Caliban - La Guerra, review: the second chapter of The Expanse

Caliban - La Guerra, review

After having concluded the vision of The Expanse, the sci-fi series of Prime Video, the temptation to relive the emotions of Holden's crew was decidedly strong, so much so that, thanks to Fanucci, we faced the reading of the literary dimension of The Expanse, waiting to be able to appreciate the final chapter of the saga. Mindful of the vision offered by the Amazon Prime Video series, inevitably some details of the original work by Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham are now visually associated with the characterization appreciated on the streaming service, but the rereading of the entire saga remains an exciting reading, as demonstrated by the second chapter Caliban - The War.



The work of the two authors, who signed their saga under the pseudonym of James SA Corey, is in fact based on a wonderful example of world building . Sci-fi fiction has shown several examples of how the construction of a social and cultural dynamic is fundamental in the definition of a long literary saga, as demonstrated by masters of the caliber of Isaac Asimov (The Cycle of Foundations) or Frank Herbert (Dune) , a lesson that the authors have shown they have made their own.

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Caliban - War: the solar system prepares for war

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The appearance of the protomolecule, in fact, was a revelation not only for Holden and his companions, but for the entire Solar System. The devastating end of Eros, in fact, has definitively upset the already fragile balance between the various political forces, offering the possibility of finally giving life to what, already in the previous volume, had seemed a long-awaited showdown, especially by the Cinturians. Caliban - War, starting from this assumption, has the task of transforming the final openness of the opening chapter of The Expanse into a more complex story, which is based precisely on the alien element of the saga: the protomolecule. A revelation that could fascinate for the potential offered by the discovery of an afterlife, but which instead turns out to be the source of a reckless search by Earth, Mars and Cinturiani.

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The government of the United Nations is crossed by different currents, with specific purposes that often do not address the common welfare but have personal purposes. An environment animated by machinations and intrigues in which Avasarala, a political expert, moves to perfection, who, behind the determination of a consummate statesman, seasoned with a very unruly vocabulary, hides the soul of a woman divided between duty and a sense of right. br>
Caliban - The War does not just confirm what was previously appreciated in Leviathan - The Awakening, but becomes, in a certain sense, the real starting point of the saga. The previous chapter, from this point of view, was the taste of a living and vital galaxy, with the task of laying not only the structural foundations of the setting, but of giving the right emphasis to the main face of this adventure, namely James Holden. It is therefore up to Caliban - La Guerra to expand the parterre of faces that face the crisis arising from the insane use of the protomolecule. F ranck and Ty find the right balance to introduce the new characters within the dynamic tests seen in the first chapter, without forgetting to deepen the caliber of Holden and his companions.

Holden and Rocinante in the center. of the conspiracy of the promolecule

Above all the captain of the Rocinante finds himself having to manage the pressure of the choices made, seeking a new balance for himself and his family, at the same time feeling the growing responsibility towards all humanity, to which hope, in any case, to avoid a war without equal in history.

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Chrisjen Avasarala Caliban - The War reconfirms the fascinating narrative verve of the authors, who manage to give life to a technologically credible future universe, finding a stylistic code which allows you to enhance the succession of events at The Expanse. It is interesting to note how what is told in Caliban - The War can also be enjoyed regardless of the reading of the previous chapter, a condition that allows you to appreciate the reading as a first beginning, thanks to the entry on the scene of characters who will have more and more relevance in the following chapters. .