Abaddon's Gate is the third entry in the Expanse series by author James S.A. Corey, which is the pseudonym for authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Set in a far-away future, Abaddon’s Gate imagines a scenario in which humanity has colonized the solar system, which has caused political, social, and economic changes among the different planets and populations across the solar system.
In Abaddon's Gate, the crew of the Rocinante, a warship that was stolen from the Martian government, are hired by a United Nations–which controls and governs Earth–executive to accompany a team of scientists to the end of the solar system to the "Ring,” which is a mysterious and enigmatic alien structure that has been discovered by scientists on Earth. The crew soon finds themselves in the middle of a conflict between different warring factions vying for control of the Ring and its tremendous power.
Abaddon's Gate is thematically rich and complex. It explores themes of the dangers of unchecked power and the consequences of blindly following authority. The themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the importance of standing up for what is right are also explored throughout the book. The various factions in the book, including the United Nations, the Outer Planets Alliance, and the Belters, all believe in different things and are willing to use violence and manipulation to achieve their goals. They will do anything, in other words, to accomplish what they set out to do. The crew of the Rocinante is forced to navigate this dangerous and complex landscape while managing the different factions as they try to protect the scientists and uncover the truth about the Ring. They also try and obtain the Ring for themselves.
The characters in the novel each have their own motivations and personal struggles. They feel like real people in a real, fully realized world. The tension in the story builds as the different factions collide and the true nature of the Ring is revealed. At the end of the day, Corey’s novel is meant to entertain more than anything else. It is propulsive and entertaining and engaging, things which attracted readers to the series in the first place.
The novel examines the meaning of humanity in the context of coming into contact with cutting-edge extraterrestrial technology and unfamiliar settings. It looks at how characters respond to the difficulties and ethical conundrums that arise from their discoveries and how these events mold their personalities.
