23 Comments

That was a fun and funny review that turned unexpectedly profound at the end. I enjoyed reading this for your wit and for the trip down memory lane to my high-school D&D games (way back when it was first invented). But I’m also grateful, because my son loves the show The Expanse, and now I have idea of what he’s talking about.

Incidentally, I totally identify as a Belter: “Belters tend to be tall and lean and completely unsuited to Earth’s comparatively punishing gravity.”

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Thanks for a clear review. I watched a few episodes of the show and felt in media res. With your review it now looks to make sense. Maybe FdB doesn't like SF, but this was great. He should give more than one top award!

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Nov 19, 2022·edited Nov 19, 2022Liked by Erin E.

Definitely winner of the Honorable Mention Book Review contest! Trite as this sounds, you really are a damn good writer.

"character and plot work together rather than one suiting the other’s aims": I guess most good novels do this to some degree, but it sounds like the authors were uniquely deliberate and systematic about it, making the story iteratively more complex through combination and recombination of basic elements. Some of your descriptions almost sounded like those Choose Your Own Adventure books if the reader didn't actually get to choose their own adventure.

Even if I never get around to the book it definitely makes me want to check out the TV series.

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Nov 18, 2022Liked by Erin E.

Oh man!! This makes so much of the show make sense to me!!

There are so many moments I’m thinking of where I’m like, “This makes sense if these events included checks for success that the characters could fail”! I love your analysis of it and I think, on consideration, that it’s a strength of the narrative.

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This is perhaps the most interesting review I've read of this series! I've never really tried it, because I haven't ever really figured out a way into it, but this D&D class system approach to the characters might help! Thanks for posting it!

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Glad I didn't read this because:

A) I feel like I enjoyed it more than you (?); and

B) I didn't know it was only Holden and Miller! I kept waiting for more perspectives and they didn't come so that actually was a spoiler.

I really enjoyed both of the main characters which is a surprise because I didn't like TV Miller. He feels more pathetic in the book. Holden is also interesting because I normally don't sympathize with characters who have motivations beyond getting money. TV Holden is also less righteous. But somehow I found myself rooting for him in the book. So I really liked both book characters!

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Great review Erin! Very well-written. I knew nothing about any of this (I've never seen The Expanse or heard of this book. Didn't even know how D&D works, though I've heard it mentioned many times) but now I'm intrigued.

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I have - on your recommendation - begun to read this book. Should I wait to read the review or do it now?

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