SOJALS rating:

Very good (4/5)

I first read this on the 1st July 2019.

This the first novel in the Expanse series.

In the near future, humanity has spread through the solar system, and although mother Earth believes she should rule the human empire, the colonies disagree. Mars is a major military power, jockeying for influence and power. with Earth. There are also those who have moved out further, scattered across the Belt, slowly uniting to stand-up to the these two imperial powers.

We meet a number of characters, almost all trying to do the right thing in a confusing and complex world. Two in particular are:

• Josephus Miller, a jaded ex-cop, divorced and depressed, fatalistic but still trying to do what he sees as the right thing. He's just falling in love with a girl who's probably already dead
• James Holden, ex-Earth navy office, captaining "The Canterbury", an old freighter. He's going to jump in, feet first, to fix a problem and incidentally trigger a war

Sadly not all will survive what happens next. Those that do are well on their ways to become legends

What an excellent novel in an excellent series.