Great read for fans of "The Expanse", not the brilliant it could have been. Portraying events that rid us with Laconia, and set the scene for the next struggle.
Really not much to add, but same of the writers. Not the book to start with but def great read if you like the series. A bit tamer James Holden for my liking, but it was good.

As with all of the books in this series, this eighth offering is highly entertaining and action packed, while still retaining all of the character moments that we all love. I really enjoyed how this book tied together some of the things discovered in the interim novellas and thought that the overarching series plot has been set up fantastically well for the concluding book, which I will be picking up very soon. Another excellent installment in a truly excellent series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Tiamat's Wrath is the eighth book in the Expanse series, a vast interplanetary science fiction saga with more than a little in common with George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (the two writers behind the pen name 'James S.A. Corey' dreamed up the world of the Expanse in a role-playing game where Martin was one of the players). Given that this is the eighth of nine planned installments, the rest of this review will inevitably contain spoilers for the first seven books of the series. SPOILERS BELOW.

Tiamat's Wrath and its immediate predecessor, Persepolis Rising, instigate a soft reboot of this very long series by skipping forward decades and refocusing on what was the central antagonist of the first few books: the protomolecule, a substance created by a long-lost alien race that has the power to rewrite the very laws of physics. This was a massive return to form, in my opinion: neither Nemesis Games or Babylon's Ashes, the fifth and sixth entries, worked well for me because they deviated from this fascinating concept to focus on a much more mundane war. I was thrilled when I realised that Persepolis Rising was returning to the series' original horror roots, and Tiamat's Wrath continues in the same vein, focusing on the dangerous meddling of the new Laconian Empire. Corey also resists the temptation to expand the number of narrators as they did in some of the earlier books, making them unwieldy and confusing: sticking to a core group, all but one of which have narrated before, allows Tiamat's Wrath to keep up its pace and tension. The ending is hugely disturbing, and having become lukewarm about the Expanse in its mid-series slump, I now can't wait for the ninth and final book.

I am so glad I requested an arc of this - it has given me a new space adventure to get my teeth into .
I think knowledge of the previous books would be of help in understanding the world building and ongoing characters - but I did not find this a detriment .

The story is fast paced , gripping , and flows well - we leap from one scene to another seamlessly . The characters are central to the storyline and I found myself invested in their outcomes .

This book has given me the impetus to find and read the previous books in the series - I note that others have said that a TV series has been made , but , I have seen no sign of it in the UK and do not know how true to the books it is . I often find that films etc of books bear no relation to the world in my imagination and I am usually disappointed .

I would recommend this series to all who love the genre and look forward to more in the future .

I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Humanity’s exploration of the universe through the thirteen hundred gates has taken them to new solar systems. They are settling, opening trade routes and carving out lives in places they could never have dreamed of before the gates. But, whether a natural disaster or an act of war, whatever killed the gates’ original architects is still out there, and its attention is now firmly fixed on humanity. For every push forward, there is a push back, tit or tat, and with each response from an unseen force behind the gates, more and more people are hurt, and rank is no protection.
Teresa is Duarte’s daughter, groomed to take her father’s place as ruler of the new human empire, and she is beseeched on all sides. Her father is hurt from one of these attacks and she is thrust into an adult world of lies and half-truths for the greater good. Without her father’s protection, his pet scientist, Cortazar, develops an unhealthy interest in her, and James Holden, her father’s political prisoner, tries to befriend her for reasons she doesn’t understand but cannot trust either.
The rest of the Rocinate’s crew are scattered throughout the universe, running missions for the underground resistance. Their goal to find a peaceful co-existence, but the Laconian policy of pushing back violently against things they do not fully comprehend could destroy everyone before that goal is realised.
Tiamat’s Wrath is the eighth book in the Expanse series by Daniel Abrahman and Ty Franck under the pen name James S. A. Corey and picks up after the war on Earth from # 7 Persepolis Rising, and the funeral of a major character. In case you haven’t read #7 yet, I shall mention no names. What follows is a long story moving from solar system to solar system, from the heights of power to the depths nothingness, as the crew of the Rocinate and Teresa Duarte pick their way through a political minefield of rebellion against a foe much better armed and funded than they do.
This book cannot be read in isolation though. There is enough explanation of past events that a newcomer shouldn’t feel too confused, but to really understand what is going on, the little familiarities or the pain of the losses, then it needs to be read as part of the whole. Don’t be daunted by the idea of going back to the beginning though, it shouldn’t be a slog to get through them, the writing is clean, the style of one chapter one character keeps things neat, and it is fast paced. The build-up comes with action and sacrifice, so there are no lulls. It is easy to get lost in this series without realising it.
This is the penultimate book and there is a strong sense of things coming to an end which is more satisfying than sad. These characters have struggled for decades towards some form of peace and fairness. With the twists and turns the characters have gone through both in Tiamat’s Wrath and the preceding books, I can’t wait for the final book to see how it all comes together.
For any fans of the series, TV or book, you won’t be disappointed. And if you enjoy hard sci-fi, then this is the series for you. I loved Tiamat’s Wrath and highly recommend you read the whole series.

Tiamat’s Wrath is the eighth book in the phenomenal Expanse series by writing duo James SA Corey. I've long said that this series is the most impressive achievement in science fiction and that the books and television adaptation are so good I'm not sure humans actually deserve them. Timat's Wrath continues in the same unbelievable vein, giving readers yet another explosive installment in this unparalleled series.

Clearly humanity has learned absolutely nothing from their previous wars and power struggles for dominance in space. With the Slow Zone and new worlds, there are even more groups fighting for political and technological power. Once the undeniable head of the solar system, Earth is reduced to almost nothing as other powers rise up to claim their stake in the universe. Autocratic and dangerous, humanity is faring even worse than it did before. The saga of Belters vs Earthers seems like a quaint little squabble compared to what's going on now.

James SA Corey have always been talented at framing and shaping the narrative so that it never gets old or feels rehashed. Their storylines are as vast and complicated as the universe itself and we the readers should feel lucky to be able to continue tagging along on this ride. Everything has come to an almost inconceivable head (at least, inconceivable to everyone but Chrisjen- isn't this what she kept warning us about?) There's action, plausible and wondrous science fiction, fierce characters, and a well written plot with such a well researched and presented universe that it almost seems surprising it's not real. This sweeping space saga takes our readers further into the trials of the Rocinante and its crew who are inevitably always at the centre of everything that happens in the solar system and in the worlds beyond.

Many of the familiar characters we have come to know and love are here this time around, but we also have new characters' points of views. The writers have always seamlessly added new voices to the story, giving us an even wider and compelling range of viewpoints. Everyone is just so believable, so raw and visceral, you can't help but love them- even the bad guys.

This might be the grandest installment since Leviathan Wakes. Readers of the series will not be disappointed with Tiamat's Wrath. The writers continue to give their fans incredible narrative gifts and I absolutely cannot wait for the final book in the series. Although to be honest I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life once this series ends.

If you haven't read the previous books, please don't start here. You'll be doing yourself a massive dis-service because while this book is incredible, to really appreciate the majesty of the Rocinante's crew and universe you need to have read all the books. The novellas and short stories give it an even greater context so definitely check those out, too. Believe me, you won't regret it.

I'm happy I requested this ARC because I discovered a new to me great sci-fi series.
Everything is perfect: the plot is gripping and entertaining, the story flows without any hiccup, the cast of characters is well thought and interesting.
I'm happy I have other books to read in this series and can't wait for the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Tiamat’s Wrath is the eighth book in the The Expanse series from James S.A. Corey. Honestly, after seven previous books, and an award-winning TV series currently running on Amazon, you probably know what you’re getting, at least in broad strokes. A work of science-fiction which contains detailed, plausible science, alongside deftly drawn characters with complex relationships, in a richly imagined world. This is a series which wants to explore the universe, wants t present the reader with big ideas – and does so through both the grand sweep of events and the intimate details of its characters lives.

This latest instalment continues the trend. TO put it simply, it rocks. If you’re seven books into the series and wondering if it’s worth carrying on – yes. Stop reading this, and go pick up a copy today.
That said, before I carry on: If you’ve not read all of the previous books in the series, or especially if you’ve only watched the TV show, be aware that you could spoil things for yourself by reading the rest of this review. Get caught up first!

So here we are. Humanity has an Empire. An artificially created one sure. One imposed on Earth, on the Belt, on all of the not-yet-self-sustaining colony worlds through brute technological force and ruthless decision making by our new dictator-for-life. But an Empire nonetheless. And the scale of it is absolutely breathtaking. There’s the entire solar system whose wrangles filled earlier books – alive with commerce and tragedy and, yes, politics. There’s the outlying colonies, trying to scrape enough together so they don’t have to rely on imported food. There’s the Slow Zone, that weird gateway between worlds, now populated by human debris, an enormous transit hub, and a very heavily armed warship. And there’s Laconia. Seat of the new imperium, mostly earthlike, populated by a swiftly rising technocracy, empowered by alien technology reverse engineered through experiments that would count as crimes against humanity, except anyone who would say that has probably been imprisoned and used as a test subject.

It’s a wonderful space, a living breathing tapestry of diverse cultures, all butting heads under one larger roof. And those cultures are on the move, impacted by Laconian control of the apparatus of every state. There’s a wonderful moment when a Belter casts sidelong glances at a Laconian station, where even the graffiti is appropriated and artificial, trying to create a cultural cloak of authenticity over some good old autocratic authoritarianism. Each of the places we see feels different, from gritty mining tunnels to the scientific sanctums and marble halls of the Laconians. That’s the thing. They’re all different, and all real. You can feel the lush alien grass, beneath a widening gyre of a sky, one that seems familiar but also strange – and walk beneath the cool shadows metaphorically cast by the alien orbital construction platforms overhead.

This is the world. The universe It rumbles along whether we want it to or not. And there are stranger things in heaven and earth, to be sure. The series has always been good at reframing its struggles into new contexts – and there are tremors here that suggest more is coming down the pipe.

Alright, you say, but what about the people?

Worry not. They’re still thee, and as complicated, fiery, awkward, monstrous, heroic, beautiful, terrible and wonderful as ever.

I’d like to take a special moment to talk about the antagonist. The dictator of Laconia is an erudite, charming, thoughtful man. He has set out to construct an interstellar empire, not out of greed or ambition (or at least so he tells himself), but out of necessity. Only a unified humanity can survive, he reasoned – and then set out to create one. In other contexts, we might see them as a hero, a figure tying together the expansion of humanity to the stars. And that’s certainly how the Laconians paint him. As a man who was willing to do what needed to be done. A man who loves his only daughter dearly, and who will shepherd humanity into a bright future. But under the surface, there are contradictions, questions. Acts of monstrous ruthlessness. Experiments. Supression of opposition Diplomacy at gunpoint. A need for control which does not react well to challenges to that control.
It would have been easy to give us a cackling villain to face. This is something else. Someone who is the hero of their own story. Someone who others might reasonably follow. No less appalling for that, but more understandable, more human, even as their humanity slips away. There’s always a frisson, a chill in their scenes, and that makes them delightfully terrifying and a compelling read.

Of course, a lot of our old favourites are back to fight the good fight. Because not everyone is thrilled about the Laconians being the authoritarian power in their lives. Naomi is trying to become someone different. Separated from Holden, she’s finding her centre in isolation andanalysis, working through pain in an attempt to survive. That’s not all she is – the fire and the passion are there, and the ability to act – and watching her grow through this story is an absolute joy.

Holden is mostly seen through others eyes this time around. A Laconian prisoner, a dangerous terrorist (again!). He’s a man on house arrest, trying to hold himself together, and do what he can to avert catastrophe. Always the idealist, his attempts not to fall into the warm but bloody bath of Laconian benevolence are fraught, and each moment of that struggle carries a tension wrapped around it, as much as it’s wrapped around the quiet core of Holden himself.

Bobby and Alex…ah, I love those two. In different spaces, they still manage to connect, to have moments of intimacy and understanding. And Bobby is still an absolute arse-kicker, and Alex is still a conflicted, complicated person, trying to make the best of himself. They’re a wonderful pair, and seeing them struggle with themselves as much as the Laconians, well, it has a raw strength and believability to it. They’re a delight to see on the page, and wonderfully well realised.

Amos…well, Amos is Amos. Enough said.

Anyway.

You’ve got your struggle on a grand scale, as the Laconians attempt to stamp out resistance to their rule – and also figure out what murdered the people who left behind all the kit they appropriated for their conquests. And you’ve got the personal impact, in characters we can empathise with, sympathise with, laugh with, cry with.

Either would probably be enough to make a decent book. Together, they make for a great one.

And then there’s the story.

I won’t spoil it. But, wow.

This one pulls out all the stops. Again.

It’s snappy. It’s fast paced. It has the sort of personal stakes that leave you with your heart in our mouth, waiting to see who lives and who dies. It has the twists, the betrayals, the heroic reversals that seize the soul and keep you turning pages until three in the morning. It has the Big Ideas to make you think, and the down and dirty heroism to take hold of you and not let go. It has blood in the streets, soaring rhetoric, and some damn cool space battles.

If you’ve come this far, you’re going to want to read this. You need to read this.

So yeah, like I said at the start, put this down, and go get yourself a copy now. You won’t regret it.

I love this intelligent, thought provoking and gripping series. The eighth instalment did not disappoint. I was gripped from the first sentence. (I was also a little incensed but I’ll leave it to the reader to figure out why.) This is fast becoming one of my favourite sci-fi series. Highly recommend.

The penultimate book (so I am led to believe ) in this series and as always starts slow, builds tensions and drama and delivers on the action, lookkng forward to the final book soon