Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey: Space Opera Meets Noir and It Works Brilliantly

There is a moment early in Leviathan Wakes where the ice hauler Canterbury gets blown to pieces, and Jim Holden, in a fit of righteous fury, broadcasts the evidence to the entire solar system. It is exactly the kind of decision that kicks off a war. It is also exactly the kind of decision that tells you everything you need to know about Holden as a character: idealistic, impulsive, and absolutely certain he is doing the right thing. On the other side of the Belt, Detective Miller is nursing a whiskey on Ceres Station, chasing down a missing person case nobody asked him to care about. The missing person is Julie Mao, and her trail leads somewhere far worse than a cold case file. These two storylines, Holden’s military thriller and Miller’s grimy noir investigation, weave together into something that feels genuinely fresh. The dual POV structure is the engine of the book, and it works because the two leads could not be more different. Holden wants to save everyone. Miller just wants to find one girl, and he is not particularly optimistic about what he will find.

What James S.A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) gets right is the world building. This is not a galaxy spanning empire with faster than light travel. Humanity has colonised the solar system and that is it. People live on Ceres and Eros and the moons of Jupiter, and they have been out there long enough that Belters have different bodies, different accents, different politics. The tension between Earth, Mars, and the Belt feels earned and lived in. Ceres Station has a gritty, used future quality to it, all recycled air and water rationing and corporate security forces. It feels like a place where people actually live, not a set piece waiting for the protagonist to walk through.

Then there is the protomolecule, and this is where Leviathan Wakes pivots from political space opera into something closer to horror. What happens on Eros Station is genuinely unsettling. Without giving too much away, the book takes a hard turn into body horror territory that I was not expecting, and it lands with real impact. The scenes on Eros owe more to Alien and Event Horizon than they do to Star Trek, and the book is better for it. Corey is not afraid to get dark, and the contrast between the cosmic scale of what the protomolecule represents and the very human suffering it causes gives the story real weight.

So why four stars and not five? Honestly, the middle section drags a little. There is a stretch where Holden and his crew are bouncing between political factions and the plot feels like it is spinning its wheels before the final act kicks in. Miller’s investigation carries more momentum, but even that loses some urgency in the second act. The other thing is that Leviathan Wakes does not entirely stand alone. It is clearly the opening chapter of something much larger. The protomolecule mystery is far from resolved, and the ending, while satisfying enough, is clearly setting up what comes next. That is not a dealbreaker, but if you want a completely self contained story, this is not quite it. I am genuinely curious to see where the series goes from here.

If you enjoyed Alastair Reynolds for the hard science and big ideas, or Richard Morgan’s Takeshi Kovacs novels for the noir edge, this sits comfortably in that neighbourhood. It is also a fantastic entry point if you have watched the TV show and want to see how the source material compares. The books have more room to breathe, and Miller’s internal monologue is even better on the page.

The Audiobook

The Audible UK edition runs to 19 hours and 9 minutes, narrated by Jefferson Mays. Mays is a polarising choice. He gives each character a distinct voice and handles the world building exposition well, but some listeners find his delivery a bit flat, particularly during action sequences. If you prefer narrators who dial up the drama, Mays’ more measured approach might not click for you. Personally, I think the restrained style suits Miller’s chapters nicely, even if Holden’s sections could use a bit more energy. Worth sampling before you commit.

The Verdict

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

A confident, gripping start to The Expanse that blends noir detective fiction with political space opera and a dose of genuine horror. The pacing wobbles in the middle and it leans heavily on being the first book in a series, but the world building is superb, the dual protagonists play off each other brilliantly, and that Eros sequence will stick with you. If you like your science fiction lived in, morally grey, and just a little bit terrifying, this is well worth your time.