THE EXILED FLEET by J.S. Dewes – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Exiled Fleet by J.S. Dewes
Series: The Divide #2
Published by Tor Books on August 17 2021
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: More action, more danger, more twists and higher stakes, The Exiled Fleet is an enormously fun sequel. Space opera fans will not want to miss this series!

I love when publishers choose to release a sequel only months after the publication of the first book, and now Tor has done that with J.S. Dewes’ debut series The Divide. I just reviewed The Last Watch a mere four months ago, and here we are again, back with Rake and Cavalon and Jack and the rest of the crew. And you should note that this series needs to be read in order, so do not attempt to read The Exiled Fleet first, because I guarantee you’ll be lost. Also, my normal warning about sequel reviews: there may be minor spoilers for the first book.

The story picks up right after the end of The Last Watch. The crew of the Typhos has made a couple of important decisions. First, they’ve sent a small crew to the outer reaches of the Divide to rescue as many ships and people as possible, before the collapse of the Divide can destroy them. Led by Excubitor Adequin Rake, they are also hoping to salvage food and supplies, as they are running dangerously low. Back on the Typhos, Cavalon Mercer is trying to build an actual star on the ship, and if he’s successful, they’ll have enough power to make a jump to the Kharon Gate for much needed supplies.

But when something goes wrong with the jump, the crew must face the fact that in order to fix the problem, they’re going to have to go home—back to the Core, a place they haven’t been in years. Because they are no more than criminals—sent to the Divide as punishment for various reasons—going back could be a suicide mission. With the ruthless Guardians on their tail, the crew will need to forge an alliance with an unlikely source if they have any hope of succeeding in their quest.

This is another case of loving the sequel, but still loving the first book in the series just a little more. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint those reasons, but in this case I think The Exiled Fleet was just a touch too “crowded” with new characters, action scenes, detailed worldbuilding elements and even plot twists. It was a lot to take in, to be honest. I felt lost at times as Dewes brings lots of new information to her story, sometimes one surprise right after another. Before I could absorb what had happened, there was yet another shocker just a few pages later. But despite this, Dewes never loses her grip on the story and manages to successfully keep things more or less under control. Never once did I want to put the book down, because the story was just so intense, and I had to find out what was going to happen to these characters I’ve grown to love.

And speaking of characters, I was happy to see even more character development in this book, and I love the way the author puts just as much time into the subtleties of her relationships as she does into her stunning action sequences. At times I felt like this book was a little too long, but I think it’s because she does take a breather now and then to delve into the characters’ backstories. She also isn’t afraid to let her characters indulge in intimate conversations, which may seem counterintuitive for an action-packed story, but these sections ultimately let the reader bond with and root for those characters. I especially enjoyed the shocking things we learn about Cavalon, but we also get new information about Jackin as well, and most of these new revelations raised even more questions and deepened the mysteries surrounding their pasts.

I like the way Rake’s character continues to develop. She’s taken on a huge responsibility—Captain of the Typhus—but she’s not sure she’s ready, or that she’s the best person for the job. Luckily Jackin and the others are there to support her, although I did love that there is a lot of “tough love” between them at times. Rake tends to risk her life in order to make sure the others are safe, and Cavalon and Jackin in particular aren’t too thrilled when she does that.

But you’re here for the action, aren’t you? Dewes does not disappoint in that regard. The Exiled Fleet is even more action-packed than the first book, and that’s saying something. She isn’t afraid to put her characters in danger, and she’s raised the stakes to an unbelievable pitch. There are some very intense scenes in this book, and I felt like I was right there with the characters, in the middle of all the action.

Just when you think the author can’t possibly top her last pulse-pounding action sequence, she raises the bar yet again and gives her readers an unforgettable finale. Get ready for exciting chase scenes through space, explosions, dangerous heists, brushes with death and much much more. I mentioned in my review of The Last Watch that this series could potentially have many, many sequels. Dewes’ world is complex and fascinating, populated with characters who punch through your chest and squeeze your heart, and by the end of The Exiled Fleet, we have more answers than we did before, but not nearly all the answers. The author leaves things on a satisfying note, but the bad guys are still out there. Surely there will be more books at some point, although I haven’t heard anything concrete. Fingers crossed that Dewes is already plotting the course of the next installment!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.