In my review of Leviathan Wakes, I tried to convey that the first book of the series was a ticking time bomb. And for that, Caliban’s War is the carefully removed grenade pin that delivers the explosion.
The first book introduced us to the protomolecule, an alien force beyond comprehension, and the cracks it exposed in humanity’s fragile alliances. We saw Earth, Mars, and the Belt teetering on the edge of collapse, and the Roci crew scrambling to stay alive in a universe where no one can be trusted. Now, James S.A. Corey takes us deeper into the fracture lines, showing us what happens when survival isn’t just uncertain—it’s nearly impossible.
Reviewing this series has been a blast. It gives me the opportunity to re-read them, and each time I find something that I missed the first time around. I, for one, would love to sit with Daniel and Ty and ask them who wrote each chapter and passage, although I’m pretty sure that Ty is behind the—cold-blooded—majority of annihilations in the books.
Enter Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s 95 moons and the breadbasket of humanity, which once glowed with the light of its artificial sky, its endless rows of hydroponic farms a fragile lifeline for Mars, Earth, and the Belt alike. Now, it’s fractured. Bombardments have shattered the domes. Food production has halted. Refugees choke the corridors of orbital stations, clawing for resources that don’t exist. The air is filled with the acrid tang of burnt metal and desperation, while whispers of something alien—not just strange, but terrifyingly unknowable—spread like a virus.
In Caliban’s War, the stage is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the cracks in this fragile solar system are now impossible to ignore. This is the world Daniel and Ty plunge us into with Caliban’s War, a story that takes the simmering tensions of Leviathan Wakes and cranks them to a boil. Mars and Earth are locked in an uneasy stalemate, two powers with enough firepower to destroy each other but too entangled to pull the trigger. The Belt, caught between these titans, is no longer content to be trampled. The Outer Planets Alliance (OPA)—a loose collection of freedom fighters, opportunists, and those described as terrorists—rises from the shadows, pushing back against centuries of oppression. I don’t know if John F. Kennedy existed in The Expanse universe. He most likely didn’t; otherwise, all Earth and Mars had to do was look under the section “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable” and avoid the sh*itstorm heading their way.
Well, this isn’t just a political chess game. It’s chaos: Earth is bloated with bureaucracy. Its leaders live in decadent towers above a planet groaning under the weight of overpopulation. Decisions take hours, days, weeks—time that the solar system doesn’t have. The UN is powerful, yes, but its strength is mired in inertia. Its warships sit in orbit, sleek and terrifying, but they don’t move. Not yet. Instead, Earth sends diplomats to play their games, weaving lies and promises like threads in a spider’s web. The question isn’t whether Earth will strike—it’s when.
“Good, because I don’t use sex as a weapon, I use weapons as weapons.”
~ Gunnery Sergeant Bobby Draper, Martian Congressional Republic Navy (MCRN)
Mars, a society forged in the unforgiving sands of its red deserts, moves with the precision of a war machine. Battleships hum with barely-contained power, their crews locked in a silent, disciplined rhythm. The corridors feel too tight, the weight of duty hanging in the recycled air. Soldiers’ boots echo down steel walkways, their faces set in grim determination—everything they stand for, everything they have trained for, has brought them to this moment. Mars’ ability to destroy is only rivalled by Earth’s capability to withstand destruction. The OPA is a patchwork of factions, each with their own goals. Belters scrape an existence from asteroid mines and station corridors where every breath is a victory against the void. On Tycho Station, engineers rebuild massive warships, the stolen dreams of a people who have nothing left to lose. In the shadows of Ceres, a belter whispers to another, the hum of an ancient reactor masking the tension in their voices. The Belt is no longer content to survive. Some want independence. Some want vengeance. And some just want to watch Earth and Mars burn.
The harshness of space itself looms over every moment of Caliban’s War. This isn’t a romanticized frontier; it’s a hostile vacuum waiting to kill you. Ganymede’s refugees suffocate in overcrowded stations where the air recyclers wheeze under the strain. Ships glide through the darkness, their hulls paper-thin against the infinite void. Every decision feels precarious, every moment a gamble. Space doesn’t forgive mistakes, and neither does Corey’s universe.
The protomolecule, though quiet for much of the book, is an ever-present reminder of humanity’s fragility. It’s not loud or aggressive—it doesn’t have to be. Its very existence is an insult to human understanding, a force reshaping life on a molecular level without purpose or conscience. On Ganymede, a hydroponic plant sways where no wind blows, its leaves curling in unnatural ways. On a distant ship, a sensor pings a lifeform where no life should be. The protomolecule doesn’t shout—it whispers, and its whispers are terrifying.
Caliban’s War doesn’t just follow the threads of Leviathan Wakes—it pulls them taut, stretching the story across a solar system that feels both infinite and claustrophobic. It’s raw, tense, and unflinching, a perfect continuation of a series that refuses to let you breathe, literally. The monster on Ganymede is terrifying, yes, but the real horror is watching humanity implode under the weight of its own ambition and fear.
By the time you turn the final page, Caliban’s War has made one thing clear: the solar system is burning, and no one is coming to save it.
And if you’re curious about the adaptation, The Expanse TV series captures much of this tension and world-building. Originally on Syfy before being rescued by Amazon Prime, the show’s six seasons bring Corey’s vision to life, complete with political intrigue, stunning visuals, and characters that feel painfully real. You can watch the six seasons on Amazon Prime and they offer a free 30-day trial, just in time for the holiday binge season.
Caliban’s War is only the second chapter in a series that continues to push the boundaries of science fiction. Here’s the complete reading order for The Expanse series, combining novels and novellas chronologically:
- The Churn (2014) – Novella (prequel, focused on Amos Burton, set before Leviathan Wakes)
- The Butcher of Anderson Station (2011) – Novella (prequel, set before Leviathan Wakes)
- Leviathan Wakes (2011) – Novel
- Gods of Risk (2012) – Novella (set between Caliban’s War and Abaddon’s Gate)
- Caliban’s War (2012) – Novel
- Abaddon’s Gate (2013) – Novel
- Cibola Burn (2014) – Novel
- The Vital Abyss (2015) – Novella (set between Nemesis Games and Babylon’s Ashes)
- Nemesis Games (2015) – Novel
- Babylon’s Ashes (2016) – Novel
- Strange Dogs (2017) – Novella (set between Babylon’s Ashes and Persepolis Rising)
- Persepolis Rising (2017) – Novel
- Auberon (2019) – Novella (set between Tiamat’s Wrath and Leviathan Falls)
- Tiamat’s Wrath (2019) – Novel
- Leviathan Falls (2021) – Novel
- The Sins of Our Fathers (2022) – Short story (found in Memory’s Legion, set after Leviathan Falls)
Memory’s Legion (2022) is a comprehensive collection of all the short fiction in The Expanse universe. While many of the novellas were initially released as e-books, they are now available in print through Memory’s Legion. This way we can enjoy the complete Expanse experience in both digital and physical formats, and have a beautiful bookshelf in the process!
For an insider’s look at the creation of The Expanse, check out the Ty and That Guy podcast, hosted by Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham (Amos Burton himself). The podcast began as a deep dive into the series but has evolved into a broader exploration of storytelling, cinema, and the creative process. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your fix.
If you’re curious about the first book, Leviathan Wakes, you can read my review, here.
Now go after it! Keep questioning, keep exploring, keep reading!
Do you want to read this entire collection?
I link each novel and novella above. For Caliban’s War exclusively, here’s the link:
