I believe that people, and authors especially, should read a wide variety of books, from many genres, by authors of many backgrounds. It can be difficult to branch out, though. When I find one genre or author that I enjoy, I tend to have a hard time pulling myself away from similar works.

To help myself sample more widely, I’ve been participating in the Read Harder Challenge 2016. The main prize for completing the challenge, for me anyways, is having new worlds of books and authors introduced into my life. But just in case you need further motivation, a completed challenge will also net you a 30% discount coupon to the Book Riot store.

One of the new worlds that has been introduced to me is that of James S. A. Corey’s Leviathan Wakes.  I chose to read Leviathan Wakes to complete my 500+ page requirement of the Challenge because I had never read a space opera before.

Leviathan Wakes was split into point-of-view chapters from two characters, which I don’t usually like. I often find that when switching from one character’s point of view to the other’s, the voice is too similar. It seems as though if I didn’t know that the speaker had changed, I wouldn’t notice the difference between them. The dual viewpoints did work in this one, though, because the two characters in question were so vastly different in their fundamental beliefs, views, and values. The characterization was so good that I was never left wondering whose head I was in.

Leviathan Wakes could have been content with being just a story about slipping into war in space, but instead, the books also touched on important issues like racism and classism. It was frank but thoughtful in its handling of those issues, which made me respect the book instead of viewing it as just a fun kick-back read.

I also liked the way that women were handled in this book. Although one character’s story was centered on locating a “damsel in distress” and sending her home to her parents, the book quickly let the reader know that the lady in question was no damsel, had been difficult to find because she didn’t want to be found, was willing to fight for what she believed in, was willing to physically fight when threatened, and was a fantastic ship racer. Another main female character was heavily relied upon, so much so that she became so sick of the men relying on her to fix everything and snapped at her captain, forcing him to take responsibility for some of the load. Females throughout the book were not treated as things to be protected, but rather as people who were just as capable as the men. It wasn’t done in a way that made me think the book was about female empowerment, either – it was just treated as obvious fact.

I enjoyed the multiple twists and turns that Leviathan Wakes threw at me. Having established “facts” throughout the book not be factual at all kept me guessing up to the very last twist. Having such an unpredictable outcome made the whole thing more enjoyable.

I’m glad that Leviathan Wakes was the first space opera that I picked up. It gives me high expectations for the rest of the genre, but the rest of the genre will have to wait – I have some Challenges to do!

What have you read recently? What do you plan to read? What new genres or new authors have you discovered lately?