Nemesis Games
Nov. 26th, 2025 06:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tassosssI finished Nemesis Games today. It's book 5 in The Expanse and covers the start of the Free Navy arc. I went into it with a little trepidation, because in his introduction in the show, I loathe Inaros. And he was just as loathable a character in the book too, but also more pathetic in some ways. I think that's down to the fact that we get to see him through Naomi's eyes, and damn, is her arc fabulous.
It's so easy for the toxic relationship in the past to be an unsatisfying storyline. Maybe I come at it with too many bad romances under my belt, that I don't quite trust the author to do right by the character who left. I'm almost always more sympathetic to them, and in some stories, I'm so angry at the author, the character, and everyone that my teeth hurt*. But Nemesis Games did right by Naomi. She got to be her competent badass self while still being vulnerable and carrying this deep shame and pain from her younger self. I loved that we got her point of view and got to dive into her roots, and she remained true to who she had become, and I think able to hang on to her sense of self because of her Roci family.
This was a really strong character building book for the Roci crew. Getting all their POVs as they were split up across the solar system was really wonderful, each with their foils and new partners. The worries for the others as the crew co-dependency was broken up a little, but the love still there. I read the short stories/novellas, Bobbie's and Amos's, and I'm glad I had, especially for Amos's story and his relationship with Erich. There was just so much good stuff there, and I loved Amos and Avasarala's every interaction too. I'm very interested to see how Clarissa will fold in. I adored Bobbie and Alex teaming up, and Bobbie joining the crew too. She's one of my faves. It was also nice seeing Jim's character growth play out too and settle at a new level from where he was in previous books.
I really liked Nemesis Games.
*This statement does not apply to dark romance where that is often the point.
It's so easy for the toxic relationship in the past to be an unsatisfying storyline. Maybe I come at it with too many bad romances under my belt, that I don't quite trust the author to do right by the character who left. I'm almost always more sympathetic to them, and in some stories, I'm so angry at the author, the character, and everyone that my teeth hurt*. But Nemesis Games did right by Naomi. She got to be her competent badass self while still being vulnerable and carrying this deep shame and pain from her younger self. I loved that we got her point of view and got to dive into her roots, and she remained true to who she had become, and I think able to hang on to her sense of self because of her Roci family.
This was a really strong character building book for the Roci crew. Getting all their POVs as they were split up across the solar system was really wonderful, each with their foils and new partners. The worries for the others as the crew co-dependency was broken up a little, but the love still there. I read the short stories/novellas, Bobbie's and Amos's, and I'm glad I had, especially for Amos's story and his relationship with Erich. There was just so much good stuff there, and I loved Amos and Avasarala's every interaction too. I'm very interested to see how Clarissa will fold in. I adored Bobbie and Alex teaming up, and Bobbie joining the crew too. She's one of my faves. It was also nice seeing Jim's character growth play out too and settle at a new level from where he was in previous books.
I really liked Nemesis Games.
*This statement does not apply to dark romance where that is often the point.
