Tiamat's Wrath
Tiamat's Wrath is the eighth novel in James S. A. Corey's New York Times bestselling Expanse series. Years after the fall of the Free Navy, humanity now lives under the boot of the Laconian Empire, the authoritarian regime built by former Martian officer Winston Duarte after seizing the alien ring gates. James Holden is held prisoner on Laconia itself, while the crew of the Rocinante — Naomi, Bobbie, and Alex — wage a covert resistance from the shadows.
Inside Laconia's palace, scientist Elvi Okoye searches ancient alien ruins for a weapon that might turn the tide of an otherwise unwinnable war, uncovering evidence of a genocide that predates humanity by unimaginable ages. Meanwhile Teresa, the young daughter of the Laconian High Consul, navigates a court built on her father's ambition while keeping secrets of her own. As dangers older and stranger than the empire stir in the space between worlds, courage alone will not be enough to survive what's coming.
Reading the shorter works in the series provides significant context and depth to the plot nuances, making the revelations in this volume more impactful for long-term readers.
This novel serves as the penultimate entry in a larger narrative arc and relies heavily on established character histories and political developments from the preceding seven books.
While the series typically focuses on the crew of the Rocinante, this installment incorporates additional perspectives from new characters to broaden the scope of the unfolding galactic conflict.