The novel “Tiamat’s Wrath” by James S.A. Corey was published for the first time in 2019. It’s the eighth book in the Expanse series and follows “Persepolis Rising“.
Laconia has quickly become the ruler of humanity thanks to the technologies developed by studying the protomolecule. Despite this, the High Consul Duarte knows that his ambitions could clash with the alien species that annihilated the creators of the protomolecule. He has enlisted Dr. Elvi Okoye to study any trace of this alien species, and at the same time prepares for the worst by training his daughter Teresa to succeed him even if she’s only 14 years old.
Naomi Nagata continues her work with the resistance movement in the solar system. With James Holden captive on Laconia and Amos missing in action, she is left with Alex and Bobbie, but fighting Laconia seems like a mission impossible, at least until an attack on a Laconian spaceship that appears to have ended in half failure reveals unexpected results.
The leap forward in time of about thirty years led to the story of Laconia’s rise to the role of the new superpower that in a short time established its total superiority over the solar system’s powers. At the beginning of “Tiamat’s Wrath”, the resistance against Laconia seems hopeless, but the plot is further expanded on a cosmic level to the point that the old members of the Rocinante crew initially seem secondary characters.
Throughout the saga, one of the most important discoveries concerning the creators of the protomolecule was that someone, or something, annihilated them. The question was left unresolved, but Laconia’s High Consul Winston Duarte can’t just hope that that alien power doesn’t come back and does wants no obstacles to his ambitions. Duarte seems convinced he can handle the aliens and doesn’t mind provoking their reactions. The novel’s title, referencing the Babylonian primeval goddess of chaos Tiamat, suggests from the beginning that this is not a good idea.
Dr. Elvi Okoye’s scientific research, also conducted in various star systems where traces of alien artifacts have been found, reminds of a certain adventurous science fiction of the pulp magazine era. However, that part of the novel is only part of a more complex and profound story that continues some of the themes developed in the previous novel. It seems to me that there’s a good balance between action and introspection with a pace that never slows down very much, also thanks to twists.
The Laconian invasion of the solar system showed something of the authoritarian government led by High Consul Winston Duarte. In “Tiamat’s Wrath”, we see the heart of the empire from the point of view of some protagonists: James Holden, reduced to being Duarte’s dancing bear, Elvi Okoye, involved in Duarte’s ambitions, and Teresa Duarte, witness of the most secret events around her father. This makes the political element more important, beyond the Laconian propaganda, sometimes even Machiavellian in certain developments.
“Tiamat’s Wrath” is the second part of what can be considered the trilogy that concludes the Expanse series. There’s a feeling that the end is approaching, also because it seems that even its protagonists can die.
“Tiamat’s Wrath” is another novel with an open ending awaiting what is announced as the saga’s grand finale. My impression that the authors made good use of the leap forward in time continues. In fact, it almost seems like they kept the best for the last novels, where all the themes of the previous novels blend with greater depth. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates this saga.
