In the first book of the trilogy, Dewes won me over with her perfect balance of attention to compelling character and fantastically crafted story. If anything, Dewes only elevated that balance here, with intricacies of character making the story all the more powerful with each twist, turn, and development piling on ever more pressure. I'm picky about space operas, but I adore what Dewes is doing here and can't wait to read the next book in the series. ( )

This one was slightly less great than the first one--there's a little bit of "oh, that magical technology sure proved convenient later on in the story," but I still loved it, and can't wait for the next book. ( )

Some remarkably weak plot points about 3/4 of the way through, unfortunately, but I am still eagerly awaiting the next book. ( )

This one took a little while to get going but once it did it went out with a bang! ( )

The Exiled Fleet is the second book in J. S. Dewes' Divide series, and it is a continuation of everything you want from a space opera. With believable science, the dangers of deep space, fantastic characters with the best chemistry, and an outstanding story, it is a story that you cannot stop reading.

This is my third Dewes novel, and I must say that she is quickly becoming one of my favorite science fiction authors. Her stories are so well-built. She develops her worlds carefully without sacrificing any action. The same holds true for her characters. You know all their backstories, but she develops her characters so organically that you don't realize just how much information she gives you. It's an impressive feat.

Not only are her stories high energy and high action, but her character dynamics are outstanding. She builds new relationships naturally and establishes existing relationships using the type of back-and-forth conversations that only come when you know someone inside and out. The banter is pitch-perfect.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Exiled Fleet. While I loved it, I had one minor issue with the narration. Of the two, I find Nicol Zanzarella the weaker of the two narrators. She struggles to perform the various accents used to individualize the characters. Her male voices are also a little rough. While both concerns are distracting at times, they were not enough to have prevented me from enjoying the audiobook.

The Exiled Fleet is such a great story. The high stakes of needing more fuel in deep space would be enough for some authors. But Ms. Dewes adds the additional peril of a potential mutiny. And if that wasn't enough, the Sentinals need to evade two different enemies. It's a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I don't know if Ms. Dewes has any more installments of the Divide series planned, but I know I will gladly read anything Ms. Dewes publishes. Her stories are some of the best sci-fi I've read, which is saying something because I read a lot of science fiction. ( )