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Kris Longknife #6
Intrepid
Kris Longknife has been assigned to The Wasp, the best warship beyond the Rim of Human Space. But while hunting for pirates, Kris stumbles upon something. It's a plan to kill one of the members of the aristocratic Peterwald family --and the would-be killers are setting her up as the assassin.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 16, 2008
43 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Mike Shepherd
88Ìýbooks564ÌýfollowersA pseudonym used by .
Mike was born in the Philadelphia Navy Yard Hospital -- and left that town at the age of three days for reasons he does not presently recall. But they had to draft him to get him back there. He missed very little of the rest of the country. Growing up Navy, he lived about everywhere you could park an aircraft carrier.
Mike was one of those college students who didn't have to worry about finding a job after graduation. In 1968, his Uncle Sam made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Two days into boot camp, the Army was wondering if they might not have been a bit hasty. Mike ended the day in the Intensive Care Unit of the local Army hospital. Despite most of Mike’s personal war stories being limited to "How I flunked boot camp," he can still write a rollicking good military SF yarns.
Mike didn’t survive all that long as a cab driver (he got lost) or bartender (he made the drinks too strong) but he figured he could at least work for the Navy Department as a budget analyst. Until he spent the whole day trying to balance the barracks accounts for paint. Finally, about quitting time, a grinning senior analyst took him aside and let him in on the secret. They'd hidden the money for refitting a battleship in that little account. Slowly it dawned on Mike that there were a few things about the Navy that even a kid who grew up in it would never understand.
Over the next twenty years, Mike branched out into other genres, including instruction memos, policies, performance standards and even a few labor contracts. All of those, you may notice, lack a certain something. Dialogue ... those things in quotes. In `87, Mike’s big break came. He landed on a two year special project to build a digital map showing where the trees, rivers, roads, Spotted Owls and other critters were in western Oregon. The list went on and on with no end in sight and two years became ten.
Since there was no writing involved in his new day job, Mike had to do something to get the words out. He signed up for a writing class at Clark Community College and proudly turned in a story ... Star Wars shoots down the second coming of Christ.
Two years later, Analog bought "Summer Hopes, Winter Dreams" for the March, 1991 issue. Four years later he sold his first novel. In the ten years since then, Mike’s turned in twelve novels and is researching the next three.
Mike's love for Science Fiction started when he picked up "Rocket Ship Galileo" in the fifth grade, and then proceeded to read every book in the library with a rocket sticker on its spine.
Mike digs for his stories among people and change. Through his interest in history, he has traces the transformations that make us what we are today. Science launches us forward into an ever changing universe. Once upon a time, the only changes in peoples lives came with the turning of the seasons and the growing wrinkles on their brows. Today, science drives most of the changes in our daily lives. Still, we can't avoid the pressure of our own awakening hormones or hardening arteries. Mike is happiest when his stories are speeding across thin ice, balanced on the edge of two sharp blades, one anciently human, the other as new as tomorrow's research.
Trained in International Relations and history, salary administration and bargaining, theology and counseling, Mike is having a ball writing about Kris Longknife ... coming of age while the world her grand parents built threatens to crash down around her ears. These are books I think you’ll love ... and my granddaughter and grandsons too!
Mike lives in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife Ellen, his mother-in-law and any visiting grandkids. He enjoys reading, writing, watching grand-children for story ideas and upgrading his computer -- all are never ending.
Mike was born in the Philadelphia Navy Yard Hospital -- and left that town at the age of three days for reasons he does not presently recall. But they had to draft him to get him back there. He missed very little of the rest of the country. Growing up Navy, he lived about everywhere you could park an aircraft carrier.
Mike was one of those college students who didn't have to worry about finding a job after graduation. In 1968, his Uncle Sam made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Two days into boot camp, the Army was wondering if they might not have been a bit hasty. Mike ended the day in the Intensive Care Unit of the local Army hospital. Despite most of Mike’s personal war stories being limited to "How I flunked boot camp," he can still write a rollicking good military SF yarns.
Mike didn’t survive all that long as a cab driver (he got lost) or bartender (he made the drinks too strong) but he figured he could at least work for the Navy Department as a budget analyst. Until he spent the whole day trying to balance the barracks accounts for paint. Finally, about quitting time, a grinning senior analyst took him aside and let him in on the secret. They'd hidden the money for refitting a battleship in that little account. Slowly it dawned on Mike that there were a few things about the Navy that even a kid who grew up in it would never understand.
Over the next twenty years, Mike branched out into other genres, including instruction memos, policies, performance standards and even a few labor contracts. All of those, you may notice, lack a certain something. Dialogue ... those things in quotes. In `87, Mike’s big break came. He landed on a two year special project to build a digital map showing where the trees, rivers, roads, Spotted Owls and other critters were in western Oregon. The list went on and on with no end in sight and two years became ten.
Since there was no writing involved in his new day job, Mike had to do something to get the words out. He signed up for a writing class at Clark Community College and proudly turned in a story ... Star Wars shoots down the second coming of Christ.
Two years later, Analog bought "Summer Hopes, Winter Dreams" for the March, 1991 issue. Four years later he sold his first novel. In the ten years since then, Mike’s turned in twelve novels and is researching the next three.
Mike's love for Science Fiction started when he picked up "Rocket Ship Galileo" in the fifth grade, and then proceeded to read every book in the library with a rocket sticker on its spine.
Mike digs for his stories among people and change. Through his interest in history, he has traces the transformations that make us what we are today. Science launches us forward into an ever changing universe. Once upon a time, the only changes in peoples lives came with the turning of the seasons and the growing wrinkles on their brows. Today, science drives most of the changes in our daily lives. Still, we can't avoid the pressure of our own awakening hormones or hardening arteries. Mike is happiest when his stories are speeding across thin ice, balanced on the edge of two sharp blades, one anciently human, the other as new as tomorrow's research.
Trained in International Relations and history, salary administration and bargaining, theology and counseling, Mike is having a ball writing about Kris Longknife ... coming of age while the world her grand parents built threatens to crash down around her ears. These are books I think you’ll love ... and my granddaughter and grandsons too!
Mike lives in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife Ellen, his mother-in-law and any visiting grandkids. He enjoys reading, writing, watching grand-children for story ideas and upgrading his computer -- all are never ending.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 14, 2016
As you can see, we finally broke the long four-star streak. You definitely want to read the others in the series first because this one has some excellent build on past storylines and the payoff is part of what made it so good.
Most of this book is pretty standard for the series so far. Kris finds a pile of bad. Kris mines for gold. Kris finds some silver, a bit of fluff, and the odd trinket that needs further analysis. It's all good fun and the action builds nicely with a satisfying pace.
This book does share the weakness of the others in that there are two distinct storylines that don't interact much. This is a bit different in that one of the stories bookends the other like a storyline sandwich. Which means you have two larger-than-usual action down beats rather than a big division in the book. I think that actually works better, frankly, as the pacing hit isn't as big on the second transition (going from the concluded middle to the continued first). Interesting storycraft and I wonder if Shepherd made it a light touch by his talent or if that's just an effect of the storyline sandwich...
Anyway, craft musings aside, I really enjoyed this story. My favorite part is that the Peterwalds finally show some sense. Vicky shows up again and I'm not going to give away spoilers or anything, but I loved developments there. Finally someone on the "other side" that shows some sign of rationality and being able to learn. I liked even better where we left things at the end and for once I'm looking forward to a scion of Greenfeld space showing up occasionally. Well done!
And yes, that's the development that pushed me over the four-star hump into five stars. Lovely developments and I can't wait to start the next. Only I'm going to have to wait because it's already late and starting one of these things so late would be madness. And I may be crazy but I'm not stupid...
Most of this book is pretty standard for the series so far. Kris finds a pile of bad. Kris mines for gold. Kris finds some silver, a bit of fluff, and the odd trinket that needs further analysis. It's all good fun and the action builds nicely with a satisfying pace.
This book does share the weakness of the others in that there are two distinct storylines that don't interact much. This is a bit different in that one of the stories bookends the other like a storyline sandwich. Which means you have two larger-than-usual action down beats rather than a big division in the book. I think that actually works better, frankly, as the pacing hit isn't as big on the second transition (going from the concluded middle to the continued first). Interesting storycraft and I wonder if Shepherd made it a light touch by his talent or if that's just an effect of the storyline sandwich...
Anyway, craft musings aside, I really enjoyed this story. My favorite part is that the Peterwalds finally show some sense. Vicky shows up again and I'm not going to give away spoilers or anything, but I loved developments there. Finally someone on the "other side" that shows some sign of rationality and being able to learn. I liked even better where we left things at the end and for once I'm looking forward to a scion of Greenfeld space showing up occasionally. Well done!
And yes, that's the development that pushed me over the four-star hump into five stars. Lovely developments and I can't wait to start the next. Only I'm going to have to wait because it's already late and starting one of these things so late would be madness. And I may be crazy but I'm not stupid...
April 19, 2024
Still ensnared in her great-grandparents� game of Galactic Hatfields and McCoys, Intrepid finds Kris out on the Rim of human space, hunting pirates, and following breadcrumbs that someone has been leaving her. At this point in the series, there’s really only one prime suspect in the Case of the Discarded Duck Food. The Peterwalds. Could it be someone else? Sure. But that’s probably just paranoia getting the better of us. Right?
Anyway, one thing is certain. These breadcrumbs lead to a trap � for Kris. She knows it. Her team knows it. They follow anyway. Not the choice I’d make, but I’m more of a Chief Beni � and my choices would make for a pretty boring story.
With every new breadcrumb, Kris responds in a manner authentically her own and indicative of her personal growth. For those in her orbit, their choices to follow her celebrate that growth and provide further motivation for Kris to continue charting her own course.
I do wish we’d gotten to see things from the trap layer’s perspective, though. Not a lot. Just a little. Without that perspective, the story lacks a genuine sense of the sinister forces plotting against Kris.
Admittedly, not showing that perspective plants us more firmly in Kris� shoes. We experience the events as she experiences them. But throughout Act 2, we get glimpses of the events from the minor antagonists� viewpoint without losing the capacity to connect with Kris and understand her actions.
Not bringing the major villain out of the shadows just a little more lessens the impact of the big Act 3 reveal. And, while I feel better connected to Kris� experience of the events, I don’t feel as though I know her as well as I could at this point.
Anyway, one thing is certain. These breadcrumbs lead to a trap � for Kris. She knows it. Her team knows it. They follow anyway. Not the choice I’d make, but I’m more of a Chief Beni � and my choices would make for a pretty boring story.
With every new breadcrumb, Kris responds in a manner authentically her own and indicative of her personal growth. For those in her orbit, their choices to follow her celebrate that growth and provide further motivation for Kris to continue charting her own course.
I do wish we’d gotten to see things from the trap layer’s perspective, though. Not a lot. Just a little. Without that perspective, the story lacks a genuine sense of the sinister forces plotting against Kris.
Admittedly, not showing that perspective plants us more firmly in Kris� shoes. We experience the events as she experiences them. But throughout Act 2, we get glimpses of the events from the minor antagonists� viewpoint without losing the capacity to connect with Kris and understand her actions.
Not bringing the major villain out of the shadows just a little more lessens the impact of the big Act 3 reveal. And, while I feel better connected to Kris� experience of the events, I don’t feel as though I know her as well as I could at this point.
February 16, 2015
This is book 6 in the Longknife series. It is advisable to read this series in order or else it is easy to be lost. At the end of the last book Kris was being returned to the Rim of Homan Space to her former command; to the ship she had acquired as a prize by capturing the pirates that had her. Kris re-equipped the ship and re-named it the Wasp. Kris is back to hunting for pirates and exploring space as a science ship. In this story Kris comes across a plan to assassinate a member of the Peterwald family and blame Kris. Shepherd has the relationship between Victoria Peterwald and Kris changing.
In this episode Shepherd has Kris fail. That is a nice touch and makes her human, it is very well done. The book has lots of action both space and ground pounding action with the marines to save a world of independent farmers. I note that the enemies are becoming more nebulous and changeable. It is obvious this book is setting up some important relationships for the future episodes. I am fascinated with Kris’s computer “Nellie.� The book is well written and keeps the banter going between characters along with the humor. I cannot wait to start the next book. Dina Pearlman narrates the series.
In this episode Shepherd has Kris fail. That is a nice touch and makes her human, it is very well done. The book has lots of action both space and ground pounding action with the marines to save a world of independent farmers. I note that the enemies are becoming more nebulous and changeable. It is obvious this book is setting up some important relationships for the future episodes. I am fascinated with Kris’s computer “Nellie.� The book is well written and keeps the banter going between characters along with the humor. I cannot wait to start the next book. Dina Pearlman narrates the series.
March 12, 2016
This is the 6th book in the Kris Longknife series by Mike Shepherd. First this is a great example of Military Science Fiction. If you like this genre you will like this book. In this one Kris Longknife arrives at a planet with two ships in orbit and a bad guy army on the ground. She is commanding a ship with superior armament to the bad guy ships. Instead of taking out the ships and using the high ground to force the ground army to surrender, she lands her own much inferior force and joins with the poorly armed natives. Only when she is about to lose this battle does she tell her ship to attack the orbiting enemy ships. They flee and the enemy army faced with no way to leave the planet surrenders to Kris and her Marines. Next she goes to a planet where she stumbles on a plan to assassinate the head of the Peterwald family and frame her for it in order to start a planetary war. Kris is once again neck deep in trouble and it's going to take all her skill and that of her crew, to get themselves out. As always the ending is a bit murky but this sets things up for the next adventure, which is called "Kris Longknife, Undaunted." This is a must read for Kris Longknife fans and fans of Mike Shepherd/Mike Moscoe.
March 29, 2022
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog
Now that Kris is done being bounced around by her great grandfather, King Ray, she has been assigned to the Wasp. Her mission: help facilitate jumps through the new gates, prevent piracy, and help Wardhaven interests. To do so, frontier worlds need to come into the fold before the Peterwalds make their move. Unfortunately for Kris, there is a reason those frontier people want to be so far away from the rest of civilization.With this book we begin a new arc away from known space. Kris becomes embroiled in two different worlds whose futures are about to change now that they are in a new direct path of the exploration. One is full of a secretive cult of doomsdayers who are hiding from a coming alien apocalypse. The others are former war veterans looking to go off grid and make a new life away from the politics. Neither wants to be involved but both now no longer have the choice since new gates were found by their worlds.
As usual, Kris will face difficulties but win people over with her goodwill and honesty. We get a lot more Vicky Peterwald and we can see Shepherd laying the groundwork for the Vicky Peterwald series coming up. There is also a lot on Nelly continuing to grow beyond her 'computer' personality. She features quite a bit in this particular book.
Note: I listened to the audiobook and it is the same narrator throughout the series. She does a good job with the different characters and they are all easy to distinguish.
January 12, 2018
Military science fiction is a lot more crowded with lead female characters than you might think. Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano and Esmay Suiza try to straighten tangled political webs in the Familias Regnant universe. David Weber's Honor Harrington kicks behinds and takes names as she rises in rank through the Royal Navy of the Star Kingdom of Manticore and foils the plots of the evil Republic of Haven. Tanya Huff's tough as nails Confederation Marine Sgt. Torin Kerr knows the way to keep more of her people alive is to make more of the enemy dead and so she goes about that task with businesslike efficiency.
By the sixth book in his series, Mike Shepherd has fashioned a place in that corps for his wealthy heiress/princess/United Sentients Naval Lieutenant Kristine Longknife. Kris Longknife: Intrepid, finds Lt. Longknife, her Jill-of-all-trades (including assassination and espionage) maid Abby, her bodyguard Jack and her increasingly sentient personal computer Nelly part of a crew pretending to be a merchant ship in the far reaches of inhabited space. Their mission is to lure pirates to attack the seemingly helpless vessel and get summarily blasted for their pains by its powerful hidden weaponry.
But Kris has a knack for finding more trouble than she actually signed up for, so she and her crew, along with a company of United Sentients Marines, find a couple of more things on their to-do list. After they help a planet of farmers tackle an invading mercenary force, Kris has to take some big risks to save a man who's been one of her family's biggest enemies.
Over the course of the series, Shepherd has found a good mix of dry wit and action to keep his story humming, and toned down some of the comic elements from the initial Kris Longknife: Mutineer, which was broad enough to skew close to satire. Shepherd uses the same setting as he did for his Longknife family trilogy (written under his given name, Mike Moscoe), but lightens the tone a good deal.
Kris Longknife's most obvious counterpart is Weber's Honor Harrington. But where Weber has come down with a serious case of bestseller's bloat, Shepherd seems to be steering his heroine's ship using an editor to pilot him much more swiftly and cleanly through his stories. Although Kris & Co.'s humor and confidence in the face of danger is appealing, they don't reek to excess of sang-froid the way Harrington and her cast have in the last four or five of their adventures.
Up through this volume, we learned that Kristine Longknife is a Mutineer and a Deserter, as well as that she's Defiant, Resolute, Audacious and now Intrepid. Here's hoping Shepherd keeps adding adjectives to her resumé for several years to come.
Original available .
By the sixth book in his series, Mike Shepherd has fashioned a place in that corps for his wealthy heiress/princess/United Sentients Naval Lieutenant Kristine Longknife. Kris Longknife: Intrepid, finds Lt. Longknife, her Jill-of-all-trades (including assassination and espionage) maid Abby, her bodyguard Jack and her increasingly sentient personal computer Nelly part of a crew pretending to be a merchant ship in the far reaches of inhabited space. Their mission is to lure pirates to attack the seemingly helpless vessel and get summarily blasted for their pains by its powerful hidden weaponry.
But Kris has a knack for finding more trouble than she actually signed up for, so she and her crew, along with a company of United Sentients Marines, find a couple of more things on their to-do list. After they help a planet of farmers tackle an invading mercenary force, Kris has to take some big risks to save a man who's been one of her family's biggest enemies.
Over the course of the series, Shepherd has found a good mix of dry wit and action to keep his story humming, and toned down some of the comic elements from the initial Kris Longknife: Mutineer, which was broad enough to skew close to satire. Shepherd uses the same setting as he did for his Longknife family trilogy (written under his given name, Mike Moscoe), but lightens the tone a good deal.
Kris Longknife's most obvious counterpart is Weber's Honor Harrington. But where Weber has come down with a serious case of bestseller's bloat, Shepherd seems to be steering his heroine's ship using an editor to pilot him much more swiftly and cleanly through his stories. Although Kris & Co.'s humor and confidence in the face of danger is appealing, they don't reek to excess of sang-froid the way Harrington and her cast have in the last four or five of their adventures.
Up through this volume, we learned that Kristine Longknife is a Mutineer and a Deserter, as well as that she's Defiant, Resolute, Audacious and now Intrepid. Here's hoping Shepherd keeps adding adjectives to her resumé for several years to come.
Original available .
February 20, 2023
4 stars.
Feb 2023 - re-listened. The battle scenes were epic and tense.
__________
April 2021
Kris now has her own ship to go to the outer rim of humanity seeking new planets and fighting pirates with scientists and a Marine battalion. What can go wrong, er? Only when those planets at the outer rim are occupied by some nut-jobs or are being forcefully taken over by unscrupulous businessmen wanting to enslave the planet. Then it's Kris and her team to the rescue, of course.
That assassination attempt to kill Vicky Peterwald's father reminds me so much of 9/11 with just the same horrific outcome. And I'm also worried Kris will run out of Marines soon if she keeps using them to save the world. I wonder how she's going to recruit more?
But all in all, another action-packed instalment.
Feb 2023 - re-listened. The battle scenes were epic and tense.
__________
April 2021
Kris now has her own ship to go to the outer rim of humanity seeking new planets and fighting pirates with scientists and a Marine battalion. What can go wrong, er? Only when those planets at the outer rim are occupied by some nut-jobs or are being forcefully taken over by unscrupulous businessmen wanting to enslave the planet. Then it's Kris and her team to the rescue, of course.
That assassination attempt to kill Vicky Peterwald's father reminds me so much of 9/11 with just the same horrific outcome. And I'm also worried Kris will run out of Marines soon if she keeps using them to save the world. I wonder how she's going to recruit more?
But all in all, another action-packed instalment.
December 25, 2016
The first of the series to feel perfunctory. The proof reading was poor and there were whole sentences that didn't make sense. I can't review a book well when the publisher makes so little effort.
The story was ok. Lots of digging. Lots of ground battle. Bit slow. Some really interesting characters. And the usual development of the main cast.
I've already started on #7 and it's really good this one is just a temporary slump.
The story was ok. Lots of digging. Lots of ground battle. Bit slow. Some really interesting characters. And the usual development of the main cast.
I've already started on #7 and it's really good this one is just a temporary slump.
November 21, 2011
Better than the previous one. At least there's some decent combat action in this one although most is planet bound.
July 19, 2014
These do seem to be getting better with each book, better and better!
October 11, 2022
Kris Longknife should be far enough away from the centers of civilization to keep out of trouble. Assigned to The Wasp and packed with scientists who are exploring the Rim for new planets and new opportunities should keep her out of politics.
However, just because she's far away doesn't mean she's trouble-free. After all, pirates and slavers like to be away from the center of civilization too. She and her crew capture the Compton Maru and find it filled with cargo and slaves. She takes her captures ship to Cuzco in hopes of selling the cargo and ship for prize money and dumping the pirates on Cuzco' legal system. While there she has a chance to connect with a couple of old enemies - Captain Kratz and newly made Ensign Vicky Peterwald.
While stuck on Cuzco where the legal system makes the pirates look good, Kris and her crew meet Andy Fronour of Pandemonium - one of the illegal colonies beyond the Rim - and are convinced to take him and his cargo home on their way to doing the exploration the scientists are agitating for. Upon arrival, they find that the colony has been captured by another set of pirates hired by businessmen to loot the planet for their profits.
Kris and her crew come to the aid of the first group of colonists in retaking their planet with lots of nice maneuvers which make use of Kris's ingenuity. This second group of pirates is commanded by Kris's own first captain who left the Wardhaven Navy just ahead of his own court martial and who blames Kris for his problems.
After solving problems there, Kris and her crew go to Xanadu which has been settled by Abdicators who were agitating for all humanity to return to Earth to get away from alien hordes that they believed were coming. Only they have gone beyond agitation and have sent out a group of young fanatics to start a war between Wardhaven and the Peterwalds. It is up to Kris to find these terrorists and stop them. Since it is well known to her that a war between parties of equal strength doesn't do much beyond creating a lot of devastation and can have no clear winners.
Now Kris has to find a way to save her and her planet's greatest enemy before they can be edged into outright war.
This story was entertaining science fiction with a larger-than-life main character and many other intriguing characters too.
However, just because she's far away doesn't mean she's trouble-free. After all, pirates and slavers like to be away from the center of civilization too. She and her crew capture the Compton Maru and find it filled with cargo and slaves. She takes her captures ship to Cuzco in hopes of selling the cargo and ship for prize money and dumping the pirates on Cuzco' legal system. While there she has a chance to connect with a couple of old enemies - Captain Kratz and newly made Ensign Vicky Peterwald.
While stuck on Cuzco where the legal system makes the pirates look good, Kris and her crew meet Andy Fronour of Pandemonium - one of the illegal colonies beyond the Rim - and are convinced to take him and his cargo home on their way to doing the exploration the scientists are agitating for. Upon arrival, they find that the colony has been captured by another set of pirates hired by businessmen to loot the planet for their profits.
Kris and her crew come to the aid of the first group of colonists in retaking their planet with lots of nice maneuvers which make use of Kris's ingenuity. This second group of pirates is commanded by Kris's own first captain who left the Wardhaven Navy just ahead of his own court martial and who blames Kris for his problems.
After solving problems there, Kris and her crew go to Xanadu which has been settled by Abdicators who were agitating for all humanity to return to Earth to get away from alien hordes that they believed were coming. Only they have gone beyond agitation and have sent out a group of young fanatics to start a war between Wardhaven and the Peterwalds. It is up to Kris to find these terrorists and stop them. Since it is well known to her that a war between parties of equal strength doesn't do much beyond creating a lot of devastation and can have no clear winners.
Now Kris has to find a way to save her and her planet's greatest enemy before they can be edged into outright war.
This story was entertaining science fiction with a larger-than-life main character and many other intriguing characters too.
January 3, 2021
A belated selection for the r/Fantasy 2017 Bingo for the 'Re-Use ANY Previous r/Fantasy Bingo Square' square. The square I picked was the 'Novel Published In The 2000’s' square from the 2016 Bingo. Another installment in the life of Princess Kristine Longknife (who is also a lieutenant in the Wardhaven navy), as she tries to stay alive whilst solving countless military battles and not getting the praise and reward she rightly deserves. This series is a palate cleanser for me. There is enough of a plot and good dialog to keep it interesting and it hasn't gotten to the point yet where Shepherd is just turning them out for the money; this is novel 6 of 19 plus novellas and a spin-off series, so my opinion on this is likely to change soon. I've apparently not read book 5 as I couldn't work out who is this 12 year old girl and why is she living on a warship. I'll have to go back and read that some time.
June 27, 2019
3.5 stars I would have rated higher but the whole story was suppose to be about how she came across a assasination plot for one of her enemies family member. This didnt come up till the last 60-70 pages and felt rush. This is my issue with Shepard. It's the fact that one story is advertised as the main plot, but is really the sub-plot, then another story comes from way out of left field.
May 15, 2021
I have only recently discovered the Kris Longknife books - having very much enjoyed David Weber, , Elizabeth Moon and their like and I have to say that Mike Shepherd's books are certainly up there in that company. I am very much invested in the main characters and will definitely be continuing with the series for the foreseeable future!
December 4, 2019
de plus en plus fan, chaque volume développe une ou plusieurs nouvelles problématiques (éthique, politique, et choix à faire ..), je retrouve avec plaisir les personnages comme des connaissances, le style est fluide, les batailles sont très prenantes et je passe un bon moment ...
August 13, 2024
To many small story/logic errors in this one imo, especially noticeable in the pandemonium marine fight scenes. Things that a beta-reader/editor ought to have caught and pointed out. The narration in the audiobook also had more issues than I consider acceptable.
October 13, 2017
Pretty fast-moving action. There were a few surprises, like Victoria Peterwald has a brain and is willing to use it. More would constitute a spoiler.
February 10, 2018
Great story with continuing character development with several things going on and new developments. It was a fun read that I really enjoyed
June 28, 2020
The subject wasn’t fun enough. I don’t know something was missing.
May 14, 2024
More awesome
Still rereading the series still enjoying it. This book was tremendous interesting Changes happen in Kris's life enemies become friends et cetera. Off to the next book
Still rereading the series still enjoying it. This book was tremendous interesting Changes happen in Kris's life enemies become friends et cetera. Off to the next book
February 24, 2017
An Enemy safe at a cost
This version of our continuing opera sees our heroine work ground forces and mistakenly snuff many lives in the safety of one highly valuable enemy. Thus our story marches on enjoying. Excited to continue.
This version of our continuing opera sees our heroine work ground forces and mistakenly snuff many lives in the safety of one highly valuable enemy. Thus our story marches on enjoying. Excited to continue.
October 22, 2011
In Intrepid, Kris finally has her own ship command. She is on a mission to explore the outer rim and show the flag of Wardhaven/United Sentients. She discovers a plot against her arch enemies, the Peterwalds, and also a plundering expedition launched on an agrarian colony. Lots of ground pounding action anchors this book, with the Marines picked up in Audacious playing a starring role.
This may be my favorite thus far. Any hint of the tentative beginning of the series is gone. The characters are well fleshed out and the plot is interesting. Shepherd has also managed to round out the political background and it is no longer quite as vague. The “we are so clever� conversations are toned down in favor of action; a good development. This one is a real page turner.
Note: Shepherd has previously written about our heroine’s great-grandfather Raymond under his real name, Mike Moscoe.
This may be my favorite thus far. Any hint of the tentative beginning of the series is gone. The characters are well fleshed out and the plot is interesting. Shepherd has also managed to round out the political background and it is no longer quite as vague. The “we are so clever� conversations are toned down in favor of action; a good development. This one is a real page turner.
Note: Shepherd has previously written about our heroine’s great-grandfather Raymond under his real name, Mike Moscoe.
November 30, 2020
Kris Longknife encounters Vicky for the second time and it goes much better for both characters. Putting these two characters together like this will forever alter the fate of many worlds and peoples. Forcing Vicky to really think about how and why her brother died as a side story is very clever. Keeping the focus on Kris as she explores the area of space around her home world we expand upon the universe the author has created. Tying the two stories together for a nail biting finale was clever. Lost of good character growth for minor characters which will be expanded upon in future novels and not forgotten. A single act of honest pays off huge dividends as the series goes forward.
February 9, 2016
For a military sci-fi series with a kick-ass heroine, Mike Shepherd's Kris Longknife isn't bad, but is not in the league of Tanya Huff's Torin Kerr, Elizabeth Moon's Serranos, or David Weber's Honor Harrington. Still, it's good entertainment. Kris is finally commanding a space warship/research vessel, hunting for pirates beyond the Rim, and foils a pirate plot to take over an isolated colony. Then she stumbles on a plan to assassinate the head of the Peterwald family and frame her for it in order to start a planetary war. Kris and her Marines are once again neck-deep in trouble and it's going to take all their skill to claw themselves out.
April 26, 2013
More two linked novellas than a unitary novel, Intrepid continues to be adequate milSF. The section concerning ground action on Pandaemonium is mediocre; the space sections are more interesting. One of the oddities is that the character of Vicky Peterwald has almost nothing to do with the character of the same name in the fifth novel. That's fine as I thought she was a major weakness in the novel but it doesn't pay to think about how a real person would get from one position to the other in the short time depicted.
March 27, 2014
Apparently I missed this one the first time through the series. It really completes the previous story arc, and a new one starts with the next book.
This book is grittier and messier than some of the others. There is more ground conflict, which is dirtier than dog-fights in orbit. As always, the conflicts are complicated and the solutions are clever, with luck and incredible timing involved.
Not the best in the series, but an important part of the overall universe, and it sets up some important relationships for the future stories.
This book is grittier and messier than some of the others. There is more ground conflict, which is dirtier than dog-fights in orbit. As always, the conflicts are complicated and the solutions are clever, with luck and incredible timing involved.
Not the best in the series, but an important part of the overall universe, and it sets up some important relationships for the future stories.
January 17, 2016
I love this series! It's great, fast-paced, military space opera. I liken Kris Longknife to popcorn, once you start consuming, you can't stop. Galactic Princess Kristine Anne Longknife, who's also a lieutenant in the Navy, has some of the best hair-raising adventures in the universe, and all with a very dry sense of humor. I'm looking forward to the next installment, "Undaunted", which I bought at the same time, and will start today. Do yourself a favor, if you're a hard s-f, or military s-f fan, and read this series. You won't be disappointed.
January 28, 2011
I'm enjoying this series, but while the rest of the books focus on one place/one problem, this one has her and crew bouncing around dealing with several different ones. I think I prefer the one place/one problem focus better, this was just a little too bounce-around for my liking. On the positive side, the editing/typesetting errors were much fewer in this book, probably only a dozen or so. Looking forward to starting the next book tonight.
November 29, 2008
A solid entry in the Longknife series. Kris is on a scientific expedition with a ship tricked out like warship. Naturally something has to go wrong. A battle to save a world of independent farmers and an assassination attempt against Henry Peterwald, her family's enemy to thwart are amongst the young princess/lieutenant's leadership challenges in this novel.
Not his best in the series, but still a good solid read.
Not his best in the series, but still a good solid read.
January 29, 2013
summary:
Amusing but a bit annoying, military scifi
Plotline:
Several stories strung together, each well thought out, but a few holes remain
Premise:
Thin. But the universe is pretty good and consistent
Writing
Simple, but highly readable
Ending
Each story ending is pretty good, though as Kris is perfect , also pretty obvious (she wins)
Pace
Good pace keeps the story/s flowing very well throughout.
Amusing but a bit annoying, military scifi
Plotline:
Several stories strung together, each well thought out, but a few holes remain
Premise:
Thin. But the universe is pretty good and consistent
Writing
Simple, but highly readable
Ending
Each story ending is pretty good, though as Kris is perfect , also pretty obvious (she wins)
Pace
Good pace keeps the story/s flowing very well throughout.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
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