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A review by murphyslaw123
Rubicon by J.S. Dewes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
J. S. Dewes has done it again. And by “it” I mean crafting a compelling, character-driven, plot-twisty, and addictive sci fi adventure. Rubicon grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the very last page…and oh my gosh…the ending…THE ENDING!!! No spoilers here, but if you’re a fan of bittersweet endings with the dash of hope, then this one is for you, fellow readers.
The novel follows the main character Adri, who is gruff on the outside and gruff on the inside. And not without reason–having resurrected 96 times in humanity’s war against the Mechans (really really smart toasters robot-machines…I pictured something similar to the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, see Exhibit A below), it’s no surprise that life begins to feel a bit meaningless when life…no longer has “death” as its counterpart.
Which brings us to one of the main themes explored in the novel: What happens when life becomes cheap? Especially in the context of war…in order to save humanity? What happens if humanity destroys what it means to be human in the act of trying to save itself (from a dying solar system)? Anywho, those are just some of the really fun questions this novel explores without being all shove-these-philosophical-ponderings-in-your-face about it.
Badass character, emotionally calloused character who slowly re-discovers what it means to be human is perhaps the most succinct character arc summary for Valero. (Also, I’m 100% here for #team Adri x Daroga…Adroga? Dadri?)
BUT CAN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE TECH??? THE RUBICON??? The little computer chip implanted in Adri’s brain that does so much more. So I might have a soft spot for sarcastic AI/VI/robots/non-human-technological-entities-with-a-personality. Sue me. Rubicon (the VI) combined with the very cool mech-armors given to the characters made for such engaging and fun pieces of technology that added another an unique angle to the world building. Most impressively, perhaps, is the degree to which Dewes was able to make the technology feel oh-so-immersive. Exploring the advanced features of the newly issued technology along with Adri was an absolute delight. Between the strange alien planets and the immersive technology descriptions, it felt like I was in a video game for many of the chapters, which is to say, it was freaking cool and fun.
If you’re looking for your next action-packed, character-driven military sci fi, make sure to check out Rubicon!
Tropes & Tags: alien planet, intelligent machines, artificial intelligence, spaceship setting, aliens, transferrable consciousness, morally gray characters, tight knit squad, slow and sweet romance, secret military bases, secret missions, mad scientist/engineer, what if we were wrong all along, not quite a HEA ending