of everyone on Ilus.
For me, this book took a little more time to get started. I blame most of that on poor narration, but not all of it. I think too much time was spent on the politics and bickering between the parties. I also had a tough time with some of the new characters. After having such strong personalities like Bobbie Draper, Bull, and Praxia, it was tough to deal with Evie. As for Havelock: (view spoiler) As for the bad guys, well they were amazingly evil...the love-to-hate-them kind of villains. This is something that this writing duo pulls off extremely well! In many ways, portions of this book were very much like the Wild West...in space.
Getting back to narration, I don't want to bash on the narrator and Erik Dawes did improve as the book moved along, but he needs time to hone his craft. The choppy, monotone, computerized voice delivery made it difficult to absorb the story, even after speeding the playback a little. Most of the time I couldn't distinguish one character voice from the other (especially the males). It was very frustrating and I nearly bailed on the audiobook after the first several chapters. For those spending a fortune on audiobooks: Just say no to the audio - this time. Read the book and wait for Jeffrey Mays to return in the next installment with his distinctive character voices.
Story: 4 Stars
Narration: 1 Star
Moving on to Nemesis Games!
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find themselves in direct conflict with Royal Charter Energy and their scientific team, who hold the UN charter saying that Ilus is "their" world to study, mine, and research. The settlers are now viewed as "squatters" and fear they will be forced to leave the planet so the RCE can lay claim to the valuable lithium mines. Baz has already given up or lost too much on Ganymede, including his young son. He and the others refuse to leave their homes and devise a plan to defend their position.When violence breaks out, Holden is sent in as a neutral party and official Peacemaker. As usual, Holden has a mess on his hands with new and bigger challenges arising daily. In addition to the volatile tension between the two parties, there's something strange going on beneath the surface of the planet that threatens the lives of everyone on Ilus.
For me, this book took a little more time to get started. I blame most of that on poor narration, but not all of it. I think too much time was spent on the politics and bickering between the parties. I also had a tough time with some of the new characters. After having such strong personalities like Bobbie Draper, Bull, and Praxia, it was tough to deal with Evie. As for Havelock: (view spoiler) As for the bad guys, well they were amazingly evil...the love-to-hate-them kind of villains. This is something that this writing duo pulls off extremely well! In many ways, portions of this book were very much like the Wild West...in space.
Getting back to narration, I don't want to bash on the narrator and Erik Dawes did improve as the book moved along, but he needs time to hone his craft. The choppy, monotone, computerized voice delivery made it difficult to absorb the story, even after speeding the playback a little. Most of the time I couldn't distinguish one character voice from the other (especially the males). It was very frustrating and I nearly bailed on the audiobook after the first several chapters. For those spending a fortune on audiobooks: Just say no to the audio - this time. Read the book and wait for Jeffrey Mays to return in the next installment with his distinctive character voices.
Story: 4 Stars
Narration: 1 Star
Moving on to Nemesis Games!
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LibraryThing member cissa
This is a page-turner, 4th book in the 6-book series, and it combines some of the best parts of space opera with concerns also approached in the "Long Earth" series as well as Kim Stanley Robinson's "Aurora".
The Ring has opened up 1000 new worlds for colonizing. One of the Sol-system governments
There's another well-drawn, idiosyncratic woman character here that's central, plus my adored foul-mouthed, politically potent grandma makes a few brief appearances. I liked Elvi a lot- she's a brilliant scientist who- as most brilliant scientists tend to be- is more fixated on her work than on other aspects of life.
And again, people who are all supposedly on the same "side" are more complicated than that. Fissures happen, for good and ill. Strange bedfellows are discovered. The psychological and political sophistication of this aspect of these novels is probably my favorite thing about them; it makes the people feel so REAL!
Very recommended, though it's probably best to start at the beginning of the series. Still, do know that the books keep getting better and better!
I can hardly wait to read #5!
The Ring has opened up 1000 new worlds for colonizing. One of the Sol-system governments
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has decided that they are the ones to distribute these worlds; meanwhile one has already been settled by refugees from the destruction of Ganymede. The refugees are not inclined to "respect the AUTHORITAH!" of the imperialists; the imperialists feel entitled to everything the refugees have struggled to accomplish. Meanwhile, at least one organism on this alien planet has discovered humans can be a great nutrient source... plus there's always the alien protomolecule and its works, and the threat of whoever managed to pretty much wipe it out, powerful though it is.There's another well-drawn, idiosyncratic woman character here that's central, plus my adored foul-mouthed, politically potent grandma makes a few brief appearances. I liked Elvi a lot- she's a brilliant scientist who- as most brilliant scientists tend to be- is more fixated on her work than on other aspects of life.
And again, people who are all supposedly on the same "side" are more complicated than that. Fissures happen, for good and ill. Strange bedfellows are discovered. The psychological and political sophistication of this aspect of these novels is probably my favorite thing about them; it makes the people feel so REAL!
Very recommended, though it's probably best to start at the beginning of the series. Still, do know that the books keep getting better and better!
I can hardly wait to read #5!
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LibraryThing member g33kgrrl
The fourth book in The Expanse series, Cibola Burn expands the world even further, along with providing new characters and of course, new conflicts. I particularly loved the evolutionary biology in this selection. I very much enjoyed this book, and the rest in the series, and am looking forward to
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book 5. Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
Scientists and corporate entities have been beaten through the Ring that opened up new worlds by hopeful folks who want to settle on one of these new worlds. Earth and the OPA approach Jim Holden and the crew of the Rosie and ask them to go through the Ring and act as mediators between the angry
Jim has been reluctant to have anything to do with that Ring, but as usual gets back into a corner and maneuvered into accepting the assignment.
Before the Rosie can get there, violence breaks out between the colonists and the corporate security forces so the crew lands in the middle of a fight they'd hoped to avoid.
From there things go even more pear-shaped when the planet decides to blow up.
Then it becomes a question of whether any of them can survive, and can they all manage to put aside their distrust and hatred and work together to do it.
Super series, and this is a solid, if different entry to the series. Excellent characters and world-building, and the series remains one of my favorites as a result.
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corporate ship headed there and the colonists. Jim has been reluctant to have anything to do with that Ring, but as usual gets back into a corner and maneuvered into accepting the assignment.
Before the Rosie can get there, violence breaks out between the colonists and the corporate security forces so the crew lands in the middle of a fight they'd hoped to avoid.
From there things go even more pear-shaped when the planet decides to blow up.
Then it becomes a question of whether any of them can survive, and can they all manage to put aside their distrust and hatred and work together to do it.
Super series, and this is a solid, if different entry to the series. Excellent characters and world-building, and the series remains one of my favorites as a result.
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LibraryThing member bness2
Great story and well-paced with lots of action. Occasionally the characters get a little unrealistically one-sided, but overall well done. A nice continued hard scifi series.
LibraryThing member TysonAdams
“I’m gonna need to shoot that guy at some point,” Ahhh, Mondays.
Book 4 of The Expanse series has Holden and the Rocinante crew sent to a new solar system as UN Negotiators. Displaced Belters have taken up residence on a newly discovered planet through one of the Stargates (they'll always be
Cibola Burn thoroughly impressed me. At a stage in the series where the quality would usually take a nosedive, James SA Corey has managed to keep it onwards and upwards. Part of this is giving us a great villain in Murtry; someone who is the antagonist but not necessarily the bad guy. The other part is that Corey's plots are much more extensive than you initially expect. I've seen other reviewers complain about this aspect, in that the story starts off headed in one direction but ends up going somewhere else entirely. But I see this as a strength and a justification for a novel that cracks 600 pages.
I enjoyed Cibola Burn more than Abaddon's Gate - although it was still a great read - and there are no signs that this series will rest on its laurels. I started the next instalment, Nemesis Games, immediately after finishing Cibola Burn: that should tell you everything you need to know.
Book 4 of The Expanse series has Holden and the Rocinante crew sent to a new solar system as UN Negotiators. Displaced Belters have taken up residence on a newly discovered planet through one of the Stargates (they'll always be
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Stargates to me), only to have an RCE research vessel arrive, necessitating Holden and Amos to smooth things out. They get along as well as you'd expect, but their conflict is the least of their problems.Cibola Burn thoroughly impressed me. At a stage in the series where the quality would usually take a nosedive, James SA Corey has managed to keep it onwards and upwards. Part of this is giving us a great villain in Murtry; someone who is the antagonist but not necessarily the bad guy. The other part is that Corey's plots are much more extensive than you initially expect. I've seen other reviewers complain about this aspect, in that the story starts off headed in one direction but ends up going somewhere else entirely. But I see this as a strength and a justification for a novel that cracks 600 pages.
I enjoyed Cibola Burn more than Abaddon's Gate - although it was still a great read - and there are no signs that this series will rest on its laurels. I started the next instalment, Nemesis Games, immediately after finishing Cibola Burn: that should tell you everything you need to know.
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LibraryThing member Whiskey3pa
The least engaging of the Expanse, to date. Not enough given up about the aliens and a villain who felt a bit ridiculous. Hoping that things pick up next book.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-06-05
Physical description
9.25 inches
ISBN
0316334685 / 9780316334686