[matthewtoast]

I've gotta throw in a counterpoint about Leviathan Wakes. The Expanse is my favorite new space opera series; it's pure entertainment that makes for great summer poolside reading. If they publish 100 of them, I will read them.

That said, Leviathan Wakes is perhaps the weakest in the series. The noir/detective plot feels like a crutch. The authors borrowed some tropes before they found their voice. If you need literary prose - or prefer your sci-fi philosophical - then these maybe aren't for you.

But if you like damn good fun, and like plot-driven novels that hinge on the stubbornness of physics and economics, give The Expanse a chance.