Resolute
Kris Longknife Book 4
by Mike Shepherd
This fourth book in Shepherd's Kris Longknife series suffers a bit from the classic problem with series - balancing
things to keep both new readers and those familiar with prior books happy. As someone new to the series, reading this
entry felt like being at a party, listening to interesting people tell genuinely interesting stories that unfortunately
are based in shared experience you don't have. Fun but frustrating.
Lt. Kris Longknife, aka Princess Kristine of those Longknifes, has been given her first independent command.
It's not much - a remote station set on an obscure planet. Kris, whose ability to attract trouble and miraculously
get out of it is already becoming legendary, suspects that remoteness and obscurity are behind the assignment. But
she has her own reasons for wanting to be in that sector of space, having to do with mysterious aliens called the
Three. Just as Kris is starting to settle in, an old and unwelcome acquaintance appears. Hank Greenfeld is heir to
the family who have been been waging covert and overt war with Kris's imperial family to divide known space between
them. Next up to conquer is Kris's current home, with her presence just the piquant sauce to make it especially
enjoyable to swallow.
It took a while for this story to really engage me, but once it did, I found it a thoroughly enjoyable space
opera with some interesting and non-standard characters, a bit of leavening humor, and plenty of highly enjoyable
action. However, I'd definitely recommend reading the earlier books first to get all the backstory and hopefully
explanations of details like smart-metal and spider-silk clothing. |
The Book |
Ace |
October 2006 |
Mass Market Paperback |
0441014534 |
Science Fiction |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Kim Malo |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: |
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