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Kris Longknife #11
Defender
Kris Longknife is back in the good graces of the brass—and to demonstrate that, they've promoted her to Admiral. Now her mission is to find the home base of the space pirates who are plaguing the fringes of the galaxy.
But no mission is ever simple when your name is Longknife. And this time the complications range from the military to the personal, as Kris finds herself—reluctantly—having to make some command decisions about her future...
But no mission is ever simple when your name is Longknife. And this time the complications range from the military to the personal, as Kris finds herself—reluctantly—having to make some command decisions about her future...
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2013
62 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Mike Shepherd
78 books563 followersA pseudonym used by Mike Moscoe.
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 69 reviews
December 22, 2013
Because I don't want to put any more effort into a lost cause, I'm just putting up all of the comments I was keeping in my updates. They actually tell the story of what I thought better than I ever could in some sort of formal review.
12/09 page 120 31.0%
"Skipped chapters 10 thru 14. Wish I'd skipped 1 thru 14"
12/12 page 120 31.0%
"Skipped another two chapters! Shepherd really, really needs to stay clear of writing anything that involves romance of any sort. Can someone please kill off Montoya?"
12/12 page 160 41.0%
"To be fair, I don't pretend to know what goes on in womens' minds any more than the next guy, but he's given Kris the internal dialog of a 14-year old."
12/12 page 160 41.0%
"Shepherd's view of naval discipline is so unrealistic it's laughable. Why does there always have to be an a-hole officer in charge of another ship? A. Either a-hole officer will have a change of heart and do something heroic, or B. she'll get fired, fragged or blown up at a crucial moment in a future battle."
12/15 page 282 73.0%
"skipping chapters like mad. reading a sentence or two off each page convinces me to go on. I repeat me call...kill Jack."
12/16 page 315 82.0%
"I've already decided to not go forward with this series, but I'm still reading the book to the end and hoping for a happy ending. This series soooo went down the Honor Harrington toilet."
12/16 page 315 82.0%
"The dialog has gone from meh to horrible. It's like everyone in the book (men and women alike) speaks like a middle aged former military white guy. The worst thing is that it's now a parody of itself, kind of like MASH in the final years, where the characters became caricatures. I can just imagine the author sitting at his computer giggling while he types. Too bad."
12/22 page 385 100.0%
"All that freaking work for a couple of dozen pages of bland typing, a highly predictable battle sequence and all the drama of a trip to the 7-11. Just piled up all my copies of the previous books for my next trip to the used bookstore. In the words of Apollo Creed, "There ain't gonna be no reread.""
12/09 page 120 31.0%
"Skipped chapters 10 thru 14. Wish I'd skipped 1 thru 14"
12/12 page 120 31.0%
"Skipped another two chapters! Shepherd really, really needs to stay clear of writing anything that involves romance of any sort. Can someone please kill off Montoya?"
12/12 page 160 41.0%
"To be fair, I don't pretend to know what goes on in womens' minds any more than the next guy, but he's given Kris the internal dialog of a 14-year old."
12/12 page 160 41.0%
"Shepherd's view of naval discipline is so unrealistic it's laughable. Why does there always have to be an a-hole officer in charge of another ship? A. Either a-hole officer will have a change of heart and do something heroic, or B. she'll get fired, fragged or blown up at a crucial moment in a future battle."
12/15 page 282 73.0%
"skipping chapters like mad. reading a sentence or two off each page convinces me to go on. I repeat me call...kill Jack."
12/16 page 315 82.0%
"I've already decided to not go forward with this series, but I'm still reading the book to the end and hoping for a happy ending. This series soooo went down the Honor Harrington toilet."
12/16 page 315 82.0%
"The dialog has gone from meh to horrible. It's like everyone in the book (men and women alike) speaks like a middle aged former military white guy. The worst thing is that it's now a parody of itself, kind of like MASH in the final years, where the characters became caricatures. I can just imagine the author sitting at his computer giggling while he types. Too bad."
12/22 page 385 100.0%
"All that freaking work for a couple of dozen pages of bland typing, a highly predictable battle sequence and all the drama of a trip to the 7-11. Just piled up all my copies of the previous books for my next trip to the used bookstore. In the words of Apollo Creed, "There ain't gonna be no reread.""
January 24, 2016
This one was a real mixed bag and that made it hard to determine a final rating. I think it ends at a 3.5 with rounding up, but how you react to the various elements at odds with each other will be important in how much you like the book.
The good stuff from the rest of the series is still there. Only more so, really. Leadership challenges, space battles, menacing aliens, factions working against each other, and her core team of professionals willing to do what it takes to make it all work. This is good.
Dragging it down is an out-of-place interlude with Jack and Kris hanging out at a resort. It's a couple chapters, but feels like half the book. It's not only a break in the tone of the series so far, it's also a pacing disaster. I hate to say it because I'm such a big romance fan, but a long idyllic period of sex and relaxation just doesn't fit and it was awkward as a result. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier that Kris and Jack are together. I just prefer when Shepherd pulls the curtain and we can move on to the things I'm reading this series for.
Which is a shame because we otherwise get good movement in every other aspect. The bird folks are interesting, actively going out to find more about the bad guys was tense and exciting, and the big battle in the end was an excellent climax.
So yeah, I'm definitely continuing and looking forward. I hope Shepherd maintains the relationship as he did after their little interlude and doesn't feel the need to linger on the details, though.
A note about Steamy: There's really only one and a half sex scenes, but it felt so very out of place. Shepherd at least doesn't suck at it, and that's an unexpected gift. Still, I'd rather of simply skipped the interlude. We already knew their emotional/relationship arc and didn't need to have front-row seats.
The good stuff from the rest of the series is still there. Only more so, really. Leadership challenges, space battles, menacing aliens, factions working against each other, and her core team of professionals willing to do what it takes to make it all work. This is good.
Dragging it down is an out-of-place interlude with Jack and Kris hanging out at a resort. It's a couple chapters, but feels like half the book. It's not only a break in the tone of the series so far, it's also a pacing disaster. I hate to say it because I'm such a big romance fan, but a long idyllic period of sex and relaxation just doesn't fit and it was awkward as a result. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier that Kris and Jack are together. I just prefer when Shepherd pulls the curtain and we can move on to the things I'm reading this series for.
Which is a shame because we otherwise get good movement in every other aspect. The bird folks are interesting, actively going out to find more about the bad guys was tense and exciting, and the big battle in the end was an excellent climax.
So yeah, I'm definitely continuing and looking forward. I hope Shepherd maintains the relationship as he did after their little interlude and doesn't feel the need to linger on the details, though.
A note about Steamy: There's really only one and a half sex scenes, but it felt so very out of place. Shepherd at least doesn't suck at it, and that's an unexpected gift. Still, I'd rather of simply skipped the interlude. We already knew their emotional/relationship arc and didn't need to have front-row seats.
November 9, 2013
I found myself disappointed with this book. I've quite enjoyed the series as a whole, and this book itself is still alright--it's not a bad book. I just think it was a letdown.
Granny Rita in general, and her reunion with Ray in particular, went by like it was on fast forward. After the last book ended, that was what I was looking forward to most in this book. In the end, Rita and all things concerning her were nothing more than a minor part of this book.
The bulk of the book in general had little real action, or conflict. It was mostly meetings, paperwork and procedure, and romance elements. All of which seemed to go Kris's way without too much effort on her part. Without much in the way of real conflict, the book was mostly a slow plod to the conclusion without much excitement to hold your interest.
The actual conclusion was itself a bit of an anti-climax. The final battle was about twenty pages, and despite the disparity of forces never really came across as a desperate battle against bad odds. To me, it it never felt like the ultimate turnout was in any doubt. Ultimately it amounted to a meaningless number of faceless badguys killed off, at the cost of only some nameess, disposable defenders.
Granny Rita in general, and her reunion with Ray in particular, went by like it was on fast forward. After the last book ended, that was what I was looking forward to most in this book. In the end, Rita and all things concerning her were nothing more than a minor part of this book.
The bulk of the book in general had little real action, or conflict. It was mostly meetings, paperwork and procedure, and romance elements. All of which seemed to go Kris's way without too much effort on her part. Without much in the way of real conflict, the book was mostly a slow plod to the conclusion without much excitement to hold your interest.
The actual conclusion was itself a bit of an anti-climax. The final battle was about twenty pages, and despite the disparity of forces never really came across as a desperate battle against bad odds. To me, it it never felt like the ultimate turnout was in any doubt. Ultimately it amounted to a meaningless number of faceless badguys killed off, at the cost of only some nameess, disposable defenders.
December 12, 2013
Fuzzy Jumping the Space Shark
With several works coming out soon, Shepherd must be as busy as the proverbial one-legged man, because he gave this book all the due care and attention of someone hurriedly slapping together a cheese sandwich on the way out the door Monday morning. Now, I hardly expect him to be the next Steinbeck, and I've enjoyed his series enough for a reread, but the writing in this book made me facepalm so much it's amazing I could even see the page. In addition to the sparse, ham-fisted plot and dialogue so painfully stilted and childish he's practically parodying himself, this terrible book is chock-full of those little WTF face-slaps that totally disrupt a reader's ability to engage with the flow. Notable teeth-gritters (from the first 40% of the book, where I gave up):
* Multiple vessels accidentally traveling, twice, through fuzzy jumps that no one has ever even detected before because they're so small and remote
* Heckling of the fleet commander by a ship captain during a briefing, in front of the King, when said commander is his descendant (this would normally destroy your career)
* Sexist conversations with Jack, including a discussion of breast size
* Prudish obsession with the titillations of nudity
* Well-populated (nearly-) nude beach vacation resort found in a small military-descended low-tech frontier colony (the Hawaii of crash landings?)
* Emergency ecosystem-starter seed pod with cacao beans but no coffee (in the Navy!), except:
* Uselessly un-roasted and fertile coffee beans conveniently found in personal gear on board a front-line battleship in the middle of a war
* Military-grade birth control of a large interstellar civilization "96% effective". Broken-condom levels of effectiveness!
With several works coming out soon, Shepherd must be as busy as the proverbial one-legged man, because he gave this book all the due care and attention of someone hurriedly slapping together a cheese sandwich on the way out the door Monday morning. Now, I hardly expect him to be the next Steinbeck, and I've enjoyed his series enough for a reread, but the writing in this book made me facepalm so much it's amazing I could even see the page. In addition to the sparse, ham-fisted plot and dialogue so painfully stilted and childish he's practically parodying himself, this terrible book is chock-full of those little WTF face-slaps that totally disrupt a reader's ability to engage with the flow. Notable teeth-gritters (from the first 40% of the book, where I gave up):
* Multiple vessels accidentally traveling, twice, through fuzzy jumps that no one has ever even detected before because they're so small and remote
* Heckling of the fleet commander by a ship captain during a briefing, in front of the King, when said commander is his descendant (this would normally destroy your career)
* Sexist conversations with Jack, including a discussion of breast size
* Prudish obsession with the titillations of nudity
* Well-populated (nearly-) nude beach vacation resort found in a small military-descended low-tech frontier colony (the Hawaii of crash landings?)
* Emergency ecosystem-starter seed pod with cacao beans but no coffee (in the Navy!), except:
* Uselessly un-roasted and fertile coffee beans conveniently found in personal gear on board a front-line battleship in the middle of a war
* Military-grade birth control of a large interstellar civilization "96% effective". Broken-condom levels of effectiveness!
November 4, 2013
Kris's universe continues to expand but I just keep wishing we saw a little bit more behind the scene's for everything. The longer the series continues the more I wish we got more than just Kris's viewpoint. I want to know more about the politics of the GA and what everyone thinks of Kris and the events that have occurred.
We keep getting glimpses of the larger universe than Kris's ship and crew/family but we never truly find out what is happening. Kris has been shunted from the spotlight and nexus of power for so long that I fell as if we don't know what is going on back in Wardhaven and the GA. Kris has done quite a bit in her various novels that I'm sure has had impacts beyond what she has witnessed yet we never see any after effects because the next book always leaves it behind.
It seems that we might get a bit more from here on out with how Kris is left at the end of the book, but I still wish Kris and the reader were read into more of the workings of everything.
Here's to waiting while the series continues, I will say that I enjoy the fact that unlike Weber or Ringo this author has yet to abandon one series and start another which just seems to make the waits between books for both longer and longer.
gallandro
We keep getting glimpses of the larger universe than Kris's ship and crew/family but we never truly find out what is happening. Kris has been shunted from the spotlight and nexus of power for so long that I fell as if we don't know what is going on back in Wardhaven and the GA. Kris has done quite a bit in her various novels that I'm sure has had impacts beyond what she has witnessed yet we never see any after effects because the next book always leaves it behind.
It seems that we might get a bit more from here on out with how Kris is left at the end of the book, but I still wish Kris and the reader were read into more of the workings of everything.
Here's to waiting while the series continues, I will say that I enjoy the fact that unlike Weber or Ringo this author has yet to abandon one series and start another which just seems to make the waits between books for both longer and longer.
gallandro
Read
January 3, 2014No stars-- end of the road for me.
You know you're in trouble when an author basically reintroduces a character that they killed off a couple of volumes ago because they are necessary now but weren't back then. Sort of undermines my confidence that there is some sort of story being told here. After suffering through Lost, I will never again allow a storyteller to just say "Trust me, there's a real story here".
Or, another danger sign, introduces secondary versions of the same character to solve the one person/one place conundrum. Too reminiscent of Heinlein's later, dirty old man books where all the characters were apparently the same basic person in various physical forms. Which by the way, any self respecting human would have promised to publish then throw directly into a shredder to save the great man's dignity.
After a moderately successful and entertaining strip mining of the 18th, 19th and 20th century for setting and plot, we now are apparently going to strip mine the Destroyermen series which is another series I've abandoned because the author apparently has no idea of what story they are trying to tell.
I'm out.
You know you're in trouble when an author basically reintroduces a character that they killed off a couple of volumes ago because they are necessary now but weren't back then. Sort of undermines my confidence that there is some sort of story being told here. After suffering through Lost, I will never again allow a storyteller to just say "Trust me, there's a real story here".
Or, another danger sign, introduces secondary versions of the same character to solve the one person/one place conundrum. Too reminiscent of Heinlein's later, dirty old man books where all the characters were apparently the same basic person in various physical forms. Which by the way, any self respecting human would have promised to publish then throw directly into a shredder to save the great man's dignity.
After a moderately successful and entertaining strip mining of the 18th, 19th and 20th century for setting and plot, we now are apparently going to strip mine the Destroyermen series which is another series I've abandoned because the author apparently has no idea of what story they are trying to tell.
I'm out.
November 14, 2013
Much like the Honor Harrington series, this series is petering out. Much of the book is either devoted to the romance between Kris and Jack (several chapters) or to planning and logistics, mostly related to a potential attack. The earlier books while there was character development, balanced it with a decent amount of action. Now, because the action is huge space battles, there isn't much for most of the book then there is several chapters devoted to it. There isn't really a lot of character development aside from Kris and Jack. There's some in regards to Grandpa Ray and Rita, but even that is pretty minimal. The other characters who featured heavily in some of the early novels, like Abby are basically non-existent. He really needs to find something for them to do. He found something for Penny, but that happens "off-screen" so to speak.
December 2, 2013
Kris gets reinforced by her grandad, but still has to face a second mammoth alien invasion fleet that turns out to have not only vastly superior numbers but a few new tricks up its sleeve. The battle and prep-for-battle scenes are fine, as usual---but far too much of this episode is taken up with Kris's marriage (sheesh), honeymoon (lordy) and pillow(ish) talk (ick). Also, the author trucks in a new alien species as allies but gives them almost no time on stage nor fleshes them out in any but the most rudimentary way (though, to be fair, he doesn't stereotype them as monocultural or monoracial). Still, a good third of this is tedious romantic chaff. I had hoped that we would learn a little more about the invading aliens, too, but aside from their universal practice of mass suicide whenever they lose they remain ciphers.
July 1, 2017
This was horrible. Too much "romance". Kris and Jack are so emotionally immature it's ridiculous. I basically skimmed through most of this. I REALLY don't like Kris and am sick of her issues. Either she is awkward and big nosed or she's beautiful. From her perspective she the former, everyone else it's the latter. Good grief.
July 25, 2014
Very good, now I will eagerly await the next book in this superb series.
May 23, 2015
This is book eleven in the Longknife series. You must read the books in order or else you will be lost.
In the last book Kris had found her Grandma Rita (King Ray’s long missing wife- she went missing during the Iteechee War). Rita’s war ship disappeared during a bad jump. Rita and her crew were living on the bird plant Alwa that Kris had saved from destruction by the huge alien ship.
In this book Kris is back in the good graces of Wardhaven and has been made first a Commodore when King Ray arrived at Alwa with a fleet of war ships for Kris, then an Admiral when the second fleet of war ships and repair base ships, supply ships and a space station arrived for her to command. She also has to prepare for a pending war with the aliens. King Ray made Kris the Viceroy of Alwa, to rule and make contracts, treaties and so on. The Alwa human colony and the Alwans decided not to join the United Societies but accept associate status, and accept Kris as the Viceroy.
The story is fast paced with lots of action, suspense and space battles. The suspense of rescuing the crew of the missing USS Hornet was typical Shepherd. As with all the books there is pithy dialogue and humor. I still like the smart computer “Nelly” best of all.
I get the feeling the series maybe coming to a close soon as numerous things are explained, some plot threads are tied up and some are left hanging for the next book. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Dina Pearlman narrated the series.
In the last book Kris had found her Grandma Rita (King Ray’s long missing wife- she went missing during the Iteechee War). Rita’s war ship disappeared during a bad jump. Rita and her crew were living on the bird plant Alwa that Kris had saved from destruction by the huge alien ship.
In this book Kris is back in the good graces of Wardhaven and has been made first a Commodore when King Ray arrived at Alwa with a fleet of war ships for Kris, then an Admiral when the second fleet of war ships and repair base ships, supply ships and a space station arrived for her to command. She also has to prepare for a pending war with the aliens. King Ray made Kris the Viceroy of Alwa, to rule and make contracts, treaties and so on. The Alwa human colony and the Alwans decided not to join the United Societies but accept associate status, and accept Kris as the Viceroy.
The story is fast paced with lots of action, suspense and space battles. The suspense of rescuing the crew of the missing USS Hornet was typical Shepherd. As with all the books there is pithy dialogue and humor. I still like the smart computer “Nelly” best of all.
I get the feeling the series maybe coming to a close soon as numerous things are explained, some plot threads are tied up and some are left hanging for the next book. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Dina Pearlman narrated the series.
January 20, 2014
Princess and Naval space fleet commander Kris Longknife faces one of her most difficult missions yet. She has to prepare the naïve natives of a planet for a hostile invasion by alien forces. Their infrastructure has to be built from the basics, but at least Kris has help on several fronts. Ships arrive from home full of supplies and personnel. A human colony barely etching a living on the fated world promises to join the fight for survival. And Kris’s security chief, Jack, does his best to keep her on an even keel despite their blossoming romance. Can she train her forces and deploy her defenses in time?
This story is another exciting episode in Kris’s adventures. The romance between her and Jack is a bonus, and so is the witty banter between Kris and her newly discovered relative leading the colonists. Yet despite her resources, she wonders if her fleet can prevail against an enemy who wants nothing more than to annihilate humanity.
This story is another exciting episode in Kris’s adventures. The romance between her and Jack is a bonus, and so is the witty banter between Kris and her newly discovered relative leading the colonists. Yet despite her resources, she wonders if her fleet can prevail against an enemy who wants nothing more than to annihilate humanity.
November 5, 2013
She's almost There! (I think?) If you are a fan, you'll understand!
Poor Kris is always just one book away from ( ) "fill in the blank." Mike either needs to write FASTER, or start bringing the sub plots, reoccurring characters, enemies, family members together real SOON, or the Flash Gordon Serial Style will get stale!
Poor Kris is always just one book away from ( ) "fill in the blank." Mike either needs to write FASTER, or start bringing the sub plots, reoccurring characters, enemies, family members together real SOON, or the Flash Gordon Serial Style will get stale!
May 31, 2014
Surprise - it's a love story!
Oh yeah, and there's an epic space battle.
This is a long series, so you know what to expect for style and characters, but I think this may be the best integration of character development, action, politics, and space combat.
Oh yeah, and there's an epic space battle.
This is a long series, so you know what to expect for style and characters, but I think this may be the best integration of character development, action, politics, and space combat.
December 16, 2014
The fact that it took me three months to finish this book should tell you something. It isn't bad, but just not add good as the others in the series. It felt a bit slow and I found that I just didn't care enough about what was happening to get really invested.
November 20, 2017
A long stretch in the middle of this book has all the worst elements of this series turned up to 11 and the stretching that goes on with plausibility is also astonishing. I haven't rated one of these books before but this one needs to get a 2/5.
December 6, 2019
So I realized part way into book that I'm no longer interested. Also, the story has them stalled out on a planet while the two main characters get it on, and it's not doing it for me. Anyway, 10 books was more than enough.
July 31, 2022
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
With this novel, we begin the next big story arc as Kris takes governance control of the Alwa planet. There are a lot of politics, clash of cultures, and the need to quickly set up a defense and supply infrastructure on the undeveloped planet. The aliens are coming - and Kris will have to scramble to be ready for them.Story: King Ray has tasked Kris with the defense of Alwa. This means a jump in status, a new title or two, and a fleet to manage. But it also includes being the viceroy of an independent colony that has no interest in joining Ray's Kingdom. Kris has to bridge starving colonists who need supplies and relief, an alien race of bird-like creatures with their own motivations, and a looming threat of Alien attack in the near future.
The book begins with Kris' marriage and honeymoon on Alwa. It is a long and overly written section that really didn't add much to the story, characters, or plot. Fortunately, it is interrupted by news that requires Kris and Jack to get back to business. Kris is finding her grandma Rita to be as annoying as a born Longknife, King Ray discovers his wife might be glad to be rid of him, and Rita is about to find out that her precious son is somewhat of a misguided villain himself. All the while, Kris has to figure out how to get the infrastructure in place to not only save the colonists from starvation but also feed a huge fleet. Cue Smart Metal (TM) to the rescue.
This book is a bit of a change because it is more about terrafarming and creating infrastructures on both the planet and in space. It is clearly a thankless job but one that is desperately needed - and quickly - in order to be able to face the incoming alien attack. To do this, Ray has given Kris key resources (such as a space station) and key people who will become very important in the coming books. At the same time, Penny is sent on a mission to find the homeworld of the nameless aliens and try to gain an understanding of who they are and why they are so relentless.
This begins the Alwa defense arc which will cover several novels. Note: I listened to the audio version and it was read by Dina Pearlman, who does a fine job.
January 5, 2023
Kris managed to save the people of Alwa from attack from an alien force that refuses to communicate and rediscover her own great-grandmother at the same time.
Her great-grampa King Ray comes to try to rescue his long-lost wife who is determined to stick at her new home. He also puts Kris in charge of the Alwa Defense, makes her CEO of Nuu Enterprises, and Viceroy to the human colonists. He's dropped off a number of ships, personnel and supplies. He wants Kris to take on the aliens at least long enough for the rest of humanity to prepare to fight a war against them.
Kris is busy as she can be because Alwa doesn't have an infrastructure. The colonists are on the near course to starvation and not ready to take care of an additional 20,000 personnel who have come to prepare for that battle.
Between building ships, building infrastructure, and dealing with aliens who have no concept of organized warfare, Kris is finding it hard to find time to spend with her new husband Jack.
There were lots of great characters in this one from Kris's core people to those sent to help prepare for war and build a planet. There was also a lot of preparing for and fighting a great battle to defeat the overwhelming number of aliens who have their eyes set on Alwa.
Her great-grampa King Ray comes to try to rescue his long-lost wife who is determined to stick at her new home. He also puts Kris in charge of the Alwa Defense, makes her CEO of Nuu Enterprises, and Viceroy to the human colonists. He's dropped off a number of ships, personnel and supplies. He wants Kris to take on the aliens at least long enough for the rest of humanity to prepare to fight a war against them.
Kris is busy as she can be because Alwa doesn't have an infrastructure. The colonists are on the near course to starvation and not ready to take care of an additional 20,000 personnel who have come to prepare for that battle.
Between building ships, building infrastructure, and dealing with aliens who have no concept of organized warfare, Kris is finding it hard to find time to spend with her new husband Jack.
There were lots of great characters in this one from Kris's core people to those sent to help prepare for war and build a planet. There was also a lot of preparing for and fighting a great battle to defeat the overwhelming number of aliens who have their eyes set on Alwa.
August 23, 2024
Seems the author is aiming for adding peace navy political nonsense in a wartime setting as a future plot arc, sigh.
The first ship shakedown training scene in this book just had me rolling my eyes, not made any better by the audio narrator.
There are also passage of time/story flow issues between the end of book 10 and halfway through book 11. As in there is little to no show just minimal tell and that so poorly done that it jumped out at me the listener/reader.
The very questionable and limited tech aspects in this story'verse also get highlighted more than usual in this book. It makes for an even less digestible story. Sadly it is an all to usual aspect to a great number of sci-fi/space-opera story settings, they being the equivalent of penny dreadfuls in quality. A sad thing for full length books in a lengthy series.
One would think the world building would be taken more seriously and have leant itself to increased number of books for an author to publish. Greater word count but I guess most authors just wont put in the work necessary however much it would probably help them in the long run.
The first ship shakedown training scene in this book just had me rolling my eyes, not made any better by the audio narrator.
There are also passage of time/story flow issues between the end of book 10 and halfway through book 11. As in there is little to no show just minimal tell and that so poorly done that it jumped out at me the listener/reader.
The very questionable and limited tech aspects in this story'verse also get highlighted more than usual in this book. It makes for an even less digestible story. Sadly it is an all to usual aspect to a great number of sci-fi/space-opera story settings, they being the equivalent of penny dreadfuls in quality. A sad thing for full length books in a lengthy series.
One would think the world building would be taken more seriously and have leant itself to increased number of books for an author to publish. Greater word count but I guess most authors just wont put in the work necessary however much it would probably help them in the long run.
November 2, 2017
Plenty of shooting up aliens, plus Kris can't escape politics, including an insubordinate officer commanding a ship in her fleet who was written so well that I wanted to space her. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this one, but it's pretty well expected.
January 24, 2019
Recent Reads: Kris Longknife Defender. After the cliffhanger ending of Furious, Kris plans the long term defense of the bird people of Alwa. This time she has help, and she's going to need it, as the planet destroyers are coming back. Still, there's time for weddings.
January 29, 2021
The aliens Kris is battling are looking more and more like biological counterparts of the Berserkers, or maybe space-faring locusts. In any event, "Defender" serves up steaming romance, a new alien life form(s), and some spectacular battles.
April 18, 2019
Wonderful, preparing for battle, then, the epic battle.
July 19, 2020
The battle was epic though some explanations, about the gas giant orbit. The erotica throw me off, I mean I am happy for Kris but the details! TMI!
August 1, 2020
Fun read, as always.
August 25, 2022
Another nice comfortable "military space princess" book in the series. I really cringe with his way of writing around sex, but I think it's just something that makes me cringe.
April 26, 2019
Very good job.
Kris on the otherside of the galaxy making waves.
Kicking butt and not taking names.
Fighting aliens that look like us, protecting aliens that don't.
Changing the Longknife Legacy.
read this and enjoy
Kris on the otherside of the galaxy making waves.
Kicking butt and not taking names.
Fighting aliens that look like us, protecting aliens that don't.
Changing the Longknife Legacy.
read this and enjoy
November 5, 2013
This is definitely the best book yet in the Kris Longknife series. This is actually one of the first series of books that I started reading when I took up reading again after having purchased my first tablet. It is not the best series that I have read. As a matter of fact a few of the books have gotten below average ratings from me. It has been able to keep my interest though and this book is actually really good.
The book is a bit slow to get going with quite a few pages spent on Kris and Jack’s relationship with a lot of talking between them. Not my cup of tea. Fast forward.
Once that part is over with the book starts to pick up pace. The preparations for the coming attacks, essentially moving a world from a pre-industrial state to building advanced mines, factories weapons etc, is quite nice reading although I have to say that the use of this smart metal is a bit over the top magical. Have a problem? Throw some smart metal at it. Problem solved. And what is the deal with always writing smart metal with initcaps and a trademark symbol? We get it, smart metal is patented by Nuu industries but you do not have to make it difficult for the reader to read because of that. We are not stupid. Okay, end of nitpicking.
Unlike some of the books in the series there are a fair amount of space battles going on including a rather big one at the end. I guess this is something that greatly contributed to my appreciation of this book. Another thing that contributed to my enjoyment is that most of the characters are quite likable. Well there is one real exception but she is rather quickly handled.
Kris is also actually in charge in this book. This time not because she is the only one that knows what to do but actually officially in charge. The book blurb is jumping the gun a bit it though. She is not an Admiral at the beginning of the book. She does get there but it takes a few chapters before that happens.
Naturally the book ended with a fairly huge loose end but that as well was reasonably well done. We were not left hanging in the middle of the story but we reach a reasonable conclusion of this book but are given a hint of what is to come.
A very enjoyable book and as I said, the best one in the series yet as far as I am concerned.
The book is a bit slow to get going with quite a few pages spent on Kris and Jack’s relationship with a lot of talking between them. Not my cup of tea. Fast forward.
Once that part is over with the book starts to pick up pace. The preparations for the coming attacks, essentially moving a world from a pre-industrial state to building advanced mines, factories weapons etc, is quite nice reading although I have to say that the use of this smart metal is a bit over the top magical. Have a problem? Throw some smart metal at it. Problem solved. And what is the deal with always writing smart metal with initcaps and a trademark symbol? We get it, smart metal is patented by Nuu industries but you do not have to make it difficult for the reader to read because of that. We are not stupid. Okay, end of nitpicking.
Unlike some of the books in the series there are a fair amount of space battles going on including a rather big one at the end. I guess this is something that greatly contributed to my appreciation of this book. Another thing that contributed to my enjoyment is that most of the characters are quite likable. Well there is one real exception but she is rather quickly handled.
Kris is also actually in charge in this book. This time not because she is the only one that knows what to do but actually officially in charge. The book blurb is jumping the gun a bit it though. She is not an Admiral at the beginning of the book. She does get there but it takes a few chapters before that happens.
Naturally the book ended with a fairly huge loose end but that as well was reasonably well done. We were not left hanging in the middle of the story but we reach a reasonable conclusion of this book but are given a hint of what is to come.
A very enjoyable book and as I said, the best one in the series yet as far as I am concerned.
April 4, 2017
One problem with series like this (we're on the 11th book now) is that the main character eventually gets promoted into a desk and out of doing anything interesting. Kris was at her most interesting when she was up to her kahoonie in mud, or desperately trying to out think and out shoot a massive enemy against orders and with only a paper dart and two rubber bands. But now she has a big luxury office with padded chairs, and paperwork.
Meanwhile, she sends Penny out on a really daring and risky adventure. But we don't see any of that, we just get a 2 paragraph report at the end of the book. We're starting to get really hamstrung by only having Kris's viewpoint.
The romance between Kris and Jack was weak and juvenile. Shepherd suffers here from the Great American Hangup, where it's perfectly fine to kill and maim until the streets are red with blood and gore and entrails are dripping from the streetlamps. But mention a body part below the neck or - heaven forbid - have one person touch another and we're reduced to schoolgirl giggles and cringeworthy evasion.
What Shepherd does well though, is the long drawn-out tension before the battle, as preparations are made for the arrival of an enemy we know must be coming, with forces that we know stand no hope of beating such a powerful foe.
Sadly, many characters got sidelined in this episode. Abby and Cara only got a couple of brief mentions, and Penny, although she had probably the most interesting mission in the book (one which earlier in the series would have had a whole novel devoted to it), did it all off screen. The alien bird creatures too were merely background characters. We're on their planet, yet they only get a couple of short scenes!
There's lots of good stuff here, and it drives the overall plot forward, but it's also let down by some weak subplots and omissions. 3½.
Meanwhile, she sends Penny out on a really daring and risky adventure. But we don't see any of that, we just get a 2 paragraph report at the end of the book. We're starting to get really hamstrung by only having Kris's viewpoint.
The romance between Kris and Jack was weak and juvenile. Shepherd suffers here from the Great American Hangup, where it's perfectly fine to kill and maim until the streets are red with blood and gore and entrails are dripping from the streetlamps. But mention a body part below the neck or - heaven forbid - have one person touch another and we're reduced to schoolgirl giggles and cringeworthy evasion.
What Shepherd does well though, is the long drawn-out tension before the battle, as preparations are made for the arrival of an enemy we know must be coming, with forces that we know stand no hope of beating such a powerful foe.
Sadly, many characters got sidelined in this episode. Abby and Cara only got a couple of brief mentions, and Penny, although she had probably the most interesting mission in the book (one which earlier in the series would have had a whole novel devoted to it), did it all off screen. The alien bird creatures too were merely background characters. We're on their planet, yet they only get a couple of short scenes!
There's lots of good stuff here, and it drives the overall plot forward, but it's also let down by some weak subplots and omissions. 3½.
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