Leviathan Wakes by James Corey (The Expanse #1) 8/10

         One thing I've recently noticed is the sudden burst of Mormon writers that now exist. Brandon Sanderson (a favorite of mine), Brian Mclellan, and Charlie N. Holmberg are just a few. In this book, it's the Mormons who first go into space, and the good guy ship is named the Nauvoo (which if you don't know is a place that Mormons settled. While the themes in this book aren't overtly Mormon in book one (Like they are in Orson Scott Card or Sanderson's works are the landscape certainly is. The religious element works well I was never nauseated by it, but it definitely leaves an impression.

     Instead of focusing on military tactics and history like many sci-fi books that are published by "Baen," this book focuses on normal people that are thrust into interesting circumstances. Most of the tension comes from what is going on. The characters are not amazing, but memorable. The world building is really what sells it. It's a really fun world to be in ( a little bit of a Mormon fantasy) but a fun world none the less. It made me want to pick up the next one as soon as possible.