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catsandbookstacks's review against another edition
4.0
*Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC.*
Rubicon is a compelling and propulsive military sci-fi headed by a complex/conflicted MC. As expected after The Divide series, Dewes offers cinematic writing with lots of action but stays grounded by themes of mortality, artificial intelligence, ethics, and nature vs technology.
I really appreciate the depth given to Sargeant Valero to provide a lens through which to view the world of Rubicon. Someone who has been rezoned (aka "reborn") 96 times after combat would most definitely have a different outlook on life. Standout secondary characters Kato and Daroga, as well as the rest of her squadmates, breathed life back into Valero and I enjoyed seeing her reconnect both with herself and others. Valero's Rubicon (her Virtual Intelligence turned Artificial Intelligence) is sarcastic and precious - wish there would've been more page time between the two of them!
The fast pace kept me flipping those pages and I had quite a few feels even after remembering that death isn't a regular concept in this military world. I yelled at the ending. I yelled and would've slammed the book shut if I hadn't been reading off my Kindle.
Something to note, there is one character with a physical disability that falls into a stereotype. While I am not part of the disabled community, it did stand out to me. The amputee does experience phantom limb pain and has made the choice to keep their amputated limbs rather than rezoning. There is more involved to this character and plot point, but I can't say more because spoilers.
Rubicon is a compelling and propulsive military sci-fi headed by a complex/conflicted MC. As expected after The Divide series, Dewes offers cinematic writing with lots of action but stays grounded by themes of mortality, artificial intelligence, ethics, and nature vs technology.
I really appreciate the depth given to Sargeant Valero to provide a lens through which to view the world of Rubicon. Someone who has been rezoned (aka "reborn") 96 times after combat would most definitely have a different outlook on life. Standout secondary characters Kato and Daroga, as well as the rest of her squadmates, breathed life back into Valero and I enjoyed seeing her reconnect both with herself and others. Valero's Rubicon (her Virtual Intelligence turned Artificial Intelligence) is sarcastic and precious - wish there would've been more page time between the two of them!
The fast pace kept me flipping those pages and I had quite a few feels even after remembering that death isn't a regular concept in this military world. I yelled at the ending. I yelled and would've slammed the book shut if I hadn't been reading off my Kindle.
Something to note, there is one character with a physical disability that falls into a stereotype. While I am not part of the disabled community, it did stand out to me. The amputee does experience phantom limb pain and has made the choice to keep their amputated limbs rather than rezoning. There is more involved to this character and plot point, but I can't say more because spoilers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Ableism, and Medical content
Minor: Genocide
erynlasbelin's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
On a pathfinding mission with the 803rd, Specialist Adriene Valero dies. Again.
She rezones into her new husk - a synthetically-grown copy of her original body - for the 96th time, feeling even further separated from her own humanity. But not from her addictions, or from the physical and mental trauma she's endured. To Adriene, rezoning isn't a blessing, but a curse - something she will do anything to never experience again.
Without explanation, she finds herself suddenly reassigned to forward reconnaissance in a special forces unit. Her new squad is shocked by her number of rezones; in the 505th, "zeroing out" is rare. It's in this comparatively safe environment that Adriene is finally able to adjust to her new body and begin to form genuine connections with the people around her.
At the same time, she's chosen for a secret, specialist assignment under the command of a mysterious Major who worries that humanity is about to meet its sudden end. This role warrants an upgrade for her Rubicon, the 505th's standard virtual intelligence implant...an upgrade that allows her Rubicon to become a fully sentient being inside her brain. Together, they're tasked with increasingly dangerous missions that expose the commander's ruthless dedication to his cause.
Like Dewes's earlier novels, The Last Watch and The Exiled Fleet, Rubicon is fantastically character-focused military sci-fi. Adriene is flawed but brave, anxious but giving her all. It's so rewarding to witness her developing relationships with her squad members, with the awkward but friendly chief systems engineer, with her Rubicon, and with herself. Readers who, like me, loved Rake and Cav (and all the supporting characters) will also love Adriene, Daroga, et al.
But for that very reason, this book left me feeling haunted. The raw trauma the characters endure is brightened by moments of healing, of friendship, and of empathy; brightened, but not overshadowed. This book is as much about grief as it is about loyalty. There is pain, disillusionment, and bitter regret. And the ending will stick with you.
She rezones into her new husk - a synthetically-grown copy of her original body - for the 96th time, feeling even further separated from her own humanity. But not from her addictions, or from the physical and mental trauma she's endured. To Adriene, rezoning isn't a blessing, but a curse - something she will do anything to never experience again.
Without explanation, she finds herself suddenly reassigned to forward reconnaissance in a special forces unit. Her new squad is shocked by her number of rezones; in the 505th, "zeroing out" is rare. It's in this comparatively safe environment that Adriene is finally able to adjust to her new body and begin to form genuine connections with the people around her.
At the same time, she's chosen for a secret, specialist assignment under the command of a mysterious Major who worries that humanity is about to meet its sudden end. This role warrants an upgrade for her Rubicon, the 505th's standard virtual intelligence implant...an upgrade that allows her Rubicon to become a fully sentient being inside her brain. Together, they're tasked with increasingly dangerous missions that expose the commander's ruthless dedication to his cause.
Like Dewes's earlier novels, The Last Watch and The Exiled Fleet, Rubicon is fantastically character-focused military sci-fi. Adriene is flawed but brave, anxious but giving her all. It's so rewarding to witness her developing relationships with her squad members, with the awkward but friendly chief systems engineer, with her Rubicon, and with herself. Readers who, like me, loved Rake and Cav (and all the supporting characters) will also love Adriene, Daroga, et al.
But for that very reason, this book left me feeling haunted. The raw trauma the characters endure is brightened by moments of healing, of friendship, and of empathy; brightened, but not overshadowed. This book is as much about grief as it is about loyalty. There is pain, disillusionment, and bitter regret. And the ending will stick with you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, War, Gun violence, Murder, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gore, Medical content, Alcohol, Genocide, and Medical trauma
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content
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