The
Last Watch by J.S. Dewes is a debut science
fiction novel that serves as the foundational book in a new series. The read is
about a group of people called Sentinels who are primarily military convicts. These
are people are were convicted of various crimes during their military service or
were problem people in some way and were banished to the separate branch of the
military known as the Sentinels. Their task is to watch the Divide which is an
area of space at the end of the universe. Through the Divide is how aliens have
repeatedly attacked in various attempts to exterminate humanity. It has been so
long since the last attack that most people believe the aliens are now extinct
so the Sentinels are underfunded, underequipped, and somehow, understaffed. So,
basically, a science fiction version of the Night Watch from Game Of Thrones.
There are two
main characters in this book. Adequin Rake, the female commander of the
Sentinels as well as of the Argus, a spaceship near the Divide. The other
main character is the new recruit, Cavalon Mercer. He is the disinherited heir
of the royal family. A brilliant scientist who nuked his grandfather’s genetics
facility for good reason no matter what his grandfather thinks. His very upset grandfather
made sure that his grandson was sent to the Sentinels with the goal being that
Cavalon Mercer would, hopefully, soon suffer a horrible death.
Everything is
relatively normal until the Divide starts moving. Like the canary in the coal
mine, the fact that the Divide is moving, means that the entire universe is
collapsing upon itself. If they don’t stop the Divide from moving, the Sentinels,
and everyone and everything else will die. The Divide is now disintegrating everything
in its path.
The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes is
a funny and action filled book that utilizes plenty of worldbuilding and science
to justify this new universe the author has created. The two main leads are
very different. Each chapter comes from the pov of one of the two main
characters. It is easy to figure out which lead is narrating, based on how they
think and see the events in this novel. The tale is heavy on the cliches, but at
the same time they work in this context.
The last ten
pages surprised me and set up the sequel in a very interesting direction. The
sequel, The Exiled Fleet, is on order and in my holds list at my
local library branch. I really enjoyed this book despite the cliches and the sequel
should be very interesting to read.
The Last Watch
J.S. Dewes
https://www.jsdewes.com/books
Tom Doherty
Associates (Tor)
https://www.tor.com/2021/04/14/excerpts-the-last-watch-j-s-dewes/
April 2021
ISBN# 978-1-250-23634-0
Paperback (also
available in audio and eBook formats)
480 Pages
My copy came
from the Skillman Southwestern Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple
©2021
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