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Cibola Burn

Book 4 of the Expanse

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About this listen

 Please note: The original recording has now been replaced with a new performance by Jefferson Mays. If you own this audiobook, simply re-download it from your library to access the new recording.

The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonise has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Illus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire.

Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world.

James Holden and the crew of his one small ship are sent to make peace in the midst of war and sense in the heart of chaos. But the more he looks at it, the more Holden thinks the mission was meant to fail.

And the whispers of a dead man remind him that the great galactic civilisation which once stood on this land is gone. And that something killed them.

Cibola Burn is the exhilarating fourth novel in the New York Times bestselling Expanse series, following the Hugo-nominated Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate. ©2014 Ty Franck Adventure Fantasy Fiction Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera War

Critic reviews

Interplanetary adventure the way it ought to be
As close as you'll get to a Hollywood blockbuster in book form
This is the future the way it's supposed to be
Tense and thrilling
Great characters, excellent dialogue, memorable fight scenes
High adventure equalling the best space opera has to offer, cutting-edge technology and a group of unforgettable characters . . . Perhaps one of the best tales the genre has yet to produce
All stars
Most relevant

Have you listened to any of Jefferson Mays’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I am delighted that Cibola Burn was re-recorded with Jefferson Mays.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was originally recorded with a different narrator. Hence the many complaints on the site about narration.

It appears the complaints worked, and the book was re-recorded with the same narrator as the rest of the series.

Narration problem solved.

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Another great space opera romp. Not quite as good as first three though, still a real page turner. Erik Davies read it admirably, though not quite as compelling as Jefferson Mays...

Enjoyable episode in expanse universe

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- Struggled to finish.
- Some new characters are kinda annoying.
- Main characters spend more time apart than together in this one.
- Overall adventure not as epic and with lasting implications as last 3 novels.

+ Plot is misterios, with some surprises and well written for the better part of the story.
+ Narator is stellar as always.
+/- The epilogue gives fresh perspective over the story, however I find myself missing more scenes like this - overarching political intrigue - like in previous instalments.

Would recommend as a bridge for future stories in the series, but nothing more.

tl;dr if you're a fan of The Expanse read it, it's not deal-breaker-bad!

Not as engaging as the first 3 books

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Back to a more people focussed storyline, rather than high octane battle scenes, as characters, context and storyline are developed in a relentless steady build up to another cliff hanging end. Tip-top storytelling .

Best in series since book 1

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The narration is so terrible that it totally throws you out of the story again and again. Soldiered my way through it though just to get back to the excellent Jefferson Mayes for the next instalment. Phew!
Please audible... please don't do that again.

Why do that to a key book in the series?

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