Abaddon's Gate

The Expanse, Book 3

By: James S. A. Corey

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Locus Best Science Fiction Novel, 2014

The third book in the NYT bestselling Expanse series, Abaddon's Gate opens the door to the ruins of an alien gate network, and the crew of the Rocinante may hold the key to unlocking its secrets.

HUGO AWARD WINNER FOR BEST SERIES

For generations, the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt—was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus's orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark.

Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artifact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them.

Abaddon's Gate is a breakneck science fiction adventure following the critically acclaimed Caliban's War.

The Expanse

Leviathan Wakes

Caliban's War

Abaddon's Gate

Cibola Burn

Nemesis Games

Babylon's Ashes

Persepolis Rising

Tiamat's Wrath

​Leviathan Falls

Memory's Legion

The Expanse Short Fiction

Drive

The Butcher of Anderson Station

Gods of Risk

The Churn

The Vital Abyss

Strange Dogs

Auberon

The Sins of Our Fathers

©2013 James S. A. Corey (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"A politically complex and pulse-pounding page-turner.... Corey perfectly balances character development with action... series fans will find this installment the best yet."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"High adventure equaling the best space opera has to offer, cutting-edge technology, and a group of unforgettable characters bring the third installment of Corey's epic space drama (after Caliban's War and Leviathan Wakes) to an action-filled close while leaving room for more stories to unfold. Perhaps one of the best tales the genre has yet to produce, this superb collaboration between fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck should reawaken an interest in old-fashioned storytelling and cinematic pacing. Highly recommended."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Politics, philosophical ideals, and humor mingle in a tale that will shock and surprise."—Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

good climax

it started slow. not nearly as good start as the first two books. I was pretty bored at about the 30% mark. but it did pick up and brought me back in really well.

brilliant

another beautiful addition to the series. This one raises all kinds of interesting ethical questions and themes of forgiveness and redemption.

Great continuation

I had an entertaining time with this second book. entertaining and engaging, the only issues I had was with some of the character developments being slow and plodding. narrative was great, descriptions were excellent. definitely recommend.

The Expanse Book 3

The compelling stories told in the first two books continue in Book 3. Great complex plots, terrific characters, and a narrator so talented you forget that it is only one person playing all the characters. Great job!

Such a compelling series with so much depth

I can’t get enough of this series. I’ve gone through first 3 books in just over a month. Can’t wait to listen to the next book!!

Great 3rd book

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next book. For me the most memorable part was when Sam was killed, I wasn't expecting that. Narrator did a really fantastic job.

A little dragged out.

The first half is good but around chapter 40ish it gets very dragged out in the story.

Engaging Space Mystery with Intrigue & Explosions

Abaddon's Gate, the third book of The Expanse series, has the same flavor as the first couple of books. The book has exploration of mysterious events at its core, and contains themes of political intrigue and space combat. The book does not intend itself as a science fantasy book; strange phenomenon are explained as mysterious alien technology, and human technology is more or less believable as non-magical. No lightsabres or telekinetic powers or that kind of thing.

The plot picks up from the last book with the creation of a mysterious space ring made by the alien protomolecule from the previous stories. Protomolecule activities are markedly different from the previous two books. The opening of the book captured my attention better than the other books so far, with a slingshotter flying into the ring with sudden and mysterious effect. The plot was twisty but satisfying to listen to, despite my usual struggle with The Expanse books.

The struggle I am referring to is suspending my disbelief when it comes to the decisions of the characters in Corey's The Expanse series. As fun and well-performed as the plot it, Corey relies on dramatic decisions by the characters to drive the plot. The problem is that these decisions are sometimes eye-rollingly psychotic or imbecilic. Those moments, which appear in each book so far (I have listened through the fourth book so far), try their best to pull me out of suspension of disbelief within the story. Sure, the story involves a billions-of-years-old protomolecule that is doing/has done all sorts of alien stuff, but the people within the book should still act like people. Corey sometimes has characters act more like cartoons. This is why I cannot bring myself to give the story 5 stars.

Do not get me wrong; the characters are more or less likable, and Corey uses dialogue to good effect within the story. There is humor peppered throughout the story. The story has a smooth and comfortable tension cycle. Overall, I recommend The Expanse books as satisfying science fiction stories.

EXCELLENT

Excellent writing with deep development of characters and storyline. Excellent narration as well. Very enjoyable.

Peaches Heroes Journey

Great story and characters, focusing on the ring.

Excellent listen! I loved Ashford in the Amazon series but didn't like him in the story.

If you liked the previous books, you will like this. If you liked the Amazon series, you will like this.