The Expanse V3 'Abadonn's Gate' (2013)

The conclusion of the events on Ganymede station has left the solar system in a sort of stalemate. Jules-Pierre Mao has been convicted of his attempts to weaponize and unleash the protomolecule, which consequentially allowed for a pseudo-peace to grow between the three major factions: Earth, Mars, and the Belt. Among all of the great things surrounding the human race pulling together, there has been one eerie focus, the ring.

The ring emerged from the cloudy atmosphere, traveled beyond Jupiter, and settled there. Of course, the human race could not leave well enough alone, and has put together a decently sized fleet of researchers, philosophers, scientists, and even spiritual leaders to journey to the ring. With no goal other than discovery in mind, the dangers of which might be discovered or unleashed were not properly assessed. Before the flotilla has a chance to arrive, a young slingshot racer named Maneo Jung-Espinoza or 'Neo' attempts to pass through the ring. The first real danger reveals itself as his ship is stopped so suddenly that he is literally turned into a human slushy.

Now that the ring has captured the imaginations of the entire system, it would be easy for the characters to forget about past events. I assure you that the past comes back to haunt the crew of the Rocinante several times over. A sinister plot begins to force the Roci and her crew into a venture towards the ring, and the events that unfold eventually push them to actually pass through the gate. If you have seen season three of the show, then you might have some idea as to what follows; but the book, however, tells the story much differently.

We also find out more about Miller and his new role as the 'investigator'. Since they destroyed the protomolecule creature, Miller has been contacting James Holden solely and directly. Holden cannot make heads or tails of what Miller is trying to tell him, and does not understand why he is being chosen. When the Roci finally arrives at the station in the center of the ring, an event takes place that forever changes Holden and his understandings of the universe. I won't spoil anymore of that here, because you must enjoy that for yourself.

I will say that there were two new characters that were introduced to us that change my love for the story and the writers in a crazy positive way. Obviously, I am already a fan of the series, but the more I read, the more I fall in love with the way James SA Corey develops the story. As the fate of the universe looms in the balance, Corey effectively narrows the scope by attacking your emotions. As the story is concluding, I was heartbroken for the antagonist, as well as, awestruck by the surreal nature in which the characters grew.

Without spoiling too much, I will say that my absolute, favorite part of the story was when you get to see the thousand plus 'ring gates' open to countless new worlds. This event does bring us into the events of the fourth book 'Cibola Burn', which, as you know, was the first book I read in the series. I will be doing a review of the fourth book soon, but it has to do with a group of belters attempting to establish a colony called New Terra in one of the new systems.

Now, having read half the series, I just wanted to spend a little time on my impressions thus far. I am without a doubt completely absorbed in this series, and it is taking every ounce of mental discipline to not just blast through them all. I am trying to savor each and every adventure along with the many twists. Objectively, I will say that Corey has not written anything outlandish, but the way he develops the story and the characters is on a level all its' own with the surreality that he has been able to inject into the world that he has created. Aside from the obviously science fictional nature of the genre, there is very little in the series that could not actually happen; this to me is why I am so fascinated. The fact that I get to watch this story unfold within a television series is just an added bonus, and it appears that Amazon is doing the books a great service. I don't think that it will be necessary to do a show review (I haven't decided yet) because I feel like there are many, small details that are lost within an on screen adaptation.

I feel that it is also noteworthy that the series is no stranger to introducing new characters with each new cover. However, Where most writers fall short is by letting those characters play a 'part' and then let them die away. Corey manages to make you feel close to the same way about new characters as you do about the veterans of The Expanse. He then adds more flavor to the dish by evolving the veteran cast even further.

Overall, if you haven't picked up The Expanse, I would highly encourage you to stop wasting time. It is saddening to know that there is going to be an end to it all, but that also makes the story that much greater (have I mentioned how much I love this story?).

With that I will say, thank you for spending some time reading my opinions and thoughts. As always, I hope that this work found you in the best possible of circumstances; if it did not, hold your head high and have hope. It does get better, if you'll allow it.

@XArcAngelGT500X (Twitter/IG)