I’m admittedly not much of a deep space, military sci-fi fan, but I enjoyed the fast-paced action of The Last Watch and its ragtag bunch of characters. There’s an interesting premise alongside a world that still has a lot to be fleshed out. The journey was entertaining, with high enough stakes to make it a compelling ride through the edge of the universe. I’m not much for hard science, and I admittedly don’t know how the book shapes up against those expectations. I enjoyed the back and forths between general every day action, universe ending events, and the many little scrapes that kept our crew limping toward their conclusion. 

A Few Thoughts

The Mystery of the Void

Prior to this book, I hadn’t spent much time thinking about what exists at the edge of the universe. I can’t wrap my head around the universe being finite and the book really messes with you in that regard, creating a sense of claustrophobic doom on a galactic scale. It makes the stakes incredibly high, especially given the fact that there’s really nothing anyone can do when running from an invisible shrinking force. It felt like It Follows except the thing following you is an infinite void and if it catches you, you disintegrate. So yeah, terrifying.

A Badass Leader

Rake is the definition of a sci-fi badass in the vein of Ripley from the Alien series. She can fight like no one else, a legend among soldiers, she doesn’t lose her head, and she cares deeply for every person under her command. The few fight scenes were epic and I found myself wanting more as the book advanced. Her backstory does not disappoint and, when coupled with an unexpected love story, it makes her the best part of the book.

A Lost Prince

I found Cavalon to be an interesting character, in the same vein as Peter Quill if he had a bunch of degrees. His backstory was interesting but I wanted more of it. We get snippets, but I was hoping to see a few flashbacks to establish the boogeyman persona built around his grandfather. Hopefully future books give him a little more time and establish more of this world he’s trying to impact.