Leviathan wakes

Corey, James ~ Leviathan Wakes ~ ebook and ARC edition ~Orbit, 2011 ~ no special features~ ~ Audience: adults, some teens ~ Rating: very good.

Opening:

“The Scopuli had been taken eight days ago, and Julie Mao was finally ready to be shot. It had taken all eight days trapped in a storage locker for her to get to that point.”

Publication History:

Leviathan Wakes is the first volume in the Expanse series. James A. Corey is the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Abraham is best known for the fantasy series the Long Price Quartet.

Setting:

Space travel has allowed humanity to settle on Mars and a variety of places in the Belt. The Belt has enormous mineral resources, but needs to import much from earth. Earth resents Mars which is strong and has a newer, more powerful navy.Earth also has little use for those in the Belt. Mars competes with Earth and also feels superior to those who live in the Belt. Earth firms control the police/security firms that provide “law and order”for those who live in the Belt. So far, the plot does not go to either Earth or Mars but focuses on the Belt and surrounding space.

Technology is advanced but described in an understandable way that does not slow the story. The various pieces fit together nicely. There is enough detail to make the story flow and be persuasive.

Government receives little attention except that it is often corrupt with the rich and powerful running the show. Even the “police” on the various Belt stations are often corrupt.

Plot:

The story begins with an attack on the Scopuli, a relatively small freighter in the Belt. Its distress signal attracts a small party from the giant ice hauler the Canterbury. The Canterbury is soon attacked and destroyed by an unknown naval force. Thus, the major thread is launched. Who destroyed these ships? Why?

The second thread begins on Ceres where Detective Miller has been assigned a new case -- to find and return to Earth the daughter of a wealthy, powerful Earth family [Julio Mao]. He quickly finds himself fascinated by Julie and her mysterious situation. He dedicates himself to finding her and continues his quest after he is fired from his police position. Could Julie still be alive? Where might she be? Who are her friends and colleagues?

The final thread is more slowly revealed. A mysterious substance [the leviathan?], perhaps from as far away as the stars has been discovered and captured. It is deadly. Who found it? What will they do with it? Can it be contained?

Characters:

1. Jim Holden is the XO on the Canterbury. With a very small crew, he is sent to the Scopuli to see if any crew members can be rescued. Jim is thoughtful and a talented leader. He is also extremely ethical and moralistic. He will only do what he believes is “right” and that sometimes creates serious problems.

2. Detective Miller is at the end of his career. His wife has left him, his boss does not trust him, and he drinks too much. Still, he is tough, dedicated, and will do whatever is needed to find Julie and protect her. Unlike Holden, he has killed before and is willing to do it. He is as different from Holden as can be, but they will become “partners” as the story moves forward.

There are many other characters, with Holden’s small crew receiving more attention. All are nicely developed, although I thought that Holden was a bit too rigid to be a successful XO.

Physical Book:

I read the ARC or reader advance copy. Only one or two small and not really noticeable proofreading glitches. Reading was easy with a clear, readable font, and larger font size. Good white space throughout is a welcome relief from the paper mass market editions.

Cover art shows a space ship docked at an asteroid [perhaps]. It looks science fictional, but I could not specifically relate it to the story.

Recommendation keys:

• Story length: average for a space opera SF story. Some important questions answered, but many remain for the next two volumes.

• Mood: often dark and threatening, but crew humor and character interactions provide some relief.

• Approach:  somewhat conventional, but major elements not revealed until near the end. Clearly science fictional, but technology does not overwhelm the story.

• Sex:A sexual relationship, but not too specific or detailed. 

• Violence: much of the violence is suggested but not explicit but there are exceptions in the battle scenes. Certainly, nothing that would offend most SF readers.

• Reading difficulty: Average for a SF novel with this scope.

Recommendation:

Solid SF story that has enough unknowns to keep the pages turning as well as strong characters. I especially liked Detective Miller and Chief Engineer Naomi Nagata. Both are strong, interesting characters that the reader cares about.

Strong start for a new series that should have wide reader appeal.