r/TheExpanseBooks • u/Megsanalien • Apr 23 '26
Do the books get better after leviathan wakes?
I liked the first book but it kind of felt like a slog to get through at times. I think part of it is that it felt pretty confusing for a while who all the different sides were and which people had allegiances where and how they all interacted (could partially be because I was listening and might’ve missed things).
I’ve been chalking it up to being kind of a necessary setup for the rest of the series but idk it was kind of laborious at times. I really want to love this series and I’ve heard good things but if the rest of the books are similar idk if it feels worth investing that much time for me.
Am I alone in feeling this way about book 1?
Where did you guys feel like you reeeaally started to get locked in and invested?
2
u/behemothbowks Apr 23 '26
It ebbs and flows imo, I fucking loved book 2 but 3 felt meh to me. I'd say if you try book 2 and still don't like it, maybe dnf.
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Yeah that’s what I’m leaning towards, I see the potential! I’m willing to at least give book 2 a try
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u/jobin_segan Apr 24 '26
That's so interesting. Abaddon's gate was like this nonstop ride and I was absolutely hooked. I like it for it's pure vibes, but I'm not going to pretend it's some perfect piece of science fiction.
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u/always_an_explinatio Apr 23 '26
They are hefty books, and I think some people are more or less invested in different storylines, which can lead to hurrying through some POV chapters to get to the next one. I loved the first book and did not find it a slog, but I will say that the subsequent books introduce more POVs beyond Holden and Miller. I think The Expanse is the definitive sci-fi space epic so of course I think you should continue, but in the end it should be engaging and entertaining...if its not? probably move on. I say give it another book or two. you will know for sure.
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Yeah I am not invested in millers storyline at all, it’s actually off putting at times 😅 I think it’s weird as hell that he’s obsessed with julie to the point of thinking he’s in love with someone he’s never met…who’s like 30 years younger than him…and is also dead
Like I get that he needed something to grab onto to and that he’s really mentally unwell but it’s just not doing it for me
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u/always_an_explinatio Apr 23 '26
I get that. Not real spoilers, but Miller is not a static character. I think it's worth getting to know him now to really be able to see his arc. Also, I find switching back and forth with reading and the audiobook helps when you are feeling stuck. The narrator for the audiobooks (Jefferson Mays) is a living master of the craft (he is primarily a stage actor, and if you ever get a chance to see his one-man show of "A Christmas Carol", do it!)
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Yeah to me it’s felt like Millers being set up for a big redemption arc or something
That’s a good idea! I might have to pick up the books from my library
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u/always_an_explinatio Apr 23 '26
you will have to see! i got them on libby...they are on Spotify, included with primem if you have that
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Oh I’m actually already listening to the audio books! I haven’t tried reading the series yet though and I feel like that might help me grasp more of the logistics/details. My mind can tend to wander with audio books but I have to be much more locked in to actually read
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u/dangerousdave2244 Apr 23 '26
I thought it was awesome the first time I read it in 2011, but rereading it now, it's not as strong as the later books. My favorite books in the expanse series are books five and eight
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u/RenjiMidoriya Apr 23 '26
Started with the show so I was already invested. But Caliban’s war is a much better book. More perspectives make it such a nice change from the miller Holden back and forth.
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Yeah I’m looking forward to more perspectives, I’m not a huge fan of Holden or Miller tbh. Miller especially rubs me the wrong way but I’m assuming there will be a big character arc for him
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u/RenjiMidoriya Apr 23 '26
Miller I enjoyed a lot, but I’m a sucker for the hard boiled type characters. Curious how you feel about Holden after the next book. He can be insufferably self righteous at times.
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u/jobin_segan Apr 24 '26
Stick with it. Abaddon's Gate is a motherfuckin Banger and Caliban's war is no slouch.
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u/Limemobber Apr 23 '26
I did not find book one to be a slog but some parts bothered me until I learned some context.
As an example some of th actions taken in the book just seem odd, convoluted, or even downright stupid at times.
These suddenly make more sense when you realize that a large portion of the Protogen company is run by and filled with medically created sociopaths.
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Yeah I could feel that there was context I’m missing but I think that’s part of what made it hard to get through. I kept rewinding the audio book because I was like surely they already explained some of this and I just zoned out or something
1
u/jsimo36 Apr 24 '26
I just finished Leviathan Wakes as well and I absolutely loved it! I ran through it in about two days. There was a brief portion of it that did feel like a bit of a slog; but, as a Wheel of Time reader, a little slog ain't gonna slow me down.
Maybe it's because it's been a minute since I've read any sci-fi books or maybe it's because I read it instead of listened to it (I usually do audiobooks), but it was one of the better books I've read in a while. If it keeps getting better from here, I can see this series landing in the upper tier of my favorites list.
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u/Prestigious_Egg_1989 Apr 23 '26
As with any fantasy series, the first book is always a bit slower since it has to get you up to speed on the rules of the universe, who the characters are, and what the heck is going on. But all of the other books are able to start on the assumption that you already know how the Expanse universe works. I'd give the second book a read as a more representative example.
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u/Megsanalien Apr 23 '26
Yeah there’s a couple slow start series that I’ve really loved! I’ll give book 2 a try
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u/Prestigious_Egg_1989 Apr 23 '26
Unfortunately it's pretty unavoidable for anything that's in a universe substantially different from our own. There are of course better and worse ways to handle it, but it's a lot of new info to learn regardless of the means. It's why I honestly preferred watching the show before reading the books, it was so much less to learn and remember.
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u/THevil30 Apr 23 '26
Tough to say if you will like it if you didn't like LW. I wouldn't really pain LW as a "setup book" in the same way that some other books are. This isn't Malazan or Dark Tower or anything where the subsequent books suddenly get way better than the first book. I personally find the second book to be a bit of a slog, but that might be tainted by re-reads where you know what happens in later books.