Enjoy James S.A. Corey’s new book The Mercy of Gods? You need to read Livesuit, the first Captive’s War novella

Enjoy James S.A. Corey's new book The Mercy of Gods? You need to read Livesuit, the first Captive's War novella

As a devoted fan who has spent countless hours immersed in the intricate universe of James S.A. Corey, I find myself captivated by the tantalizing theory that “Livesuit” is set long before “The Mercy of Gods”. This notion, though not yet confirmed, resonates deeply with me due to my own background in robotics and artificial intelligence.

James S.A. Corey, who is actually the writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, is primarily recognized for creating “The Expanse”. However, since August, they have embarked on a fresh series, set in an entirely distinct universe: “The Captive’s War“. The initial book, named “The Mercy of Gods“, narrates the journey of a band of human scientists experiencing a devastating alien invasion. They are taken captive and forced to serve at the will of the insectoid Carryx. By the story’s conclusion, readers gain insights into the Carryx and their methods for incorporating other intelligent species into their imperial war apparatus, thanks to the survivors among the humans who have managed to endure in their presence long enough to demonstrate their potential utility to the empire.

In “The Captive’s War,” numerous puzzles remain unsolved. For instance, for how long has the Carryx been waging their seemingly relentless war throughout the cosmos? Who is the enigmatic foe that controls the sentient “swarm” we encountered in “The Mercy of Gods”? Lastly, what are the circumstances under which humans came to inhabit planet Anjiin? The locals on Anjiin are unaware of their origins, but could there be other human settlements scattered across the vastness of space that maintain stronger ties with Earth?

Currently, we haven’t set a launch date for the next installment of “The Mercy of Gods“. Therefore, we’ll all be in suspense regarding most of the answers for quite some time. However, if you’re a fan of “The Expanse“, you’d know that James S.A. Corey doesn’t keep readers waiting. Just a few months after “The Mercy of Gods ” was released, Corey has already unveiled a subsequent novella set within the realm of “The Captive’s War“, entitled “Livesuit“. The ebook is accessible immediately, so you can dive right in without any delay! (And priced at $2.99, it’s quite a bargain.)

Enjoy James S.A. Corey's new book The Mercy of Gods? You need to read Livesuit, the first Captive's War novella

What is Livesuit about?

Instead of writing a conventional review for the book “Livesuit“, I decided to take a more entertaining approach by discussing its nature and potential connection to the broader narrative of “The Captive’s War“. In this initial part, there may be some mild spoilers as we delve into the general outline of the novella. Rest assured, I will provide a clear warning before revealing the major plot points found in “Livesuit“.

Livesuit – A Tale of Kirin

Humanity’s war is eternal, spread across the galaxy and the ages. Humanity’s best hope to end the endless slaughter is the Livesuit forces. Soldiers meld their bodies to the bleeding edge technology, becoming something more than human for the duration of a war that might never end.
Livesuit synopsis

The story unfolds across two interwoven timeframes: one portraying Kirin’s perilous mission and its aftermath, and another delving into his transformation into a Livesuit soldier. The intricacy of time is consistently felt; Livesuit soldiers are deployed across the galaxy to wage war using a “brane-slip” technology for faster-than-light travel that complicates concepts of relativity. As the narrative progresses, doubts about the sequence of events and Kirin’s credibility as a narrator emerge, adding layers of complexity that make this an intriguing read worth careful consideration.

The novella strongly reminded me of stories like The Forever War and Starship Troopers, digging deep into how war changes a person and whether they can ever truly return to who they were before. Something I’ve enjoyed about The Captive’s War is how Corey is wearing those sorts of influences on their proverbial sleeve, and that’s even more true for Livesuit than it was for The Mercy of Gods.

Do you have to read The Mercy of Gods before Livesuit?

One question you may have is whether Livesuit is better read before or after The Mercy of Gods. The answer is that, really, you could read them in either order. Livesuit is a self-contained story that doesn’t play into specific events from The Mercy of Gods, so as of right now they both stand well enough on their own. However, I would recommend reading The Mercy of Gods first. Even though Livesuit would read just fine without prior knowledge, there are clues about how it might fit into the overall saga which you’ll miss if you haven’t read The Mercy of Gods.

In “The Mercy of Gods,” we receive a gradual, in-depth introduction to the Carryx, a distinctive slave species ruled by aliens, and the inner workings of their empire. If you’ve read it, it will provide valuable context for what unfolds in “Livesuit.” While “Livesuit” primarily focuses on Kirin’s tale, so there’s no need to worry about relying on Easter eggs, reading “The Mercy of Gods” first will enhance your overall experience. This becomes particularly important as we delve into how “Livesuit” fits within the broader mythology of “The Captive’s War.

Let’s delve into some significant plot points of “LIVESUIT”, as we analyze its conclusion and potential interpretations. If you haven’t had a chance to read this novella yet, I strongly recommend doing so before continuing here, as it’s quite concise at under 100 pages. Enjoy your reading!

Enjoy James S.A. Corey's new book The Mercy of Gods? You need to read Livesuit, the first Captive's War novella

Is Livesuit set before or after The Mercy of Gods?

One curiosity I brought with me into Livesuit was figuring out if it takes place before or after The Mercy of Gods. The synopsis for the novella intentionally leaves this important detail unmentioned, which I found intriguing rather than annoying. Given that time manipulation and disorientation are significant themes in Livesuit, this ambiguity actually enhances the narrative. As Kirin becomes part of the Livesuit infantry, missions merge together, and his past memories grow hazy. Eventually, he learns that several decades have elapsed during the war while only a few years have gone by for him in terms of personal time experience.

If we were to attempt to determine the location within the mythos where Livesuit takes place, there are several intriguing hints. In The Mercy of Gods, it’s stated that the people of Anjiin had no previous knowledge of the Carryx before they were invaded. One might assume this would suggest that Livesuit is set after this event since Kirin and his group have been battling the Carryx for years…but I believe the opposite is actually the case, that Livesuit is set much earlier than The Mercy of Gods.

This is only my speculation, because as of right now we don’t have a finite answer, but I think there’s some evidence for it. By the end of Livesuit, we find out that the titular Livesuit robot armor is melding over the human hosts inside, essentially erasing them as it heals up their wounds. We find this out through Piotr, Kirin’s friend who suffered a brain injury on a mission. In the final pages of the novella, it becomes clear that Piotr’s Livesuit had replaced his brain and consciousness; Piotr as we knew him had likely died years earlier.

It seems plausible to me that the soldiers from Livesuit might be the “formidable foe” referred to by the Carryx in The Mercy of Gods. Both appear to share similar characteristics, such as their escape mechanisms. In the main book, the enemy’s escape is described as encased in shells made of titanium and deep copper, which bears a striking resemblance to the descriptions of Livesuit’s escape pods in Livesuit itself. Throughout Chapter 14 of The Mercy of Gods, particularly when depicting the battle from the perspective of Carryx Ekur-Tkalal, we find numerous hints that support this theory. For instance:

Ekur-Tkalal knew that the enemy was virtually deathless, that their animals of violence could be riddled with injuries and flow forward like a tide. The heat and pulse of the living organism could fade without ending its assault.
The Mercy of Gods, Chapter 14

In the story, it appears that the Livesuits operated by the soldiers operate almost identically to how they function. There are numerous instances where characters like Kirin or others get injured, and their robotic Livesuit skin takes control, compelling them to continue fighting. Remarkably, we observe Piotr seemingly perish, yet his Livesuit continues animating his body just a few minutes later.

In the very same chapter, Ekur-Tkalal mentions an intriguing detail: “the enemy oozed black and red and something clear.” In the novel ‘Livesuit‘, scans revealing the extent to which Livesuits have infiltrated a human body depict their internal mechanisms in black; the red presumably represents human blood. I can’t quite decipher the meaning of the “clear” part, but it might be some sort of liquid essential for the suit’s proper functioning.

By considering another hint from the novel “Livesuit,” where the Carryx appear more rudimentary, I believe there’s compelling proof that the novella takes place prior to “The Mercy of Gods.” In the primary book, the Carryx swiftly execute captives using sophisticated technology. However, in “Livesuit,” they are forced to manually kill humans by slitting their throats one-by-one.

It appears that the story “Livesuit” is set far in the past compared to “The Mercy of Gods,” and it seems to depict the early stages of the emergence of humans as a formidable enemy, known as the Carryx’s foes: individuals in Livesuits. Over time, these robotic suits came to control their human operators completely, continuing the battle against the Carryx for countless years. Survivors on colony worlds like Anjiin may have forgotten their past due to the passage of centuries, unaware of how they ended up isolated on those planets initially. It’s possible that the people of Anjiin are even the descendants of a peace-loving faction mentioned in “Livesuit,” who fled into seclusion after discovering that the Livesuit armor was transforming people permanently into robots for military purposes.

Based on James S.A. Corey’s writing style, I’m confident that we will uncover those answers in future books. In the meantime, it’s intriguing to ponder how the “Livesuit” storyline aligns with the plot of “The Captive’s War.

2024-10-11 16:42