Caliban’s War, the second book of the Expanse series, neatly avoids the issue of sophomore slump while expanding the scope of the series. However, it doesn’t expand on the scope of the series nearly as much as a sequel should.

This volume focuses on the journey of a continuing character, Captain James Holden. His Boy Scout morality compromised by the events of the first novel, he travels the galaxy killing pirates, thieves, and other assorted scoundrels for the OPA, a rebellious government and known terrorist organization. On his travels, he comes across a man named Prax, whose daughter has gone missing for some unknown reason. Meanwhile, new evolutions of the protomolecule begin to appear.

The novel also expands into the territory of political fiction, with major players in the governments being unveiled. They also introduce double agents, betrayals, and personal agendas straight out of A Song of Ice and Fire. These parts are handled with surprising depth for the previous novel’s classic space adventure structure.

However, Caliban’s War really doesn’t expand much outside the scope of its predecessor. No attempt is made to explain the origins of the protomolecule that’s been wreaking havoc on the galaxy for two installments, and the main cast remains more or less the exact same. There is also a distinct lack of new worldbuilding and scenery.

Final Score: 8.7/10

Caliban’s War is a worthy successor to Leviathan Wakes, hampered only by its limited scope.