Aaaaah, it's always difficult to review the last volume of an epic such that was The Expanse. Is it even possible to pay off so many books, chapters and words? Maybe, but such a beast would be a rare thing indeed. Unfortunately although Leviathan Falls does its best... It just about falls short.
But this isn't a symptom of this, the ninth book in the series, but a reflection of the series as a whole. The flaws - no, weaknesses - were glaring, the labouring as visible as the labour, and the magic kind of muted.
Maybe it could have been trimmed down a bit? Maybe some of the harder science fiction could have been polished off a bit? The truth is that The Expanse will not be a classic, and that's a tough pill to swallow considering how on paper it's far better and complete than most of what passes as sci-fi media these days.
I suppose The Expanse was always doomed to fail, having set up an ambition that was out of the reach for anyone but the masters. That said, the fact that it's even being compared to the best of examples says enough to recommend it.
Oh and yes, I know I'm writing as if there's nothing more to say. Well no, because there is one last short story to read before I'm completely done with The Expanse.
