The Expanse Boxed Set: Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate Paperback – November 3, 2015

Great!

Saw the series first, and while I am not an avid reader, these books are a great read.

These novels were not changed to resemble the TV series, which I read first before reading these books. I can't stand it when a novel is released after a movie or TV series and is not the same story as the original author wrote. For instance, the original story Into The Wild was about more than one guy when I read the non-fiction book back in the nineties. I wanted to reread that same book after seeing the movie of the same name. The book I was sent was not the same book I had read back in the nineties. It was a movie version book written after the movie. I like to compare original source material to what is written for movies and TV series so I was upset.I liked some parts of the stories better in The Expanse novels than in the TV series, but I liked some parts of the TV series better than what was written in the original novels. For instance, there's a great line in the TV series that is not in the first novel. The Martian Captain of the big battleship that is being shot to pieces by a secret fleet of stealth ships is standing on the bridge, stunned. She says, "I didn't think we could lose."That's a great line and scene that wasn't in the novel. Why should she've thought they would lose? She was commander of the one of the biggest martian battle ships with state of the art weapons and technology. Nobody knew about the secret fleet of stealth ships until they attacked.I haven't seen the fourth season of the TV series of The Expanse yet, but I'm currently reading the fourth novel in the series. I'm not liking it as much as the first three. I'll give reasons why in my review of Cibola Burn.

I haven't read a book in many decades but once seeing The Expanse on Amazon Prime, I was hooked. I intently watched all six seasons and while I like the season 6 conclusion, I genuinely hope the remaining books get the TV series of movie treatment.Each book provides so much more details than what the episodes share. You get a much deeper understanding of each character as there is more back story for all. Generally speaking the episodes follow the book but there are distinct differences. One the main story line changes occurs with Alex in season 5. Therefore, books 5 & 6 differ from TV season 5 & 6. It's not that the story line changes so much but rather the characters. As I am now reading book 7, I believe they would have to continue with more character changes. This is also true for the Drummer character. For anyone who has read the books, Pa form the book is portrayed as Drummer in the TV series. Beyond book 6 / season 6, these characters would also need to go through some serious adaptation should there be season 7 and beyond.In any case, I've watched each episode at least twice and have now read the books. It's time to go back and watch them yet again to see what other differences or nuances I can pick up.

Great fun, characters are well-draw (except for Alex Kamal, but he is OK). Avasarala is a great character, and Bobby. These books are a great, fun read, well thought-out and planned, mostly. I like the story arcs.Please be advised the show doesn't precisely follow the books. Some characters on the show die, and the same character in the book either lives, or their arc simply goes away. Or the show changes the timeline for affect. If you plan on reading these books and trying to mentally connect the images in the tv show with the images the authors generate, you will be disappointed to some degree.However, I am a huge fan of the show, and a huge fan of the books, and I accept the variations and creative liberties taken by the showrunners of The Expanse. If you can accept the differences, then yes, purchase the books. And, definitely watch The Expanse; the new season drops December 16th, 2020.**Update, as I just recently finished Book 8.These books are unputdownable. If you buy the first boxed set, you might as well keep going. Save yourself the questions, and just get the rest of them.Also, please watch the YouTube series, "Ty and That Guy," featuring Ty Franck, one of the authors, and Wes Chatham / Amos, from the Amazon Prime series. If you are a writer, creator, aspiring person of wit, this webcast covers much of the detail about the show. The hosts, Wes and Ty, talk to each other about their creative processes; then, they interview cast and crew from the show. A great behind-the-scenes look at what happens when literature is adapted for visual media.Unfortunately, Book 9 won't be available in the United States until September, and internationally in October.

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The Expanse by James S.A. Corey is a fascinating and richly imagined sci-fi series that really pulls you into its world. The characters are engaging, the political tension is gripping, and the mix of science and fiction is done incredibly well. If you love space operas with depth and realism, there’s a lot to enjoy here.That said, I did feel like the books sometimes get bogged down with excessive detail. There are entire sections that feel like filler—descriptions, subplots, or technical explanations that don’t really push the story forward. It’s almost as if extra material was added just to bulk up the page count, which made the pacing drag in spots.Still, the core story is strong, and the universe is one of the most well-developed in modern sci-fi. I just wish the editing had been a little tighter to keep the momentum going. If you have the patience for a slow build and enjoy immersive world-building, it's definitely worth reading—but be prepared to skim a little now and then.