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

The explosive third novel in James S.A. Corey's New York Times best-selling Expanse series. Now a major television series.

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

The Expanse Short Fiction: The Butcher of Anderson, Station, Gods of Risk, The Churn, The Vital, Abyss, Strange Dogs

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

Critic Reviews

"Politics, philosophical ideals, and humor mingle in a tale that will shock and surprise." (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)

Did you read the first two?

If you read the first two and enjoyed them, read this one.

If you have not read the first two, don't read this yet. Read them.

3 stars until new characters stop being boring

I enjoyed the first and second book, and was ready for book three. But the first few chapters are mind numbingly boring. The root cause is the lesbian couple are wedged into this story, and I say that because they are boring, which indicates that they were just slapped in to check the box. Even side characters like Prax from book two were more interesting than this new cast of characters, and that was before I got to know him. I smell identity politics, and I am really hoping it is only a hiccup. I hate boring/bland characters.

Best scifi series I've ever "read"!

This has got to be the best scifi series I've ever read. The depth and detail that the Authors put into this series really pulls you into the story. They have beautifully showed a very believable space age future for humans.

They have an elegant way of showing all sides of the human condition. The good, and the bad sides. Our compassion, and our prejudice. Our curiosity, and our blind self judgments.

I'm only three books in, but each one is getting better as they go along. Each character is so layered that I've developed a connection to them. I feel like Bastian in "Never Ending Story" huddled over the book. Screaming at the characters, hoping they succeed!

These authors belong among the greats of science fiction, like Arthur C Clarke. And this series is a must read for any true Science Fiction fan.

Struggled to finish

The narrator of the series is still great. My problem with this 3rdbook in the series is that it meanders too much in one long event. The story doesn't move forward as quickly as I'd hoped. It's easy to see why the live action series used half of a season for this whole book. My other gripe with the series as a whole is it does not continue character stories throughout. You fall in love with characters like Roberta Draper, Chrisjen Avasarala or Pax and then you are left wondering what happened to them and what's going on in their lives, while meeting new characters far less interesting. All in all, it's a must read to continue the series, but it's by far the weakest of the first three. Here's hoping the next one is better.

So much better than Season 3 of the Expanse

Books 1 & 2 followed the series pretty well. I could logically see why they needed to depart from the book (except where they had Bobbie and Cristjen randomly bump into the Roci in Space, that was dumb). But I really didn't like Season 3 (which I watched before reading). Using more this book directly would have made a much better season.

The characters were great. I hated Melba/Clarrisa so much at one point I started to hate the book because of her. Then her arc to redemption was amazing. The character Bull was one of the primary things missing from Season 3. He was the great flawed hero of the book, which took the light off of Holden being the main feature.

Also, Anna was so much better done in this than the show. The wrestling with her sheltered worldview in light of such horrors was outstanding.

The way the book wrestled through the challenges of such a new and strange thing directly were amazing. The first two were running from a faceless evil or a simple monster. Now they are presented with an unprecedented technology that is reacting in ways no one can understand. It felt very real and very human how they were responding to such a strange threat. The authors spent a lot of time thinking this through.

A 2 star finish to a 4 star series

My name is Anna.....

In a ship full of experienced elite space marines it is up to a single fifty something priest, with no combat experience, no experience in extravehicular activity and no technical experience, who also is suffering from failing health... to suit up... and jump from space ship to space ship, to defeat in hand to hand combat... a physically enhanced terrorist... who also happens to be wearing power armor.

This happens... and is not treated as a comedy...

Get ready ...as James A Corey presents ABADdON's gatE -> A BAD ONE

Who else could convincingly give you a gay Methodist priestess wearing high-tech gear in another dimension chasing down a villain to save an outlaw?

It's hard to create science fiction worlds in which the things that happened feel like they are inevitably what should happen given how the alternate world works. Corey excels at creating a feeling of consistency. I found myself nodding and saying things like oh of course, of course that's what they would do next.

The other thing that Corey is amazing at is short descriptions of people's emotions. very easy to imagine how characters come across.

Wow the show is better.

The pacing and self indulgent rambling sentences about characters who are not very Interesting hurts this novel. The first two and the fifth were much better, I have yet to listen to the 4th and beyond. I have heard the fourth is the best, in general, of the series.

Struggled to finish

The first part of the story was really good, but the last third seemed to drag on unnecessarily. Still glad I stuck with it until the end.

Skippable/10, an interesting set-piece is not a substitute for good characters.

I’m baffled at how the authors could cobble together a cast of exclusively bland and whiny perspective characters in a setting which includes such gems as Alex, Amos, Avasarala, Bobbie, and Naomi.
I actively want to stab Holden in the neck with a steak knife after listening to him complain for three books, Anna is dull and frankly a little insulting to the religion she’s supposed to be the token representation for, Clarissa at least had a character arc, and Bull was tolerable.
The writers for the show must have moved mountains if this was the source material they had to work with.

Average

Too much God bothering for me. Too many contrivance and a weak story overall. Not terrible but not great.

Great story, characters, and performance

This was an excellent sci-fi audiobook. Continuing the story with (mostly) new characters. I'd thought none could replace the amazing characters from Caliban's War but the new POVs were great. Excellently read by Mays once again.

"Doors and corners, kid."

Book 3 in The Exlanse.
Excellent as a TV series. Even better as the book.
Space opera at it's best, with well drawn characters acting out their lives within an universe of disparate views and political opinion, with sacrifice proposed not just of self but possibly everything. The mysterious Ring, Miller returned to talk with Holden, one woman on a mission to destroy him, Earth-Belter distrust and a film crew on the Rocinante. Non stop action, though not just of the fighting kind
Narrated by Jefferson Hayes with full understanding, modulation and everything needed to make this book flow in the reader's mind's eye.
Recommended.

Stellar Sci-fi

Really enjoyed number three of the Expanse series, I watched the series before I ventured into the audiobooks, but its still amazing how they bring you on the journey full of adventure.

Awesome book

Like the story so far, great reader too. I would highly recommend this to others

Really good!

Couldn't wait to listen more every time I had to paused. A great book and great read and performance from Jeffreson May's

It only gets better

A great and compelling story with excellent narration bringing it alive. Now on to the next book.

great story arc

Really impressed with series so far. Great characters, real motivations and decision making from a range of different view points.

Amazing

I love the books, the style of writing but most especially how the narrator delivers characters so convincingly with only the slightest changes to his voice. It makes the whole performance run so smoothly. I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

Wow. These books only get better.

This has been one of the best finds and or suggestions by Amazon I’ve ever had. Since book 1 I’ve been fixed to these books. Book 3 is no exception. They really get better with each book.