Remember the point I made in my review of 'Leviathan Wakes,' about the initial lack of female characters? No longer a problem.

Earning 'Caliban’s War' more favour on my part right off the bat, Corey introduces a significantly larger cast in this novel, with POVs rotating between Holden, our strong, steady compass, now captain of a ship-for-hire under contract of the OPA; Praxidike "Prax" Meng, a botanist working out of Ganymede, looking for his daughter; Chrisjen Avaserala, a high-ranking UN official and leader of Earth in all but name, really; and quite possibly the love of my life, Martian Marine Bobbie Draper. Sometimes novels with too many POVs fall flat, but for a plot as complicated as the one Corey's weaving, every one of them is necessary.

Corey hits the ground running with 'Caliban’s War,' opening on a peaceful Ganymede, home to many Belter farmers and botanists, including one Praxidike Meng—and a platoon of UN (Earthen) Marines in a base only miles from that of the Martian Marines'. With the events of 'Leviathan Wakes' still fresh in mind—notably the destruction of Mars' moon, Phobos, at the hands of Earthen military—it's obvious this situation is a powder keg. And Corey doesn't make you wait for an explosion; it comes, not as a Earth-Mars war, but as an alien super soldier.

This thing is fast and near unkillable, and on top of that its proximity jams communications. Trapped on the surface with no way to call for help, 'Caliban's War' opens with a violent but brief battle as the super soldier rips Marines apart, leaving Martian Bobbie Draper the sole survivor. And as the novel progresses, it quickly becomes clear that this monster isn't the only one of its kind. Typical of humanity, but it's possible some of the protomolecule successfully banished to Venus at the end of 'Leviathan Wakes' didn't stay on Venus—and ended up in a lab. A lab that could be using children as its subjects. …

Following the attack, as Earth and Mars dissolve into a shooting war, Ganymede dissolves into chaos, with numerous children—including Mei Meng, Prax's immunocompromised daughter—disappearing in the mess. When Fred Johnson sends the Rocinante to Ganymede on a relief mission, Prax spots the infamous face of Jim Holden and turns to him and his crew for help in finding Mei. (Of course, Holden turns towards what he does best: publicity!) Their search quickly dissolves into a mess of corporate conspiracies, always leading back to one thing: the protomolecule.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Chrisjen Avaserala is working to avoid a full-blown war with Mars, alongside Bobbie Draper, the sole witness to the super soldier attack. Once again, this side of the story is a mess of betrayal, conspiracy, and government corruption.

Not much else about the plot can be said without spoiling, but take my word for it when I say that what I've laid out is just the base 'Caliban's War' launches from. Objectively better than the first book in POVs alone, 'Caliban's War' gives the reader firsthand insight into the inner workings of the OPA, the Belt's resources and sustentation system, the Martian military and terraforming project, and, above all, into Earth-Mars politics.

I've started watching The Expanse TV show on Amazon Prime (I recommend it, it's very well-done) and something they chose to do with Avaserala's character is introduce her in season one rather than waiting until season two, which is the season representing 'Caliban's War.' This gives the audience an idea of what's going on politically, so when something big happens—like, say, an entire moon gets blown to bits—it's justified, and not seemingly out of the blue. I think 'Leviathan Wakes' could have potentially benefitted from a character like Avaserala being introduced earlier, since the narrative she adds to the novel is extremely important.

Avaserala herself is a queen. Being a seventysomething in a long, loving marriage, with grandchildren she spoils, she surely comes across as a stereotypical old woman, someone easy to dupe. Do not make this mistake. Avaserala is the type to destroy anyone who dares underestimate her with a single look. Then she'll destroy your entire career. She's a verified badass who I love to bits, and I'll admit she contributes heavily to this novel's 5 stars.

Holden's character goes through more subtle development in this novel as he struggles with the effect Miller's grey "shoot first, ask later" morals had on him. Luckily, the Rocinante's crew is much more involved this time around, with Naomi and Holden's relationship becoming stronger, and with a lot more being revealed about Amos' character in particular—probably making him my favourite of the bunch as of now.

I've heard a lot of complaints about Prax's character being boring, but, personally, I loved Prax. The insight he gave on botany and the science that goes into sustaining the Belt was interesting, and having a character who has so much love for his daughter was just extremely refreshing. Up until Prax, there hadn't really been any family dynamics shown in the series, and you've gotta respect single dads. Maybe Prax's single-mindedness is what makes people dislike him, but to me that was one of his most likeable qualities.

And Bobbie. I love her. If nothing else in this review has convinced you to read 'Caliban's War,' read it just for Bobbie. She's huge—easily over six feet—crazy strong and crazy smart, and fights in this absolutely fucking awesome suit of power armour. She's a badass, I love her, would die for her. And Corey writes her wonderfully, accurately depicting PTSD and survivor's guilt, and taking her through a brilliant character arc.

All in all, 'Caliban's War' brings more action, more plot twists, more badass, lovable characters, more intricate worldbuilding, and a crazy cliffhanger to The Expanse, and it's well worth the read. If you shared some of my reservations after 'Leviathan Wakes,' know that this series is one that only improves.