Since the TV show had already covered the action in the first three books, I started with the fourth novel, "Cibola Burn." Frankly it's the weakest of the novels, but it still hurried me along to books five, six and seven. "Tiamat's Wrath," which came out in late March, wasn't ready for me yet, so I went back and read books two and three. This occupied much of my free time. I wore earbuds or headphones, listened to soft piano music and sped through the books until I remembered I was reading them for enjoyment. I could take a little time with them.

Along the way I rewatched the first three seasons of the show repeatedly. I've got a bit of an obsessive personality. The great thing is how closely the show follows the books. Sure, there are some differences, but they're done simply to streamline things that are more complex in the novels. The characters in the show are absolute replicas of those in the books. (Wes Chatham's portrayal of likeable psychopath Amos is particularly on point, as is Shohreh Aghdashloo's take on politician Avasarala.) The program was canceled by SyFy but was rescued by Amazon; a fourth season has been ordered, but with, alas, fewer episodes; reportedly Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is a big fan.

Which brings us to "Tiamat's Wrath."

I'm not going to lie to you. I haven't finished this novel yet. I'm reading it slowly because I don't know if there'll be another novel in the series or when it will come out. I'm savoring this one. But what I can tell you is that reading it is like coming home. There are some empty spots at the kitchen table; one prominent character has died, and another is missing. The tight-knit crew of the Roncinante are scattered in different directions, and those who can still interact with the others can't do it close up or for very long.