OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: After graduating with a degree in film production, J. S. DEWES went on to serve as cinematographer for independent films, write, produce, and shoot a zombie musical, slay internet dragons, and act as lighting designer for presidents and presidential-hopefuls so many times it became mundane. To add to her list of random career paths, she unlocked the Dream Job achievement and now writes for triple-A science fiction video games.

She is the author of the Divide series (The Last Watch, The Exiled Fleet) and Rubicon

Jenny spends her free time drawing, gaming, scrolling ArtStation, cuddling her two sweet dogs and mercurial cat, and occasionally sleeping.

FORMAT/INFO: The Relentless Legion was published on November 12th, 2024, by Tor Books. It is 512 pages long. It is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS:  After a harrowing journey to recover the fuel and supplies needed to bring the fleet safely home from the Divide, the Sentinels have at last returned to the center of civilized space. They've spent months in hiding, preparing to go to war with Cavalon's grandfather, Augustus Mercer. Obsessed with eradicating a specific incurable genetic defect from humanity, Augustus has been playing a long game, using legislation to slowly ostracize any affected humans from society. But the long game is coming to an end, as Augustus is preparing to unleash a horrific weapon on the galaxy. It will take every ally that Rake and Cavalon can rally if they're going to have a prayer of stopping the plot in time.

The Relentless Legion is another fantastic adventure in The Divide series that continues to raise the stakes for the fate of the universe. This one is a little slower-paced than the previous novels in the series, preferring to take some time to focus on how the characters are coping with the strain of the last several months (spoiler, some of them are not). I will say that I did find Cavalon a bit exasperating this novel, but the author seems fully aware of it, given that characters called him out for exactly the things that were frustrating me. The characters get a chance to regroup and reflect before everything goes sideways.

And it WILL go sideways. If you've enjoyed the author's action-packed books in the past, there is plenty of conflict to be found here. The midpoint was particularly nail-biting, an absolute gut-punch in more ways than one. You can also expect some surprising developments as Rake and Cavalon continue to deepen their understanding of the Divide and the devices that keep the collapse of the universe at bay.

The one negative I had with this book is it felt like there were too many things going on. The Divide books have always juggled multiple threats, from the collapsing edge of the universe, the reappearance of alien enemies, and the conspiracy led by Augustus Mercer. Past books have managed to keep everything balanced and give every storyline its due. This third book, however, introduced a new problem originating from the alien ruins our group has chosen as their hideout, and that new problem proved to be just one too many things for me.

CONCLUSION: The Relentless Legion is a fitting conclusion to a sci-fi adventure I've really enjoyed. But it isn't a complete conclusion. While one of the major storylines is wrapped up by the end of the book, the door is left wide open on another one, with plenty of runway for more adventures. No fourth book has been announced as of writing this review, but I would not be shocked (and very pleased) to hear of one eventually, especially as official marketing for The Relentless Legion refers to The Divide as a series, not a trilogy. With that in mind, be prepared to have some loose threads dangling when the dust settles. I, for one, will be happy to come back if another book is in our future, but if not, The Relentless Legion is a satisfying send off for a new favorite series.