/lit/ - Literature

>>21694576
Cibola Burn, The Expanse #4 - James S.A. Corey (2014)

The are four viewpoint characters this time. Basia, the father of a named character from a previous book, who can't bear to lose anything else. Elvi a biologist who is oblivious in conversations and has a lot of pent up sexual frustration, which is one of her defining traits, though it was removed in the TV series. Havelock is the former partner of Miller and a decent guy who finds himself in bad situations. He was the only one of the three new POVs that I liked. Then there's Holden, who continues to hold a high opinion of himself with thoughts such as "It was less fun being the chosen one and prophet when were violent and capricious and their spokesman was insane and powerless." His savior complex remains possibly his most notable characteristic.

After finishing I became ambivalent about the viewpoints. They allow for perspectives from several locations and from a variety of characters, but this viewpoint roulette hasn't worked out that well for me overall. I'd prefer it to be more consistent. Although this is ostensibly Holden's story he's always only one of the various perspectives, and his viewpoint seems to lessen with each book. I wonder what the intention is for that. Elvi is the first character to have more chapters than Holden and I wouldn't be surprised if that became the norm for the rest of the series. That wouldn't be problem to me as long as the other viewpoints were engaging.

This book is about colonialism gone wrong in the Illus Lithium Rush of 2355. That may not be the exact date, but it would coincide with what's listed as the end year of the California Gold Rush. It could probably be classified as a survival book because it's really just a series of crises one after another, in both interpersonal and environmental terms. I suppose that's also how the previous books are, but I felt differently about it this time. What I want from this series is a space opera with exploration rather than a planetary survival adventure. I don't care all that much about the protomolecule or any possible aliens. Maybe a lot of people do though.

What disappointed me most is how disconnected I felt it to be. I didn't feel that way while watching the TV series, which reminds me of how much more critical I tend to be with books compared to other media, maybe because I expect less. It's still a fun enough ride, and it has mostly followed my level of enjoyment from the show. All of this may seem harsh, but that's only because I wanted it to be something that I very much liked, but that may have been an unreasonable expectation. Maybe the next two books that cover the rest of the TV series will be better.

Rating: 3.5/5