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Title | Mutineer
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2004
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2004
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Title | Deserter
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2004
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2004
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Title | Defiant
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2005
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2005
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Title | Resolute
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2006
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2006
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Title | Audacious
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2007
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2007
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Title | Intrepid
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2008
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2008
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Title | Undaunted
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2009
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2009
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Title | Redoubtable
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Author | Mike Shepherd
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Cover Art | Scott Grimando
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Publisher | Ace Books - 2010
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First Printing | Ace Books - 2010
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Category | Science Fiction
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Warnings | None
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Main Characters | Kris Longknife, Tommy, Jack, Abby, Nelly, Penny, Vicky, Cara
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Main Elements | Space
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Website | mikeshepherd.org
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 Mutineer
A new warrior comes into her own...
Kris Longknift is a daughter of priviledge, born to money and power. Her father is the Prime Minister of her home planet, her mother the consummate policitian's wife. She's been raised only to be beautiful and marry well. But the heritage of the military Longknifes courses through Kris' blood - and, against her parents' objections, she enlists in the marines.
She had a lot to live up to and a lot to prove in the long-running struggle between her powerful family, a highly defensive - and offensive - Earth, and the hundreds of warring colonies. Then an ill-conceived attack brings the war close to home, putting Kris' life on the line. Now she has only one choice: certain death on the front lines or rim space - or mutiny.
Deserter
Kris Longknife had no choice about growing up rich and pampered. When she did have a choice, she joined the Marines. But now, a friend needs help halfway across the galaxy - and with a military heritage coursing through her blood, it's time for Kris Longknife to be a hero.
When Kris Longknife's best friend vanishes, she boards the next ship to Turantic, the last palce he was seen alive. But there's more to the rescue than meets the eye. Turantic is not only the most twisted hellhole in the galaxy, but it's also under quarantine because of a deadly plague. And after a sudden, suspicious loss of communication with the outside world, Kris realizes the length some enemies will go to for a life-threatening bait-and-trap. But she is willing to go even further - and deeper into Turantic's secrets - to survive.
Defiant
Born into a family of wealth and political power. Kris Longknife turned her back on high society and followed a different family tradition by joining the Marines. But now she finds herself relieved of duty. She's gotten in the way of someone's agenda--to bring down her father, the Prime Minister of Wardhaven.
Now, with the fleet off on a propaganda mission. Wardhaven is left vulnerable to enemy warships that establish orbit around the planet demanding surrender. With the remnants of the fleet ordered to stand down. Kris declares herself Commander-in-Chief and plans a desperate gambit to defend her world. Commandeering every spaceworthy vessel she can get her hands on and recruiting every able-bodied person willing to risk their life. Kris leads the most important mission of her career--and it may be her last...
Resolute
Kris Longknife, who turned her back on her priviledged and moneyed upbringing for a career in the Navy, has at long last been given her first independent command - in the very remote system of Chance. For an officer with a rep for bucking the system, it's an assignment that's as much exile as promotion.
But where Kris goes trouble seems to follow - and she isn't on the job long when she captures pirates sabotaging the buoys that mark the jump points in interstellar travel. The pirates, she soon learns, are hiding something - the location of an uncharted and unpopulated planet of miraculous technology. Technology Kris must ensure never falls into the wrong hands.
Audacious
Tired of being the target of assassins, naval officer Kris Longknife takes leave for some well-earned and well-deserved rest and relaxation on the world of New Eden. But her military status requires her to be on hand at societal functions - where she discovers that New Eden isn't the paradise her superiors were led to believe it was.
Once again Kris finds herself caught in the crosshairs of unknown enemies who want her dead. Factions, both legitimate and underground, vie for control of the planet. And one major political player is taking strategic advantage of the chaos to unleash a personal vendetta against Kris...
Intrepid
At long last Kris Longknife's dream of commanding a space warship has come true...in a way. The Wasp is the best warship beyond the rim of human space - actually, it's the only one - and the contract crew has its own captain. But Kris knows he'll do what she tells him to when they run into trouble.
Sure enough, while hunting for pirates beyond the Rim, Kris stumbles upon a plan to kill one of the members of the aristocratic Peterwald family. There is no love lost between the Peterwalds and the Longknifes, but Kris cannot look the other way - especially when the would-be killes are setting her up as the assassin. Now Kris must lead her crew deep into Peterwald space to save a life and prevent a war between the influential families that could devastate what's left of humanity...
Undaunted
Kris Longknife and her crew have just jumped the Wasp into an uncharted system when they encounter an alien Death Ball pursued by two battle cruisers. After Kris orders an end to the hostilities, the cruisers depart, but the aliens insist on meeting with the leader of the human worlds. They are, they say, on a mission of peace.
Since the leader of the human worlds just happens to be Kris' grandfather, she is able to arrange the meeting - where the aliens reveal their message. They've come to warn of an unidentifiable force that is roaming the galaxy, obliterating everything in its path - a path now leading directly toward human space.
And in order to combat this unknown enemy, the commander of the Wasp will have to assume a very unlikely and dangerous role: Kris Longknife, diplomat.
Redoubtable
Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife has precise orders: seek out, engage, and destroy pirates, slavers, and drug lords operating beyond the rim of human space-without interfering in Peterwald family affairs. Longtime rivals in business and politics, the Longknifes and the Peterwalds maintain a precarious detente at best.
Unfortunately, the pirates are acting within Peterwald territory, preying on the millions of refugees suffering there. Taking down thugs is all in a day's work for Kris' troops. Feeding the starving masses without government support is the real challenge - especially if Kris is to avoid the appearance of a Longknife takeover of a Peterwald world.
But when slavers kidnap a twelve-year-old girl, Kris's mission becomes personal. And if destroying the pirate compound flattens some Peterwald interests-well, to hell with politics.
Hmm, do I like these books? They are a fun read...but I felt I had to suspend disbelief a little more than usual. The characters are likeable, the potential villains leave you guessing (are they an innocent pawn or the evil mastermind?), and there is an ongoing thread through the book linking them together.
But I found the plot lines a little unbelievable. In the first novel, Kris was constantly doing things wrong but always came out smelling like roses. The same person who recommended me this seris also recommended Tanya Huff's Valor series, and when her Torin Kerr pulled off the impossible, she had the experience to do it. Kris is just an ensign, and though the military may flow in her blood, I found her to be a little too bloodthirsty...though she always meant well in the end.
In the second book, she's acting in a civilian capacity, which made an interesting change as she could fall back on the upbringing her mother tried so hard to instill in her. Though here again an extra suspension of disbelief was required. Nelly, Kris' computer, could magically do just about anything, including make nano-scouts that could destroy the bad-guy's nanos but somehow manage to avoid being destroyed themselves. Or when she had to rely on civilian inhabitants of the planet, everyone just seemed to happy to help out this random stranger at the risk of their lives...and the bad guy had just a little too much power over, well, just about everything. But I must admit, I'm left curious enough as to who the bad guy might be working for and why he has such a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Kris. I may have to get the next book in the series after all.
Jan - Dec 2024
Took nearly fourteen years before I got back to the series, and I do so now because one day I walked into a used bookstore and there they were, nearly the entire series and I couldn't resist. Of course before starting on the new ones I had to re-read the old. The only thing I really remembered about them was that I didn't much like Kris, and I think in my original review the thing that stuck was no matter what orders she was given, she just went off and did her own thing, she always saved the day somehow, but that doesn't mean its ok for people to go all vigilante. Also in the real world, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, a mutiny won't always stop a war, and when you are up on criminal charges, you don't get to go on a trip somewhere else (even if you have good reason to) and the charges in the meantime get cleared up off-page without even facing trial. In the real world, even if they are trumped up charges, you still get dishonorably discharged. Kris gets promoted.
And the next two books kind of continue the same. They aren't bad, I mean there's lots of action, and the good guys win (even if some do die), and there's lots of intrigue and problem solving, and Kris is always trying to do the right thing (and succeeding). Often military SF is from the POV of the grunts or the captains, but here she's an outright Princess trying to escape her family name by joining the Navy, but when the family name comes in handy, she'll use it (I mean she's not dumb so I don't fault her for that, the conflict does make things interesting), but since she's also incredibly wealthy, she solves a whole ton of problems just by throwing money at it, not something your average lieutenant can do. And of course her computer Nelly can solve most other problems, the rest is solved by her maid...yes there must be more to THAT story, but still haven't gotten to it yet no matter how many times Kris says she will.
And while the posturings between planets makes for exciting enough content, there are hints of aliens, ones no longer around but the possibility of others still out there, so I look forward to more of that, since there are moments when I'd rather be reading about the Iteechee invasions than Peterwald's lust for power.
Oh, and while not very believable (but who knows) I have to admit I get a smile when I find out the sleepy darts are made by Pfizer and that Boeing is still building craft. In fact there are so many references to pop culture and the our present Earth its stretches belief. Also this urge for humans to spread out and colonize more planets, the Dune series had the same problem, its like the authors forget how BIG a planet is, you don't run out of space and resources that fast. Yes 8 billion might be too much for comfort, but thats a LOT of people and it took us a few thousand years to get there. I mean you don't need to run looking for a new planet when you could just move to the next continent over on the same planet.
There is also the two-dimensional villains, the Peterwalds. Hank was cute but dumb as a rock. Vicky is drop dead gorgeous but a rich bratty...well another word that start with a b. I asssume this character at least with have an interesting character arc given she has her own trilogy! Kris is clearly the good guy, well, girl, and they are clearly the bad ones. After all women on their planet aren't allowed in the military, in fact they sounded like they lived in a 17-1800's given their place in society. Mind, we only see this from Kris' point of view, but since she's always right...it felt a little unrealistic to have such clear cut good and bad guys.
Anyway, I've got a whole bunch of these books to keep me busy for the rest of year, as the series progresses I'll review my review and see if my thoughts change over time.
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