Many years ago, back when Connor was still reading a fairly ferocious reader, he came to me with a novel that he knew I would love. This was back in my “blogging is new, and I need to read all the review copies I can to establish myself because that is important” phase, so I kindly but gently said I would get to it one day.
Every few months, Connor would bring up the book, asking if I had read it yet. Meanwhile, he went on to reread it and the rest of the series. It became his favorite book series to date. Yes, it might even hold a higher place than Harry Potter for him. Meanwhile, I still pushed it to the side intending to read it at some point.
Cue January 2019. Connor was home from college for a brief visit, and he asked me to watch one episode of the television series based on the novels with him. Because I had nothing better to do, because I could give him an hour, and because it was so important to him, I said yes. One episode into the series and I was hooked. I loved discussing the science behind the stories with him, and I enjoyed talking about the characters. The television show was one of the most compelling shows I have seen in a while, and I devoured all three seasons as soon as I could.
While waiting for the fourth season to finish taping and air on Prime, I decided to read the first novel – the very same one Connor asked me to read all those years ago. I already told him this, but I will publicly say he was right all along. Leviathan Wakes is amazing. The television show is excellent, but the book is even better.
Called a space opera, Leviathan Wakes has pretty much everything between its covers. There is a noirish detective, a young captain with a considerable morality complex, politics, science, adventure, aliens, action, romance, and so much more. The characters are outstanding – fully fleshed and highly memorable. The science is even better, especially after Connor explained that most of the science in the novel and on the show is reasonably realistic. The worlds the two authors create are complex but evolutionarily derived from our current society. The whole thing is intense and engaging and utterly fantastic.
So, lesson learned here. My son knows my tastes in books better than I ever thought. The next time he recommends a book to me, I need to listen to him. Thanks to finally listening to him, I have five more books to read while I wait for season four of The Expanse series. I don’t mind though because I could follow the crew of the Rocinante around forever.
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