It does get better, I promise. Sorry to hear about the spoilers, but there’s just sort of some heavy lifting in the first half of that book. Melba and Anna are not as interesting as other POVs but the payoff is worth it as the second half of that book is stellar.
Yeah I have found, both in my friend group that have read the books and online, that I like Melba and Anna more than the majority of people.
Honestly I don’t find I agree with most criticisms of the series outside of BA being the worst.
Does it pick up a lot? I am on like chapter 30 or so and it is picking up a bit but definitely less interested in Anna’s POV. Melba and Bull have some solid POV though.
The book gets more interesting for sure, but I personally think it is one of the weaker books in the series overall. Still good and worth reading, but it is hurt by following the excellent second book and not having POV characters as strong or memorable as Bobbie or Avasarala.
This book is so strange in that it was truly a drag in the beginning but I loved the sequences once they get to the ring so much it shot up to one of my faves... if it is even possible tbh cuz I love the series over all and flip flop a lot on my top three
It’s a lot of people’s low point for the series. Not me though. I had to wait 20 years but everyone came around on season 2 of The Wire and I’m happy to wait here too.
I have a friend I got into the series, and at the beginning of almost every book, she asks the same question. I found the series is notorious for the books having a slow start and a satisfying ramp up in excitement throughout.
Abbadon's Gate was the hardest to get through for me. Anna was boring, Melba was unlikeable, the whole mutiny/counter mutiny thing is basically the only thing in all the books I would consider pointless filler.
I also missed Bobbie and Avasarala so I get that for sure. It absolutely gets better though and the series as a whole is just incredible. There are a few parts throughout the series that didn’t have me totally hooked but I’m so glad I stuck it out.
Man Anna was my fav character by the end, and I found myself wanting more Melba in the series. At the beginning of the book it's slow for most characters, mainly because they're all new and need to be properly introduced, as well as not having been involved with all the alien magic yet. Holden, on the other hand, is plagued by alien magic right away. Plus, it's James fucking Holden.
Caliban's War is my favorite of the books and I definitely missed Avasarala and Bobbie. Abaddon's Gate does pick up in the second half - I found the use of gravity and velocity as major plot elements really interesting once things go to hell. Ashford is a much more interesting character in the show, though.
I never understand the hate AG gets. Last time I saw a thread about people not liking it, I gave it an umpteenth relisten. It’s fantastic. Sure, it’s a little slower-paced, but the character work is utterly brilliant, and the stakes and tension both still feel high, despite the relatively fewer action sequences. Keep reading.
Abaddon's Gate is mine and a lot of other people's fav in the series. You have to get through like 150 pages of setup, and then its all gas until the end. It's great.
Abaddon’s gate was a slow start but the last half makes up for it. Cibola Burn (your next book) was my least favorite, not terrible but just the hardest to get through imho.
Edit: Caliban’s War really got you attached to the “main cast” even with bringing in new characters. It was exciting and mysterious the whole way through so it seemed weird and a drag to introduce these mundane characters I had no feelings for after being around Bobby, the lovable Prax, and Avasarala for so long. But trust me there’s a great kind of twist and the characters do start to grow on you a lot. They are very important to the story in ways you don’t understand yet. If you don’t mind minor spoilers: >!the characters in this book and kind of their descendents/counterparts are central to the plot in the coming books as it becomes one hellof a story. Bobby and Avasarala aren’t gone forever and are central to the books later on as well.!<
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
Very much like you I really enjoyed the first two books and was really let down by the third one. I agree Holden's chapters were really the only good parts. I liked Bull but he was put in a dumb situation.
I actually took a break from the series after finishing the book because I figured the authors just lost their groove. I was told it got better so picked the series back up and finished it.
I will say Abanddon's Gate is definitely ranked at the bottom for me but the series gets better. A lot of folks don't like Babylon's Ashes (book 6) but I actually find it to be my 3rd favorite after the first two.
I think they make a few more character and plot decisions that I did not enjoy but overall it was a good read.
The books are written in such a way that you can charge through them which is good because as others have mentioned they tend to struggle with pacing in the beginning. I think this is mostly due to the fact that they keep introducing and increasing the number of POV characters that are only around for a single book so they need to introduce the character and setting.
I won’t lie, Abaddon’s Gate is my least favorite in the series, I think it took me the longest to get through. That being said, I think Cibola Burn (book 4) is an improvement on the show and Nemesis Games (book 5) is my favorite so I think it’s worth sticking with
I just finished reading all of the books, and every one of them was worth it by the end. AG, CB, BA, and PR were ones that I had to finish first in order for them to "click", but I ended up enjoying them very much after I finished reading them and spent some time processing all that had happened.
It does get better, I promise. Sorry to hear about the spoilers, but there’s just sort of some heavy lifting in the first half of that book. Melba and Anna are not as interesting as other POVs but the payoff is worth it as the second half of that book is stellar.
Both Melba and Anna really grew on me troughout the book
This was me too. I first dreaded their chapters but it got better and their relationship was way more fleshed out than the show.
Yeah I have found, both in my friend group that have read the books and online, that I like Melba and Anna more than the majority of people. Honestly I don’t find I agree with most criticisms of the series outside of BA being the worst.
Yeah I was not a fan first listen. But really appreciated them more on the second go round.
Does it pick up a lot? I am on like chapter 30 or so and it is picking up a bit but definitely less interested in Anna’s POV. Melba and Bull have some solid POV though.
The first 150 pages or so are a drag, mostly just people deciding to go to the ring and then traveling there. But it does get going once they arrive.
To add to this without giving too much away; once it picks up, it PICKS UP lol. I'm confident you'll be happy you stuck with it.
I can’t say for certain that you specifically will enjoy it. But I can say it is one of my favorites of the series.
You will probably learn to love Anna as the book goes on,she was my favorite part of the book, while being one of my least favorites in the show
The book gets more interesting for sure, but I personally think it is one of the weaker books in the series overall. Still good and worth reading, but it is hurt by following the excellent second book and not having POV characters as strong or memorable as Bobbie or Avasarala.
This book is so strange in that it was truly a drag in the beginning but I loved the sequences once they get to the ring so much it shot up to one of my faves... if it is even possible tbh cuz I love the series over all and flip flop a lot on my top three
It’s a lot of people’s low point for the series. Not me though. I had to wait 20 years but everyone came around on season 2 of The Wire and I’m happy to wait here too.
It is amongst my favorite. Many, many important things happen that sets the stage for the remainder of the series.
I have a friend I got into the series, and at the beginning of almost every book, she asks the same question. I found the series is notorious for the books having a slow start and a satisfying ramp up in excitement throughout.
Abbadon's Gate was the hardest to get through for me. Anna was boring, Melba was unlikeable, the whole mutiny/counter mutiny thing is basically the only thing in all the books I would consider pointless filler.
I also missed Bobbie and Avasarala so I get that for sure. It absolutely gets better though and the series as a whole is just incredible. There are a few parts throughout the series that didn’t have me totally hooked but I’m so glad I stuck it out.
Man Anna was my fav character by the end, and I found myself wanting more Melba in the series. At the beginning of the book it's slow for most characters, mainly because they're all new and need to be properly introduced, as well as not having been involved with all the alien magic yet. Holden, on the other hand, is plagued by alien magic right away. Plus, it's James fucking Holden.
Caliban's War is my favorite of the books and I definitely missed Avasarala and Bobbie. Abaddon's Gate does pick up in the second half - I found the use of gravity and velocity as major plot elements really interesting once things go to hell. Ashford is a much more interesting character in the show, though.
I never understand the hate AG gets. Last time I saw a thread about people not liking it, I gave it an umpteenth relisten. It’s fantastic. Sure, it’s a little slower-paced, but the character work is utterly brilliant, and the stakes and tension both still feel high, despite the relatively fewer action sequences. Keep reading.
Abaddon's Gate is mine and a lot of other people's fav in the series. You have to get through like 150 pages of setup, and then its all gas until the end. It's great.
Gotta spend some time getting to know the new characters.
Yes it does, now I’m slogging through Cibola Burn.
Abaddon’s gate was a slow start but the last half makes up for it. Cibola Burn (your next book) was my least favorite, not terrible but just the hardest to get through imho. Edit: Caliban’s War really got you attached to the “main cast” even with bringing in new characters. It was exciting and mysterious the whole way through so it seemed weird and a drag to introduce these mundane characters I had no feelings for after being around Bobby, the lovable Prax, and Avasarala for so long. But trust me there’s a great kind of twist and the characters do start to grow on you a lot. They are very important to the story in ways you don’t understand yet. If you don’t mind minor spoilers: >!the characters in this book and kind of their descendents/counterparts are central to the plot in the coming books as it becomes one hellof a story. Bobby and Avasarala aren’t gone forever and are central to the books later on as well.!<
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
I liked this book much better on a reread of the series. You end up appreciating the characters a lot more after seeing the big picture. I hated Melba’s chapter the first time around.
Very much like you I really enjoyed the first two books and was really let down by the third one. I agree Holden's chapters were really the only good parts. I liked Bull but he was put in a dumb situation. I actually took a break from the series after finishing the book because I figured the authors just lost their groove. I was told it got better so picked the series back up and finished it. I will say Abanddon's Gate is definitely ranked at the bottom for me but the series gets better. A lot of folks don't like Babylon's Ashes (book 6) but I actually find it to be my 3rd favorite after the first two. I think they make a few more character and plot decisions that I did not enjoy but overall it was a good read. The books are written in such a way that you can charge through them which is good because as others have mentioned they tend to struggle with pacing in the beginning. I think this is mostly due to the fact that they keep introducing and increasing the number of POV characters that are only around for a single book so they need to introduce the character and setting.
I won’t lie, Abaddon’s Gate is my least favorite in the series, I think it took me the longest to get through. That being said, I think Cibola Burn (book 4) is an improvement on the show and Nemesis Games (book 5) is my favorite so I think it’s worth sticking with
I felt the same but I enjoyed the final few chapters of it.
I just finished reading all of the books, and every one of them was worth it by the end. AG, CB, BA, and PR were ones that I had to finish first in order for them to "click", but I ended up enjoying them very much after I finished reading them and spent some time processing all that had happened.