The Last Watch

by J. S. Dewes

Overview

The Expanse meets Game of Thrones in J. S. Dewes's fast-paced, sci-fi adventure The Last Watch, the first book in the Divide series, where a handful of soldiers stand between humanity and annihilation.

Goodreads Most Popular Sci-Fi Novels of the Past 3 Years

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New York Public Library—Best Science Fiction 2021
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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 commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer—genius, asshole, and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather's genetic facility for “reasons.”

She knows they’re humanity's last chance.

The Divide series
The Last Watch
The Exiled Fleet

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250236340
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/20/2021
Series:	The Divide Series , #1
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	100,006
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

J. S. Dewes has a Bachelor of Arts in Film from Columbia College Chicago, and has written scripts for award-winning films, which have screened at San Diego Comic-Con and dozens of film festivals across the nation. The Last Watch is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

11/16/2020

A group of likable rogues race to stop the universe collapsing in Dewes’s gripping space opera debut, whose premise will put readers in mind of A Song of Ice and Fire’s Night’s Watch. Ships stripped of their engines line the edge of the universe, staffed by the Sentinels, court-martialed Legion soldiers sent to guard the Divide in case the hostile alien Viators return. Cavalon Mercer, a rebellious royal heir, becomes the only civilian among them when he’s stripped of his titles and sent to the Argus to serve under stoic war hero Adequin Rake. Sharply pointed descriptions pepper Dewes’s prose as Cavalon faces the soldiers’ hostility over his family’s background in eugenics, and an investigation into a suspected sensor error reveals that the Divide is collapsing. Failing communication systems compel Rake to send a group to the nearest jump gate to warn the Legion and request evacuation transports, but the gate is mysteriously abandoned when they arrive. Meanwhile, those aboard the Argus experience some delightfully strange temporal anomalies as the Divide races inward. Dewes fluidly interweaves complex worldbuilding with a fast-moving plot and satisfying character development in Cavalon and Rake. This should win many fans. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Last Watch

“One of the most stunning sci-fi series debuts of recent years. Fans of the genre—and particularly those already mourning the end of The Expanse series later this year—don’t want to miss out on this nail-biting space epic.”—Vulture

“Dewes’s debut is an exciting, fast-paced ride around the edges of the universe, where those rejected by much of humanity are the only ones who can save it. Fans of K. B. Wagers’s ‘Farian Wars’ series and John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War will welcome this military science fiction thriller.” —Library Journal, starred review

“The Last Watch is a bravura debut that blends great action with compelling characters, lighting up this new series like a dark matter generator.” —Booklist

"Gripping space opera debut." —Publishers Weekly

“The Last Watch is my pick for science fiction debut of the year. Dewes has written a masterwork space opera that needs to be on bookshelves world-wide. Epic, character-driven sci-fi goodness that is the cure for your Expanse hangover.”—FanFi Addict

“A high-energy thrill ride at the edge of space featuring a crew of miscreants racing against time aboard an ancient spaceship. A great concept with an even better execution, this is a sci-fi space opera for readers looking to dial up the excitement.”—Bookpage (starred review)

“An epic tale of survival at the end of the universe.” —Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Velocity Weapon

“Crisp writing, vivid characters, and a plot that beguiles the imagination. The Last Watch is a stunning military sci-fi debut. I was hooked from the opening lines. If you like science fiction, then this book is definitely for you.” —Jasper T. Scott, USA Today Bestselling Author

“The Last Watch is an amazing debut. The smart world-building and explode-off-the page action scenes make it perfect for fans of The Expanse and other fast-paced Sci Fi. I predict that Dewes is going to be a 'must read' author for years to come.” —Michael Mammay, author of Planetside

“More fun than that time The Expendables, the Dirty Dozen and all of The Night’s Watch all got picked up by a random quantum tear in the fabric of spacetime and shot out the edge of the universe to kick ass and save humanity.” —John Birmingham, author of the Axis of Time trilogy

“Take the action of Marko Kloos' Frontlines novels, mix in the intricate world building of Game of Thrones or Warhammer 40,000, and light the fuse. . . . Bursting with snappy dialogue and detail and furious with action, you’ll want to catch your breath when it’s over, and then you’ll want more. Bring it on.” —Dayton Ward, bestselling author

“A scary edge-of-reality setup, cool martial-arts tattoos, interesting time anomalies, and OMG! The Universe is contracting!? Clear your schedule, because once you've gotten on this roller coaster, you're not going to want to get off until you've ridden it to the end.” —Emily Devenport, author of Medusa Uploaded

“The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes is as spectacular a science fiction story as one is going to find. From a plot that is full of drama to amazing characters that are relatable and interesting, all over a backdrop of a futuristic space setting, The Last Watch is nearly flawless.” —FanFi Addict

“The Last Watch has it all! Risky orbital maneuvers! Knife fights with grotesque aliens! Mysterious ancient artifacts! Secret royalty! Tragic backstories! It's classic military space opera with a touch of the cosmic.” —David Levine, winner of the Andre Norton Award for Arabella of Mars

“J.S. Dewes' impressive debut...features big ideas, kick-ass characters, and an environmental collapse; you have to try to not be interested in this book. Highly recommended!” —Primmlife

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2021

DEBUT At the edge of the Universe lies the Divide, an empty border where the Viators crossed and battled humanity. Since then, a xenocide plus a Resurgence War have cast the last of the alien race into oblivion. The Sentinels of the Legion, made up of little more than exiles and convicts, still patrol the Divide. Cavalon Mercer has been placed here, stripped of titles and support, as punishment for his attack on his royal grandfather's genetic lab. He should keep a low profile, since few like his family, but his attitude and intelligence refuse to bow, not even to Adequin Rake, commander of the Argus, a woman who holds her own past close. Now the Argus has been cut off, and Rake has no communications or resources except the rejected soldiers she oversees. The Universe is collapsing, and Rake, Cavalon, and the rest must find a way to stop it—if they can survive it. VERDICT Dewes's debut is an exciting, fast-paced ride around the edges of the universe, where those rejected by much of humanity are the only ones who can save it. Fans of K. B. Wagers's "Farian Wars" series and John Scalzi's Old Man's War will welcome this military science fiction thriller.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Library Journal