Review: Persepolis Rising

Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I broke down my thoughts on this book into one word, it would be "well-balanced". Not super great by any means, but shows a clear path to tell the best story it can within its universe. Its faults are more missed opportunities than anything else, and what it does well it makes sure to do so in abundance. As the first book in the final Expanse arc, it behaves much like a good breakfast. Giving everything you need to start your day on the right track.

PR is better-paced than most other books in the series. most of the books had a problem with repeating patterns. Build up to calamity, calamity, deal with the fallout. This book isn't much better than in that regard, but it paces it much better. It also has multiple ebbs and flows rather than one massive event to build a story around. If anything, it feels much like the first book but has learned how to write it better over the course of multiple years. There's a feeling of getting back to basics without becoming basic in the process.

My only major problem with it is the lack of usage in the time skip. The advantage of a time skip is that you can dislocate characters and events to create the feeling of starting anew. It can be disorienting, but exciting at the same time. The problem here is that most of the characters are pretty much the same as they were at the end of the sixth book. Older to be sure, but different in any real way. There's nothing bad about it, just feels like something more could have been done.

Stupid example: The introduction of Goten towards the beginning of the Buu Saga. Years had gone by and the audience was hit with several things they expected. Then, they were hit with a development they weren't.

The political dynamics are strong and the writing is smart. I would even say the prose and characters are better than in most of the previous novels. Seemingly knowing this is the final arc and the authors put their best foot forward. All in all, I rather enjoyed this volume of the Expanse series. I had to chew on a lot of Teflon to get to this point, but I'm glad that I'm here to enjoy it.

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