Tag series

The covers of all six books of the Queen's Thief series.

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

Kristen B. Leave a comment
The covers of all six books of the Queen's Thief series.

by Kristen B.

A long time ago, when I first started working for the library, I was trading “have you reads” with another staff member. She asked if I – and my then elementary-aged children – had yet read The Thief. We had not but quickly rectified the situation, and I have spent the past two decades recommending that book and its sequels in turn. I re-read them this summer, one after the next as a complete series, and was blown away all over again. There are six books, and each one is excellent in its own way. They may have call numbers that place them in Children’s and YA fiction, but these books are for everyone. Honestly, I do not understand this marketing at all – these books tackle freedom, politics, religion, disability, war, espionage, being true to yourself, falling in love, friendship, loyalty, and so much more.

Part of the delight of these books comes from the fact that the author excels at turning the tables; things are often not quite what they appear. We learn in the first book not to trust the main character Eugenides, the Queen’s Thief of Eddis, any farther than you can throw him – but also, you can trust him with your life. The next five books continue to play with expectations and appearances. I don’t want to ruin the pleasure of discovery – so here’s a quick peek at each book in the series:

The Thief
We are introduced to a small peninsula of three countries, Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis, trying to survive in a world where large empires are greedily subsuming smaller states. Hamiathes’ Gift, a divine object, conveys the right to rule the mountain kingdom of Eddis, except it’s been lost for generations. A wise man, his apprentices, a guard captain, and a notorious thief removed from prison go on a quest to recover it.

The Queen of Attolia
What happens when the Thief gets caught? Eugenides suffers horrible personal consequences and must overcome them to advance his own interests and to keep the allied countries free from the Mede Empire. This book is not for the faint of heart, as it portrays dismemberment and consequent depression. However, it offers an amazing look at how people can suffer major setbacks and continue to achieve their dreams.

The King of Attolia
What happens when the Thief gets what he wants? This is my absolute favorite book of the series, mostly because it’s funny to read about Eugenides coming to terms with the life he has literally begged, bartered, and stolen for. This installment also expands the cast from the point of view of a new character, the soldier Costis, and it is better for it.

A Conspiracy of Kings
Once again, the narrative shifts to a new character – Sophos, the heir of Sounis. His coming-of-age story has larger ramifications for the little peninsula. The Medes continue to encroach, the local barons continue to scheme, and Sounis has to decide if he’s up to the task of being king. Eugenides still figures greatly, if not obviously.

Thick as Thieves
So … about those Medes. The fifth book seems like a side story, until you realize exactly how far Eugenides will go for some revenge. After all, why have only one reason to do something when you can have many? The story follows Kamet, who had a minor role previously, as he escapes his enslavement with the help of our favorite Attolian guard. Only, Kamet has no plans to leave his powerful position until he thinks he has no choice.

The Return of the Thief
Not many series get an ending as excellent as this one – and it’s just about perfect! All of the threads and themes from the previous five books come together in this stunning conclusion. War comes at a price, and that price is paid in many ways by many people.

Eugenides and the rulers are the common elements across the series, but mostly it’s about the titular Thief. It’s a fascinating look at how someone raised and trained to work outside of the conventional hierarchy behaves once he becomes synonymous with said power structures. On the other hand, these books contain some of the best stories written in the past decades, filled with humor, adventure, and a rip-roaring good time. You should read them!

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

A crowd shot of the cast of characters dressed in period clothing.

Dickensian

Angie Engles Leave a comment
A crowd shot of the cast of characters dressed in period clothing.

by Angie E.

I watched Dickensian for the first time a few years ago and loved it far more than I could have dreamed, especially since I am not a big Dickens fan and had already kind of half-formed in my mind what the series would be like. I could not have been more wrong and, despite hoping to watch it piecemeal so it would last as long as possible, I still ended up binge-watching it. I recommended it to some customers and they came back later and told me they loved it, too, and we got to talk about it, which I always find one of the best parts about reading a book or watching a show. 

To describe it would hardly do it justice, the more I like something the harder it is for me to write about it. But if I had to say, Dickensian is where beloved characters of Charles Dickens’ novels cross paths in a gripping mix of mystery, romance, and intrigue. The show twists together the fates of figures like the ruthless Jacob Marley, the ambitious young Miss Havisham, and the ever-resilient orphaned street boy, intertwining their lives in unexpected and dramatic ways. 

Secrets hide in every shadow, fortunes rise and fall, and revenge boils beneath the surface, all leading to shocking revelations that keep you on the edge of your seat. With a world so richly imagined and characters so vividly brought to life, this series is a captivating re-imagining of Dickens’ literary universe, offering surprises even for the most devoted fans. Despite not being a Dickens fan, I have always been drawn to Miss Havisham’s tragic back story and, sure enough, in Dickensian her life is as mesmerizing as it is heartbreaking. Tuppence Middleton is outstanding as Miss Havisham and, dare I say, may be the best one ever! 

Whether you’re a lifelong devotee or stepping into Dickens’ world for the first time, it invites you to linger in its darkened corners, where every twist and turn reveals a story waiting to unfold. If you’d rather stream Dickensian than watch it on DVD, it is available for FREE on Kanopy, Tubi and on The Roku Channel.

Angie is an Instructor & Research Specialist at Central Branch and is a co-facilitator for Reads of Acceptance, HCLS’ first LGBTQ-focused book club. Her ideal day is reading in her cozy armchair, with her cat Henry next to her.

The book cover shows a Regency gentleman dressed in blue and a Regency lady dressed in gold, facing each other beneath a theatre curtain. Her arms are crossed and a handkerchief trails from her hand.

To Marry and To Meddle

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The book cover shows a Regency gentleman dressed in blue and a Regency lady dressed in gold, facing each other beneath a theatre curtain. Her arms are crossed and a handkerchief trails from her hand.

By Julie F.

Are you a historical romance fan who is waiting impatiently for the next season of Bridgerton? A reader of Loretta Chase or Sarah MacLean on the hunt for a new author? Look no further than Martha Waters and her Regency Vows novels.

There are five books in this loosely linked series. The first two, To Have and To Hoax and To Love and To Loathe, are delightful stories with witty conversation and clever turns of plot. To Marry and To Meddle, however, is my favorite so far. Not being a regular romance reader (I’m more of a British police procedural fan), I’ve been pleased to find them all so clever and enjoyable.

Lady Emily has always deferred to a very proper mother who is full of (unreasonable) expectations for her daughter; Lord Julian is a ne’er-do-well who owns a theatre and is practically disowned by his father for doing so. When the two acquaintances are thrown together at a country house party, a hasty marriage of convenience ensues. Julian helps her escape her domineering family, and Emily cloaks him in respectability – but will their relationship develop further, and will their families come to accept them as they are? Of course, the lovers are at cross-purposes for much of the novel; Julian, who initially views Emily’s interest in his business as her opportunity “to meddle,” may or may not come to accept and even value Emily’s innovative ideas and contributions to his theatre. Emily, in turn, hopes that her status as a young bride will give her time with her new husband and a chance to make a difference outside the traditional, accepted realms of ballroom and drawing room.

I liked the sharp wit and also the gentle playfulness of the story – including antics involving a stray kitten nicknamed Cecil Beelzebub Lucifer by his lordship. The main characters, who are winsome and intelligent, are exceptionally strong and well-rounded; even though they live in a very different time and place, the author is skilled at making them relatable, creating deft portraits of real people with both dilemmas and personal triumphs through dialogue and description.

Author Martha Waters does a great job of tying the series together through each set of lovers in a broader group of aristocratic English friends, and I’m already looking forward to the next one, To Swoon and To Spar – which will feature Viscount Penvale and his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer – followed by To Woo and To Wed.

To Marry and To Meddle is available in print and as an e-book from Libby.

Julie is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch who finds her work as co-editor of Chapter Chats very rewarding. She loves gardening, birds, crime and espionage fiction, all kinds of music, and the great outdoors.

The DVD cover depicts a man and a woman seated side by side on an orange couch with cushions, wearing professional dress; a skeletal hand is reaching up between them from behind the sofa. The background is dark and there are papers scattered on the floor in front of them.

Evil

Angie Engles Leave a comment
The DVD cover depicts a man and a woman seated side by side on an orange couch with cushions, wearing professional dress; a skeletal hand is reaching up between them from behind the sofa. The background is dark and there are papers scattered on the floor in front of them.

by Angie E.

Evil is like someone threw The X-Files, The Exorcist, and a dash of CSI into a blender and hit the ‘puree’ button. The result? A show that’s part supernatural, part procedural, and completely binge-worthy. Our trio of audacious investigators includes the skeptical psychologist Kristen Bouchard, the believer David Acosta, and the tech whiz Ben Shakir. Together, they’re like the Ghostbusters of the ecclesiastical world, but with fewer proton packs and more holy water. 

Evil doesn’t just flirt with the supernatural; it takes it out for a fancy dinner and then brings it home to meet the parents. Whether it features demonic possessions or prophetic visions, each episode leaves you wondering if you should sleep with the lights on. Even though it truly can be unnerving,  Evil is also unexpectedly hilarious. It’s got more tongue-in-cheek moments than a dental exam, and the dark humor is so spot-on, you’ll find yourself chuckling in between gasps of terror. 

So, if you’re looking for a series that combines courtroom drama with exorcism (because who isn’t?), then Evil could be your next must-watch. Just maybe don’t watch it alone… or in the dark… or anywhere near bedtime. You should still watch it, though, because Evil blends psychological thrills with supernatural elements to create a compelling story. 

Especially noteworthy is the stellar cast, which includes Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lathi and Andrea Martin. Michael Emerson, known for his chilling performances in shows such as Lost, plays the kind of villain you just love to hate, making the show all that more deliciously fun to watch. 

Angie is an Instructor & Research Specialist at Central Branch and is a co-facilitator for Reads of Acceptance, HCLS’ first LGBTQ-focused book club. Her ideal day is reading in her cozy armchair, with her cat Henry next to her.

The main characters of Agesnts of SHIELD posed with Phil Coulson at the cneter and the Hydra symbol behind them.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Kristen B. 1 Comment
The main characters of Agesnts of SHIELD posed with Phil Coulson at the cneter and the Hydra symbol behind them.

by Kristen B.

In a fit of boredom or maybe nostalgia this fall, I decided to rewatch the entirety of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Disney+. Baseball was done for the year; I needed something to do. Lucky for you, you don’t need a subscription service to do the same thing, because you can borrow them on DVD for free from the library.

The show is a wild ride of storytelling and subverting expectations. Of all the Marvel properties, this one seems closest to its comic book roots, maybe due to the inherent serialization of the format, and the fact that death never seems to keep a character down for long. (side note: I wish the MCU movies would consider rebooting some favorite – particularly female – characters.)

Over the course of seven seasons, the show progresses from being tied closely to the MCU timeline to becoming more of an independent property. The main characters are Agent Phil Coulson, introduced in the Iron Man and The Avengers movies, and his team of special agents whose mission is to track and contain enhanced humans – people with special powers who are not always good guys like Captain America or Thor. The mission is continually threatened and thwarted by SHIELD’s nemesis, Hydra. The core team of five characters makes it through all seven seasons, more or less: including Melinda May, all around warrior with some deep real world experiences; science boffins Fitz and Simmons, who make as good a team as their names suggest; and Skye, whose growth and transformation carries the first three seasons of the show. Other characters stick around for a season or two, and sometimes return at unexpected moments. It keeps the series both comfortable and fresh.

The series’ creators (Whedon, et. al.) took all kinds of risks with the show, to greater and lesser successes. I would argue that the first and last seasons are the best, with a few in the middle becoming unnecessarily complicated and dark. All in all, though, it’s a terrifically fun show. You honestly don’t know what’s coming next, from the inclusion of Ghost Rider to AI robots that control an immersive virtual reality. You can always count on decent fight choreography and the good guys achieving their goals – eventually, despite the odds. The last two seasons took on the big ideas of time travel and alternate timelines, which actually comes back into concordance with what’s happening in the MCU’s Multi-verse stories.

Baseball’s Opening Day is coming soon, but you may need something to do in the meantime.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).

The picture is a collage of the three book covers in the series, with cartoon illustration of Max and his cohort with swords and bows and arrows.

Two Fun Series for Young Readers

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By Monae R.

The picture is a collage of the three book covers in the series, with cartoon illustration of Max and his cohort with swords and bows and arrows.

Max and the Midknights is a children’s series that mixes between graphic novel and a chapter book styles. These are great for readers who enjoy the ‘Big Nate’ graphic novels because they were written by BIG NATE himself. Parents know the true author, but let the kids be amazed. Follow this story as Max and his friends travel through medieval times, with foes and kings and magic.

In Max and the Midknights we are introduced to Max, Kevyn, Simon, Millicent, and Uncle Budrick: a group of young children and a single adult who travel through medieval times to overthrow an unjust king and restore the land of Byjovia to its original glory. Filled with humor, readers will love this story and the sequels. Finished book one and want more? Don’t worry. Follow the midknights in Battle of the Bodkins as they discover a new type of villain called Bodkins, who are trying to take over Byjovia. Continue with The Tower of Time, where you can travel through time and be reintroduced to a few villains and even friends in the conclusion to the epic series.

The picture shows some foliage in dark green silhouette on a hill, with the book covers for the first two books in the series to the right.

No matter if you have read the Serafina series, the Willa duology by Robert Beatty will have you wrapped and engulfed in its story. You can listen to the audio, read the physical book, have it on your Kindle and tablet. Follow Willow as she looks for the truth her clan has hidden from her and her generation. Determined to uncover her clan’s history, Willa makes her way through the forest making unlikely friends and learning not to judge a book by its cover or believe what everyone tells you. Sometimes, you need to discover the truth yourself. If that does not convince you, read this small snippet of Willa escaping a treacherous place and protecting those close to her.  

“She could feel herself getting farther away from them with every step she took. Her heart swelled with hope that she was going to make it. But as she ran away, Lorcan pulled back his arm and hurled his killing spear like a javelin. It shot through the air and struck her in the neck with a shocking blow and knocked her to the floor. She looked down toward the end of the corridor, and the last thing she saw was Nathaniel’s children disappearing into the escape hole”.  

The adventure does not end there. Guaranteed to bring you tears of both joy and sadness, Willa’s story comes to a loving, surprising, and happy conclusion in Willa of Dark Hollow.  

Monae is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS East Columbia Branch.

Collage of six book covers from The Murderbot Diaries, each featuring a science fictional scene with a muted palette and the figure of MurderBot.

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Tony B Leave a comment
The cover has a grey palette, showing a space-armored figure with a closed helmet with a lit arch behind them.

by Tony B.

Ever wondered what an intelligent security robot would do without a functioning governor module? Murder? Watch Netflix? Save innocent lives? Contemplate sentience?

The Murderbot Diaries, a series by Martha Wells, explores answers to all these questions. Free of their governor module, the eponymous Murderbot leads us through their adventures with corporate warfare, angry megafauna, the (mostly) human experience, and the need for a nice quiet spot to watch interstellar tele-novellas. The first four novellas operate as a one long story arc, even with each book being a complete story, about why Murderbot has named themself in such a way and the repercussions from that particular episode. Along the way, Wells introduces Dr. Mensah and her family, who become important, along with ART – another high functioning artificial intelligence.

Originally a normal Security Unit (SecUnit for short) deployed by The Company, a security bond corporation, Murderbot hacks and destroys their controlling governor module which normally would zap the brain of any SecUnit displaying less-than-utterly-obedient behavior. Now free to do whatever they want, MurderBot inexplicably keeps working for the corporation but with newfound access to the wider net of media with which to distract themselves. 

The Murderbot Diaries are full of dry wit and snarky observations of the human condition, notably that humans tend to put themselves in a lot of unknowing danger. Compound that with galactic dangers and MurderBot ends up as one very busy SecUnit. The series now has six installments (four novellas and two novels) that follow Murderbot and a recurring cast of characters.

MurderBot’s interaction with risk-averse humans is one of the driving issues, beginning in All Systems Red. To MurderBot, the clash between how humanity is portrayed through their favorite space soap operas and how humans actually behave is a constant dissonance which leads to a healthy distrust of the human condition. Hence their thoughts along the lines of, “freedom to be treated like a real human? No thanks.”

Seeing sci-fi action through the lens of a non-human thought process is interesting, where priorities are generally “protect the weak humans from whatever stupid situation they find themselves” and less “be the hero.” SecUnit often ends up being a hero in the end despite themself and equally isn’t sure how to feel about it. MurderBot experiences emotion rather strongly at times but codes, to some degree, as being on the autism spectrum. They have a difficult time expressing those emotions and processing others’ emotional states, as well as the confusion at not always being able to control emotions that well up within them.

As a series, I give it a 9/10. Obvious tropes are usually immediately made fun of a la “oh that’s what the space soaps would do.” MurderBot also reminds me heavily of the 2015 movie CHAPPiE, about a robot who gains independence, but who is perhaps more impressionable in relation to humans than MurderBot ever is.

The Murderbot Diaries, a Hugo and Nebula award-winning series, consists of the following books, available from HCLS in these formats:

The seventh book, System Collapse, is due to be published in November 2023.

Tony is a Customer Service Specialist at HCLS Elkridge Branch. He has a degree in history and a renewed interest in science fiction.

The cover shows a Mom in a yoga pose, with shoes, homework, and sports equipment cluttered around her foot. She holds a coffee cup in one hand, a cell phone to her ear, and a grocery bag strung over her arm, with the hose of a vacuum cleaner wrapped around her standing leg.

The Class Mom series by Laurie Gelman

madammommy 2 Comments
The image shows a mom with shoulder-length brunette hair, in a white t-shirt and blue jeans with her back to the viewer. Her right hand is raised and her index finger and thumb form the "l" in the book's title, Class Mom.

By Piyali C.

Most people at their workplaces dream of moving up in the chain. They aspire to be assistant managers, managers, or chiefs of staff, and hopefully rise to the top. I dream of starting new book clubs. I already co-facilitate two book clubs at the library – Global Reads and Strictly Historical Fiction. But if I am allowed and time permits, I dream of starting yet another one that I will name “Light but not Fluffy.’ And Laurie Gelman’s Class Mom along with its sequels will surely feature as some of the chosen titles.  

My love affair with Gelman’s writing started when I discovered Class Mom on the shelves while I was shelving a cart at the library. The jacket looked interesting, so I took it home and read it in two sittings. I met Jennifer Dixon in Class Mom for the first time and fell head over heels in love with her character. In Class Mom, Jennifer Dixon raised two daughters as a single parent before she met Ron, fell in love, married him, and had an adorable baby boy, Max. The story of Class Mom (as the name suggests) revolves around Jen assuming the role of class parent when Max enters kindergarten. Jen is a different kind of class mom than, most likely, you or I have encountered. Her emails to the parents are funny, irreverent, snarky, and raise some eyebrows. Although Jen’s best friend, the PTA president, thinks Jen is perfect for the job, there are many parents who disagree. As we read about Jen’s never-ending commitments to both her child’s school and her own personal life, we wonder how Jen will possibly get everything done. But she does, with an inordinate amount of humor, grace, and – yes – snark.

The cover shows a mom with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a high-visibility vest and holding a "stop" sign that reads "A Class Mom Novel." She has her back to the viewer and appears to be working as a school crossing guard.

In the sequel, You’ve Been Volunteered, Max is in third grade and Jen has been roped into being the class parent again. But this time she must deal with not only the micromanaging PTA president, but also extremely difficult parents who are not charmed by Jennifer’s management of parental politics or the tone of her emails, which remain tongue in cheek, irreverent, and sassy. Apart from the drama in school, Jen’s personal life goes through some turbulence as well, as she deals with her overworked husband and helps her older daughters navigate adulthood. On top of all that, Jen’s elderly parents may also need some supervision. In this book, yet again, Jen juggles all her responsibilities with humor, empathy, sometimes failure, but mostly humor.

The cover shows a Mom in a yoga pose, with shoes, homework, and sports equipment cluttered around her foot. She holds a coffee cup in one hand, a cell phone to her ear, and a grocery bag strung over her arm, with the hose of a vacuum cleaner wrapped around her standing leg.

Yoga Pant Nation is the third hilarious book in this funny series. Max is in fifth grade, so this is Jen’s last year as a class parent in William Taft Elementary school. This year may be her most challenging one yet as she has been entrusted to raise 10,000 dollars to buy devices for fourth and fifth graders. Jen has no idea how she will raise such immense funds with her team of parent volunteers. She is also aspiring to be a spin instructor as well as caring for her two-year-old granddaughter Maud (yes, 53-year-old Jen is a grandmother now). On top of that, her dynamic parents Ray and Kay seem lethargic and forgetful. Jen wonders if it is time for them to move to an assisted living facility. Read this book to find out if Jen Dixon will finally admit defeat. 

Jennifer Dixon is sure to make you laugh as you read about her life. Laurie Gelman puts just the right blend of insanity, charm, love, and sarcasm in Jennifer Dixon to make her readers fall in love with this high-achieving, super snarky, well-meaning mom. If you were or are a class parent or an active member of the PTA, you will relate to Jen. If you have not participated in any of that, you will look at her life with awe and perhaps thank your lucky stars that you have never had to deal with her challenges. No matter which side you are on, one thing is certain: you will laugh. And we all could use some laughter in our lives.

Class Mom, You’ve Been Volunteered, and Yoga Pant Nation are all available in print, and a fourth book, Smells Like Tween Spirit, is due to be published in August.

Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at the Miller Branch of HCLS, where she co-facilitates both Global Reads and Strictly Historical Fiction and keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.

Painting of a fair blond man with a long braid and a white shirt in a narrow boat in a canal, setting looks a lot like Venice.

Penric & Desdemona novellas

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Painting of a fair blond man with a long braid and a white shirt in a narrow boat in a canal; the setting looks a lot like Venice.

by Kristen B.

One of the delights of reading fantasy stories is the wide range of “what ifs” that authors cook up for our enjoyment. What if a hobbit went on an adventure and discovered a long-lost ring of power? What if a pack of werewolves lived in the Pacific Northwest? What if demonic possession was not an entirely dangerous or horrible affliction? Hold onto that last thought…

Lois McMaster Bujold, a long-time favorite author, always inflicts situations on her characters that stretch them to their utmost and confound them utterly. In one of her created universes, folks worship a pantheon of Five Gods – Father and Mother, Son and Daughter, and Bastard. The Bastard is the god of all things out of season and out of “sorts,” if you will. Demons are creatures of chaos belonging to the Bastard, and they can only exist in the “real world” if they inhabit a creature, usually some sort of wild animal. As one host dies, the demon jumps to the next closest creature, always looking to increase complexity of animal – eventually, sometimes, making it to a human.

Meet Desdemona, one of the oldest and most powerful demons. When she becomes invested in Penric kin Jurald, rather unexpectedly for both of them, she has the better part of 200 years of experience and brings an absolute wealth of knowledge with her. When Desdemona’s previous “rider” dies of heart failure, a great partnership is born between the old lady demon and her handsome new host. While Penric operates as the protagonist throughout the stories, Desdemona is my favorite. She provides ongoing pithy commentary in the vein of an older sister/aunt about the younger Penric’s decisions and passions. Honestly, Bujold’s way with wry commentary on humanity’s frailty and foibles is what keeps me coming back to her books.

Bujold has written more than ten novellas detailing the pair’s various adventures. They do seem to attract trouble as they sort out younger demons, practice spy-craft, fight pirates, court a wife for Penric, and solve plagues. In all the stories, the balance between performing useful magic and managing Desdemona’s chaotic outlets is variously hilarious and disturbing. The balance between politics and diplomacy and regular people’s daily lives provides depth and nuance.

So, have I tempted you? Here’s the bad news: the books were originally self-published electronically, but have since been produced in limited quantities and different formats. Here’s the good news: They are mostly stand-alone stories, so you don’t have to read them in any particular order. I do recommend starting with Penric’s Demon, where all the fun begins, but you don’t have to. After that, you can follow along with their adventures in Penric’s Fox, Masquerade in Lodi, The Physicians of Vilnoc, and all the many others.

If you get hooked like I am, other Maryland libraries carry the titles and collected anthologies (Penric’s Progress and Penric’s Travels) that we don’t and you can borrow them all via Interlibrary Loan/Marina. However you find them, I hope you find that a couple of the stories enchant and amuse you with such an interesting set of What Ifs.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball (but not all at the same time).

The main characters from The Expanse television series are groped against a backgroup of an alien wold, with James Holden most prominently figured.

The Expanse: Book and TV series

Kristen B. Leave a comment
The covers of the first and last books in the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes and Leviathan Falls. Both covers feature space ships: the first in blues and greys and the last in fiery yellows.

By Kristen B.

James S. A. Corey (pen name of writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) has written a nine-book sprawling science fiction series about humanity among the stars and first contact (and beyond!). It all begins in Leviathan Wakes, with James Holden and the crew of (eventually) the spaceship Rocinante. You could say it’s an apt name, as Holden has a tendency to tilt at metaphorical windmills.

In this far-future novel, humanity populates Earth, Mars, and the asteroid belt beyond Mars where lucrative, dangerous mining takes place and people live mainly on ships and stations. Earth is ruled by the United Nations, which provides the bare basics to an overpopulated, under-resourced planet. Mars is still undergoing massive terraforming, so its population lives in a constrained and almost martial society. The Belters are the under-appreciated scruffy lower class of the solar system, and they are ready to change things – with revolution if necessary as the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance) flexes its muscles. The OPA’s politics walk the line between a new nationalism and terrorism, often depending on a character’s point of view.

In this strained atmosphere, the ice-hauling ship Canterbury, aboard which Holden is the executive officer, responds to an emergency beacon. To say nothing goes right about the situation is a massive understatement – as the Cant is destroyed, the Martian Navy is implicated, and its shuttle limps into Ceres Station with a crew of reluctant heroes. Meanwhile on station, Detective Joe Miller has been hired to locate Julie Mao, missing daughter of an interstellar magnate. Julie Mao is the thread that binds all the mysterious doings together, including the Cant‘s destruction, the OPA’s aggression, and a strange, deadly organism known as the “protomolecule.” This sounds complicated but is really just the set-up for the rest of the excellent, thrilling series.

Many smaller, personal stories held my attention within the larger framework, which helps make this massive undertaking worth the effort. Usually science fiction gives you a plot driven by big ideas or by identifiable characters to root for in strange situations – this has both! Naomi Nagata, Belter and engineer extraordinaire, stole my heart early and remained my favorite character with her deep backstory and good heart. I also love straightforward (blunt) mechanic Amos, who sees the world in simple terms of survival but who always has his crewmates’ backs. The list goes on as the world expands.

But wait … maybe you’re not ready to commit to nine books, all in excess of 500 pages? I mean, it’s a great way to lose track of time and what’s going on in the “real world.” Or maybe you’re a fan and want to experience the story via another medium? In that case, I highly recommend the TV series from SyFy channel and Amazon Prime, with the first four (of six) seasons available on DVD. The show follows the first few books to a remarkable degree, probably because the authorial team acts as producers. In some ways, the streamlined show moves even faster than the books, which is a feat. I love switching between Earth, Ceres Station, various ships, and other locales. Each separate set is completely realized and feels lived in. Also, the casting choices are, pardon the pun, stellar! There’s real chemistry among the Roci’s crew, as well as the folks who seem fully invested in the stakes of their individual story.

It’s a completely binge-able series, however you choose to interact with it – books, screen, or both.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, and make soup in the winter.