Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, 581 pages

From GoodReads: "The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonise has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Illus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire. Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world.

James Holden and the crew of his one small ship are sent to make peace in the midst of war and sense in the heart of chaos. But the more he looks at it, the more Holden thinks the mission was meant to fail. And the whispers of a dead man remind him that the great galactic civilisation which once stood on this land is gone. And that something killed them."

This book started out pretty slowly for me. The first couple narratives are callback characters that took some time to get used to. The scope of this book and the focus on what killed the protomolecule creators created a weird headspace. Not bad, just simultaneously chilling and wonderous. The "Miller" chapters made me feel as though my head was unspooling into atavistic abyss. 

 

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey, 566 pages

From GoodReads: "For generations, the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt - was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artefact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has emerged to build a massive structure outside the orbit of Uranus: a gate that leads into a starless dark.

Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artefact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them."

This book was so intense. The corresponding season of The Expanse was also intense, but being in people's heads made it feel much more raw. I got to know Anna much better, and I really enjoyed the glimpses into Melba's psyche.  Observing the protomolecule threat grow and warp and twist and change has been engaging. 

 

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey

Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey, 611 pages

From GoodReads: "On Ganymede, the station that represents the main food source for exoplanets, a Martian marine sergeant watches her entire platoon being slaughtered before her eyes by a supernatural monster. On Earth, a high-ranking politician struggles to defuse an interplanetary war. Meanwhile, an alien protomolecule sweeps across Venus, causing profound and mysterious changes and threatening to spread and sweep across the solar system.

In the vastness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante maintain the stability of the exoplanetary alliance. When he and his crew agree to help a scientist search for his missing daughter on war-torn Ganymede, the fate of humanity hinges on whether one craft can prevent an alien invasion that may already be underway." 

I read this book so quickly that had it been fried food, I'd've been chugging Tums. It was a quick, wild ride. We got to meet Bobbie in this book, and as much as I loved her on the show, I love her textual counterpart even more. 

 

Dinosaurs, Gravity, and Changing Scientific Paradigms by Theodore A. Holden

Dinosaurs, Gravity, and Changing Scientific Paradigms by Theodore A. Holden - 108 pages

Google:
The book Dinosaurs, Gravity, and Changing Scientific Paradigms explores radical fringe hypotheses, questioning how giant dinosaurs could survive under modern gravity. It argues that Earth's gravity may have been significantly weaker during the Mesozoic Era, relying on "Expanding Earth" theories to explain the immense size, weight, and blood-pumping mechanics of mega-sauropods.

Batman, Vol. 1: Daylight by Matt Fraction

Batman, Vol. 1: Daylight by Matt Fraction

Batman (2025) #1-6, 192 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from DC)

A new day dawns in Gotham City as Eisner Award-winning writer Matt Fraction (Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, Hawkeye) joins forces with superstar artist Jorge Jiménez (Justice League, Superman) for a timeless, superhero-forward take on the Caped Crusader loaded with a new costume, a new Batmobile, new gadgets, new allies, and brand-new threats. 

Between Killer Croc’s escape from Arkham Towers, the increasingly criminal machinations of Police Commissioner Vandal Savage, the assassin known as Lady Death Man on the prowl, and organized crime in Gotham reaching astonishing new heights of power, the status quo has never been more deadly for the Dark Knight. As the Minotaur—the masked man behind a massive criminal conspiracy—emerges from the shadows of his infernal labyrinth to claim Gotham as his prize, both Batman and Bruce Wayne will be tested like never before.

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

323 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Katie’s got it pretty good. She’s a talented young chef, she runs a successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one. Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie’s life goes from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance. Everybody deserves one, after all—but they don’t come easy. Luckily for Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:
 
1. Write your mistake
2. Ingest one mushroom
3. Go to sleep
4. Wake anew
 
And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is given another chance to get things right. She’s also got a dresser drawer full of magical mushrooms—and an irresistible urge to make her life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it’s against the rules. But Katie doesn’t care about the rules—and she’s about to discover the unintended consequences of the best intentions.

My Hero Academia, Volume 13

My Hero Academia, Volume 13 - 192 pages

Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb D. Cook (Translator)

Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Review

I liked the worldbuilding added by the provisional licensing exam.  It's nice to see them acknowledge how a hero's job might not only involve combat against a villain, but also require search and rescue and a suitable "bedside manner" when interacting with those being rescued.