Book Summary and Reviews of Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes

by James S. A. Corey

  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • Jun 2011, 592 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From a New York Times bestselling and Hugo award-winning author comes a modern masterwork of science fiction, introducing a captain, his crew, and a detective as they unravel a horrifying solar system wide conspiracy that begins with a single missing girl.

Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.​

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What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (12/25/2025)
Leviathan Wakes is my current read and listen. This is the first in James S A Corey's Expanse series and it has been a welcome break from earthbound reality.
-Gabi_J

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This is the future the way it was supposed to be." —The Wall Street Journal

"If you like science fiction with great characters and set in real space, you'll enjoy this one." —Jo Walton, author of Farthing

This information about Leviathan Wakes was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

James S. A. Corey

James S. A. Corey is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. In addition to writing the novels and short stories of The Expanse, they wrote and produced the television series of the same name. Daniel lives with his family in the American southwest. Ty will tell you where he lives when and if he wants you to come over.

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