Five books into The Expanse series and things are really starting to take off for the Roci crew and all of their acquaintances. No kidding, it is my opinion that Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey is by far the best in the series. Everything about the story, from the Big Bad to the side stories, ups the ante on what is occurring throughout the universe and brings cohesion that was somewhat lacking in the previous stories.

One of the best things about Nemesis Games is the fact that we get to see the individual members of the Roci crew off doing their own thing. We finally get insight into each of their pre-Roci lives and learn more about what makes them tick. Their individual storylines do more to develop their characters than their actions in the previous four books, and the story only gets stronger as a result. Plus, as two of the four characters ends up going onto a planet, we get the added benefit of different settings to add some spice.

If that wasn’t enough, this book’s Big Bad is fantastic. He is everything you want in a villain – grandiose, egomaniacal, intelligent, manipulative, charismatic, etc. What he does to the universe is terrifying, and yet it is the catalyst for the story to take that next step. He might not be the most developed character to grace the page, but boy does he make things fun.

With Nemesis Games being the first book in the series I read without having seen a TV version first, I was truly impressed by everything about this book. I was even able to appreciate and admire my least-favorite character, as she does something I can’t even fathom.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the fact that each book makes me learn a little bit more about astrophysics and aerospace engineering. I am forever bombarding my son with questions about the science or the math. If he is not available, I hit Google to get those answers. It is not that the authors behind the series make the science difficult to understand; I just want more and take the time to get it.

At 16 plus hours via audiobook, I tore through Nemesis Games in days. I did not do much other than listen because I could not tear myself away from the action. Jefferson Mays, as always, did a fantastic job narrating. By now, I find all his character inflections and nuances welcoming and can’t imagine experiencing the series in any other format.

With Nemesis Games due to become season five of the TV series, I am that much more anxious for that season to premiere. I cannot wait to see how the director chooses to show certain scenes and am SO excited to get more individual attention for my faves. I know the show is no longer in post-production, so maybe by the end of 2020? It would be a fantastic way to make this year a little better.

With Nemesis Games, I finally get a glimpse of where the overarching storyline is heading, and it makes me so excited to see it come to fruition. Plus, with the way this story ended, I am even more excited to see how the story continues.