This novella in the midst of the epic saga of The Expanse fills in some interesting blanks. It explains the missing years of a relevant character’s life and how he eventually ends up where Our Heroes encounter him again. It also shows the evolution of the character and his history on Earth, accomplishing some interesting world-building about life on “Basic” that contrasts with what we learn in “The Churn.”
However, it does absolutely nothing to humanize this character. And that’s okay. We’re probably never meant to sympathize with him, not knowing about his actions in the main series installments. As usual, the writing makes this a worthwhile read for any fans of the Expanse.
Rating: 4 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.