Review: Rubicon by J.S. Dewes

Rubicon by J.S. Dewes

Tor Books

Publication Date: March 28th, 2023

Paperback. 480 pages.

About Rubicon:

"Sergeant Adrienne Valero wants to die. She can't.

After enduring a traumatic resurrection for the ninety-sixth time, Valero is reassigned to a special forces unit and outfitted with a cutting-edge virtual intelligence aid. They could turn the tide in the war against intelligent machines dedicated to the assimilation, or destruction, of humanity.

When her VI suddenly achieves sentience, Valero is drawn into the machinations of an enigmatic major who’s hell-bent on ending the war—by any means"

Rubicon is a fast-paced, adventurous, and exciting action story, while also being very thought-provoking and full of many heavy topics to explore. There is an incredible balance of fast-paced adventurous military sci-fi with deep character exploration and world-building.

I read and absolutely loved J.S. Dewes' The Last Flight a couple years back and was so excited to see a brand new world and story for her latest book, Rubicon. I don't read all that much military sci-fi on a regular basis, but I do read it from time to time and Rubicon is a perfect example of how much I can love some military sci-fi!

It's hard to succinctly summarize Rubicon, so please bear with me while I do my best. The story starts off with an action-packed beginning where we follow Sergeant Adrienne Valero on a typical mission in the 803rd unit, which ends with her and her crew dying and "rezoning" back to life into a new body. This might sound intense, but fear not–this is the 96th time that Adrienne has rezoned, so she's pretty much an old pro at this point. All memories remain intact, it's simply a new shell for the minds to be placed. This rezoning is a tool that humans have been using for a number of years now since the human population has dwindled and they need to stay ready to fight the Mechans. Humans have been battling the Mechans for a couple decades now to get past their blockade, but the Mechans are extremely strong, have great technology, and–due to being essentially robots–very hard to beat. 

Our story begins when Adrienne is reassigned to a special forces unit where rezoning is much rarer and there seems to be more importance placed on the lives of the crew within the unit. In this special forces unit, members are required to have a virtual intelligence aid installed, which is basically like having a really smart, intuitive, and more useful Alexa-type device in your head that's meant to assist on missions and give crews a better chance at success. Somehow, Adrienne's VI achieves sentience, thereby giving her a huge edge and additional abilities that takes all of her missions to the next level. I personally really enjoyed seeing how these VIs interacted with the characters and how they managed to assist them in so many critical ways, and I loved seeing how Adrienne interacted with hers, especially as she began to realize that it acted in ways that didn't seem similar to how her crewmates' VIs were interacting with them. 

Adrienne is a fascinating character. She's tough, she's strong, and she's real. She's very human and she has very human problems. No matter how many times she rezones, her struggle with alcohol seems to remain at a constant, and it's hard to blame her for this when her recent life has consisted of 96 rezones. She always seems to want to care more about her life and find more purpose and meaning in it, but struggles due to the nature of her job. I think Dewes did a really great of showcasing how Adrienne was regularly affected by the constant rezones and living such an intense, yet also somewhat monotonous life. It's hard to imagine what it would be like to go through such a lifestyle on a regular basis, but Dewes captures the mental and physical struggles extremely well and really made me empathize with Adrienne's circumstances, as well as the circumstances of many of the other characters stuck in a similar loop. 

In essence, this really is a bit of a dark story. It essentially takes place in a seemingly endless, almost hopeless battle where the humans just keep dying–and even though they get rezoned, it's not like it doesn't take a toll on everyone. Because of this premise, Rubicon is able to tackle some really hard questions, such as purpose in life and discussions of immortality. For instance, what does this particular type of immortality mean? You're still human, but no matter how many times you die, you'll keep being brought back in a rezone. Is there a purpose to life if you never really die? Are there any stakes involved and what is the motivation? How are you supposed to find the strength to get back up and keep living this life over and over? And for Adrienne, once she is reassigned to the special forces unit, how is she supposed to cope with the fact that she now has a significantly better quality of life while the rest of her old friends and many other people are still stuck living a very lonely, dark life?

All these topics and more are explored in very thoughtful and complex ways by Dewes, and I think it is really these questions that made this such a compelling read. There is plenty of action throughout the story to keep readers entertained, but there's also a lot of heart and a lot of complicated dynamics involved that add incredible depth to the story. The characters are also crafted really well, and I think this a strength I've noticed with Dewes' work, as she always managed to create characters that I can really connect to and find myself invested in. Outside of these things, Rubicon also has a truly compelling plotline centered around the fight between humanity and the Mechans, and I loved getting to explore the world and technology of this universe through this plot. The pacing is also wonderfully consistent, not too fast but also not too slow, and I found there to be a perfect balance of action and calmer moments. There's a lot to love about this book, and I'm really glad I had the chance to read it.

Overall, I've given Rubicon five stars! If you're looking for a new sci-fi read to lose yourself in, definitely give Rubicon a shot. 

*I received a copy of Rubicon courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Review: The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes

The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes

Tor Books

Publication Date: April 20th, 2021

Paperback. 480 pages.

About The Last Watch:

"The Divide.

 

It’s the edge of the universe.

 

Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it.

 

The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military.

 

At the Divide, Adequin Rake, commanding the Argus, has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted.

 

They're humanity's only chance."

The Last Watch is a fast-paced and thrilling space adventure that is full of heart and excitement at every corner. This was a hugely enjoyable 

The story kicks off when Cavalon Mercer is sent to the Argus, a spaceship commanded by Adequin Rake, set essentially at the edge of the galaxy near what's known as the Divide. The Divide, however, has started to collapse, which would quite literally mean the end of humanity as we know it, and this is where all of the problems seem to begin. As the story continues on with Cav and Rake, we begin to slowly unravel more and more about the world-building--which was executed brilliantly and in an incredibly captivating manner--and some secrets that are infested within the governmental structure of the world itself and that Cav and Rake are intricately woven into.

The entire premise of The Last Watch is fascinating, but I think what really set this book apart and made it such an exceptionally enjoyable read for me were the characters. Cav and Rake are the two perspectives we switch between and I found myself so connected to them and involved in their roles. Cavalon appears to be a bit of a troublemaker (and smartass), but in reality he's sort of a sweet, pure of heart person just trying to find their way in the world. He hasn't had a great time of late, which is how he ended up on the Argus with the rest of the unwanted and troublemaking soldiers, but it's where he finally begins to discover his worth and contribute to something he never could have expected. His humor and personality really helped make this book such an enjoyable read, and it also made it feel relatable and comforting in a way--I think we could all relate to Cav for one reason or another.

Rake appears as the opposite of Cav--strict where he's more seemingly nonchalant, obedient where he is often always looking for bends in the rules. At heart, however, Rake is just trying to do her best to be the best commander she can be while protecting her soldiers and taking care of her duties on the Argus, all while trying to keep her heart in check. Cav and Rake make an extremely unlikely friendship, but it's also the best dynamic and slow build of trust and affection that I've seen in a while. 

There are many other characters accompanying Cav and Rake on this journey and all of them are equally well-developed and bring some special to the story. I really found myself caring about all of the characters, no matter how big or small their role was. I liked seeing how all the different roles worked together under stress, how everyone handled things and knew when it was time to do whatever it would take to survive, even if the option at hand wasn't exactly going to be popular. 

There are times when the sci-fi aspects got a bit confusing when explained, or when some of the background and world-building was a bit too much, but for some reason it really didn't bother me. I loved reading about everything, even if I didn't fully understand it, if that makes any sense.

Overall, I've given The Last Watch five stars because I really can't think of anything I didn't enjoy. I enjoyed the heck out of this book and am already impatient for the sequel. This was an adventure full of fear, hope, humor, heart, and a bunch of great personalities that made everything go down easier.

 *I received a copy of The Last Watch courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*  

Buy the book: Amazon | IndieBound

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Malice by Heather Walter & The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Malice by Heather Walter
Publication: April 13th, 2021

Del Rey

Hardcover. 496 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

 

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.

 

You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

 

Utter nonsense.

 

Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.

 

Until I met her.

 

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

 

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

 

Nonsense again.

 

Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. 

 

And I—I am the villain. "

I love retellings of any kind, and I love how dark and unique and exciting this sounds. I've had an eARC of this for a while that I've been dying to get to--I think it's finally time!

and...

The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes

Publication: April 20th, 2021

Tor Books

Paperback. 480 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"The Expanse meets Game of Thrones in J. S. Dewes' fast-paced, sf adventure The Last Watch, where a handful of soldiers stand between humanity and annihilation.

 

The Divide.

 

It’s the edge of the universe.

 

Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it.

 

The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military.

 

At the Divide, Adequin Rake, commanding the Argus, has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted.

 

They're humanity's only chance."

Here's one that I actually just finished reading a couple days ago--it's amazing! I really can't wait to pick up a finalized copy once it's out. If you like exciting sci-fi that has an amazing cast of characters and some great moments of humor, this is definitely going to be for you.

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?