Review: Abaddon's Gate (The Expanse #3)
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4 stars. Yeesh, I made it through another one. I don't know why these books - these fast-paced, cinematic, deeply entertaining books - take me so long. I enjoy them so much, and I love the way the series unfolds in this one, but reading them just ... takes me awhile. They're tiring. And this one explores a lot of religious and moral themes that I couldn't wrap my head around, as much as I wanted to.
Otherwise, it's excellent space stuff. We still have Holden (gag me) and his crew, plus a few new characters: a young woman bent on revenge, a Russian preacher committed to helping humanity through the crisis of encountering alien life, and a hardened OPA officer trying to keep humans from shooting each other. Each character is distinct and charming as always. And the action is so extra - in a good way.
Whereas the last book threw alien life into a largely political arena, this one is more philosophical. Concepts like revenge, morality, forgiveness and love are all central themes; strangely juxtaposed with the protomolecule and its actions. The characters are squeezed and pushed to their limits and forced to show their true colors. I like this kind of writing, writing that doubles down on the complexities of what it means to be human. I respect the way these authors write about PTSD and traumatic identity fractures.
I still have issues with the female characters and the weird way everyone quickly devolved into "good" or "bad" when the time came, but like I've said in previous reviews: this is golden science fiction. I'm looking forward to what's next, even if it takes me fifty years. (It might. Just saying.)