KCR: Kris Longknife, Intrepid (novel, scifi, space, adventure)

The more I read Kris Longknife, the more the stories blur together, and there is an itch in my head, about how I've seen this sort of plot before... then I realized.... This is a typical A-team plot... very often.

Why? Let's describe the setup for this book. The Wasp Q-ship is out on the rim, hunting pirates, but showing not much luck. They visit a planet of recluses, but there's hint that they are up to no good. They visit another planet, and promises to take one guy to a frontier colony along with his cargo. Upon arrival, they found the planet was taken over by a bunch of mercs. Kris Longknife and her marines, along with some volunteers, must defeat the mercs, and figure out how this may be tied into the planet's recluses and what nefarious plot they may be hatching.

Why did I say it's like A-Team? The Kris Longknife team did all sorts of tricks and tactics to hurt but not kill the mercs, right up to the point where the final battle is joined... Then things got deadly. Before then, they got goats and sheep as infra-red lures, firecrackers to disorient, snipers to kill trucks and tires... so on. Basically, she did everything to avoid casualties... and give the other side a way out, but they won't take it.

The problem with this book is it has two separate plots but almost no link between them . There's a secondary plot about that planet of recluses. Somehow when the primary plot, about the mercs, concluded, that secondary plot all of a sudden turned into a main plot. So the book feels... disjointed.

Still, all in all, not a bad read.

Rating: borrow it

KCR: Kris Longknife, Audacious (book, scifi, space)

This is yet another book in the Kris Longknife series by Mike Shepherd. This time, Kris Longknife was sent to planet of "New Eden" (though everybody just say "Eden"), a sort of oligarchy where half of the people don't have citizenship (and thus, no franchise, no voting), the other half tries to sweep all bad news under the rug and out of sight. There, Kris Longknife had to dodge multiple assassination attempts, and runs into a conspiracy where someone is trying to decapitate the entire Eden government, and the only way to save Eden's freedom is Kris Longknife, and her company of Wardhaven Marines.

The plot is interesting, and the lead up to the big fight, and how each side is trying to hide what they're doing and seek out more information. The casualties on the good side, however, is rather hard to take. As the series have shown, people around a Longknife tend to get hurt, and this time, someone close to Longknife will lose a few relatives.

The dialog is as irreverent as ever, with the princess and crew, and even the computer being sassy and needling each other with puns, bad wit, and verbal barbs. The action is pretty good, nobody acting stupid. It's an honest tough fight, and there will be a victory for the righteous.

Overall, this one has no space battles, just ground small-unit action, and not much of a surprise, just hard fighting, and conspiracies and such. If you like ground action, this may be up your alley.