The Vital Abyss
Ratings115
Average rating3.8
Rating it higher than i would have since somebody rated it lower for having a gay main character
This was my least favorite of the novellas I read, I guess it was nice to learn more about the scientists that worked with the proto-molecule, but I don't feel I learned as much as from the other novellas.
At first I thought that the way a lot of these characters were acting was unrealistically irrational and I didn't like that there were no recognizable characters from the Expanse series, but as some familiar names started to emerge, I began connecting the dots and after rereading the Epilogue of Nemesis Games (which is something i HIGHLY recommend) everything came together in a fantastic way.
This novella definitely adds a lot of depth to the series and I am sure that it will add to the pleasure of reading Babylon's ashes, so if you're committed to this series, this is a very rewarding short read.
Yuck this was sick and disturbing. I now understand more of the content of the TV series. These novella's are often included in the show and I'd only read the main books.
Executive Summary: Good, but not great. I found it a bit slow. I think I might have enjoyed this more if I had read some of the other books more recently.
Full Review
I read this in one sitting on a plane. That probably helped a bit. But I didn't love it. I found the start very slow. Then I spent a bunch of time trying to remember details from the novels I haven't read in a few years.
I think the intention was to either make us sympathize with a character who doesn't really deserve it. Or more likely to at least offer a more objective view of how people can end up doing bad things. It does a decent job of that, but I felt like it took too long to get there. The ending was pretty good.
I don't think this one is necessary to read, but if you're a fan of the series and a completionist it's not bad.
This Expanse Novella was pretty good, but didn't really captivate me the way The Churn or Gods of Risk did.
This is one of my favorite novellas from The Expanse series. I found the tight little character study really interesting! It's not a necessary read but it's a fun time.