Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey
Introduction
Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey is the sixth book of The Expanse series. This novel follows the exciting events detailed in Nemesis Games, the fifth book in the series. A group of belters led by Marco Inaros calls themselves the Free Navy. They have taken Medina Station and have gotten the upper hand on Earth, Mars, and the OPA. Can James Holden and his crew of the Rocinante regain Medina Station and defeat the Free Navy before the Free Navy can keep the 1300 worlds for themselves?
Summary
The Free Navy has taken over Medina Station. Marco Inaros has put Captain Michio Pa in charge of the station while he works on bigger plans. Marco’s son Filip is with Marco on Pallas Station. Filip hopes to prove himself to his father. James Holden’s crew is back together on the Rocinante. James’s crew are Naomi, Alex, Amos, Bobby, and Clarisa. The governments of Earth and Mars send them to Medina Station to stop the Free Navy. The Free Navy is trying to capture the colony ships and closing off the 1300 worlds from the Solar System. Naomi faces a difficult choice. What she decides will affect the fate of The Expanse.
Recommendation
I liked the novel overall and was happy that the author resolved the storylines for Nemesis Games in this novel. The character development of Pa and Filip was satisfying. Checking in with the crew of the Rocinante worked well. I liked how when some scenes were seen from one POV and then from another POV. Marco was a one-note villain, and he ended with a whimper and not a bang. Prax’s story should have been developed more. I’m not sure why there were chapters from the Medina station POV’s since their actions did not affect the plot. The space for chapters on Salis, Jakulski, Vandercaust, and Roberts could have been better used in developing the other plots further.
I received a copy of this novel from winning a Goodreads giveaway. When I read the novel in March 2018, I posted a review on Goodreads. I’m writing this review because I read Persepolis Rising (Book #7 of The Expanse) and wanted to give Book 6 a full review before I reviewed Book 7.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25877663-babylon-s-ashes
This is the link to my review of Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey.