Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey (3.5 stars)

The expanse series continues. This one is pretty much a holding pattern for the protomolecule story, in favour of following the human war of everyone vs. the Free Navy. This storyline is OK and has some interesting thought experiments about space warfare tactics like this one:

If Earth hunkered down and rebuilt, it would take them years to get back to where Ceres had been, pinning them to the station like insects against a board. If Earth chased and attacked the Free Navy, they would be firing on ships carrying refugees. If they abandoned the station, millions of Belters would die under their care and push anyone still sympathetic to the old ways toward the new. Anything they did would be a victory for the Free Navy. They couldn’t win. That was Marco’s genius.

But overall it felt pretty meh. The number of POVs explodes and I didn't care about most of them. The continuation of the Rocinante being at the absolute center of all the action was perhaps necessary for the plot, but it was delivered in such an implausible way as to be grating. Lets bet the outcome of the war on a secret mission that must stay low profile from the enemy for it to succeed. How about we pick the most high profile ship and crew in the entire galaxy to run it? Who could be watching? Turns out, everybody.

You'll read it because the series is great, but I can't wait to get back to some protomolecule craziness. 

3.5 stars.