The Not a Book Club Club discussion

Section 1

Please keep all discussion and speculation to the events of Prologue, Chapters 1-12.

No spoiler tags required. Though it would be highly appreciated if you Uncheck Add to my Update Feed to avoid accidentally spoiling things for your good read friends.

Please do not discuss events from later sections/books. Referring back to events from a previous book is fine.

So I'm on like chapter 8 or 9, although most of this is relevant to first few chapters.


Did anyone else know they were going to do a time jump?

I'm a little unclear how much time has passed since Babylon's Ashes.

In the prologue, I think they said it's been 3 decades since the colony was founded, but that happened BEFORE the end of Babylon's ashes iirc.

In the other chapters they say "decades" a few times, so I feel like it's been 20-30 years since the last book.

Did they kill Avasarala from old age in between books!? Or maybe she was already dead in the last book and I just forgot!?

Also I want those 20-30 years of Bobbie with the Rocinate crew!!



This is more relevant to the later chapters

Holden and Naomi are leaving!? I'm hoping events that seem to be in motion will stop that, at least for this book..

Yeah I'm not clear about time either. Some of that is because I do NOT want decades to have passed without me seeing them! Grrrr.... It talked a little about Amos aging also =(

Hmmm.....and it mentioned Alex and a failed marriage and a kid that was great and still a kid. I'm trying to remember if that was in the last book - if so, maybe not as much time passed as we're thinking.

Avasarala wasn't dead in the last book, and I sure hope we find out what happened to her/where she is.

Anyway, I'm loving it so far, mixed with some mourning over time passed.

Alex wasn't seeing anyone let alone married in the last book. I think they said his kid was going off to college or the equivalent which probably means at least 18 years old.

Wow. Sigh - its not that I'm not enjoying the story but geez I feel like I've missed out.

Yeah. I'm enjoying it too, but I'm not happy about so much time lost either.

I was not expecting the 30 year leap (i think this was mentioned in the opening chapter, 3 decades after the war - on audio, and my Hardback gets delivered today (UK were a couple of days behind)). It took a while for it to register in my brain that these people i had followed for a while were getting on a bit now.

I suppose it was the only way forward based on the previous books, but i was hoping for about a 5 year jump.

Still, nice to be back in this world.

Based on where I am in the story, I can understand the need for so much time to pass. I guess if they want to finish the series in 9 books, they had to do it.

George R.R. Martin was considering a time jump (to age up Dany and the Stark kids) for Song of Ice and Fire, then changed his mind, and now things are dragging out IMHO.

I'll trust Dan and Ty to do what's best for the story. Maybe they'll do Novellas, or prequels down the line that takes place during the 30 year jump..

I agree, i trust them to deliver a story. I would rather have the 30 year gap and a satisfying story, than a rehashed story, but keeping the characters we knew.

However, would be nice to get some feedback on past characters if they are no longer around.

I agree that it gives them a nice period of time to create shorter fiction in (except we would know who would survive those stories).

Richard wrote: "However, would be nice to get some feedback on past characters if they are no longer around. "

I'm hopeful they'll do that at some point.

In addition to Avasarala, what about Pa? Or any of the other past POV characters?

There was a brief mention of Pa, but mostly in listing off past heads of the Union. It makes sense that she's no longer the president after 30 years, but what became of her?

So far we only know about the 6 people on the Rocinate and no one else.

Who is Drummer? Her name sounds familiar (but I'm terrible at names), and during one of her chapters she talks about missing Fred Johnson, so I guess she was in the OPA with him back before he died?

I assume she at least showed up in some of the past books and I simply don't remember her..

I had to do an internet search. She indeed has been in previous books. She was chief of security at Tycho station. Don't really remember her to be honest.

Ah OK. Thanks!

I was afraid to look her up in case of spoilers for this book.

Thanks for looking that up. I think it has helped me to manufacture vague memories of her.

drummer has an expanded role on the tv show, which always made me wonder if there was something larger coming for her in the books. there was!

Joe wrote: "drummer has an expanded role on the tv show, which always made me wonder if there was something larger coming for her in the books. there was!"

Good point

I didn't know there was a time jump until I read Rob's review. It would have been jarring if I hadn't know before that (thanks, Rob!). It's interesting to see everyone 30 years later but as others have said, I want to see Peaches and Bobbie as part of the crew longer.

This Laconia contingent is one heck of a threat. I'm getting some Star Wars vibes with the galactic republic and I like it. I also really liked the Mythbusters reference with Medina's main ship, the Tori Byron. Clearly Dan and Ty are fans, what with that ship name and Adam Savage showing up as an extra in the show.

You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the book!

I totally missed the Mythbusters reference. Nice catch. I think some of the other ship names have been easter eggs like that too.