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The Captive's War #2
The Faith of Beasts
James S. A. Corey's Expanse series has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 23 languages, establishing itself as a modern masterwork of science fiction. Now, the Hugo-award winning author returns with the second volume in their New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed space opera trilogy, The Captive’s War.
★ “Masterful . . . . This is space opera at its best.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Mercy of Gods
The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran's command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered.
Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters’ use. But Dafyd’s loyalty is not what it seems.
The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx’s deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. It’s discover a way to bring down the empire’s eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon.
As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction.
But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears…
"The start of something truly epic." ― Fonda Lee on The Mercy of Gods
"Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre." ― Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time
For More from James S. A. Corey, check
The Captive's War
The Mercy of Gods
The Faith of Beasts
The Expanse
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
Abaddon's Gate
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Games
Babylon's Ashes
Persepolis Rising
Tiamat's Wrath
Leviathan Falls
Memory's Legion
The Expanse Short Fiction
Drive
The Butcher of Anderson Station
Gods of Risk
The Churn
The Vital Abyss
Strange Dogs
Auberon
The Sins of Our Fathers
★ “Masterful . . . . This is space opera at its best.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Mercy of Gods
The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran's command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered.
Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters’ use. But Dafyd’s loyalty is not what it seems.
The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx’s deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. It’s discover a way to bring down the empire’s eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon.
As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction.
But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears…
"The start of something truly epic." ― Fonda Lee on The Mercy of Gods
"Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre." ― Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time
For More from James S. A. Corey, check
The Captive's War
The Mercy of Gods
The Faith of Beasts
The Expanse
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
Abaddon's Gate
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Games
Babylon's Ashes
Persepolis Rising
Tiamat's Wrath
Leviathan Falls
Memory's Legion
The Expanse Short Fiction
Drive
The Butcher of Anderson Station
Gods of Risk
The Churn
The Vital Abyss
Strange Dogs
Auberon
The Sins of Our Fathers
19 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 14, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is just as strong as the first one.
The story picks up right after the events of the first book, following the main characters in their separate journeys.
The plot is just as captivating, the stakes are getting higher, and the writing is absolutely excellent. I especially loved the evolution and development of the characters as they face new challenges and form new relationships.
I can't wait for the next one!
Thank you so much Orbit Books for this ARC.
The story picks up right after the events of the first book, following the main characters in their separate journeys.
The plot is just as captivating, the stakes are getting higher, and the writing is absolutely excellent. I especially loved the evolution and development of the characters as they face new challenges and form new relationships.
I can't wait for the next one!
Thank you so much Orbit Books for this ARC.
April 19, 2026
The Mercy of Gods was one of my favourite reads of 2024, so I went into the sequel terrified - both for the characters and for my moon-high expectations.
This series is deeply existential. It takes an unrealistic situation and makes it entirely plausible and possible.
Without spoilers for either book, The Mercy of Gods saw humans lose against an alien invasion and taken captive; treated as animals and kept alive only for their worth to the Caryx.
This continues in book two as humans continue to do what we do best: find solace in small moments, hold onto connection and relationship, and tend to a kernel of hope.
Vices, kinks, sins. Humanity had been trying to flay them off their souls since someone came up with the idea of souls, and they'd never managed. Even the Carry hadn't been enough of a break to change human nature. Not that the big fuckers had tried enforcing any ethical guidelines. They'd have been fine with humans murdering and eating each other if the projects kept producing useful results.
This balances characters and plot fairly well. There are a lot of POVs and bumping around to different parts of the universe, but the authors do an amazing job at adding small details and humanity to each person. Important for a series about humans trying to keep their humanity whilst enforcing/carrying out extremes in order to survive as a race.
I find it interesting and terrifying to be in Dafyd’s head. He is both the saviour and villain for the humans. He must manage a semi-infinite list of things that he needs to look into, manage, control.
He seems too perfect in terms of a nobody thrust into the position of a for-the-good-of-all leader.
The tension at his temples felt like he was wearing an invisible crown.
Why not five stars?
I think The Mercy of the Gods astounded me as a one-off experience. Obviously, the concept is developed here, but the initial shock and WOAH mind-blowing realisation isn’t as impressive the second time around.
I still 100% recommend the sequel. It is a worthy sequel and has made me excited to continue.
Physics arc gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
This series is deeply existential. It takes an unrealistic situation and makes it entirely plausible and possible.
Without spoilers for either book, The Mercy of Gods saw humans lose against an alien invasion and taken captive; treated as animals and kept alive only for their worth to the Caryx.
This continues in book two as humans continue to do what we do best: find solace in small moments, hold onto connection and relationship, and tend to a kernel of hope.
Vices, kinks, sins. Humanity had been trying to flay them off their souls since someone came up with the idea of souls, and they'd never managed. Even the Carry hadn't been enough of a break to change human nature. Not that the big fuckers had tried enforcing any ethical guidelines. They'd have been fine with humans murdering and eating each other if the projects kept producing useful results.
This balances characters and plot fairly well. There are a lot of POVs and bumping around to different parts of the universe, but the authors do an amazing job at adding small details and humanity to each person. Important for a series about humans trying to keep their humanity whilst enforcing/carrying out extremes in order to survive as a race.
I find it interesting and terrifying to be in Dafyd’s head. He is both the saviour and villain for the humans. He must manage a semi-infinite list of things that he needs to look into, manage, control.
He seems too perfect in terms of a nobody thrust into the position of a for-the-good-of-all leader.
The tension at his temples felt like he was wearing an invisible crown.
Why not five stars?
I think The Mercy of the Gods astounded me as a one-off experience. Obviously, the concept is developed here, but the initial shock and WOAH mind-blowing realisation isn’t as impressive the second time around.
I still 100% recommend the sequel. It is a worthy sequel and has made me excited to continue.
Physics arc gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
April 21, 2026
The narrative in this second The Captive's War novel remains deeply introspective and emotionally resonant, exploring trauma, loss, remorse, uncertainty, upheaval, and the forging of new relationships as part of the healing process. The overall tone is still heavy and often bleak, and the authors do an excellent job of provoking a visceral response to the humans' pervasive, humiliating oppression. There are also many fascinating revelations and audacious developments regarding the nature of the war, its enemies, and the vast and implacable Carryx empire with its many subjugated alien cultures. Yet while several characters remain compelling - especially Dafyd Alkhor and the Swarm - I still feel the story has not quite found its center of gravity yet. And so while I want to see how things develop from here, I don't yet feel fully emotionally invested.
May 5, 2026
A
Covert Group
resists the Assimilation of the /
Alien Abducted
inhabitants of a human
Lost Colony
who are
Trapped in Villainy
serving the
Eminently Enigmatic Aliens
. Second book in The Captive’s War series.
The Carryx Throne World.
My dead pixels copy was a moderate 446 pages. The book had a 2026 US copyright.
James S. A. Corey is the nom de plume of the writing team of American authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Together, they have written more than 20 books and several short form stories, principally in their Expanse series, but not exclusively. I have read many of their books. The most recent being Livesuit (The Captives War, #1.5) (my review).
It's strongly recommended that readers have read The Mercy of Gods (The Captives War, #1) (my review) before attempting this book. Without its background, you’ll find this book incomprehensible.
TL;DR Synopsis
The Carryx captives of the lost human colony world of Anjiin are proving useful as a subjugated, slave species and now form the Human Moiety. The survivors face a Conformity Trap, in which there are really negative consequences for not conforming to Carryx expectations. A covert group takes Faith in the Foe through an embedded spy for the Carryx’s mortal foe, the “Deathless Enemy”, in an Enemy Mine situation. The story explores the pressures on humans to fit in and its potential dangers in retaining their humanity.
The Review
The Captive's War is a trilogy, or at least it's advertised to be. Middle books are hard. In a five-act play, this book would be Act Two, The Rising Action. Complications are piling up, and the reader is learning a lot. Although it's not like taking a garden hose in the mouth, like in the first book. I'm going to have to wait approximately two years, with maybe a novella in between, for the final book. Sigh.
The book's prose was good, and it was immaculately groomed. I found no errors. The Hachette/Orbit publisher and the James S. A. Corey writing team continue to have among the highest production values for eye-readable science fiction. I also think that experienced "writing teams" foster those higher values as they review each other's prose, ironing out sentences.
Descriptive prose was good. Action sequences were on par with the author’s previous work. Although some readers may be disappointed with the obligatory space battles. They’re by no means the up close and personal of video games, or even the author’s previous Expanse series. The battles take place with the opponent fleets separated by several au with the laws of physics in place. It takes a long time for projectiles and “beams” to arrive. This is the way Sufficiently Advanced Alien Species would wage space war. It may be too abstract for some folks. Dialogue is likewise good. I always enjoy Cory’s dialogue. In particular, the pithy short sentences used in it.
There was the familiar use of several points of view (POVs). The series starts out with a larger number, but winnows down the number of humans. The shifting viewpoints were well handled and concise. Six POVs were a good fit for this book's 400+ pages. That was somewhat hindered by there being three main locations, and Corey concentrating on their trademark action and dialogue.
The most important POVs to the story were: Dafyd, Jessyn, Tonner, Rickar, Campar, The Swarm, and Ekur-Tkalal.
The human characters are the remnants of the human research team, 'harvested' by the Carryx from Anjiin for their success in biological science research. They're now somewhat adjusted to the moral and ethical dilemmas of the Carryx prison camp-like environment and their captivity.
Dafyd was the nominal protagonist. He has been elevated to the role of the human Trustee by the Carryx, due to being the first to come to understand them and the dynamics of the competitive, multi-alien species prison camp. Heavy weighs the crown and The Chains of Commanding . He begins the Benevolent Conspiracy to keep the Human Moiety alive and to take revenge on the Carryx. The bipolar Jessyn, once one of the more capable researchers, has hardened. The clever monkeys of the Human Moiety brought her affliction under control by mastering alien tech. Along the way, she became a killer. Tonner was the Research Team's leader. He is a brilliant, egocentric researcher. In coping with imprisonment, he buried himself in the Carryx-directed research and in a less-than-selfless effort to improve the Human Moiety's circumstances. He's the least likely to appreciate the personal and group danger, along with the moral and ethical dilemmas of the imprisonment. However, it was his brilliance that convinced the Carryx to found the Human Moiety. Rickar was the outsider. His contribution to most of the story is of the outsider "looking in." He was among the most normal of characters. In a surprising turn, Campar, a minor character in the previous book, receives a promotion. His dialogue can be pricelessly humorous. He was also among the most normal of the characters.
The Swarm was a spy for the Deathless Enemy, a species at least as advanced as the Carryx, whom they have been fighting for Millenia. It’s a highly technologically advanced, nanotech creature capable of Grand Theft Me and of Hollywood Hacking of human and Carryx infrastructure. However, due to prolonged exposure to humans, it now wants to Become a Real Girl . The Swarm plays an important Deus ex Machina role for The Conspiracy.
Ekur-Tkalal was the nominal Carryx antagonist. It’s carried along as a Mr. Exposition on the Carryx, their related world building, and as part of the series’ long-term plotline. It continues with this duty.
There were numerous other humans and aliens imprisoned on the Carryx homeworld and off it that played minor or Red Shirt roles or are destined for future greatness. The aliens are good, but they sometimes get too close to the edge with being anthropomorphic. (The best aliens remain alien.) Important characters have been added, destined to play a role in the last book, but without POVs. In addition, I’m always surprised at the author’s wherewithal to use the Decoy Protagonist twist, especially this far into the series.
The original research group's human captives of the alien Carryx form a covert conspiracy to resist assimilation, recruiting a small number of outsiders, including aliens with special skills. Teaming with the nanotech Deathless Enemy spy, they navigate the brutal prison-camp hierarchy. Balancing survival, rebellion, and the need to maintain their humanity, they plot revenge against the enigmatic Carryx. (The Carryx are too alien.) What makes this better than the typical alien-captivity story is its focus on organizational behavior under duress: how individuals adapt or crack under the weight of the alien environment and its demands, how the dwindling number of original captives negotiate group dynamics and new identities within their population and the other moieties, and how humans cope with and work to subvert the rigid organizational processes imposed by their Carryx masters. The real battle is not individually physical, emotional, and intellectual, but institutional, as the captives learn that surviving the Carryx means first surviving each other and the corrosive pressures of the alien-imposed alien conformity.
There was: “Sex, drugs, and no rock’n roll music”, along with violence in the story.
Folks had sex, both heterosexual and gay. Oddly, nobody is bisexual or lesbian. Carnal knowledge was tastefully done in the fade-to-black style. You put a brilliant bunch of people together in a prison camp with research and alien manufacturing equipment, and it's no surprise they make something better than Toilet Wine for stress relief. Alcohol is being manufactured, but there is no indication that any other substances are being used and abused. You’d think they’d at least make THC Gummies too? There is art being rendered in captivity. “Dance” is happening, with no mention of the music.
The body count was genocidal. Genocide is amongst the Carryx "policies and procedures". They sterilize an inhabited planet from orbit. Sentient bad behavior typically gets a death sentence. The humans of the Human Moiety have stopped suiciding. Everyone who was going to, already has, and the rest are settling in. Most of the violence was physical, and with some small arms or impact weapons. The violence was moderately graphic.
World-building was good. However, it's hard-ish science fiction. For example, the Carryx and the Deathless Enemy both have FTL Travel , although using different technologies, and there are other “sufficiently advanced technologies indistinguishable from magic”. These exist alongside more prosaic conceivable future technologies. (Like nanotech swarms.)
One plot line was the the long-term survival of the Human Moiety. I noted, once things had settled down, there were no unwanted or otherwise pregnancies despite all the male-female copulation going on. That went unexplained, as the authors dived into a more technical solution.
The callousness and brutality of the Carryx and their "sky cities" prison camps, and the other "animal" moieties, are fading into the background with this book. The conditions in the camp, really an arcology, which includes the menagerie of alien species the humans rub shoulders with daily, were particularly good at first, but not as interesting as in the first book. They've become familiar. The Carryx and Deathless Enemy spaceships were remarkably bland due to superior technology. The single, Earth-like alien planet visited was likewise nondescript.
In general, there was less effort put into worldbuilding than in the first book. Not much new to the series was introduced.
Summary
I started this series with mixed expectations. It's been better than I expected. It had a good beginning. This middle book sets up the scenery and plot needed to reach the final book of the trilogy, though it's not without its surprises.
Middle books are hard. In a trilogy, they have to be read before you can get to the end. This one was "Good". It introduced new plot lines and tied off a few from the first book. There were a few surprises. It was also not as immersive in its worldbuilding as the first book.
This series and this book are better than the author's The Expanse. It's more sophisticated and better written. And, as only a trilogy, it's barely within my threshold of pain for serial fiction.
However, I am apprehensive about the media advertising of this series. It is already being talked about as a future television series, like its predecessor The Expanse. For the Expanse book series, the TV series was a disaster for the books. The authors were producers and money talks; books experienced publishing delays, and their quality suffered. I'm hoping The Captive's War #3 is mostly written before its TV show's scripting begins, if it hasn't already.
This story was well-written, somewhat gritty, semi-hard science fiction. It was one of the better books I've read this year. However, its serial fiction. It was also not as remarkable as the first book in the series or even the Livesuit novella. I'm prepared to be patient and wait for the final book.
The Carryx Throne World.
My dead pixels copy was a moderate 446 pages. The book had a 2026 US copyright.
James S. A. Corey is the nom de plume of the writing team of American authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Together, they have written more than 20 books and several short form stories, principally in their Expanse series, but not exclusively. I have read many of their books. The most recent being Livesuit (The Captives War, #1.5) (my review).
It's strongly recommended that readers have read The Mercy of Gods (The Captives War, #1) (my review) before attempting this book. Without its background, you’ll find this book incomprehensible.
TL;DR Synopsis
The Carryx captives of the lost human colony world of Anjiin are proving useful as a subjugated, slave species and now form the Human Moiety. The survivors face a Conformity Trap, in which there are really negative consequences for not conforming to Carryx expectations. A covert group takes Faith in the Foe through an embedded spy for the Carryx’s mortal foe, the “Deathless Enemy”, in an Enemy Mine situation. The story explores the pressures on humans to fit in and its potential dangers in retaining their humanity.
The Review
The Captive's War is a trilogy, or at least it's advertised to be. Middle books are hard. In a five-act play, this book would be Act Two, The Rising Action. Complications are piling up, and the reader is learning a lot. Although it's not like taking a garden hose in the mouth, like in the first book. I'm going to have to wait approximately two years, with maybe a novella in between, for the final book. Sigh.
The book's prose was good, and it was immaculately groomed. I found no errors. The Hachette/Orbit publisher and the James S. A. Corey writing team continue to have among the highest production values for eye-readable science fiction. I also think that experienced "writing teams" foster those higher values as they review each other's prose, ironing out sentences.
Descriptive prose was good. Action sequences were on par with the author’s previous work. Although some readers may be disappointed with the obligatory space battles. They’re by no means the up close and personal of video games, or even the author’s previous Expanse series. The battles take place with the opponent fleets separated by several au with the laws of physics in place. It takes a long time for projectiles and “beams” to arrive. This is the way Sufficiently Advanced Alien Species would wage space war. It may be too abstract for some folks. Dialogue is likewise good. I always enjoy Cory’s dialogue. In particular, the pithy short sentences used in it.
There was the familiar use of several points of view (POVs). The series starts out with a larger number, but winnows down the number of humans. The shifting viewpoints were well handled and concise. Six POVs were a good fit for this book's 400+ pages. That was somewhat hindered by there being three main locations, and Corey concentrating on their trademark action and dialogue.
The most important POVs to the story were: Dafyd, Jessyn, Tonner, Rickar, Campar, The Swarm, and Ekur-Tkalal.
The human characters are the remnants of the human research team, 'harvested' by the Carryx from Anjiin for their success in biological science research. They're now somewhat adjusted to the moral and ethical dilemmas of the Carryx prison camp-like environment and their captivity.
Dafyd was the nominal protagonist. He has been elevated to the role of the human Trustee by the Carryx, due to being the first to come to understand them and the dynamics of the competitive, multi-alien species prison camp. Heavy weighs the crown and The Chains of Commanding . He begins the Benevolent Conspiracy to keep the Human Moiety alive and to take revenge on the Carryx. The bipolar Jessyn, once one of the more capable researchers, has hardened. The clever monkeys of the Human Moiety brought her affliction under control by mastering alien tech. Along the way, she became a killer. Tonner was the Research Team's leader. He is a brilliant, egocentric researcher. In coping with imprisonment, he buried himself in the Carryx-directed research and in a less-than-selfless effort to improve the Human Moiety's circumstances. He's the least likely to appreciate the personal and group danger, along with the moral and ethical dilemmas of the imprisonment. However, it was his brilliance that convinced the Carryx to found the Human Moiety. Rickar was the outsider. His contribution to most of the story is of the outsider "looking in." He was among the most normal of characters. In a surprising turn, Campar, a minor character in the previous book, receives a promotion. His dialogue can be pricelessly humorous. He was also among the most normal of the characters.
The Swarm was a spy for the Deathless Enemy, a species at least as advanced as the Carryx, whom they have been fighting for Millenia. It’s a highly technologically advanced, nanotech creature capable of Grand Theft Me and of Hollywood Hacking of human and Carryx infrastructure. However, due to prolonged exposure to humans, it now wants to Become a Real Girl . The Swarm plays an important Deus ex Machina role for The Conspiracy.
Ekur-Tkalal was the nominal Carryx antagonist. It’s carried along as a Mr. Exposition on the Carryx, their related world building, and as part of the series’ long-term plotline. It continues with this duty.
There were numerous other humans and aliens imprisoned on the Carryx homeworld and off it that played minor or Red Shirt roles or are destined for future greatness. The aliens are good, but they sometimes get too close to the edge with being anthropomorphic. (The best aliens remain alien.) Important characters have been added, destined to play a role in the last book, but without POVs. In addition, I’m always surprised at the author’s wherewithal to use the Decoy Protagonist twist, especially this far into the series.
The original research group's human captives of the alien Carryx form a covert conspiracy to resist assimilation, recruiting a small number of outsiders, including aliens with special skills. Teaming with the nanotech Deathless Enemy spy, they navigate the brutal prison-camp hierarchy. Balancing survival, rebellion, and the need to maintain their humanity, they plot revenge against the enigmatic Carryx. (The Carryx are too alien.) What makes this better than the typical alien-captivity story is its focus on organizational behavior under duress: how individuals adapt or crack under the weight of the alien environment and its demands, how the dwindling number of original captives negotiate group dynamics and new identities within their population and the other moieties, and how humans cope with and work to subvert the rigid organizational processes imposed by their Carryx masters. The real battle is not individually physical, emotional, and intellectual, but institutional, as the captives learn that surviving the Carryx means first surviving each other and the corrosive pressures of the alien-imposed alien conformity.
There was: “Sex, drugs, and no rock’n roll music”, along with violence in the story.
Folks had sex, both heterosexual and gay. Oddly, nobody is bisexual or lesbian. Carnal knowledge was tastefully done in the fade-to-black style. You put a brilliant bunch of people together in a prison camp with research and alien manufacturing equipment, and it's no surprise they make something better than Toilet Wine for stress relief. Alcohol is being manufactured, but there is no indication that any other substances are being used and abused. You’d think they’d at least make THC Gummies too? There is art being rendered in captivity. “Dance” is happening, with no mention of the music.
The body count was genocidal. Genocide is amongst the Carryx "policies and procedures". They sterilize an inhabited planet from orbit. Sentient bad behavior typically gets a death sentence. The humans of the Human Moiety have stopped suiciding. Everyone who was going to, already has, and the rest are settling in. Most of the violence was physical, and with some small arms or impact weapons. The violence was moderately graphic.
World-building was good. However, it's hard-ish science fiction. For example, the Carryx and the Deathless Enemy both have FTL Travel , although using different technologies, and there are other “sufficiently advanced technologies indistinguishable from magic”. These exist alongside more prosaic conceivable future technologies. (Like nanotech swarms.)
One plot line was the the long-term survival of the Human Moiety. I noted, once things had settled down, there were no unwanted or otherwise pregnancies despite all the male-female copulation going on. That went unexplained, as the authors dived into a more technical solution.
The callousness and brutality of the Carryx and their "sky cities" prison camps, and the other "animal" moieties, are fading into the background with this book. The conditions in the camp, really an arcology, which includes the menagerie of alien species the humans rub shoulders with daily, were particularly good at first, but not as interesting as in the first book. They've become familiar. The Carryx and Deathless Enemy spaceships were remarkably bland due to superior technology. The single, Earth-like alien planet visited was likewise nondescript.
In general, there was less effort put into worldbuilding than in the first book. Not much new to the series was introduced.
Summary
I started this series with mixed expectations. It's been better than I expected. It had a good beginning. This middle book sets up the scenery and plot needed to reach the final book of the trilogy, though it's not without its surprises.
Middle books are hard. In a trilogy, they have to be read before you can get to the end. This one was "Good". It introduced new plot lines and tied off a few from the first book. There were a few surprises. It was also not as immersive in its worldbuilding as the first book.
This series and this book are better than the author's The Expanse. It's more sophisticated and better written. And, as only a trilogy, it's barely within my threshold of pain for serial fiction.
However, I am apprehensive about the media advertising of this series. It is already being talked about as a future television series, like its predecessor The Expanse. For the Expanse book series, the TV series was a disaster for the books. The authors were producers and money talks; books experienced publishing delays, and their quality suffered. I'm hoping The Captive's War #3 is mostly written before its TV show's scripting begins, if it hasn't already.
This story was well-written, somewhat gritty, semi-hard science fiction. It was one of the better books I've read this year. However, its serial fiction. It was also not as remarkable as the first book in the series or even the Livesuit novella. I'm prepared to be patient and wait for the final book.
April 28, 2026
Good science fiction, maintains the level of the previous novel. Looking forward to reading the novella pending publication during 2026.
April 23, 2026
Hey Siri, play My Mistake by Steve Lacy, as I return this to Audible and beg for my credit back.
March 26, 2026
I loved everything about this - the character development, the multiple POVs (including the POV of the oppressors), and the scientific elements. I found this to be an excellent continuation of book one. This book serves to widen the scope of the story and gives the reader some hints and Easter eggs. There’s something so brilliant about giving the reader insider knowledge that the characters themselves have yet to discover. The hierarchies, the secrets, and the fight for survival amongst a terrifying regime of aliens had me on the edge of my seat. It’s rare to find a book in which I care greatly and equally about all of the POVs. Cannot wait to get my hands on whatever is next for this series, whether it be a novella or book 3!! A huge thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.
January 1, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read in advance for an honest review.
I’ll preface with this: I was not the biggest fan of the first book in this series, Mercy of the Gods. It’s not a bad book by any means, it just wasn’t completely for me and I ventured into The Faith of the Beasts to see if things would work better for me, personally.
They did not. Again, not a bad read here; it’s just not for me.
The worldbuilding is still excellent. There’s a lot to keep track of as the story progresses. I started to get invested overall late in the read, but not enough in the characters. It just took too long for me to really care to continue with the series beyond this book.
There’s an audience out there that will eat this up. Fans of the authors and the expansive sci-fi genre should give it a try.
I’ll preface with this: I was not the biggest fan of the first book in this series, Mercy of the Gods. It’s not a bad book by any means, it just wasn’t completely for me and I ventured into The Faith of the Beasts to see if things would work better for me, personally.
They did not. Again, not a bad read here; it’s just not for me.
The worldbuilding is still excellent. There’s a lot to keep track of as the story progresses. I started to get invested overall late in the read, but not enough in the characters. It just took too long for me to really care to continue with the series beyond this book.
There’s an audience out there that will eat this up. Fans of the authors and the expansive sci-fi genre should give it a try.
April 21, 2026
Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck have delivered another scintillating entry in the Captive's War series. The only reason to not go out and read these yesterday is that waiting another 1-2 years for the conclusion is going to be painful.
That being said, they aren't too long and read like butter, so rereading or listening again to Jefferson Mays' incredible audio narration won't be painful to do to catch up on things before the finale. I really need to know what happens next though so please be quick James S.A. Corey!
This middle book catches up with events not too long after the end of book 1, and man does it just hit the ground running. It feels like a major event or revelation occurs within almost every chapter, though there's not much action and they do switch up the pacing every now and then with some quieter scenes that do heavy lifting on the character and theme development front.
The meat of these books though is the extraordinarily tense macro plot of the larger galactic war our human POVs find themselves caught in the middle of, and the unbelievably engaging alien/creature worldbuilding on display around every corner. As our human POVs split up this time, we rotate through some suspenseful smaller plot arcs that together fold neatly into the larger one.
This is such a streamlined and efficiently told series, yet one that still manages to feel grounded in real people's experiences. It may not be what I'd recommend turning to if you want to go for deeply character driven sci-fi (there's Vorkosigan for that!), but I find I care deeply about this group and feel the larger stakes because the characters also feel real and three dimensional.
I just can't praise what Abraham and Franck are doing here enough -- just an incredibly well-rounded and thrilling set of space opera books so far that's setting up an explosive finale I need in my hands immediately.
That being said, they aren't too long and read like butter, so rereading or listening again to Jefferson Mays' incredible audio narration won't be painful to do to catch up on things before the finale. I really need to know what happens next though so please be quick James S.A. Corey!
This middle book catches up with events not too long after the end of book 1, and man does it just hit the ground running. It feels like a major event or revelation occurs within almost every chapter, though there's not much action and they do switch up the pacing every now and then with some quieter scenes that do heavy lifting on the character and theme development front.
The meat of these books though is the extraordinarily tense macro plot of the larger galactic war our human POVs find themselves caught in the middle of, and the unbelievably engaging alien/creature worldbuilding on display around every corner. As our human POVs split up this time, we rotate through some suspenseful smaller plot arcs that together fold neatly into the larger one.
This is such a streamlined and efficiently told series, yet one that still manages to feel grounded in real people's experiences. It may not be what I'd recommend turning to if you want to go for deeply character driven sci-fi (there's Vorkosigan for that!), but I find I care deeply about this group and feel the larger stakes because the characters also feel real and three dimensional.
I just can't praise what Abraham and Franck are doing here enough -- just an incredibly well-rounded and thrilling set of space opera books so far that's setting up an explosive finale I need in my hands immediately.
April 28, 2026
Book 2 of the The Captive’s War trilogy, “The Faith of Beasts” continues the struggles of the human scientists and other elites of the world of Anjiin as they now live under the “thumb” of the Carryx. The first book (“The Mercy of Gods”), while not as good as James SA Corey’s The Expanse, was still an intriguing look at an alien empire in a story that felt like a life-or-death version of academics fighting for tenure and grant money. The preceding novella (“Livesuit”) was more along the lines of traditional military science-fiction and focusing on the Carryx’s “deathless enemy” and debates about when/where individuality ends and technology starts. The Faith of Beasts represents a merging of the two previous types of stories and feels like Corey has really found their groove with The Captive's War.
As always Corey excels with the world building of their universes and this book is no exception. We get more details about the Carryx and why it won’t be so easy for the humans to simply just kill their leader and expect their captors to fall while Anjiin is freed. Besides that, I thought it was a nice plot twist that there’s other alien conspiracies against their Carryx overlords besides humanity’s and trying to maintain the secrecy of communication between those species led to a potential alliance even with the cost of a major human character's death to keep that secret. So a lot of good lore development on the Carryx front. Meanwhile, I appreciated that Corey wasted no time bringing people, both the readers and the Anjiin humans up to speed with the reveal from Livesuit about the true nature of the Carryx’s enemies. It led to some more intriguing developments and interactions from the Anjiin contingent and their “new” allies against the Carryx. I likewise liked the reveal that the deathless enemy being more complicated than just what is presented at first and it ties into both Livesuit’s final reveal about the titular technology and shows that the enemy is more similar to the Carryx and the Carryx's treatment of slave species than the enemy would care to admit. Based on how I’m gushing about this all, there’s a lot of great developments here in the book.
Besides the plot developments, The Faith of Beasts also shows Corey doing fantastic character work as always. Dafyd once again is a compelling “protagonist” as we see him struggling to take on the responsibility of keeping humanity safe, carrying out the Carryx’s orders, planning a secret revolt, etc all while being demonized by those outside his inner circle. It certainly makes him much more compelling than Jim Holden’s rather vanilla heroism in The Expanse. Jessyn’s arc meanwhile was another great continuation of her mental health struggles and transformation into a warrior from last book especially as she continues with both as well as makes the first connection to the deathless enemy. Finally, while not technically human, “The Swarm” is a great exploration of identity and the struggles of something not human becoming an individual human in this crazy world, leading to a lot of fascinating ethical questions about that self-discovery and its role in the war. This ties into some of the best character work of The Captive’s War, namely how these truly alien aliens still are written so well they still come off as human in their own ways. Much like how the humans of the book tried anthropomorphizing the Carryx and servant species, a reader can’t help but do the same. Obviously disgusted as the individual Carryx try to climb the hierarchy/look down at the humans. Satisfaction as Jessyn finally gets one over the haughty and controlling Sinen, Third Gardner. And love when the new giant slug alien (Vaudai) and the hilarity of its translations when bonding with the humans (sorry “sticks-with-meat-on-it”) it encounters. So yeah kudos for Corey for generating these emotions when reading about these creatures.
So lore and character work are as great as always with Corey at the helm. There’s of course always greatly written passages as well where Corey really explores compelling topics and points out how human nature and realistic issues that arise in fantastical situations. For instance the human captives see the problems with how they being “the elite” of Anjiin that were kidnapped and brought to this alien world has drawbacks namely most are older/no longer child-rearing age, they previously had “unremarkable” people supporting them with mundane everyday chores while the elites could excel in their fields, and how some elites' skills in something like art doesn’t always translate well to blue collar work in their new existence (although sometimes something like dance came into use deciphering alien body language). Content like that makes a reader feel smart just by reading it a paragraph after hearing about alien social-structures.
I’m biased because of my previous affinity for The Expanse, but even without that “The Faith of Beasts” demonstrates once again James S.A. Corey is perhaps the best science fiction creative team working today. Novella 2 and Book 3 can’t get here soon enough.
As always Corey excels with the world building of their universes and this book is no exception. We get more details about the Carryx and why it won’t be so easy for the humans to simply just kill their leader and expect their captors to fall while Anjiin is freed. Besides that, I thought it was a nice plot twist that there’s other alien conspiracies against their Carryx overlords besides humanity’s and trying to maintain the secrecy of communication between those species led to a potential alliance even with the cost of a major human character's death to keep that secret. So a lot of good lore development on the Carryx front. Meanwhile, I appreciated that Corey wasted no time bringing people, both the readers and the Anjiin humans up to speed with the reveal from Livesuit about the true nature of the Carryx’s enemies. It led to some more intriguing developments and interactions from the Anjiin contingent and their “new” allies against the Carryx. I likewise liked the reveal that the deathless enemy being more complicated than just what is presented at first and it ties into both Livesuit’s final reveal about the titular technology and shows that the enemy is more similar to the Carryx and the Carryx's treatment of slave species than the enemy would care to admit. Based on how I’m gushing about this all, there’s a lot of great developments here in the book.
Besides the plot developments, The Faith of Beasts also shows Corey doing fantastic character work as always. Dafyd once again is a compelling “protagonist” as we see him struggling to take on the responsibility of keeping humanity safe, carrying out the Carryx’s orders, planning a secret revolt, etc all while being demonized by those outside his inner circle. It certainly makes him much more compelling than Jim Holden’s rather vanilla heroism in The Expanse. Jessyn’s arc meanwhile was another great continuation of her mental health struggles and transformation into a warrior from last book especially as she continues with both as well as makes the first connection to the deathless enemy. Finally, while not technically human, “The Swarm” is a great exploration of identity and the struggles of something not human becoming an individual human in this crazy world, leading to a lot of fascinating ethical questions about that self-discovery and its role in the war. This ties into some of the best character work of The Captive’s War, namely how these truly alien aliens still are written so well they still come off as human in their own ways. Much like how the humans of the book tried anthropomorphizing the Carryx and servant species, a reader can’t help but do the same. Obviously disgusted as the individual Carryx try to climb the hierarchy/look down at the humans. Satisfaction as Jessyn finally gets one over the haughty and controlling Sinen, Third Gardner. And love when the new giant slug alien (Vaudai) and the hilarity of its translations when bonding with the humans (sorry “sticks-with-meat-on-it”) it encounters. So yeah kudos for Corey for generating these emotions when reading about these creatures.
So lore and character work are as great as always with Corey at the helm. There’s of course always greatly written passages as well where Corey really explores compelling topics and points out how human nature and realistic issues that arise in fantastical situations. For instance the human captives see the problems with how they being “the elite” of Anjiin that were kidnapped and brought to this alien world has drawbacks namely most are older/no longer child-rearing age, they previously had “unremarkable” people supporting them with mundane everyday chores while the elites could excel in their fields, and how some elites' skills in something like art doesn’t always translate well to blue collar work in their new existence (although sometimes something like dance came into use deciphering alien body language). Content like that makes a reader feel smart just by reading it a paragraph after hearing about alien social-structures.
I’m biased because of my previous affinity for The Expanse, but even without that “The Faith of Beasts” demonstrates once again James S.A. Corey is perhaps the best science fiction creative team working today. Novella 2 and Book 3 can’t get here soon enough.
April 1, 2026
It absolutely breaks my heart to say this but this was a DNF for me. I adored the Expanse series. And even the first book in the Captive’s War series, Mercy of Gods was good, even if it was a slower burn. The Faith of Beasts lacked the depth and vitality that Corey brought to the Expanse series. The cast of characters is long, and keeping track of who was what got dizzying. Then you add in all the species, and I was so lost. Every time I picked it up I felt like I had to reorient myself for a chapter or two. The writing is great, but the connection to the characters and plot is not there. This might be a “me” problem. This book is probably smarter than I am. And that is okay. I want to love it. I want to dive in and live in it as I’m reading it. Unfortunately, that spark was just not there.
Faith of Beasts hits shelves April 14.
Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Faith of Beasts hits shelves April 14.
Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 16, 2026
I'm playing it safe with this rating because despite the rocky start where I had to reorient myself, remember what had happened and where things left off -- in a very alien (hah) and complex world with all the associated circumstances -- for the most part.. once I got in it, and stayed in it, I was boogeying along. When I set this down, which I did for nearly a week, I didn't think of it. And even when I'm in it, I asked myself : am I enjoying this? Do I actually "get" it? And the answer to both is probably no but part of me is interested despite it all.
This is far and away from a lot of the sci-fi I've read and the alienness of it all, the various species and cultures and languages, the having to create all the things the humans need more or less from scratch, it's all very.. well, alien. This isn't a space opera in the sense of exploration or battles or politics. This is surviving once subjugated, around other species likewise subjugated, whilst also maybe trying to get a rebellion going.. to try and overthrow and seemingly impossible to overthrow overlord.
And in that vein there were some interesting little bits, commentary if you will, which echo and comment eerily to our own reality. Which, hey, not very uplifting all things considered but also not surprising as it's not like sci-fi hasn't been used as a mirror before.
Now that we know this is a trilogy, and now we can see the shifting groundwork being laid, I'm expecting this to finish with a big splash. I want to see the take down, what that means for the humans and species left after all is said and done (I mean, assuming they win..), and whether there's a bigger picture still to be revealed. Or whether the point of this is just to reflect on how history remembers those who sacrificed for the good of all.
Looking forward to finding out.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
This is far and away from a lot of the sci-fi I've read and the alienness of it all, the various species and cultures and languages, the having to create all the things the humans need more or less from scratch, it's all very.. well, alien. This isn't a space opera in the sense of exploration or battles or politics. This is surviving once subjugated, around other species likewise subjugated, whilst also maybe trying to get a rebellion going.. to try and overthrow and seemingly impossible to overthrow overlord.
And in that vein there were some interesting little bits, commentary if you will, which echo and comment eerily to our own reality. Which, hey, not very uplifting all things considered but also not surprising as it's not like sci-fi hasn't been used as a mirror before.
Now that we know this is a trilogy, and now we can see the shifting groundwork being laid, I'm expecting this to finish with a big splash. I want to see the take down, what that means for the humans and species left after all is said and done (I mean, assuming they win..), and whether there's a bigger picture still to be revealed. Or whether the point of this is just to reflect on how history remembers those who sacrificed for the good of all.
Looking forward to finding out.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
April 26, 2026
Audiobook (14 hours) narrated by Jefferson Mays
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
Award winning Jefferson Mays continues with the narration of this book.
I speak more in depth about his narration of this series in my review of the first book of this series, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This, the second book of a new spinoff series by James S.A. Corey, is a complete disappointment.
I started the book on the 17th, and it took me 9 full days to finish, including pausing and reading other books in the pauses to try and give myself space to get back into it.
I was very much into the first book of the series, The Mercy of Gods, rating it a four stars and giving it some glowing comparisons to one of my favorite of all time authors. Unfortunately this one was a slog.
It wasn't until the 50% mark that things started to pull together and I thought I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That light ended up being random sparks that would ignite here and there, glimmer, and quickly fizz out.
I poked through some of the reviews in preparation of this one and was shocked at how many DNF's that there are with such a high overall GR rating. Many of the DNF's that I ran into had a rating of 3 stars. This also shocked me as a 3 star read for me is an enjoyable book, and while people do rate things differently, when I hover over the ratings 3 is I liked it, 2 is it was ok, 1 is did not like it.
One of the reasons that I like when readers rate DNF books is because generally readers will rate them a 1 or 2, depending on how far they got into the book and the reasons for the dislike. Anecdotally 1's are generally bad writing, bad grammar, bad editing or something structurally significant, where a 2 may be that the writing is a bit off or perfectly fine but it's just not my taste. I tend to rate like this if there are parts that I personally want to see in the books that I like or if the book isn't hitting for me but is otherwise perfectly OK.
I think that the 3 stars is a nod to the author and a show of respect for the original series that this one comes from. Fans seem to be saying, this isn't it but this author is awesome overall. I think that is telling and is why I am likely going to take a look at the Expanse series, but I will not be moving forward on this one, as i did not like it.
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
Award winning Jefferson Mays continues with the narration of this book.
I speak more in depth about his narration of this series in my review of the first book of this series, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This, the second book of a new spinoff series by James S.A. Corey, is a complete disappointment.
I started the book on the 17th, and it took me 9 full days to finish, including pausing and reading other books in the pauses to try and give myself space to get back into it.
I was very much into the first book of the series, The Mercy of Gods, rating it a four stars and giving it some glowing comparisons to one of my favorite of all time authors. Unfortunately this one was a slog.
It wasn't until the 50% mark that things started to pull together and I thought I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That light ended up being random sparks that would ignite here and there, glimmer, and quickly fizz out.
I poked through some of the reviews in preparation of this one and was shocked at how many DNF's that there are with such a high overall GR rating. Many of the DNF's that I ran into had a rating of 3 stars. This also shocked me as a 3 star read for me is an enjoyable book, and while people do rate things differently, when I hover over the ratings 3 is I liked it, 2 is it was ok, 1 is did not like it.
One of the reasons that I like when readers rate DNF books is because generally readers will rate them a 1 or 2, depending on how far they got into the book and the reasons for the dislike. Anecdotally 1's are generally bad writing, bad grammar, bad editing or something structurally significant, where a 2 may be that the writing is a bit off or perfectly fine but it's just not my taste. I tend to rate like this if there are parts that I personally want to see in the books that I like or if the book isn't hitting for me but is otherwise perfectly OK.
I think that the 3 stars is a nod to the author and a show of respect for the original series that this one comes from. Fans seem to be saying, this isn't it but this author is awesome overall. I think that is telling and is why I am likely going to take a look at the Expanse series, but I will not be moving forward on this one, as i did not like it.
April 22, 2026
Utterly disappointing. The good thing about a trilogy is that it HAS to be completed in three books, that lets you do something new in each installment. A fundamental test for any good trilogy is the second book, if the second book could have been a successful first book, that means the series is headed in the right direction. "The Faith of Beasts" would not be published if it were the first books, it does nothing, say nothing and goes nowhere, it makes the reader feel as if the story was actually only ever meant to be a duology, but a third book was added for padding.
The cast of character remains large and pointlessly dull and uninteresting, there is never enough time to actually care about anyone apart from Dafyd, no matter how much the authors try making you care about the Swarm, you will not. The plot for all of its interweaving is not complex, because it doesn't move. The book begins and ends at the same place, with only one revelation, which, to be honest, was never really a possible surprise. Wow, the Carryx aren't the TV version of the White Walkers where just killing the Sovran will topple the whole thing? Amazing idea, sure glad I read 500 pages of worldbuilding to find that out. For a series with novellas in-between installments, this could and should have been the novella.
The only reason I will read the final installment is out of sheer gamblers fallacy, might as well now, even though I am almost positive that the authors cannot bring this series to a satisfying conclusion, if they were, they wouldn't be pussyfooting about for 500 pages, stalling, instead of, you know, writing the damn story they made everyone who read book 1 that they had. It's getting more and more common these days that authors are just lying to their audiences, promising on stories they either can't or never even intended to deliver.
More pet peeves that continue from the previous book:
The naming of every character being some sci-fi jumble of syllables, no matter if they're human or alien, it sure is fun to have to remember a bunch of random sounds that may or may not be the name of an alien slug or just a plain human.
Lack of actual serious themes and emotions apart from baby's first veganism and possibly transsexualism arguments (the Swarm just had to transition from a man to a woman, but the plot couldn't progress you see).
Aliens don't feel distinct, the Carryx Empire doesn't feel large, the enemy is somehow supposed to be the ally of humanity because of reason? There is no real motivation behind any of what the human moiety is doing in its resistance. Also, no other species is resisting, only humans and the Soft Lothark, and even they're barely doing anything. For a sci-fi with a lot of aliens, only the humans seem free will and agency.
The cast of character remains large and pointlessly dull and uninteresting, there is never enough time to actually care about anyone apart from Dafyd, no matter how much the authors try making you care about the Swarm, you will not. The plot for all of its interweaving is not complex, because it doesn't move. The book begins and ends at the same place, with only one revelation, which, to be honest, was never really a possible surprise. Wow, the Carryx aren't the TV version of the White Walkers where just killing the Sovran will topple the whole thing? Amazing idea, sure glad I read 500 pages of worldbuilding to find that out. For a series with novellas in-between installments, this could and should have been the novella.
The only reason I will read the final installment is out of sheer gamblers fallacy, might as well now, even though I am almost positive that the authors cannot bring this series to a satisfying conclusion, if they were, they wouldn't be pussyfooting about for 500 pages, stalling, instead of, you know, writing the damn story they made everyone who read book 1 that they had. It's getting more and more common these days that authors are just lying to their audiences, promising on stories they either can't or never even intended to deliver.
More pet peeves that continue from the previous book:
The naming of every character being some sci-fi jumble of syllables, no matter if they're human or alien, it sure is fun to have to remember a bunch of random sounds that may or may not be the name of an alien slug or just a plain human.
Lack of actual serious themes and emotions apart from baby's first veganism and possibly transsexualism arguments (the Swarm just had to transition from a man to a woman, but the plot couldn't progress you see).
Aliens don't feel distinct, the Carryx Empire doesn't feel large, the enemy is somehow supposed to be the ally of humanity because of reason? There is no real motivation behind any of what the human moiety is doing in its resistance. Also, no other species is resisting, only humans and the Soft Lothark, and even they're barely doing anything. For a sci-fi with a lot of aliens, only the humans seem free will and agency.
May 6, 2026
It's a good second book.
It was well paced as I have come to expect from the writing of SAC and the various characters POV chopping and changing was about right.
Some thought provoking Sci-fi concepts were introduced and explained so even I could understand them.
There was some space travel, expeditions to new alien worlds and some time spent within the Human Moiety - Dafyd takes up the mantle of leader.
The Livesuit from 1.5 in the series made an appearance - of sorts.
There were a few deaths on the macro and micro level that served to surprise and shock me.
The Carryx are revealed in more detail, particularly their social structure.
More exposition of who Deathless Enemy were but leaving enough of the mystery for book three.
Good, fresh, speculative fiction - really enjoying it.
It was well paced as I have come to expect from the writing of SAC and the various characters POV chopping and changing was about right.
Some thought provoking Sci-fi concepts were introduced and explained so even I could understand them.
There was some space travel, expeditions to new alien worlds and some time spent within the Human Moiety - Dafyd takes up the mantle of leader.
The Livesuit from 1.5 in the series made an appearance - of sorts.
There were a few deaths on the macro and micro level that served to surprise and shock me.
The Carryx are revealed in more detail, particularly their social structure.
More exposition of who Deathless Enemy were but leaving enough of the mystery for book three.
Good, fresh, speculative fiction - really enjoying it.
April 30, 2026
Not a disappointment! A good story that moves along. And I’m happy that there is at least one more book in the series.
May 5, 2026
The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey is the second book in The Captive’s War trilogy, sequel to The Mercy of Gods. This novel is a space opera set in the far future where a group of humans from the planet Anjin have been captured by the powerful Carryx empire, and are forced to make themselves useful to the Carryx, or die. This is a very bleak story with characters that live under constant stress and trauma, forced to sit and watch while their friends are ruthlessly murdered by aliens. In James S.A. Corey’s usual fashion, the plot is tight and fast paced with a very accessible writing style, despite the heavy subject matter. The first novel, The Mercy of Gods, was a five-star read for me, an excellent novel overall, full of discovery and shock. In this follow up story, the novelty has worn off and the discovery aspect of the story does not quite reach the excitement level as the first book.
The story continues from the previous novel with the human moiety imprisoned in a Carryx world-palace. The subjector-librarian expects the humans to remain useful with plans for generations of captivity. The humans, led by Dafyd Alkhor, form a plan to create children using scientific methods rather than natural breeding. They also must continue to produce the scientific value that was established in the previous novel. They must remain useful to the Carryx. In this book, we follow a couple other characters who have been sent away from the world-palace to the front lines of the war against the deathless enemy, a way for the Carryx to see where humans might provide a use outside of the world-palace. We get the viewpoints of Campar, Rickar, and Jessyn, characters from book one. Unfortunately, the storylines are not overly compelling, and while we do get some more information about the deathless enemy and the war with the Carryx, there are not any major revelations in this book.
Not much overall happens in the plot of The Faith of Beasts. The book seems like a holdover and setting up of events for the third novel and conclusion to the trilogy. We do get some interesting character development from the swarm entity, but it’s unclear where the character and the story goes from here. To wrap up the story with one more book (and one more novella), James. S.A. Corey is going to have to do some major heavy lifting. Since not much happens in this middle book, it’s not clear what resolution we will get from book three, or how it’s going to resolve. Will the Carryx be defeated? Or will humanity remain in captivity forever?
The Faith of Beasts suffers big time from middle book syndrome, not enough happens to move the plot forward and the storylines weren’t as compelling. The worldbuilding is still interesting, and I do want to know what happens next, but this book was a bit disappointing. The bleakness of the novel needs some hope and optimism to counteract that, but we get none of that, and it’s not clear how humanity will defeat the Carryx, or even if they will.
The story continues from the previous novel with the human moiety imprisoned in a Carryx world-palace. The subjector-librarian expects the humans to remain useful with plans for generations of captivity. The humans, led by Dafyd Alkhor, form a plan to create children using scientific methods rather than natural breeding. They also must continue to produce the scientific value that was established in the previous novel. They must remain useful to the Carryx. In this book, we follow a couple other characters who have been sent away from the world-palace to the front lines of the war against the deathless enemy, a way for the Carryx to see where humans might provide a use outside of the world-palace. We get the viewpoints of Campar, Rickar, and Jessyn, characters from book one. Unfortunately, the storylines are not overly compelling, and while we do get some more information about the deathless enemy and the war with the Carryx, there are not any major revelations in this book.
Not much overall happens in the plot of The Faith of Beasts. The book seems like a holdover and setting up of events for the third novel and conclusion to the trilogy. We do get some interesting character development from the swarm entity, but it’s unclear where the character and the story goes from here. To wrap up the story with one more book (and one more novella), James. S.A. Corey is going to have to do some major heavy lifting. Since not much happens in this middle book, it’s not clear what resolution we will get from book three, or how it’s going to resolve. Will the Carryx be defeated? Or will humanity remain in captivity forever?
The Faith of Beasts suffers big time from middle book syndrome, not enough happens to move the plot forward and the storylines weren’t as compelling. The worldbuilding is still interesting, and I do want to know what happens next, but this book was a bit disappointing. The bleakness of the novel needs some hope and optimism to counteract that, but we get none of that, and it’s not clear how humanity will defeat the Carryx, or even if they will.
April 29, 2026
I struggle to write about this book without spoilers and I don’t really want to. So this is very brief.
Very good sequel to a fabulous first book.
The Swarm is my favourite character. Great journey.
Dafyd is a poor bastard. He can’t win.
Great alien aliens.
Sorry, that‘s it. You will just have to read it yourself. Now the long wait for the next book. Planned as a trilogy, so far… I wouldn‘t mind reading another few books in this world, I‘m in this for the long haul. Space opera at its best, indeed!
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
Very good sequel to a fabulous first book.
The Swarm is my favourite character. Great journey.
Dafyd is a poor bastard. He can’t win.
Great alien aliens.
Sorry, that‘s it. You will just have to read it yourself. Now the long wait for the next book. Planned as a trilogy, so far… I wouldn‘t mind reading another few books in this world, I‘m in this for the long haul. Space opera at its best, indeed!
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
dreaded-dnf
April 23, 2026I keep having to "rewind" this audio because I lose track of who is who and a lot of new characters were introduced. I'm setting his aside for now. Maybe I'll try again at another time, but for now I am DNFing and moving on.
April 16, 2026
I really enjoy what these books are about; they are full of interesting ideas about culture and social structure, all punctuated with some really great scenes. That said, I don't particularly like the way the narrative is told. None of the characters are terribly compelling and while they provide the necessary variety of POVs to get the scope of the narrative, I truly don't care about any of them. Finally, the pacing has not built to a satisfying climax in either novel. I feel compelled to read the next entries to know what happens but I'm not excited to turn the pages.
April 29, 2026
I am honestly at a bit of a loss for words. I still had hopes for this even after a weak book one, but I remain so disappointed.
This series feels like the authors first work together, not something they wrote after The Expanse. The story IS interesting. It has the pieces to make something great but the overall picture isn't clicking for me. It just isn't written with the level of care and detail I expected. And it fails on some of the things The Expanse absolutely excelled at. Which is baffling to me considering this came after.
The characters.. I know I should judge it on its own and not compare it to The Expanse, but I just can't help it. Yes it's doing something different but when I know the authors can do something so well, I have to remark on it. The Expanse cast is phenomenal. They wrote a 9 book series with characters that all felt unique, had amazing arcs, while at the same time developing that universe expertly. It had an overarching plot, but every book was a satisfying read on its own.
The Captive's War by comparison, is just filled with characters I don't give a single shit about. They are boring and no one is memorable. And the feeling these two books gave me when I finished them was, is that it? Like a TV series with a short 8 episode season, ending after what feels like only half of it.
I also don't understand why this is only a trilogy, with such short installments too? This was supposed to be a space opera on a much larger scale than Expanse, and I guess it is, yet this just feels rushed. You're told of this massive conflict but our POV of it is extremely limited.
If this was given The Expanse treatment the entirety of book one would have focused on Anjiin, made you care about the characters and their world, and ended with the climax of the Carryx invasion. Instead that happened in the first 50-100 pages if I recall correctly. Insanely rushed if you ask me.
I'm still invested enough to read the final book. Going to keep my expectations in check for that one though.
This series feels like the authors first work together, not something they wrote after The Expanse. The story IS interesting. It has the pieces to make something great but the overall picture isn't clicking for me. It just isn't written with the level of care and detail I expected. And it fails on some of the things The Expanse absolutely excelled at. Which is baffling to me considering this came after.
The characters.. I know I should judge it on its own and not compare it to The Expanse, but I just can't help it. Yes it's doing something different but when I know the authors can do something so well, I have to remark on it. The Expanse cast is phenomenal. They wrote a 9 book series with characters that all felt unique, had amazing arcs, while at the same time developing that universe expertly. It had an overarching plot, but every book was a satisfying read on its own.
The Captive's War by comparison, is just filled with characters I don't give a single shit about. They are boring and no one is memorable. And the feeling these two books gave me when I finished them was, is that it? Like a TV series with a short 8 episode season, ending after what feels like only half of it.
I also don't understand why this is only a trilogy, with such short installments too? This was supposed to be a space opera on a much larger scale than Expanse, and I guess it is, yet this just feels rushed. You're told of this massive conflict but our POV of it is extremely limited.
If this was given The Expanse treatment the entirety of book one would have focused on Anjiin, made you care about the characters and their world, and ended with the climax of the Carryx invasion. Instead that happened in the first 50-100 pages if I recall correctly. Insanely rushed if you ask me.
I'm still invested enough to read the final book. Going to keep my expectations in check for that one though.
2-kindle-tbr
April 26, 2026I'm not in the mood for this. DNF @ 5%, but I'll be coming back to this one later.
April 21, 2026
So much more lore, history, and SWARM from book 1 really enjoyed how the novella also tied in with book 2.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When faced with submission or annihilation, which do you choose?
Such is the question posed by James S.A. Corey's "The Faith of Beasts," the sequel to "The Mercy of Gods." And although this novel is an improvement over the previous one, many of the same frustrating flaws remain.
The first, and by far biggest issue, are the characters. Unlike their "The Expanse" series, which was absolutely chock-full of entertaining, diverse characters so well-written, a reader could pick them out with a single line of dialogue, no one stands out in these new books. They're all given subtle character traits, but none of them pop or become someone I have any emotional attachment to, which makes it difficult for me to get invested.
My other main issue is the way the authors portray the multitude of alien races that are part of this vast hegemony that is conquering the galaxy - in short, they're absolutely underdeveloped and, quite honestly, boring. I found it distracting how every species is described simply as being either a cross between two Earth species, or as appearing similar to one. It strikes me as being lazy and unimaginative, and I can point out dozens of sci-fi novels that have handled their development of alien cultures so much better.
Where this novel does improve is in splitting the characters and putting them in different situations. It helps with the pacing, even if the novel's central mystery was already revealed in a previous novella, "Livesuit," which puts readers in the position of waiting for the characters to catch up to what we already know. And by the end, we're not much farther along than we were at the end of the first book - and with only one book left, I can't imagine how these authors will pull off a satisfying ending. It feels like the story has barely gotten started, even though it's 2/3 of the way through.
Special thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Such is the question posed by James S.A. Corey's "The Faith of Beasts," the sequel to "The Mercy of Gods." And although this novel is an improvement over the previous one, many of the same frustrating flaws remain.
The first, and by far biggest issue, are the characters. Unlike their "The Expanse" series, which was absolutely chock-full of entertaining, diverse characters so well-written, a reader could pick them out with a single line of dialogue, no one stands out in these new books. They're all given subtle character traits, but none of them pop or become someone I have any emotional attachment to, which makes it difficult for me to get invested.
My other main issue is the way the authors portray the multitude of alien races that are part of this vast hegemony that is conquering the galaxy - in short, they're absolutely underdeveloped and, quite honestly, boring. I found it distracting how every species is described simply as being either a cross between two Earth species, or as appearing similar to one. It strikes me as being lazy and unimaginative, and I can point out dozens of sci-fi novels that have handled their development of alien cultures so much better.
Where this novel does improve is in splitting the characters and putting them in different situations. It helps with the pacing, even if the novel's central mystery was already revealed in a previous novella, "Livesuit," which puts readers in the position of waiting for the characters to catch up to what we already know. And by the end, we're not much farther along than we were at the end of the first book - and with only one book left, I can't imagine how these authors will pull off a satisfying ending. It feels like the story has barely gotten started, even though it's 2/3 of the way through.
Special thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
April 15, 2026
The Faith of Beast (Captive’s War #2) by James S.A. Corey — 4/5 ⭐️
A brutal, ambitious, and wildly imaginative continuation of a series that’s shaping up to be one of Corey’s most fascinating post‑Expanse projects. This second installment deepens everything—worldbuilding, character psychology, political tension—and you can feel it loading the spring for a massive Book 3 payoff. And yes, wanting that next book right now is the only reasonable reaction.
The Faith of Beast takes the already-harrowing premise of The Mercy of Gods and pushes it into even darker, stranger, and more morally tangled territory. Corey’s signature strengths—razor-sharp character work, layered political systems, and alien cultures that feel truly alien—are all on full display, but here they’re dialed up with a kind of cold, operatic intensity.
Dafyd Alkhor remains one of the most compellingly conflicted protagonists Corey has ever written. He’s feared, hated, indispensable, and quietly dangerous in ways even he doesn’t fully understand. Watching him navigate the Carryx war machine—half survivor, half strategist, half potential traitor—is gripping. His arc here feels like a slow, deliberate tightening of screws, reshaping not just his loyalties but the very definition of what it means to be human under empire.
Then there’s the Swarm, whose chapters are some of the book’s most unsettling and fascinating. Its mission is simple—destroy the Carryx from within—but its growing entanglement with humanity adds a tragic, almost poetic layer. The longer it lives among humans, the more it becomes something new, something uncertain. That tension—identity vs. purpose, evolution vs. programming—gives the book a haunting emotional core.
The Carryx empire itself expands in terrifying scale. Corey’s worldbuilding is dense, textured, and unflinching. Every new revelation about the empire’s structure, its rituals, its hidden history, feels like a puzzle piece snapping into place… and hinting at an even bigger, more dangerous picture.
By the time the humans begin to scatter across the empire’s battlefronts, the stakes feel enormous. The desperation is palpable. And the secrets lurking beneath both the Carryx and their ancient enemy? Those are the kinds of reveals that make you sit up straighter.
This is a middle book that knows it’s a middle book—laying foundations, raising the emotional and political stakes, and setting the board for a finale that could be absolutely explosive.
A richly detailed, character-driven escalation of an already excellent series. The worldbuilding is phenomenal, the moral complexity is delicious, and the momentum toward Book 3 is undeniable. If Corey sticks the landing, Captive’s War could become one of their most impressive works outside The Expanse.
And yes—waiting for Book 3 is going to be agony.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
A brutal, ambitious, and wildly imaginative continuation of a series that’s shaping up to be one of Corey’s most fascinating post‑Expanse projects. This second installment deepens everything—worldbuilding, character psychology, political tension—and you can feel it loading the spring for a massive Book 3 payoff. And yes, wanting that next book right now is the only reasonable reaction.
The Faith of Beast takes the already-harrowing premise of The Mercy of Gods and pushes it into even darker, stranger, and more morally tangled territory. Corey’s signature strengths—razor-sharp character work, layered political systems, and alien cultures that feel truly alien—are all on full display, but here they’re dialed up with a kind of cold, operatic intensity.
Dafyd Alkhor remains one of the most compellingly conflicted protagonists Corey has ever written. He’s feared, hated, indispensable, and quietly dangerous in ways even he doesn’t fully understand. Watching him navigate the Carryx war machine—half survivor, half strategist, half potential traitor—is gripping. His arc here feels like a slow, deliberate tightening of screws, reshaping not just his loyalties but the very definition of what it means to be human under empire.
Then there’s the Swarm, whose chapters are some of the book’s most unsettling and fascinating. Its mission is simple—destroy the Carryx from within—but its growing entanglement with humanity adds a tragic, almost poetic layer. The longer it lives among humans, the more it becomes something new, something uncertain. That tension—identity vs. purpose, evolution vs. programming—gives the book a haunting emotional core.
The Carryx empire itself expands in terrifying scale. Corey’s worldbuilding is dense, textured, and unflinching. Every new revelation about the empire’s structure, its rituals, its hidden history, feels like a puzzle piece snapping into place… and hinting at an even bigger, more dangerous picture.
By the time the humans begin to scatter across the empire’s battlefronts, the stakes feel enormous. The desperation is palpable. And the secrets lurking beneath both the Carryx and their ancient enemy? Those are the kinds of reveals that make you sit up straighter.
This is a middle book that knows it’s a middle book—laying foundations, raising the emotional and political stakes, and setting the board for a finale that could be absolutely explosive.
A richly detailed, character-driven escalation of an already excellent series. The worldbuilding is phenomenal, the moral complexity is delicious, and the momentum toward Book 3 is undeniable. If Corey sticks the landing, Captive’s War could become one of their most impressive works outside The Expanse.
And yes—waiting for Book 3 is going to be agony.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
April 30, 2026
3.5, rounding up
The Faith of Beasts continues the story of Dafyd and the other humans stolen by the Carryx from Anjin and subjugated for their use. The group from the first book is split up with Dafyd continuing to the be the go-between the humans and Carryx and a few others off on different missions for the alien overlords. Those remaining on the World Palace are combined with the rest of the surviving humans to create a new self-sustaining society. One of the things I really liked about this grouping all humans together was seeing which people the Carryx took from Anjin, because it wasn't all scientists. I like how they had to figure out what to do with everyone and what the needs of a society at large are and how to make it function while maintaining their duty to their new rulers, if you will. I also really liked how there were several of the humans who fought as hard as they could to keep things important to humans but not necessarily the Carryx and while it didn't always work out exactly for the humans, I love that spark of fight - even if some of the people were clearly not understanding their current situation lol
The book continues with multiple POVs, including the Research Librarian's which gives us insight into the inner workings and minds of the Carryx. I typically found these sections a little boring but they are important.
Jessyn and Campar's POVs really stuck out to me. They both were sent out on missions for the Carryx and let's just say they had the most interesting times. They learned a lot and experienced some dramaaaaa.
Overall, this is definitely a set up book for the final, so it was a lot slower. Much of it was spent on the peeps from Anjin learning what we did from Livesuit so it didn't FEEL like much progress was made, but there was. The groups is starting to be able to understand the broader war and the Carryx as a whole as puzzle pieces are starting to be put into place for what is going to come in book 3. I'm not sure how given where we left things here it can all be resolved in just one more book (and 1-2 novellas), but I'm super interested to see how.
The Faith of Beasts continues the story of Dafyd and the other humans stolen by the Carryx from Anjin and subjugated for their use. The group from the first book is split up with Dafyd continuing to the be the go-between the humans and Carryx and a few others off on different missions for the alien overlords. Those remaining on the World Palace are combined with the rest of the surviving humans to create a new self-sustaining society. One of the things I really liked about this grouping all humans together was seeing which people the Carryx took from Anjin, because it wasn't all scientists. I like how they had to figure out what to do with everyone and what the needs of a society at large are and how to make it function while maintaining their duty to their new rulers, if you will. I also really liked how there were several of the humans who fought as hard as they could to keep things important to humans but not necessarily the Carryx and while it didn't always work out exactly for the humans, I love that spark of fight - even if some of the people were clearly not understanding their current situation lol
The book continues with multiple POVs, including the Research Librarian's which gives us insight into the inner workings and minds of the Carryx. I typically found these sections a little boring but they are important.
Jessyn and Campar's POVs really stuck out to me. They both were sent out on missions for the Carryx and let's just say they had the most interesting times. They learned a lot and experienced some dramaaaaa.
Overall, this is definitely a set up book for the final, so it was a lot slower. Much of it was spent on the peeps from Anjin learning what we did from Livesuit so it didn't FEEL like much progress was made, but there was. The groups is starting to be able to understand the broader war and the Carryx as a whole as puzzle pieces are starting to be put into place for what is going to come in book 3. I'm not sure how given where we left things here it can all be resolved in just one more book (and 1-2 novellas), but I'm super interested to see how.
April 30, 2026
what if humans are the real monsters.... nah, on second thought it might be the Murderous Enslavement Lobsters
I adore how creative the myriad alien species are, especially the Carryx and their (at first) inscrutable philosophy. Everything to do with the Swarm is top notch, their journey is so damn tragic and interesting. Definitely my favourite character, and there are some tough contenders. It's a major feat keeping Dafyd sympathetic while watching him slowly damning his soul.
The only downside I can think of is that I have to wait another 2 years for more. This is why you wait until a series is fully published before picking it up -_-
I adore how creative the myriad alien species are, especially the Carryx and their (at first) inscrutable philosophy. Everything to do with the Swarm is top notch, their journey is so damn tragic and interesting. Definitely my favourite character, and there are some tough contenders. It's a major feat keeping Dafyd sympathetic while watching him slowly damning his soul.
The only downside I can think of is that I have to wait another 2 years for more. This is why you wait until a series is fully published before picking it up -_-
April 21, 2026
This series is fascinating. Nothing happenss but everything happened. The story moves forward on strings of small moments.
Jefferson Mays delivers an outstanding narration.
Jefferson Mays delivers an outstanding narration.
April 25, 2026
All I can say is when book 3 comes out the shit’s 💩gonna really hit the fan🪭
Anticipation is making me wait🎶🎶🎶🎶
Anticipation is making me wait🎶🎶🎶🎶
April 29, 2026
The beasts are us, right?
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