Babylon’s ashes
2016
- science fiction
- galaxy
- space
- spaceship
- war
- battle
- aliens
- worlds
- space warfare
- human-alien encounters
The story
The Expanse Saga continues in the 6th installment. The Free Navy – a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships – has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them. James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network.
What it’s like
Gritty, grounded military science fiction with the texture of worn steel and recycled air: cramped ship corridors lit by flat fluorescent strips, the hum of reactors and the clank of hull plating in every scene, and a long war-weary palette of grey, rust, and the dull blue of planetary atmospheres seen from orbit. James S. A. Corey writes in brisk, plain prose, close third person, with tight dialogue exchanged between crew members who banter under pressure, so the rhythm is steady and driving, with sudden stretches of dread when ships close on one another in silence across cold vacuum. The vibe is tense, lived-in and wry, a long-haul read for a commute or a late night when you want momentum and camaraderie amid escalating danger. The violence is frequent and sometimes graphic: battles, gunfire, decompression and deaths that land hard, with occasional gore and brief sexual content. Its emotional register is melancholy and stubborn, and its people are a ragged crew and political survivors slowly learning to trust each other. Best for readers who love space combat, ensemble casts and procedural problem-solving, and who can handle a steady drumbeat of bloodshed.
More books like Babylon’s ashes
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Babylon’s ashesand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
