Rubicon

November 7, 2022
Dewes (the Divide series) continues to demonstrate a gift for superior hard sci-fi with a standalone outing that is simultaneously thoughtful and pulse-pounding. In the far future, humanity has found a home on the planet of Estes. But the star that enables life on Estes is dying, making the search for another survivable system essential. That mission is complicated by the Mechans, intelligent machines determined to wipe out humanity. Specialist Adriene Valero is introduced while she and her entire command are dying in a battle with the Mechans—only to be revived in the following chapter. All have been equipped with revolutionary technology that enables the dead to be restored to life in a new body, which, at the book’s opening, has already happened to Valero more than 90 times. This tech has obvious advantages in the struggle against the ultra-powerful Mechans, but Dewes cleverly thinks through all its implications: military tactics are influenced by the apparent ease with which skilled soldiers can be recycled, but what is the psychic impact of so many revivals on the surviving minds? The stakes are further raised for Valero when her AI implant, Rubicon, develops sentience, leading to further complications in the ongoing war. Fans of smart military sci-fi will be riveted.

February 1, 2023
"Adriene draws her first breath for the ninety-sixth time," and wishes she were dead. She's reassigned to the 505th Extrasolar Fleet, which is directly engaged in a war against a seemingly unstoppable, mechanical-based race, nicknamed the scrappers. Along with a chip that allows human soldiers to "rezone" in artificial bodies with their minds and memories intact, the soldiers are equipped with nearly indestructible battle suits that include a tactical heads-up display (HUD) that enhances their use of the armor. Adriene is given a suit that is a beta test of an AI system that heightens her connection to the networks connecting the HUDs. Her successes bring her to the attention of Major West, an intelligence officer who wants to end the seeming stalemate at any cost. When they encounter a creator of the scrappers, the major's desperation may be too high a price to pay. Departing from her Divide series, Dewes offers a twist on the movie Edge of Tomorrow, with a strong heroine and exciting battle scenes.

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