The Captive's War is a series of science fiction novels, and related novellas and short stories by James S. A. Corey, the joint pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. After being announced in 2018 as a trilogy of novels, the first novel, The Mercy of Gods, was released in 2024 and became a New York Times Best Seller., followed by the novella Livesuit later that year. In 2026, the second novel, The Faith of Beasts was released.

In November 2024, it was announced that a TV series would be developed by Amazon MGM Studios and Expanding Universe.

Development and production

The project was first announced in May 2018 as a new space opera trilogy. The series shifted the focus from physics-based realism toward evolutionary biology and alien psychology.

On May 28th, 2024, Polygon released an excerpt of The Mercy of Gods's first chapter ahead of the book's debut.

Works in the franchise

The franchise is built around a central trilogy of novels. As in The Expanse series, these core books are supported by standalone novellas that expand on the history and technology of the Carryx empire and broader interstellar conflict.

The Mercy of Gods (2024)

The opening novel depicts a swift invasion of the human colony Anjiin by the Carryx. The story centers on Dafyd Alkhor and a team of researchers who are kidnapped and transported to the Carryx throne world. There they have to prove the worth of the human moiety to the Carryx society in order to ensure humanities survival.

The Wall Street Journal described it as an "interplanetary epic." The Ringer noted that while the perspective is more intimate than the authors' previous work, the world-building makes the universe feel "unknowably gigantic."

Livesuit (2024)

Published in October 2024, this novella offers deeper context for the series' technology and history. It follows a soldier equipped with a "livesuit" that serves as a sort of biotechnological armor, which maintains combat readiness by slowly consuming the pilot's own biological matter. Reviewers noted the story's shift into gritty military science fiction, drawing comparisons to classics like The Forever War and Starship Troopers. While no express connection is made in the text, critical analysis suggests the novella acts as a prequel, exploring the origins of the "Great Enemy" mentioned in the main trilogy.

The Faith of Beasts (2026)

The second novel in the trilogy, The Faith of Beasts, released on April 14, 2026. It follows the characters as they struggle to establish themselves as useful to the Carryx, while also establishing alliances and determining how to gain their freedom. It was named by Parade as one of the year's most anticipated books.

Television adaptation

In 2024, the authors launched the production company Expanding Universe alongside The Expanse showrunner Naren Shankar and director Breck Eisner. Alongside the launch they announced that an television adaptation of The Captive's war would be developed with Amazon MGM Studios. All four serve as executive producers, with Shankar and Eisner reprising their respective roles from The Expanse as showrunner and director. Additionally, Abraham, Franck and Shankar are acting as the show's writers.

World-building

The series is centered on the Carryx, an empire which expands its power by conquering other species and exploiting their biological usefulness. Every subjugated moiety has to prove its worth to the Carryx to ensure their continued existence.