Kris Longknife: Audacious

Good story still going strong, characters stay fleshed out without getting messed up or too changed

I have in my library a number of science fiction series that have strong female protagonists. Some writers are good at handling this genre and some are... eh. Mike Shepherd has a firm grasp on this genre and handles Kris Longknife's persona as well as writers who I have picked up knowing that I will be sure to find a book that I want to read and reread and reread, you get the picture. Writers like Elizabeth Moon, David Weber. Kris Longknife will sweep you up and take you with her along with her as swiftly as she sweeps up her cohorts. Or as fast as she is swept up by events around her! ::weg:: The action makes sense, nothing gratuitous, but there is plenty of action as well as character development. Something that you don't always find in future sf. Everything falls into place. I can safely say that I want more. Let me put it this way, there were already four books out when I first discovered Kris Longknife. I read the first one and immediately ordered the others. I was NOT disappointed by any of them. Mike Shepherd has delivered a consistent series. Here's to seeing more and more and more and... Enjoy.

The continuing saga continues, and it is just as good as the previous books. There are other series of Mil-SF out there on the shelves for the readers to enjoy but take my word for it this series ranks in the top five of those series. Action, plots, more action..... etcetra. I was worried that the series was going to get bogged down doing the same old same old, but Mike Shepard at the end has decided to lead his readers deeper into "Outer Space". This was worth the wait. But I'm sorry to say this, its not a first book to read, get the other five in front of it first!

This is a very short review but to the point, as the author of The Second Virgin Birth, I must say that, Kris Longknife:Audacious, is well written with a well thought out plot line that holds you interest the entire book. I enjoyed reading it. As in my book the main character is female which is different than most of the standard fiction novels.

After numerous assassination attempts, Princess Kris Longknife, a Lieutenant in the Wardhaven navy plans to do a little business and get some rest and relaxation on the planet New Eden. Almost as soon as she lands an attempt is made on her life and efforts to get assistance from her computer implant were jammed. This was thought to be impossible and the last time it happened her family's enemies were involved. The attempt on her life makes it on the news and she learns after some digging that New Eden is not as productive and peaceful as it is supposed to be. New Eden journalists are forbidden from reporting negative stories, a large part of the population is forbidden to vote and there is much crime but nobody hears of it. She discovers Victoria is on the planet and she blames Kris for killing her brother. In the course of dealing with another assassination attempt, a large cache of weapons is found by Kris' troops. Something big is going to happen on New Eden and Kris will find herself, her marines and other allies in the middle of it. Mike Shepherd is a fantastic storyteller who excels at writing military science fiction. His protagonist is a strong willed independent thinker who does what she thinks is best for humanity even if it means not adhering to planetary law. Human life is very precious to her and those people in her inner circle who play roles in the storyline. There is plenty of action and tension as this is a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience for science fiction fans. Harriet Klausner