The Last Watch by J. S. Dewes

 

Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres, and J.S. Dewes' debut novel The Last Watch was a compelling adventure in space. The absorbing plot and engaging characters kept me enthralled.  

description: "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 last chance."

The Sentinels stationed on the Argus are a mixed bag that have some problematic reason for their posting: hacking, disobeying an order, lack of respect for officers, etc.  Adequin Rake, the Commander of the Argus, is a Titan--one of the elite soldiers during the last war.  Titans are legendary heroes and Quin is one of the best known...so why has she been relegated to the edge of the Divide?

The first chapter begins with a "spread your legs" scene as a new recruit goes through the physical examination of entering his new post.  Cav Mercer is relieved that his reason for being banished to the Argus has been redacted; he'd rather no one know his identity and lineage. Brilliant, with a list of advanced degrees, Cav is also a smartass. A failing he needs to overcome if he is going to survive as a new recruit with no military background.

The Last Watch is a smart military space opera with a gripping plot and characters you can't help but root for as they attempt to stave off the collapsing of the universe.

Read in Oct.; blog post scheduled for March 1, 2020.

NetGalley/Tor/Forge

Military Science Fiction, Space Opera  April 20.  Print length:  480 pages.

The Murder House by Michael Wood and Archangel Rising by Evan Currie

The Murder House is the 5th in a new series for me.  I'll be going back and picking up earlier books.  

from description:  The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Although this is the 5th in the series, it works well as a stand alone, and the characters are well-fleshed out, complex, and satisfyingly believable.  The plot is used to  develop the characters, reveal their personalities and temperaments and the complications in their lives.

DCI Matilda Darke quickly sums up problems with the crime scene.  She doesn't assume the evidence is genuine.
Even so, her team is somewhat reluctant to disregard the evidence.  

This is an ARC and I noticed a couple of errors that should be easily corrected by publication, but I thoroughly enjoyed Matilda, her team, and the investigation.  I've already ordered the first in the series.  I love finding a series with characters I want to know more about.

Read in November. 

NetGalley/One More Chapter
Police Procedural.  Jan. 31, 2020.   

Evan Currie's two connected military science fiction series continue to keep me reading.  I've read every book in the Odyssey series and the (sort of) spin-off Archangel now has two books.   (Some of my reviews that give background on the Odyssey series.)

In Archangel One "An elite squadron must go undercover behind enemy lines in this thrilling new space adventure from the author of the Odyssey One series."

Archangel Rising, #2 in the series, continues with Captain Steph Michaels and his Archangel team functioning as privateers in the undercover operation to gain information about the Empire.

Action packed, likable ensemble characters.  For militatry science fiction/space opera fans, I would recommend beginning with Odyssey One: Into the Black.

Read in November.

NetGalley/47 North
Space Opera/Military Science Fiction.  Jan. 14, 2020.

Head On by John Scalzi and Odysseus Ascending by Evan Currie

I liked John Scalzi's Head On, a standalone follow-up to Lock In, which I have not read, but definitely need to read.

A mystery/FBI procedural set in the near future, Head On has agents Chris Shane and Leslie Vann investigating an incident in which a Hilketa player dies on the field.  Talk about a violent sport!  But the thing is...the players are actually robotic bodies called threeps controlled by people with Haden's Syndrome, a disease that paralyzes the body, but leaves the mind functional.  So no one is really supposed to be physically injured.

Because I had not read Lock In, I had a little trouble initially understanding certain elements, but I caught up on the idea pretty quickly.  I recommend reading Lock In first, but even without the previous book, Head On was an intriguing read-- sometimes amusing, sometimes feeling a bit too much like a conceivable future which added to the tension.

 Read in April.  Blog review scheduled for May 1.

NetGalley/McMillan/Tor

Science Fiction.  April 17, 2018.  Print length:  336 pages.


Set in the far future of space travel, Odysseus Ascendant (#7 in the Odyssey One series) continues the battles of survival against The Empire.  I've read all of these and enjoy each new installment.

This science fiction is known as Space Opera (Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, and risk-taking.)  Source 

Think Star Wars, which is probably the best known space opera of all.  The only thing missing is romance.  Canadian author Evan Currie's characters are more concerned with friendship, duty, and allegiance.  

The novels are full of adventure, suspenseful, and strangely believable.  I look forward to each new offering!

Read in March; Blog review scheduled for May 1.

NetGalley/47 North

Science Fiction.  May 8, 2018.  Print length:  304 pages.

Evan Currie's Scourwind Legacy: Heirs of Empire and

Heirs of Empire by Evan Currie is the first in his new series The Scourwind Legacy. Although it does not compare to the Currie's Odyssey One series, I enjoyed this lighter scifi/fantasy mix.  

There is a backstory here that is only touched on briefly, but the book begins with the escape of General Corian, a traitor responsible for thousands of deaths.  Although Corian's escape is ultimately successful, the damage inflicted by Cadrewoman Mira Delsol is severe.  The General's forces manage to take the capital, and the emperor and his eldest son are killed; however, Lydia and Brennan, the emperor's younger children manage to escape.

Lots of action and futuristic weapons, interesting characters without a lot of character development, but this first book's purpose is mainly to set up future books.

It is quite different from the Odyssey books that I'm so fond of and has more of a YA novel feel, but it is fast-paced and fun.  Mira Delsol's role as the kick-ass cadrewoman keeps things moving.

(I received and read An Empire Asunder from NetGalley before finding Heirs of Empire, the first in the series.)

Kindle Unlimited

Space Opera.  2015.  Print version:  352 pages.

An Empire Asunder continues the battle between General Corian and the Scourwind heirs and their supporters.

The back story on General Corian's original attempt at a coup remains a blank, and although he sees his rebellion as an effort to save the Empire, the threat that motivates Corian is still unclear.  And he is a bit obsessive.  Obviously, if he must destroy thousands of lives and entire cities to save the Empire...the end justifies the means, and he is just the man for the job.

Lydia, as the older twin and heir to the throne, has assumed her role as empress, and Brennan trains for the cadre. However,  Corian and his allies are not finished yet.  There are traitors embedded everywhere who intend to do their best to see Corian succeed.  The Empire is, indeed, split asunder.

Former cadrewoman Mira Delsol has unfinished business with Corian, but as usual things go awry, and Brennan is left to warn the Empire--if he can escape in time to do it.

Like Heirs of Empire, An Empire Asunder is fun and suspenseful.  The characters have continued to develop, but they are still the archetypal roles typical of this kind of good/vs evil format.  While Lydia has a very small role in this one, I expect the next book will give her more attention.  It is Mira Delsol and Brennan, however, who keep the action going.

Scifi-lite but lively and entertaining.  

Read in Sept.; blog review scheduled for 10/8/16

NetGalley/47 North

Space Opera.  Nov. 15, 2016.  Print length:  334 pages.

Evan Currie's Odyssey One Series

My husband was out of town last week, and for several days, I was mostly out in space with Evan Currie and the Odyssey One.  

I really like good science fiction--of course, like all reading--"good" is relative to the reader. 

I enjoy space opera, a sub-genre that emphasizes a risk-taking central character, space warfare, an epic list of characters, and lots of action and adventure.  (Think Star Trek and Star Wars in film orr the Foundation series by Asimov, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, the Skolian Empire by Catherine Asaro, or the Honorverse by David Weber.)

And I like military science fiction that focuses on strategy, tactics, advanced technology, and weaponry.  The two often overlap, and Evan Currie's Odyssey One series certainly does. 

Last year, I read Evan Currie's King of Thieves and liked it.  King of Thieves is an off-shoot of the Odyssey One series which I had not read.   When NetGalley recently offered Warrior King:  Odyssey One,  I was eager to give it a try.

What I didn't realize, however, is that Warrior King: Odyssey One was book 5 in the Odyssey One series!  I took One to mean first, but Odyssey One is the name of the ship.

I started it, but realized in order to get the necessary background, I would need to go back to the beginning.  Luckily, the previous books were all on offer with Kindle Unlimited.


Into the Black (#1) begins with the maiden voyage of the new Odyssey One prototype space vessel.  Captained by Eric Weston, the ship's mission is interstellar exploration.  Odyssey One has FTL capability and is the first Terran ship to attempt exploration of deep space. 

When the ship comes upon a field of space debris, they are surprised to hear a distress signal.  Upon rescuing the space pod, they discover a woman who appears to be human, but who is from an unknown civilization.

Language problems are solved by the brilliant (and eccentric and difficult to manage) linguist Dr. Palin.  I was happy to see Dr. Palin again, as he played an important role in King of Thieves.  His role here is small, but solving the language problem is crucial to the story.

Milla Chans, the only surviving member of a Priminae fleet, describes how her fleet was obliterated by the Drasin, an alien race bent on the destruction of her civilization.  

In an attempt to provide Chans safe passage to the nearest of her civilization's colonies, Captain and crew discover the entire planet destroyed and populated by the alien Drasin, a kind of armored bug.  Replicating at an astonishing rate, the Drasin are bent on genocide--but are they pursuing this goal on their own, or are they being used as a weapon by another race?

When an attempt is made to leave their passenger on Ranquil, the home planet of the Priminae, the Drasin appear and target this planet as well.  Eventually, Captain Weston feels ethically bound to engage in battle with the Drasin before they destroy another world and millions of lives.  The Priminae greet them as saviors, but Weston knows he will be in trouble back home.

When back on earth, Weston and the crew are lionized on one hand and vilified on the other.  No one on earth wants to become a target of the Drasin.  Despite the anger and reluctance of many, Weston retains his command and is to return to Ranquil.

The series is more action than character-driven, but Currie manages to make the characters viable.  Currie also does an excellent job of conveying all of the futuristic science and technology in a way that is believable, even if this reader has no hope in hell of understanding.  I'm not sure how to explain it, but I was quite comfortable with the world(s) he created and the way things worked, in the same way I am comfortable with television and computers.  I don't have to understand how they work to accept that they do.  

The action is fast-paced and intense.  As soon as I finished, I was on to the next one.

Kindle Unlimited

Science Fiction.  2011; remastered version 2012.  Print length: 448 pages.


The Heart of the Matter (#2) takes the Odyssey's crew back to Ranquil, the homeworld of the Priminae to build a defense against the Drasin.

While still an action-driven scenario, the characters continue to be fleshed out enough for the reader to want to continue learning their fates.

While the Terrans and the Priminae have become allies and are sharing technology, each side continues to hold back a little.  Politics and cultural differences on each side dictate policy.

While part of the crew are on the planet of Ranquil helping build defense forces--not an easy task when the society is essentially pacifist-- Odyssey One tries to follow a Drasin ship back to its source.  Both storylines are interesting.  

Again, while character development isn't the main purpose of these books, each character is distinct and the sense of camaraderie is significant.  The books are reminiscent of ensemble-cast war movies with a lot of characters.  Each one feels real, even if all you get to know is how the character reacts in specific circumstances.  They all play their parts in the storyline.

The Odyssey One series is about plot and action, and although it has memorable characters, the goal is not to examine the deeper background or motivation of each player in the drama. The goal is to have them fit seamlessly into the plot.

I am also pleased that each episode has a sense of conclusion while still leaving you in a hurry to get to the next book and continue the adventure.

Kindle Unlimited.

Science Fiction.  2012.  Print length:  632 pages. 

In Homeworld (#3) the Drasin follow an Eastern Block ship back to the Sol System.  

What the Terrans feared when Weston discovered the Drasin has come to pass.  The Drasin intend to destroy the planet, but despite their superior numbers and weaponry, they discover that the people of Earth are nothing like the pacifist worlds they've dealt with before.  Weston and the Odyssey have a few tricks left.

A twist at the end had me upset; nevertheless, I knew there were two more books to go.  It was not the end.  

Kindle Unlimited.

Science Fiction.  2013.  Print length:  509 pages.

Out of the Black (#4) finds the Earth fighting the Drasin hordes on the ground and in the air. The unexpected twist in bk #3 is explained.  Like many readers, I was disconcerted by the twist and by ....well, by something else that has become a part of the story.         

On the other hand,  I was also relieved enough about the outcome of the twist to happily put the Gaia element aside.  Just a note, Central didn't bother me, but Gaia does.

The Earth battles are world-wide and frantic.  The situation is grim.  Throughout the world, entire cities are lost.  Fortunately, the former enemies of WWIII are doing their best to work together to save the planet from the Drasin, but the situation is dire and the losses incalculable.

The Priminae must decide whether or not to remain isolationist and non-confrontational or come to the aid of Earth. They are willing to defend themselves, yet culturally less eager to take the battle to the Drasin.  Sometimes survival requires an offense, and the Priminae civilization must face that fact.

Better late than never.  

Book 4 completes the initial cycle of the Drasin War begun in the first book, and Currie may have intended to leave the series at that.  At some point, however, he decided to return to the Odyssey One and move into another story arc because the next book will leave both Earth and Ranquil eager to discover who guided the Drasin.

Kindle Unlimited.

Science Fiction.  2014.  Print length:  447 pages.

Warrior King (#5) begins after the battle for the earth has been won.  The Terrans and the Priminae continue their alliance and a search for the source of the Drasin is in play.  Weston also wants proof of the race that used the Drasin as weapons.

Weston and his new Heroic class ship the Odysseus are on the hunt, and unsurprisingly, they make contact with the enemy.   The two enemy vessels evaluate each other's tech and weaponry, as Weston attempts to rescue Steph and Milla.  It becomes obvious that the Priminae mythology about the Others/the Oath-Breakers is not such a distant part of the past after all.  And they are ruthless.

Having sped through these books, I am now going to have to wait for either book 6 of the Odyssey One series and the next installment about Captain Morgan Passer and the crew of the Autolycus.

It has taken me longer to review these five books than it did to read them.  I finished all of them in the last week of June.  There are flaws which I didn't note because I was having so much fun, but if you enjoy military science fiction and lots of action and adventure, you should give this series a try!

NetGalley/47North

Science Fiction.  July 19, 2016.  Print length:  334 pages.

King of Thieves by Evan Currie

King of Thieves is a science fiction novel set in a future that finds the earth struggling after an alien invasion.  The Drasin invasion forced the countries and cultures of earth to end their own wars  as the survivors of different nations realized the necessity of uniting to defeat the alien threat.

This is an action novel, not a character driven one.  The characters form an ensemble cast--you learn to care about the various individuals involved, but you get little background or character development.  No one character takes the lead, reminiscent of action films with plenty of stars making appearances; you almost find yourself debating who would be cast in the different roles.

The Autolycus is a Rogue class destroyer on a reconnaissance mission.  What Captain Morgan Passer and his crew discover is a previously unimaginable threat.  

An interesting example of military science fiction, the novel begins slowly, but turns into flat-out action as the crew struggles to understand and survive what they've encountered.  

Currie is the author of the Odyssey One series, which I have not read.  While King of Thieves is set in the same universe, it functions fine as a stand-alone.  Although this is evidently a new cast, those who have read the Odyssey One series will probably enjoy the return of Dr. Palin, the annoyingly brilliant linguist.

Not everyone enjoys this kind of military science fiction, but for those who do, I can recommend it.  David Webber remains my favorite author of military scifi/space opera, but I am intrigued enough to want to give Currie's Odyssey One series a try.

(The title King of Thieves is derived from the name of the ship and originates from the tale of Sisyphus and Autolycus, the notorious thief.  Shakespeare also uses the name of Autolycus as the "silly cheat" in A Winter's Tale.)

Read in February.  Blog post scheduled for March 9, 2015.

NetGalley/47North

Science Fiction.  March 31, 2015.  Print length:  352 pages.

Torch of Freedom

Weber, David, & Eric Flint.  Torch of Freedom.

Still part of the Honorverse, but Honor Harrington makes only a token appearance.  This novel focuses on the planet Torch and the prospective invasion by Mesa.

Can't begin to explain as there are so many characters (many of them new) and the background has been put in place in previous works. 

I am a great fan of David Weber and have read about 14 of his books (mostly in the Honor Harrington series,and they are all LONG).  I've never had trouble before entering a new installment, yet this time, it took a little while for me to remember events and details from previous novels, and then proceed with the current plot. 

I thought this novel was unusually slow at times, but when the action begins, Weber is a master at involving the reader with character and plot. 

Haven't read anything by Eric Flint before, but will be looking for him on my library trip.

I'm excited that the next in the Safehold series is coming out in April!

Fiction.  Science Fiction/Space Opera.  2009.  602 pages.

At All Costs

Weber, David. At All Costs. An Honor Harrington novel, but not my favorite. In fact, my least favorite in this series of 11 books.

I don't mind the fact that Weber's books are long, but if he had discarded the entire section on the love triangle and the babies, I would have been much happier. Hamish, Earl of White Haven and wife Emily are two of the least developed characters in a cast of thousands (give or take a few and throughout the entire series). Honor's relationship with Hamish has seemed pretty thin from the beginning, but recent developments are not of interest to me.

I went back to see my review of War of Honor , the book previous to this one, and found that I didn't comment on the Honor/Hamish/Emily situation, but remember that I wasn't much impressed with it. I liked the Shadow of Saganami which is connected to the series, but doesn't feature Honor Harrington, I enjoyed In Fury Born (not connected to the H.H. novels),and I like his new series Off Armageddon Reef and By Schism Rent Asunder, but my fondness for the Honorverse is fading, as the last two novels in this series have been a bit disappointing.

I have no intention of abandoning Weber, but maybe this particular series has played itself out. Will I read the next one? Of course.

Fiction. Science Fiction/Space Opera.

In Fury Born by David Weber

Weber, David. In Fury Born. Captain Alicia DeVries resigns from the Imperial Cadre because of a political decision to cover up a betrayal that cost the lives of all but 9 of Charlie Company, Third Battalion. She joins her family on the developing planet Mathison, and several years later, returns home to find her family dead or dying, massacred by space pirates. 

 With her Cadre training and enhancements, Alicia manages to kill all the pirates who have attacked their remote home, but in the process receives fatal wounds. And yet...

 When rescuers find her, they are amazed and bewildered and not a little frightened. Alicia becomes a medical mystery and a very dangerous patient. What she actually is would be even more unbelievable to her doctors -- because one of the Furies from early mythology has taken residence within Alicia and will help her take revenge on the murderers of her family and her planet -- for of the forty-one thousand inhabitants of Mathison, there were only 306 survivors. 

 The Fury Tisiphone has made sure that Alicia will live and be able to take her revenge; the two of them eventually are able to escape and steal an AI starship... And then there were three. I liked it. Another fast-paced novel with lots of action by David Weber, there are a few flaws and the book is long, but it was interesting and exciting. 

 Fiction. Science Fiction/Space Opera. 2006. 828 pages.

The Shadow of Saganami

Weber, David. The Shadow of Saganami. Oh, I get so caught up in these books. This is the beginning of a new series with a new set of characters that works in a parallel situation to the Honor Harrington novels. Honor appears briefly at the beginning of the novel when she addresses the latest class of graduates from Saganami Island, the training center for the Manticorean navy, but then the narrative moves to the HMS Hexapuma, a heavy cruiser bound for what appears to be a mundane and boring assignment in the Talbot System.

Of course, when they arrive, things are not at all boring as Captain Aivars Terekhov and his crew must confront pirates, genetic slavers, terrorism, political maneuvering, and smuggled weapons. The characters, as usual, are well-developed, both the good guys and the bad guys have depth and motivation. I enjoyed seeing the next generation getting their experience as their mission moves from the one assigned to another that is unauthorized, but necessary and extremely risky.

What can I say? I love Weber's books, and yes, they are long and wordy. While that is a negative for some, it is not for me because I don't want them to end.

Fiction. Science Fiction/Space Opera. 2004. 755 pages.

War of Honor

Weber, David. War of Honor. It is almost impossible for me to understand how Weber can create so many well-rounded characters and keep track of all of them. I've written several reviews of others in the Honor Harrington series, and I'm still enjoying them.

One thing that differs in War of Honor is the increased time spent on the political aspects. All of the political maneuvering, misunderstandings, deliberate misleading, and actual editing of diplomatic missives reveal what must be some of the problems involved in real diplomacy. Pretty scary.

However, all of the political machinations get a bit overwhelming. The book is over 800 pages long...that's a lot of politics. It reads much slower than the others in the series. I'm a pretty dogged reader, but I'm not sure that this one would appeal to everyone.

I love this series and enjoyed catching up on all of the characters, both major and minor, and I will definitely continue, but I do hope for more action and less politics.

Fiction. Space Opera. 2002. 861 pages.