Cybermage » Kris Longknife

Daring (Kris Longknife 9) by Mike Shepherd [Book Review]

Cybermage.se — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:13:42 +0000

Bringing Neutronium to a Gun Fight

Kris Longknife is one of my guilty pleasures. It is about one of those Longknifes. Kris always gets into trouble usually on her grandfather’s instigation. She usually gets out of it by herself with the help of a few colorful friends. This time she teams up with her new frenemie Vicky who brings a few battleships to the alien exploration that Mike has teased us with the last two three books.

This is a turning-point novel in many respects in Kris life with her family, with society and with love. What I like with this series are the colorful characters and their bickering. That is me, I like bickering and colorful. Mike leaves the formula a bit with most of the novel taking place in space and out exploring in force. Earlier books usually contained a large planet bound (or station bound) cast.

Another fun thing is Nelly Kris sentient computer and her children. I know it is a gimmick but I love it. Kris also gets three long potent toys to play with. You will love it.

The whole alien mystery gets explored and we learn a bit of what is going on but the door is open for a lot more exploring and development in forthcoming books. The next book is named Furious (Ace October 2012) probably due to Kris state of mind.

I would place Daring above average in the series and well worth reading if you like this kind of thing.

Book information

Daring (Kris Longknife 9) by Mike Shepherd (Ace 2011) – Amazon US | UK

Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife leads a Fleet of Discovery on a reconnaissance of the vast uncharted regions of space. No one, least of all Kris, expected them to find an alien starship, certainly not one that came out shooting. Faced with a shot first and ask no question situation, Kris shoots back, blowing the ship to bits.

Half a universe away from her superiors, facing a possible mutiny from officers insisting they retreat, Kris holds the fate of humanity in her hands as she struggles to determine the alien threat — and whether or not to start an intersteller war . . .

Share|

Cover art & Blurb Kris Longknife: Daring

Cybermage.se — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:13:28 +0000

Last week Mike Shepherd wrote : Today I got the cover material for KL-Daring. I haven’t seen the copy-edits, but the cover copy is already written. I offered some suggestions.
Here’s the story blurb:

Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife leads a Fleet of Discovery on a reconnaissance of the vast uncharted regions of space. No one, least of all Kris, expected them to find an alien starship, certainly not one that came out shooting. Faced with a shot first and ask no question situation, Kris shoots back, blowing the ship to bits.

Half a universe away from her superiors, facing a possible mutiny from officers insisting they retreat, Kris holds the fate of humanity in her hands as she struggles to determine the alien threat — and whether or not to start an intersteller war . . .

And today I found this beauty. Like last year about this time the preliminary cover art is out on grimstudios. Like last year there might be some changes before the final copy. I like this one Kris looks especially alive and in an exploratory mode. I miss Nelly on the pictures though or is she supposed to be those colorful tattoos on Kris right hand?

Daring (Kris Longknife book 9) will be out late this year.

The Kris Longknife series is about a formidable woman with a knack for getting in trouble and getting out. She is one of them Longknifes and if life wasn’t enough complicated being an officer in the navy; the society of humanity dissolve and her grandpa is named King making her a reluctant princess. The Peterwald family with their long standing grudge with the Longknife set up their own little pocket empire and starts to make life for Kris and her family difficult. Lots of humor, fantastic characters by Mike Shepherd (links to profile with links to my reviews).

Share|

Redoubtable (Kris Longknife 8) by Mike Shepherd [Book Review]

Cybermage.se — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:59 +0000

One thing I like about these novels is the characters. The main character is Kris a reluctant princess that drags trouble towards her wherever she is. She is feisty, adventurous and quite good at what she does. She also has human weaknesses that makes her attractive to read about. Nelly is her sassy sentient computer sidekick and much of my enjoyment in the series comes from the sassy bickering interaction between Kris and her friends.

They promoted Kris to commodore and gave her the command over the fleet of pirate hunters outside the Rim. First they stumble on a little pirate operation and the hunt for their base of operation leads her straight to a heavy industrialized world inside her family’s old enemies the Peterwald’s sphere of interests.

This is just what the doctor ordered a good military space opera romp with secret conspiracies, freedom fighters, pirates and damn good retribution.

There is a bit less interpersonal shenanigans in this book as the personal stuff centers on her relationship with the Peterwalds. Remember she saved the life of their head of state in an assassination attempt a while back. Turning a coup attempt into civil war and a purge of their old and unreliable security apparatus. Here she reaps some of the the fruit of her labors .

I enjoyed it immensely but this is the second novel Mike teases an alien threat. Mike, no more suspense and procrastinating in sideshows please. Tell me Kris will take a look at this mystery, please.

Next book in the series, Daring is on contract for next year. I expect it next Fall.

Title: Redoubtable
Series: Kris Longkrife 8
Author: Mike Shepherd
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Ace (2010)

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

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. 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.

Share|

New Science Fiction Books in October 2010 Revisited

Cybermage.se — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:00:26 +0000

This is my updated pick of books for October. I have taken a look at them and ordered for next month.

Nowadays I also have an Almanac of forthcoming SF Books where you can check even further. The current Almanac goes to 2012.

Let me start with the books I have on order.

On Order

Title: Cryoburn

Series: Miles Vorkosigan book 12
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Baen 19 October 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Miles Vorkosigan is one of those lovable rascals, crippled at birth in a society that used to kill babies like him, he still overcome and surpass the obstacles in his way. Too creative for the armed forces he is appointed Imperial Auditor. He is often a frustration for his leaders and seldom asks for permission. Many times he accomplishes a resolution in an unconventional way that frustrates the people around him. In the The last Vorkosigan Novel Diplomatic Immunity he went on a honeymoon with Ekaterin. I am so embedded with this series that I wouldn’t miss this one for the world.

Miles Vorkosigan is back!

Kibou-daini is a planet obsessed with cheating death. Barrayaran Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan can hardly disapprove—he’s been cheating death his whole life, on the theory that turnabout is fair play. But when a Kibou-daini cryocorp—an immortal company whose job it is to shepherd its all-too-mortal frozen patrons into an unknown future—attempts to expand its franchise into the Barrayaran Empire, Emperor Gregor dispatches his top troubleshooter Miles to check it out.

On Kibou-daini, Miles discovers generational conflict over money and resources is heating up, even as refugees displaced in time skew the meaning of generation past repair. Here he finds a young boy with a passion for pets and a dangerous secret, a Snow White trapped in an icy coffin who burns to re-write her own tale, and a mysterious crone who is the very embodiment of the warning Don’t mess with the secretary. Bribery, corruption, conspiracy, kidnapping—something is rotten on Kibou-daini, and it isn’t due to power outages in the Cryocombs. And Miles is in the middle—of trouble!

Title: Redoubtable

Series: Kris Longknife book 8
Author: Mike Shepherd
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: ACE 26 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Kris Longknife is a formidable woman with a knack for getting in trouble and getting out. She is one of them Longknifes and if life wasn’t enough complicated being an officer in the navy; the society of humanity dissolve and her grandpa is named King making her a reluctant princess. The Peterwald family with their long standing grudge with the Longknife set up their own little pocket empire and starts to make life for Kris and her family difficult. Lots of humor and fantastic characters. I love this series and the characters in them so this is a must.

Upcoming after this one is Daring in October 2011 and Furious in 2012. The titles are only preliminary expect changes,Redoubtable changed name at least once the last year.

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. 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.

Title: Hellhole

Series: Hell hole Trilogy book 1
Author: Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert
Hardcover:650 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 1 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK

I am a bit ambivalent about this one. It seems to be the first book in a series so I will give it a try.

Only the most desperate of Constellation colonists would ever dare to make a new home on Hellhole, a planet ravaged by natural disasters. Persistent volcanic eruptions, destructive storms and recent damage inflicted by significant asteroid impact make the planet a dumping ground for undesirables, misfits and charlatans. But its location out on the wild frontiers of the Constellation, among the Deep Zone worlds, makes it the final refuge for those fleeing from the rule of Diadem Michella Duchenet – a tyrant with a sweet face, but a blackened, shrivelled heart. General Adolphus, the military leader who was exiled to the planet when he was defeated in the first abortive revolution against the Diadem, is determined to transform Hellhole into a place of real opportunity for the inhabitants. While the colonists are diligently working to develop the planet, the General is forging secret alliances with the leaders of the other Deep Zone worlds. He dreams of turning his prison into the centre of a new coalition of planets free from the Diadem’s iron grip. Back on the decadent capital planet of Sonjeera, surrounded by corruption and consumed by the plots and feuds of the Old Guard nobles, Diadem Michella is confident that the General has been neutralized. She has no idea of the revolt growing in the Deep Zone …or does she? But what no one knows is this: the planet Hellhole, though damaged and volatile, hides secrets of historic magnitude. Lurking beneath the surface are the remnants of an obliterated alien civilization, detailing an unrecorded past, which, if unearthed, could tear the fragile human civilization apart.

Title: Bones of Empire

Series: Zak Cato book 2
Author: William C. Dietz
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: ACE 5 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

I recently finished book one in this series and it was entertaining ‘military’ science fiction about a future cop.

In a far-distant future, the Uman Empire has conquered and colonized worlds. Once thought invincible, its reign is now fragile as alien subjects and enemies conspire against it.

On holiday in the capital city, cop Jack Cato gets a glimpse of the Emperor-and realizes what he’s looking at is a supposedly dead shape- shifter. His mortal enemy is still alive and once again on the run. And the fate of the Empire-and Cato’s own honor-are at stake…

Title: Damage Time

Author: Colin Harvey
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot 1 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

I enjoyed his previous novel Winter Song very much so this one I picked because I want to read something more of Colin Harvey. This is something different, it is a literary mind boggling murder mystery set on Earth. My review will be out soon. Recommended.

Rock-hard SF Thriller from the author of Winter Song: no-one here gets out alive. It’s 2050 and sea-levels have swamped today’s coastal regions. New York City is protected by tidal barriers and the USA is bankrupt. Detective Pervez (Pete) Shah serves with the NYPD’s Web Crimes Division as a Memory Association Specialist. When he’s accused of murdering a glamorous woman in a bar, he must find the killer, save himself … and the world.

Title: Empress of Eternity

Author: L. E. Modesitt Jr
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Tor October 2010

Order by: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

After reading Haze recently I want another Modesitt

In the far future, an indestructible and massive canal more than 2,000 miles long spans the mid-continent of Earth. Nothing can mar it, move it, or affect it in any fashion. At its western end, where it meets the sea, is an equally indestructible structure comprising three levels of seemingly empty chambers.

Scientists from three different civilizations, separated in time by hundreds of thousands of years, are investigating the canal. In the most distant of these civilizations, religious rebellion is brewing. A plot is hatched to overthrow the world government of the Vanir, using a weapon that can destroy anything-except the canal. If used at full power it might literally unravel the universe and destroy all life forever. The lives and fates of all three civilizations become intertwined as the forces behind the canal react to the threat, and all three teams of scientists find their lives changed beyond belief.

Older Books in new Releases on Order

Title: Zones of Thought

Omnibus: A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky
Author: Vernor Vinge
Paperback: 800
Publisher: Gollancz 21 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon UK

I have never read A Fire upon the Deep or A Deepness in the Sky and it is time to rectify that hole in my reading.

The Hugo Award winning A FIRE UPON THE DEEP and its epic companion novel A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY, set in the same universe but 20,000 years earlier, were benchmarks for SF in the last decade of the 20th century. In FIRE ‘Vinge presents a galaxy divided into Zones – regions where different physical constraints allow very different technological and mental possibilities. Earth remains in the “Slowness” zone, where nothing can travel faster than light and minds are fairly limited. The action of the book is in the “Beyond”, where translight travel and other marvels exist, and humans are one of many intelligent species. One human colony has been experimenting to find a path to the “Transcend”, where intelligence and power are so great as to seem godlike. Instead they release the Blight, an evil power, from a billion-year captivity.’ Publisher’s Weekly In DEEPNESS, ‘the story has the same sense of epic vastness despite happening mostly in one isolated solar system. Here there’s a world of intelligent spider creatures who traditionally hibernate through the “Deepest Darkness” of their strange variable sun’s long “off” periods, when even the atmosphere freezes. Now, science offers them an alternative. Meanwhile, attracted by spider radio transmissions, two human starfleets come exploring–merchants hoping for customers and tyrants who want slaves. Their inevitable clash leaves both fleets crippled, with the power in the wrong hands, which leads to a long wait in space until the spiders develop exploitable technology. Over the years Vinge builds palpable tension through multiple storylines and characters.’ Dave Langford

Other Books of Interest

Title: Surface Details

Series: Culture book 9
Author: Iain M. Banks
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Orbit

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N

This is also a book I might order. Banks is a bit on the darks side compared to my comfort zone but we will see.

It begins in the realm of the Real, where matter still matters.

It begins with a murder.

And it will not end until the Culture has gone to war with death itself.

Lededje Y’breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit. Prepared to risk everything for her freedom, her release, when it comes, is at a price, and to put things right she will need the help of the Culture.

Benevolent, enlightened and almost infinitely resourceful though it may be, the Culture can only do so much for any individual. With the assistance of one of its most powerful – and arguably deranged – warships, Lededje finds herself heading into a combat zone not even sure which side the Culture is really on. A war – brutal, far-reaching – is already raging within the digital realms that store the souls of the dead, and it’s about to erupt into reality.

It started in the realm of the Real and that is where it will end. It will touch countless lives and affect entire civilizations, but at the center of it all is a young woman whose need for revenge masks another motive altogether.

Title: 1635: The Eastern Front

Series: Ring of Fire 9 | 1632
Author: Eric Flint
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Baen 5 Oct 2010
Snippets: Chapter 1-24

Order from: Simon & Schuster | Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

I like the RIng of Fire books but I have so many books to read.

The Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the United States of Europe, a new nation led by Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century led by Mike Stearns who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident. While the old entrenched rulers and manipulators continue to plot against this new upstart nation, everyday life goes on in Grantville, even under the shadow of war, as this lost outpost of American freedom and justice must play David against a 17th century Goliath of oppressive feudalism.

Title: Version 43

Author: Philip Palmer
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Orbit 7 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

This one is enticing. I might order this one.

The Exodus Universe.

Your odds of surviving quantum teleportation are, more or less, fifty/fifty. The only ones crazy enough to try it are the desperate, the insane, and those sentenced to exile for their crimes.

Belladonna is home to the survivors of the fifty/fifty– and is therefore a planet run by criminals and thieves. But when a horrific and improbable murder catches the attention of the Galactic Police force, one cyborg cop — Version 43 — is sent to investigate.

Version 43 has been here before and has old friends and older enemies lying in wait. The cop was human once, but now, he is more program than man and will find a way to clean up this planet once and for all.

Title: Lightborn

Author: Tricia Sullivan
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Orbit 7 Oct 2010

Order by: Amazon UK | sfbok

Lightborn, better known as ‘shine’, is a mind-altering technology that has revolutionised the modern world. It is the ultimate in education, self-improvement and entertainment – beamed directly into the brain of anyone who can meet the asking price. But in the city of Los Sombres, renegade shine has attacked the adult population, resulting in social chaos and widespread insanity in everyone past the age of puberty. The only solution has been to turn off the Field and isolate the city. Trapped within the quarantine perimeter, fourteen-year-old Xavier just wants to find the drug that can keep his own physical maturity at bay until the army shuts down the shine. That’s how he meets Roksana, mysteriously impervious to shine and devoted to helping the stricken. As the military invades street by street, Xavier and Roksana discover that there could be hope for Los Sombres – but only if Xavier will allow a lightborn cure to enter his mind. What he doesn’t know is that the shine in question has a mind of its own …

New Releases of Old Books

Title: Fantastic Planet

Author: Stephan Wul
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Creation Oneiros 1st English (1st French 1957)

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N

Now published for the very first time in English, Stephan Wul’s Fantastic Planet (Oms En Série) is a classic of Science Fiction and the inspiration for the award-winning 1973 animated film La Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet). The last surviving humans are taken from Earth to the wild planet Ygam by the traags, a race of blue-skinned, red-eyed giants. Here they become known as oms, used as lowly servants and regarded as savages. But little by little, led by a young man of superior intelligence named Terr, the oms regain their thirst for liberty and rise up against the draags to affirm their humanity in the face of oppression. This deceptively simple story-line is vividly depicted by author Wul with fantastic detail and a stirring mythopoeic resonance. The film Fantastic Planet won the Grand Prix at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and remains a mind-bendingly entertaining touchstone of counterculture art; at last, English-language readers can enjoy the classic Sci-Fi novel that it was based on.

Related lists

Fantasy Book Critic – I found “The Unidentified” by Rae Mariz there.

Share|

New Science Fiction Books in October 2010

Cybermage.se — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:00:34 +0000

This is my pick of books for October. I have taken a look at them and ordered for next month. I will return at the beginning of October with an updated version.

Nowadays I also have an Almanac of forthcoming SF Books where you can check even further. The current Almanac goes to September next year.

Let me start with the books I have on order.

On Order

Title: Cryoburn

Series: Miles Vorkosigan book 12
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Baen 19 October 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Miles Vorkosigan is back!

Kibou-daini is a planet obsessed with cheating death. Barrayaran Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan can hardly disapprove—he’s been cheating death his whole life, on the theory that turnabout is fair play. But when a Kibou-daini cryocorp—an immortal company whose job it is to shepherd its all-too-mortal frozen patrons into an unknown future—attempts to expand its franchise into the Barrayaran Empire, Emperor Gregor dispatches his top troubleshooter Miles to check it out.

On Kibou-daini, Miles discovers generational conflict over money and resources is heating up, even as refugees displaced in time skew the meaning of generation past repair. Here he finds a young boy with a passion for pets and a dangerous secret, a Snow White trapped in an icy coffin who burns to re-write her own tale, and a mysterious crone who is the very embodiment of the warning Don’t mess with the secretary. Bribery, corruption, conspiracy, kidnapping—something is rotten on Kibou-daini, and it isn’t due to power outages in the Cryocombs. And Miles is in the middle—of trouble!

Title: Redoubtable

Series: Kris Longknife book 8
Author: Mike Shepherd
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: ACE 26 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Upcoming after this one is Daring in October 2011 and Furious in 2012. The titles are only preliminary expect changes,Redoubtable changed name at least once the last year.

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. 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.

Title: Hellhole

Series: Hell hole Trilogy book 1
Author: Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert
Hardcover:650 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 1 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK

I am a bit ambivalent about this one. It seems to be the first book in a series so I will give it a try.

Only the most desperate of Constellation colonists would ever dare to make a new home on Hellhole, a planet ravaged by natural disasters. Persistent volcanic eruptions, destructive storms and recent damage inflicted by significant asteroid impact make the planet a dumping ground for undesirables, misfits and charlatans. But its location out on the wild frontiers of the Constellation, among the Deep Zone worlds, makes it the final refuge for those fleeing from the rule of Diadem Michella Duchenet – a tyrant with a sweet face, but a blackened, shrivelled heart. General Adolphus, the military leader who was exiled to the planet when he was defeated in the first abortive revolution against the Diadem, is determined to transform Hellhole into a place of real opportunity for the inhabitants. While the colonists are diligently working to develop the planet, the General is forging secret alliances with the leaders of the other Deep Zone worlds. He dreams of turning his prison into the centre of a new coalition of planets free from the Diadem’s iron grip. Back on the decadent capital planet of Sonjeera, surrounded by corruption and consumed by the plots and feuds of the Old Guard nobles, Diadem Michella is confident that the General has been neutralized. She has no idea of the revolt growing in the Deep Zone …or does she? But what no one knows is this: the planet Hellhole, though damaged and volatile, hides secrets of historic magnitude. Lurking beneath the surface are the remnants of an obliterated alien civilization, detailing an unrecorded past, which, if unearthed, could tear the fragile human civilization apart.

Title: Bones of Empire

Series: Legion of the Damned book 2
Author: William C. Dietz
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: ACE 5 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

I recently finished book one in this series and it was entertaining ‘military’ science fiction about a future cop.

In a far-distant future, the Uman Empire has conquered and colonized worlds. Once thought invincible, its reign is now fragile as alien subjects and enemies conspire against it.

On holiday in the capital city, cop Jack Cato gets a glimpse of the Emperor-and realizes what he’s looking at is a supposedly dead shape- shifter. His mortal enemy is still alive and once again on the run. And the fate of the Empire-and Cato’s own honor-are at stake…

Title: Damage Time

Author: Colin Harvey
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot 1 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

I enjoyed his previous novel Winter Song very much so this one I picked because I want to read something more of Colin Harvey. I have started to read this one. I haven’t gotten very far yet but I can tell you it is a very different kind of story.

Rock-hard SF Thriller from the author of Winter Song: no-one here gets out alive. It’s 2050 and sea-levels have swamped today’s coastal regions. New York City is protected by tidal barriers and the USA is bankrupt. Detective Pervez (Pete) Shah serves with the NYPD’s Web Crimes Division as a Memory Association Specialist. When he’s accused of murdering a glamorous woman in a bar, he must find the killer, save himself … and the world.

Title: Empress of Eternity

Author: L. E. Modesitt Jr
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Tor October 2010

Order by: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

After reading Haze recently I want another Modesitt

In the far future, an indestructible and massive canal more than 2,000 miles long spans the mid-continent of Earth. Nothing can mar it, move it, or affect it in any fashion. At its western end, where it meets the sea, is an equally indestructible structure comprising three levels of seemingly empty chambers.

Scientists from three different civilizations, separated in time by hundreds of thousands of years, are investigating the canal. In the most distant of these civilizations, religious rebellion is brewing. A plot is hatched to overthrow the world government of the Vanir, using a weapon that can destroy anything-except the canal. If used at full power it might literally unravel the universe and destroy all life forever. The lives and fates of all three civilizations become intertwined as the forces behind the canal react to the threat, and all three teams of scientists find their lives changed beyond belief.

Older Books in new Releases on Order

Title: Zones of Thought

Omnibus: A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky
Author: Vernor Vinge
Paperback: 800
Publisher: Gollancz 21 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon UK

I have never read A Fire upon the Deep or A Deepness in the Sky and it is time to rectify that hole in my reading.

The Hugo Award winning A FIRE UPON THE DEEP and its epic companion novel A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY, set in the same universe but 20,000 years earlier, were benchmarks for SF in the last decade of the 20th century. In FIRE ‘Vinge presents a galaxy divided into Zones – regions where different physical constraints allow very different technological and mental possibilities. Earth remains in the “Slowness” zone, where nothing can travel faster than light and minds are fairly limited. The action of the book is in the “Beyond”, where translight travel and other marvels exist, and humans are one of many intelligent species. One human colony has been experimenting to find a path to the “Transcend”, where intelligence and power are so great as to seem godlike. Instead they release the Blight, an evil power, from a billion-year captivity.’ Publisher’s Weekly In DEEPNESS, ‘the story has the same sense of epic vastness despite happening mostly in one isolated solar system. Here there’s a world of intelligent spider creatures who traditionally hibernate through the “Deepest Darkness” of their strange variable sun’s long “off” periods, when even the atmosphere freezes. Now, science offers them an alternative. Meanwhile, attracted by spider radio transmissions, two human starfleets come exploring–merchants hoping for customers and tyrants who want slaves. Their inevitable clash leaves both fleets crippled, with the power in the wrong hands, which leads to a long wait in space until the spiders develop exploitable technology. Over the years Vinge builds palpable tension through multiple storylines and characters.’ Dave Langford

Other Books of Interest

Title: Surface Details

Series: Culture book 9
Author: Iain M. Banks
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Orbit

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N

This is also a book I might order. Banks is a bit on the darks side compared to my comfort zone but we will see.

It begins in the realm of the Real, where matter still matters.

It begins with a murder.

And it will not end until the Culture has gone to war with death itself.

Lededje Y’breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit. Prepared to risk everything for her freedom, her release, when it comes, is at a price, and to put things right she will need the help of the Culture.

Benevolent, enlightened and almost infinitely resourceful though it may be, the Culture can only do so much for any individual. With the assistance of one of its most powerful – and arguably deranged – warships, Lededje finds herself heading into a combat zone not even sure which side the Culture is really on. A war – brutal, far-reaching – is already raging within the digital realms that store the souls of the dead, and it’s about to erupt into reality.

It started in the realm of the Real and that is where it will end. It will touch countless lives and affect entire civilizations, but at the center of it all is a young woman whose need for revenge masks another motive altogether.

Title: 1635: The Eastern Front

Series: Ring of Fire 9 | 1632
Author: Eric Flint
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Baen 5 Oct 2010
Snippets: Chapter 1-24

Order from: Simon & Schuster | Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

I like the RIng of Fire books but I have so many books to read.

The Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the United States of Europe, a new nation led by Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century led by Mike Stearns who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident. While the old entrenched rulers and manipulators continue to plot against this new upstart nation, everyday life goes on in Grantville, even under the shadow of war, as this lost outpost of American freedom and justice must play David against a 17th century Goliath of oppressive feudalism.

Title: Version 43

Author: Philip Palmer
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Orbit 7 Oct 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

This one is enticing. I might order this one.

The Exodus Universe.

Your odds of surviving quantum teleportation are, more or less, fifty/fifty. The only ones crazy enough to try it are the desperate, the insane, and those sentenced to exile for their crimes.

Belladonna is home to the survivors of the fifty/fifty– and is therefore a planet run by criminals and thieves. But when a horrific and improbable murder catches the attention of the Galactic Police force, one cyborg cop — Version 43 — is sent to investigate.

Version 43 has been here before and has old friends and older enemies lying in wait. The cop was human once, but now, he is more program than man and will find a way to clean up this planet once and for all.

Title: Lightborn

Author: Tricia Sullivan
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Orbit 7 Oct 2010

Order by: Amazon UK | sfbok

Lightborn, better known as ‘shine’, is a mind-altering technology that has revolutionised the modern world. It is the ultimate in education, self-improvement and entertainment – beamed directly into the brain of anyone who can meet the asking price. But in the city of Los Sombres, renegade shine has attacked the adult population, resulting in social chaos and widespread insanity in everyone past the age of puberty. The only solution has been to turn off the Field and isolate the city. Trapped within the quarantine perimeter, fourteen-year-old Xavier just wants to find the drug that can keep his own physical maturity at bay until the army shuts down the shine. That’s how he meets Roksana, mysteriously impervious to shine and devoted to helping the stricken. As the military invades street by street, Xavier and Roksana discover that there could be hope for Los Sombres – but only if Xavier will allow a lightborn cure to enter his mind. What he doesn’t know is that the shine in question has a mind of its own …

New Releases of Old Books

Title: Fantastic Planet

Author: Stephan Wul
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Creation Oneiros 1st English (1st French 1957)

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N

Now published for the very first time in English, Stephan Wul’s Fantastic Planet (Oms En Série) is a classic of Science Fiction and the inspiration for the award-winning 1973 animated film La Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet). The last surviving humans are taken from Earth to the wild planet Ygam by the traags, a race of blue-skinned, red-eyed giants. Here they become known as oms, used as lowly servants and regarded as savages. But little by little, led by a young man of superior intelligence named Terr, the oms regain their thirst for liberty and rise up against the draags to affirm their humanity in the face of oppression. This deceptively simple story-line is vividly depicted by author Wul with fantastic detail and a stirring mythopoeic resonance. The film Fantastic Planet won the Grand Prix at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and remains a mind-bendingly entertaining touchstone of counterculture art; at last, English-language readers can enjoy the classic Sci-Fi novel that it was based on.

Share|

13 SF Books for the Rest of 2010

Cybermage.se — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:00:31 +0000

We are in the seventh month of 2010 and it’s time to focus on what is left of this year. These are my most anticipated books for the rest of the year (I have excluded July). I picked some because it is a series I am keen on continuing and some because I love the author and others because I like what I read about them.

I let my emotions guide me when it comes to the books I pick. All of them might not be great literature but I like the characters or the storyline or the wow factor. As you should know by now I like to like the characters I read, there should be some humor and friendly bantering for me to really enjoy myself. New stuff, mysteries, strange alien tech, and new races are also stuff that can get me excited. On the other hand beautiful prose gives me goose bumps.

Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold on Baen, November 2 - Vorkosigan Saga Book 12
Guardians of Paradise by Jaine Fenn on Gollancz, September 16 – Hidden Empires Book 3
Quantum Thief by Hanu Rajaniemi by Gollancz, September 30 - Quantum Thief book 1
Out of the Dark by David Weber on Tor, September 28 - Out of the Dark book 1
Redoubtable by Mike Shepherd on ACE, October 26 - Kris Lingknife book 8
The Technician by Neal Asher on Tor UK, August 20 - Polity Universe
What Distant Deeps by David Drake on Baen, September 7 – Lt. Leary/RCN 8
The Colony by Ray Harper on Book Guild Publishing, August 26
The Water Rising by Sheri S. Tepper on EOS , August 31 - Plague of Angles book 2
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest on Tor, September 28 – Clockwork Century
The Truth of Valor by Tanya Huff on DAW, September 7 - Confederation of Valor book 5
Damage Time by Colin Harvey on Angry Robots, October 1
Money Shot by Christopher Rowley on Tor, November 9 - Netherworld book 3

CryoBurn by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)

Title: CryoBurn
Series: Vorkosigan Saga 12
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Space Opera
Hardback: 400 pages
Publisher: Baen November 2, 2010

Order from Amazon US | UK | B&N

Kibou-daini is a planet obsessed with cheating death. Barrayaran Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan can hardly disapprove—he’s been cheating death his whole life, on the theory that turnabout is fair play. But when a Kibou-daini cryocorp—an immortal company whose job it is to shepherd its all-too-mortal frozen patrons into an unknown future—attempts to expand its franchise into the Barrayaran Empire, Emperor Gregor dispatches his top troubleshooter Miles to check it out.

On Kibou-daini, Miles discovers generational conflict over money and resources is heating up, even as refugees displaced in time skew the meaning of generation past repair. Here he finds a young boy with a passion for pets and a dangerous secret, a Snow White trapped in an icy coffin who burns to re-write her own tale, and a mysterious crone who is the very embodiment of the warning Don’t mess with the secretary. Bribery, corruption, conspiracy, kidnapping—something is rotten on Kibou-daini, and it isn’t due to power outages in the Cryocombs. And Miles is in the middle—of trouble!

« up

Guardians of Paradise by Jaine Fenn (Gollancz)

Jaine writes wonderful books. Her world-building and characterization is lifelike, different and a joy to read. I see the protagonists in her novels grow and become more, much more than they were before. There is a great historical mystery at the bottom of this series, The Sidhe was defeated in a revolution and thought to be extinct but we learn very early in the series that that is not the case. Book three brings the characters from book one and two together. Jaine write this on her homepage about the characters in this novel “A desire for justice and a drive to survive are all very well, but the bigger picture is more complex than our heroes have considered, and it’s largely painted in shades of grey. Then again, some secrets are so dark that genocide isn’t too great a price to pay to keep them contained”. That sounds intriguing.

Each novel in the Hidden Empire series is self-contained, though certain locations and characters re-occur, and the books come together to tell a larger story. Next in the series after this one are Bringer of Light (2011) and Queen of Nowhere (2012) they will be sold under her new name J. N. Fenn. I thought we were moving beyond the time when female writers had to have male names to sell more copies, but apparently not.

My Author Profile of Jaine Fenn
My notes on her earlier books in the series: Consorts of Heaven | Principles of Angels

Title: Guardians of Paradise
Series: Hidden Empire 3
Author: Jaine Fenn
Genre: Space Opera
Hardback: 352 pages
Publisher: Gollancz (September 16)

Order from: Gollancz | Amazon US | UK | sfbok

Most people believe the Sidhe are long dead, exterminated centuries ago when the males of the race rose up and fought alongside the humans subjugated and enslaved by the female Sidhe. But Jarek Reen knows better: he’s discovered, the painful way, that the Sidhe are alive and well, and still screwing over humanity. They’ve already killed his sister, so he’s not surprised when he discovers an old friend and her partner are next on the Sidhe’s hitlist. He helps not only to foil the assassination attempt, but also to muddy the scene of the crime, leaving the Angels Nual and Taro sanMalia presumed dead – and free to join his crusade to expose the insidious influence of the Sidhe, and their evil plans to enslave the human race again. Their mission takes them across human-space, from utilitarian hub-points to rich, exotic planets – where they discover that a brilliant vacation spot hides some of the darkest secrets of all. And that’s when they discover how easy it is for the hunters to become the hunted …

« up

Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi (Gollancz)

I first heard about Hannu’s fantastic book deal with Gollancz, they signed him for three books after reading just one chapter of the first book, but after listening to His Master’s Voice By Hannu Rajaniemi on Escape Pod 227 I totally understand why John Jarrold signed Hannu.

To quot myself about His Master’s Voice:

The story is fantastic and makes you interested in more, the world is a singularity one where humans have evolved and can make copies of their own minds. Unrestricted copy led to the creation of Plurals some of which evolved to transhuman civilizations out among the stars. Now human law limits every human to one copy at a time. The master breaks the law and is sentenced to a virtual prison. It’s from there the animals have to rescue him.

The language in the story is poetic and it sounds fantastic coming from someone not born to the language. The story hints on things that might be in Hannu’s upcoming novel. There is a war going on among the stars and it’s there the small animal are going, to the Big Dogs. The story is also amusing and fun, imagine the dog becomes a musician to earn money and the cat had a gladiator career that lasted a while.

I have only one word for this story: Epic

I know quite a few book bloggers that also have The Quantum Thief in their pick for 2010 too.

Read a Review of the ARC on Wertzone. He calls it “easily the best SF debut since Richard Morgan’s Altered Carbon“.

Title: The Quantum Thief
Series: The Quantum Thief Trilogy book 1
Author: Hannu Rajaniemi
Genre: Space Opera
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Gollancz (30 September) | Tor (May 2011)

Order from: Gollancz | Amazon UK | sfbok

Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy – from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to steal their thoughts, to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of the Moving Cities of Mars. Except that Jean made one mistake. Now he is condemned to play endless variations of a game-theoretic riddle in the vast virtual jail of the Axelrod Archons – the Dilemma Prison – against countless copies of himself. Jean’s routine of death, defection and cooperation is upset by the arrival of Mieli and her spidership, Perhonen. She offers him a chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self – in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed . . . The Quantum Thief is a dazzling hard SF novel set in the solar system of the far future – a heist novel peopled by bizarre post-humans but powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge and jealousy. It is a stunning debut.

« up

Out of the Dark by David Weber (Tor)

At first I didn’t know if I should be outraged that David Weber jumped on the vampire bandwagon or be delighted that he was starting a new series. By what I have been able to find out it sound like we and the vampires stand alone against an alien onslaught. I am not totally happy about it but the idea is intriguing David has yet to write something I don’t like.

It is built on a short story with the same name published in the anthology Warriors edited by G. R. R. Martin and Gardener Duzois published by Tor Books March 2010.

My Author Profile of David Weber – lots of free online novels there to get you hocked.

Title: Out of the Dark
Series: Out of the Dark book 1
Author: David Weber
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Tor September 28, 2010

Order from: Tor | Amazon US | UK | B&N

Earth is conquered. The Shongairi have arrived in force, and humanity’s cities lie in radioactive ruins. In mere minutes, over half the human race has died.

Now Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky, who thought he was being rotated home from his latest tour in Afghanistan, finds himself instead prowling the back country of the Balkans, dodging alien patrols and trying to organize the scattered survivors without getting killed.

His chances look bleak. The aliens have definitely underestimated human tenacity–but no amount of heroism can endlessly hold off overwhelming force.

Then, emerging from the mountains and forests of Eastern Europe, new allies present themselves to the ragtag human resistance. Predators, creatures of the night, human in form but inhumanly strong. Long Enemies of humanity… until now. Because now is the time to defend Earth.

« up

Redoubtable by Mike Shepherd (ACE)

Upcoming after this one is Daring in October 2011 and Furious in 2012. The titles are only preliminary expect changes, Redoubtable changed name at least once the last year.

My author profile of Mike Shepherd
My thoughts on the three first novels in the series: Mutineer | Deserter | Defiant
My thoughts on book six and seven: Intrepid | Undaunted
The Society of Humanity Trilogy written as Mike Moscoe let us follow Ray Longknife, here are my thoughts on book 1: First Casualty

Title: Redoubtable
Series: Kris Longknife book 8
Author: Mike Shepherd
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: ACE, October 26

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

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. 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.

« up

The Technician by Neal Asher (Tor)

My experience with Neal Asher so far has strictly been with his Agent Cormac series which takes place in the same universe like this one. Fact is that most of the books have part of their action on Masada. So even if I might not see Cormac here it is connected to the story before. Plus the cover is awesome.

One thing that bothers me is that it is so hard to find Neal’s books in the US; somebody should do something about that. They are missing out.

Title: The Technician
Universe: Polity Universe
Author: Neal Asher
Genre: Space Opera
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Tor UK, 20 Aug 2010

Order from: Tor UK | Amazon US | UK | sfbok

The Theocracy has been dead for twenty years, and the Polity rules on Masada. But the Tidy Squad consists of rebels who cannot accept the new order. Their hate for surviving theocrats is undiminished, and the iconic Jeremiah Tombs is at the top of their hitlist.

Escaping his sanatorium Tombs is pushed into painful confrontation with reality he has avoided since the rebellion. His insanity has been left uncured, because the near mythical hooder called the Technician that attacked him all those years ago, did something to his mind even the AIs fail to understand. Tombs might possess information about the suicide of an entire alien race.

The war drone Amistad, whose job it is to bring this information to light, recruits Lief Grant, an ex-rebel Commander, to protect Tombs, along with the black AI Penny Royal, who everyone thought was dead. The amphidapt Chanter, who has studied the bone sculptures the Technician makes with the remains of its prey, might be useful too.

Meanwhile, in deep space, the mechanism the Atheter used to reduce themselves to animals, stirs from slumber and begins to power-up its weapons.

« up

What Distant Deeps by David Drake (Baen)

Captain Daniel Leary and his friend the formidable Adele Mundy and their military adventures in the Royal Cinnabar Navy. David Drake rewrites historical battles and wars and makes beautiful military science fiction out of it. Adele is a really cool character with an interesting background, her whole family was persecuted and killed for treason and she is the lone survivor, now a scholar with spectacular information handling skills and uncanny shooting skills. She becomes the unlikely best friend of Daniel Leary. This is the type of character chemistry I love to read.

Read my thoughts on book seven: In the Stormy Red Sky
Love David Drake’s new homepage with all the back story to the RCN novels.

Title: What Distant Deeps
Series: Lt. Leary/RCN book 8
Author: David Drake
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Baen, Spetember 7

Excerpts: Chapter 1-12

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

NO REST FOR THE WEARY

Captain Daniel Leary and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy, have been in the front lines of Cinnabar’s struggle against the totalitarian Alliance. Now these galactic superpowers have signed a peace of mutual exhaustion– But the jackals are moving in!

The Republic of Cinnabar was on the verge of collapse under the weight of taxes, casualties, and war’s disruption of trade. That the Alliance of Free Stars was in even worse condition helped only because it has made peace possible.

Years of war have been hard on Daniel and harder still on Adele, whose life outside information-gathering is a tightrope between despair and deadly violence. Their masters in the RCN and the Republic’s intelligence service have sent them to the fringes of human space to relax away from danger.

But the barbarians of the outer reaches have their own plans, plans which will bring down both Cinnabar and the Alliance. The enemies of peace include traitors, giant reptiles, and barbarian pirates whose ships can outsail even Daniel Leary’s splendid corvette, the Princess Cecile.

Unless Daniel, Adele, and their unlikely allies succeed, galactic civilization will disintegrate into blood and chaos. So they will succeed— or they’ll die trying!

« up

The Colony by Ray Harper (Book Guild Publishing)

This one just sounded interesting I enjoyed Karen Traviss’ green science fiction the Wess’har Wars series and therefore I think this could be something for me. This is also his debut novel.

The author himself also sounds interesting: Ray Harper, originally from Worcestershire, is Senior Lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire in Luton, lecturing in biochemistry, biotechnology, computer applications, genetics and molecular biology. He has carried out research and consultancy work in adipose tissue metabolism, cell immobilisation and the development of World Wide Web-based assessment systems and virtual learning environments. He has published a number of lectures and articles in learned journals.

Title: The Colony
Author: Ray Harper
Genre: Green Science Fiction
Hardcover: 228 pages
Publisher: Book Guild Publishing, August 26

Order from: Book Guild Publishing | Amazon US | UK

It is the future. Earth is overpopulated and running out of food. Starvation is rife. Everywhere society is disintegrating, with wars and civil unrest. The need to find new worlds to colonise is paramount.

A new planet is discovered, surveyed, found to be suitable, and the first wave of colonists arrive, joined by the survey scientist, Linstrom. Initially, he is resented as an outsider, especially by the colonists’ leader, Jon Williams, who sees him as a possible rival. The colony quickly expands, felling trees and planting crops, hunting and fishing and exploring the hinterland. The colonists also begin to use newly developed human-cloning techniques to rapidly expand the population.

Also on this planet, but unknown to the settlers, are the Monitors, intelligent clones left behind by a departed civilisation to safeguard the planet’s ecology and protect it from despoliation and development. They have the new colony under observation, and they do not like what they see …

The Colony belongs in the classic tradition of science fiction grounded in real scientific and technological knowledge and expertise, but enriched with true story-telling art. It marks the debut of a new, exciting talent.

« up

The Water Rising by Sheri S. Tepper (EOS)

I am about to make a review of A Plague of Angels before this one get out (expect it in August closer to the release). I have enjoyed everything I read by her so far, she has a talent for surprises and well developed characters. I know she is not for everyone, she can be something of an eco-feminist at times but I like her well enough.

Title: The Waters Rising
Series: Plague of Angels book 2
Author: Sheri S. Tepper
Genre: Feminist Science Fiction Fantasy
Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: EOS, August 31 | Gollancz, January 2011 (UK)

Order from: Gollancz | Amazon US | UK | B&N

The long-awaited and much-demanded sequel to A PLAGUE OF ANGELS, continuing the story of Abasio, once a farmboy, now, so Blue, his talking horse, is happy to inform people, a man who goes hither and thither helping orphans in this world where renascent mythical beasts and fairy tale ‘archetypes’ now live. . . . And when he comes agross little Xulai from Tingawan, one of the Ten Thousand Islands, far across the western Sea, she informs him that she too is an orphan, and implores his help carrying out the last request of the Princess Xu-i-lok, who has been dying since the day she married Duke Justinian, who refused the royal order to marry Alicia, the Prince’s sister. Xulai is Princess Xu-i-lok’s Soul Carrier, and the task she must complete means visiting the scary forest in the dead of night – but it is the only thing that will bring the princess a measure of peace. Abasio, helper of orphans, promises though she must do this alone, he will be near, to aid her if necessary . . . and it is, for there are dark things abroad . . . And Xulai’s job is not yet done, for with the princess now dead, the grieving Duke is left a widower – and Alicia, Duchess Altamont, still wishes to marry him. It’s not just the man she wants, but his lands too . . . and her plans do not bode well for anyone except her . . .

« up

Dreadnought by Cherie Priest (Tor)

I recently read Boneshaker, Cherie’s first book in the Clockwork Century Series and I am really looking forward to the second, Dreadnought (Clementine also takes place in the same series but that was a limited edition that I unfortunately didn’t get any of, a normal release of it will be out in 2011). I especially like the strong female protagonist in Boneshaker and hope for something similar here.

Title: Dreadnought
Universe: Clockwork Century
Author: Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tor Books, September 28
Excerpt: Chapter 1

Order from: Tor Forge | Amazon US | UK | B&N

Nurse Mercy Lynch is elbows deep in bloody laundry at a war hospital in Richmond, Virginia, when Clara Barton comes bearing bad news: Mercy’s husband has died in a POW camp. On top of that, a telegram from the west coast declares that her estranged father is gravely injured, and he wishes to see her. Mercy sets out toward the Mississippi River. Once there, she’ll catch a train over the Rockies and—if the telegram can be believed—be greeted in Washington Territory by the sheriff, who will take her to see her father in Seattle.

Reaching the Mississippi is a harrowing adventure by dirigible and rail through war-torn border states. When Mercy finally arrives in St. Louis, the only Tacoma-bound train is pulled by a terrifying Union-operated steam engine called the Dreadnought. Reluctantly, Mercy buys a ticket and climbs aboard.

What ought to be a quiet trip turns deadly when the train is beset by bushwhackers, then vigorously attacked by a band of Rebel soldiers. The train is moving away from battle lines into the vast, unincorporated west, so Mercy can’t imagine why they’re so interested. Perhaps the mysterious cargo secreted in the second and last train cars has something to do with it?

Mercy is just a frustrated nurse who wants to see her father before he dies. But she’ll have to survive both Union intrigue and Confederate opposition if she wants to make it off the Dreadnought alive.

« up

The Truth of Valor by Tanya Huff (DAW)

I enjoyed the other novels in the Confederation of Valor Series especially the dialog is to die for. It is witty and the characters banter and rant in the most delightful way. The main character is Torin Kerr, she starts out as a Staff Sergeant and gradually rise through the ranks until she leaves and begin life as a prospector together with the man of her life. She and her fellow humans are employed by elder alien races to fight in their war. Humanity seems to have been duped much like in John Ringo’s Posleen universe. The big arc in the series is about that. There was some decline in my enjoyment in the series in the last books so I hope for a revival of the shock and awe of the first book here.

Read my thoughts on the previous books: Valor’s Choice | Better Part of Valor | The Heart of Valor | Valor’s Trial

Title: The Truth of Valor
Series: Confederation of Valor/Torin Kerr book 5
Author: Tanya Huff
Cover art: Paul Youll – Preliminary artwork
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: DAW September 7

Order from: DAW | Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

« up

Damage Time by Colin Harvey (Angry Robot)

I enjoyed his previous novel Winter Song very much so this one I picked because I want to read something more of Colin Harvey.

Title: Damage Time
Author: Colin Harvey
Genre: Future Crime | Science Fiction
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot October 1

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N

Rock-hard SF Thriller from the author of Winter Song: no-one here gets out alive. It’s 2050 and sea-levels have swamped today’s coastal regions. New York City is protected by tidal barriers and the USA is bankrupt. Detective Pervez (Pete) Shah serves with the NYPD’s Web Crimes Division as a Memory Association Specialist. When he’s accused of murdering a glamorous woman in a bar, he must find the killer, save himself … and the world.

FILE UNDER: Science Fiction [Future Crime / Memory Specialist / Run for your Life / World in Danger]

« up

Money Shot by Christopher Rowley (Tor)

The Netherworld series is Heavy Metal Pulp, a hybrid between novel and graphic novel with violent and adult content so it might not be for everyone. I however am delightfully fascinated with these futuristic hardboiled-noir detective novels, maybe it is the teenager in me? It’s a series that well illustrates many of the moral issues that can arise with cloning and gene modifications; where does life become human? The protagonist is Detective Rook and he is accompanied by Pleasur a chipped-up pleasure model with programmed secrets and a Julia a dominatrix on the run.

My reviews of the previous Netherworld books: Pleasure Model | The Bloodstained Man

Rowley’s homepage www.christopherrowley.net contains a Netherworld Web Project with 28 slightly different chapters compared to book one that has 21. The texts are without the delightfully noir illustrations. There is also world building notes in the ‘Need to Know‘ section.

Title: Money Shot
Series: Netherworld book 3
Author: Christopher Rowley
Genre: Heavy Metal | Cyberpunk | Noir
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Tor (Heavy Metal Pulp) November 9

Order from: Tor | Amazon US | UK

Detective Rook Venner was a successful investigating officer for the Hudson Valley Police Department—until the General Sangacha murder case came across his desk and his world exploded.

Now after being dragged through hell and back, Rook is on the run with Plesur, a Pleasure Model who is the one eyewitness to the murder. Plesur carries a secret in her brain that terrifies the powers-that-be. A secret that they will do anything to destroy—even bring in a Tactical Robotic Regiment to track Rook and Plesur down and annihilate them.

The only choice the two have is to locate the coordinates that were planted in the pleasure mod’s head to the isolated mountain ridge where it all began. Deep underground, in a warren of machine halls and ice caves, something so horrific is happening that just knowing three code words is enough to get you killed: Operation Taste Imperative.

Rook and Plesur have no way back and no way out. If they want to survive and have any kind of life together, they must uncover the terrifying secret that lies deep inside the mountain.

« up

New Kris Longknife Novel: Redoubtable Cover Art & Blurb

Cybermage.se — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:56:27 +0000

Title: Redoubtable
Series: Kris Longknife 8
Author: Mike Shepherd
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: ACE October 26, 2010
Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Kris Lonknife: Redoubtable is now accepted by ACE and this is the final cover art according to Author Mike Shepherd [profile] website. This is the long awaited eight Kris Longknife Novel. There is a slight ‘spoiler’ from the author below, it doesn’t reveal anything catastrophic I think. The blurb is from Penguin’s catalogue.

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. 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.

Kris and her charming wearable computer Nelly are among my literary friends. That they will be back with more intrepid and undaunted adventures later this year fills me with joy. Kris has that famous Longknife streak that always lands her in trouble usually at the request of old grandpa Trouble. In the last book she had a little run in with the Iteeche, an alien race that almost wiped out the human race just a generation back. Being the nice girl she is she brought them with on a texmex adventure before they part ways after deciding to meet again.

Cover Art for the new novel is done. Artist Scott Grimando have made the cover art for all the other Kris Longknife novells, so it would surprise me greatly if he wasn’t doing Redoubtable. And Surprise, surprise when visiting his homepage grimstudios.com I found the picture back in March. A real action shoot with a determined Kris firing an impressing looking rifle framed in what looks like a mountain area being struck from above by weapon fire from ships in orbit around the ringed planet. Kris looks very beautiful on the picture, I wonder if she is in love?

Mike Shepard adds some information that hints to the content beside what we know from the last book:

There was one surprise in the final chapter that I think I can let out of the bag early. Kris is no longer in the Wardhaven Navy. It’s official now, she is in the Royal U.S. Navy.

There is a glitch (how could there not be). U.S. does not stand for United Sentients like Grampa Ray wanted. It got changed during one of the last votes of the Constitutional Convention.

There were rumors about the Iteeche and meetings and things. Sentients sounded too open to those four eyed nasties, so US officially means United Societies. Kris has a bad feeling there is more behind the name change than meets the eye. She’ll have to talk to her big brother next time she’s on Wardhaven.

Source: krislongknifesblog.mikeshepherd.org

Share|

Formidable Female Protagonists in Science Fiction part 2

Cybermage.se — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:00:59 +0000

Here is this week’s list of formidable female protagonists in SF literature. I was questioned about my criteria for choosing who to list and the answer is simple:

Is she a protagonist in a science fiction novel?
Is she female?
Is she in any way formidable?

The third is subject to my subjective interpretation but I have a fairly wide appetite for all different kind of SF out there and I am open to suggestions.

This week’s Formidable Females are:

Benita Alvarez-Shipton – the Perfect House-wife (Sheri S. Tepper)
Kris Longknife – Princess & Officer (Mike Shepherd)
Tobin Kerr – Leading From Below (Tanya Huff)
Sassinak – Older Than Her Mother (Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Moon & Jody Lynn Nye)
Sharrow – Symbol of a Solar System (Ian M. Banks)

Blurbs/Synopsis are from a major online outfit, but they are often in error so I won’t tell you which one.

Benita Alvarez-Shipton – the Perfect House-wife

Book: The Fresco
Author: Sheri S Tepper
Pulisher: Eos Nov 2000 | Gollanz, 1st March 2001
Genre: Feminist science fiction

This is one of Sheri S. Tepper’s more controversial works. It is about Benita Alvarez-Shipton a housewife of Hispanic descent trapped in an abusive relationship. She meets two aliens that do her a ‘good turn’ after choosing her as their ambassador to Earth. She has to break free of the relationship, convince earth’s leaders to listen to her, survive another group of aliens hunting her and save an ideal. The Fresco is an indulgent fantasy in justice with amusing twists like the ugly plague in Afghanistan to protect their women’s virtue and alien wasps impregnating pro life politicians. Sheri S. Tepper is usually more subtle than this but it is still a good read and Benita grows and takes charge of her life as in the best of space operas. She is a housewife that fixes a galactic civilization. That is formidable.

One day, in the midst of strange events that are occurring throughout the United States, plain-spoken, 36 year-old bookstore manager Benita Alvarez-Shipton is greeted by a pair of aliens who ask her to transmit their message of peace to Washington.

And so begins a fantastic adventure more perilous and important than Benita can imagine, because the envoys have come with a dire warning about another extraterrestrial race: predators with their attention focused on Earth, who may have already made their first “visit”.

[top]

Kris Longknife – Princess & Officer

Books: Mutineer (2004), Deserter (2004), Defiant(2005), Resolute (2006), Audacious(2007), Intrepid (2008), Undaunted (2009), Redoubtable (Oct 2010)
Series: Kris Longknife
Author: Mike Shepherd
Publisher: Ace Penguin
Genre: Military Science Fiction | Space Opera

The Kris Longknife series is about a formidable woman with a knack for getting in trouble and getting out. She is one of them Longknifes and if life wasn’t enough complicated being an officer in the navy; the society of humanity dissolve and her grandpa is named King making her a reluctant princess. The Peterwald family with their long standing grudge with the Longknife set up their own little pocket empire and starts to make life for Kris and her family difficult. Lots of humor, fantastic characters by Mike Shepherd (links to profile with links to my reviews). The next book Redoubtable will be out in November this year and Daring will be out in 2011.

Mutineer: As a marine of Wardhaven, Kris Longknife has 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. But an ill-conceived attack is bringing the war close to home and putting Kris’s life on the line. Now she has only one choice: certain death on the front lines of rim space-or mutiny.

Deserter: A search for her lost friend leads the female space warrior into a galactic hellhole with no way out.

Defiant: As part of an agenda to oust her father from his political position, Kris Longknife is relieved of command. But when an alien enemy launches an invasion, she defies both government and military authority to lead a rag-tag fleet against the threat

Resolute: Kris Longknife has been given her first independent command in the very remote system of Chance, an assignment that’s as much exile as promotion. But Kris isn’t on the job long when she captures pirates hiding the location of an uncharted and unpopulated planet of miraculous technology.

Audacious: You can’t keep a good woman down-Kris Longknife returns. 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 New Eden. And someone is taking advantage of the chaos to unleash a personal vendetta against Kris.

Intrepid: Kris Longknife has been assigned to The Wasp, the best warship beyond the Rim of Human Space. But while hunting for pirates, Kris stumbles upon something. It’s a plan to kill one of the members of the aristocratic Peterwald family—and the would-be killers are setting her up as the assassin.

Undaunted: Kris Longknife encounters some peaceful aliens that almost exterminated the human race a generation back or so who have come to warn humanity of an unidentifiable force that is roaming the galaxy, obliterating everything in its path-a path now leading directly toward the human worlds.

[top]

Tobin Kerr – Leading From Below

Books: Valor’s Choice (2000), A Confederation of Valor (2006), The Hearth of Valor (2007), Valor’s Trial (2009), The Truth of Valor (Sept 2010)
Series: Confederation of Valor series
Author: Tanya Huff
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Military Science Fiction

Tanya Huff’s Confederation books are an excellent example of the life and career of a Non-Commissioned Officer. Tobin Kerr comes alive as a believable person whoes motivations make sense. She have to fight to keep her troops and leaders alive through all the military actions, in the best tradition of her trade. The science fictions parts also play a significant part in the stories about aliens, their society and alien technology. There is an arc across the whole series concerning ‘older’ more ‘wise’ races keeping the ‘young’ races at each other’s throats.

Tanya Huff is very good at dialogue. There is a lot of bickering in the books, and I love bickering. Portraying a sergeant of the right stuff is done beautifully.

“Figures,” Torin sighed. “Officers get a proposal and the rest of us just get screwed.”
The Krai have a taste for human flesh. “Marines do not eat other Marines,” Torin muttered absently.
“Begging your pardon sir, but you’ll be giving orders to this platoon, not to the general. It might be best if
you think for yourself.”
“You’re just jealous my species has more opposable parts than yours.”

I have recently read the four published books and wrote about it here: Valor’s Choice, Better Part of Valor, The Heart of Valor and Valor’s Trial

Valor’s Choice: In the distant future, humans and several other races have been granted membership in the Confederation—at a price. They must act as soldier/protectors of the far more civilized races who have long since turned away from war….

A Confederation of Valor: Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr’s goal is to keep both her superior officers and her troops alive as they face deadly missions throughout the galaxy. She more than proves her mettle when a diplomatic assignment and a scientific expedition both turn dangerous.

The Hearth of Valor: The fast-paced third military SF novel in Huff’s Confederation series (after Valor’s Choice and The Better Part of Valor) examines how an interplanetary confederation might unite several distinctive species into an effective military organization despite widely differing physiologies, customs and mores. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Torin Kerr, recovering from injuries suffered in a first contact situation, accompanies a recruit platoon into the Crucible, a training planet where they apply their lessons in a realistic live-fire exercise against robotic drones. While the exercise is underway, the drones begin acting aggressively, without regard to fail-safes or their programming. Has the platoon come under attack by the mysterious Others, or is this related to the alien escape pod that everybody has forgotten exists except for Torin, her lover and an obnoxious reporter? The intriguing and well-designed aliens and intricate plotting keep the reader guessing.

Valor’s Trial: In the rough-and-tumble fourth military SF adventure for Marine Gunnery Sgt. Torin Kerr (after 2007′s The Heart of Valor), Kerr is more than a little surprised to wake up after a disastrous battle and find herself in what appears to be an underground prisoner-of-war facility, since the enigmatic aliens called the Others take no prisoners. At least, that’s the claim made by the Confederation of nominally pacifist older races that provide advanced technology to humans in exchange for waging war against the Others. Kerr soon encounters earlier arrivals, who seem oddly lethargic and resigned to their fate. She must learn what’s sapping their willpower, organize an escape and figure out what the Others and the Confederation are up to. Huff’s appealing heroine is as fiercely maternal as she is fierce in battle, sometimes to a degree that verges on cliché. The denouement is not unexpected, but Huff skillfully accomplishes its exposition while still managing a few surprises.

[top]

Sassinak – Older Than Her Mother

Books: Sassinak (1990), The Death of Sleep (1990), Generation Warriors (1991)
Omnibus: The Planet Pirates (1993)
Series: Planet Pirates
Authors: Anne McCaffrey(#1-3), Elizabeth Moon (#1,#3), Jody Lynn Nye(#2)
Publisher: Baen
Genre: Military Science Fiction

Sassinak is just one of them unforgettable characters, she grows a lot in the series that is a bit towards pulp fiction in some regards. Lots of emotions. I like the name, Sassinach is a Scottish/Highlander name for ‘lowlanders’ especially English I gather. If I remember correctly it means saxon man but has evolved to something you taunt strangers with? Anyway, great story by Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Moon and Jody Lynn Nye.

THE PLANET PIRATES ENSLAVED SASSINAK AND DESTROYED HER WORLD…A FATAL MISTAKE!

The Planet Pirates traces the careers of two remarkable women. Sassinak escaped from slavery to freedom, and then used that freedom to fight the evil that had wrecked her world, first as a cadet, later as a captain, and finally as an Admiral of the Fleet.

Lunzie, one of the galaxy’s greatest healers, is Sassinak’s great-grandmother — but in actual years she is her junior; Lunzie spent nearly a century in coldsleep waiting for rescue when her ship was destroyed. Imagine their mutual surprise when Sassinak rescued her.

How together Sassinak and Lunzie save first a world, and then a confederation of worlds — and almost in passing establish amity between the genetically engineered Heavy Worlders and normal humanity

Sassinak: The first in the Planet Pirates series, this science fiction yarn offers a vivid universe inhabited by cardboard citizens. Sassinak, the heroine and the only developed character, steps straight from a formula: When she is 12, pirates raid her native colony, enslaving her and g murdering her family. Abe, a fellow captive, befriends her and, when they are emancipated by Fleet (the military), becomes her guardian until he is slain in a barroom brawl. Intelligent and daring, Sass joins Fleet, seeking vengeance on her enemies. She becomes the classic fictional commander: a loner whose entire life is subsumed by the military. Fortunately, Sass’s exploits are so expertly recounted that their intrigue and adventure compensate for the hackneyed plot line. Cleverly drawn aliens, supporting characters here, allow the authors to explore various aspects of prejudice. Sass’s appraisal of men, however, verges at times on sexist.

The Death of Sleep: Lunzie Mespil, Healer, is blown out of a space liner. She’s not too worried; a month or two in cryogenic stasis awaiting inevitable rescue, and then on with her life. Only, it’s not a month or two . . . Lunzie waits for 62 years before she is finally picked up!

Generation Warriors: Lunzie, fresh from her adventures in The Death of Sleep,has discovered that the one good heavyworlder she ever met isn’t so good after all…
Fordeliton, sent off to investigate the connection between the super—rich and the planet pirates, is now dying of a mysterious slow poison. His aunt’s spiritual advisor wants to give him her “special cure”.
Dupaynil, having made the mistake of pushing sassinak too far, has been exiled to Seti space aboard a tiny escort vessel—where he’s discovered that the crew are in the pay of the planet pirates…
Aygar, the idealistic young Iretan, is out to prove he has brains as well as heavyworlder brawn… but there are plenty who’d like to blow them out before he can learn to use them.
Then there’s Sassinak, ordered to report to FedCentral for the trial of the mutineer Tanegli. She’d been told to disarm her ship when it enters restricted space; she’d been told her crew can’t have liberty or leave; and she’d been told to follow all the rules. You remember Sassinak…the only person who might be able to stop the disaster ahead has never been one to follow the rules…

[top]

Sharrow – Symbol of a Solar System

Book: Against Dark Background
Author: Iain M. Banks
Publisher: Orbit 1993
Genre: Military Science Fiction

Lady Sharrow is said to be a metaphor of the solar system where the story takes place. Iain M. Banks don’t write happy stories so I am expecting Noir with this one. This is a character I am not familiar with but she comes recommended as a strong formidable woman.

The heroine, Sharrow, chases after the Lazy Gun, a long-lost military artifact of tremendous power, while being chased by a religious cult dedicated to killing her. She rounds up her old war buddies for one last hurrah and they are off to the races, punctuated with flashbacks about the war and Geis and Breyguhn, her cousin and half-sister, respectively.

Sharrow was once the leader of a personality-attuned combat team in one of the sporadic little commercial wars in the civilization based around the planet Golter. Now she is hunted by the Huhsz, a religious cult which believes that she is the last obstacle before the faith’s apotheosis, and her only hope of escape is to find the last of the apocalyptically powerful Lazy Guns before the Huhsz find her.
Her journey through the exotic Golterian system is a destructive and savage odyssey into her past, and that of her family and of the system itself.

[top]

Read Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | index | afterword

Share|

10010 Top Military Science Fiction Series

Cybermage.se — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:32:23 +0000

This is my totally biased list of the top military science fiction series of our time. These are the ones I found entertaining to read and reread. My focus is as always the characters and the wow moments. Thats why there is lots of space opera here. I have followed some of the authors here for decades others for just a few years. They are all good, the focus in there books lies on different things though.

I like binary counting it seems. Counting down from 10001 in seventeen steps.

Edit: I added RCN, which I love but forgot.

10010. RCN is about Captain Daniel Leary and his friend the formidable Adele Mundy and their military adventures aboard the Heavy Cruiser RCS Milton. David Drake rewrite historical battles and wars and make beautiful military science fiction out of it.The next Royal Cinnabar Navy book to come out is What Distant Deeps that will be out in September 2010. I read RCN 7: In the Stormy Red Sky about a year ago before I started doing reviews.

10001. Starfire Series – is built on a board strategy wargame about interstellar conquest. A survey fleet travels trough a previously uncharted wormhole and run into a hive-like speice called the Bugs, all communications attempts fail and the Bugs ambush the fleet and launch an invasion against the Terran federation and nearby powers. In the center of the series is the arms race with the bugs. Later in the series there are other opponents. Solid political and military technology world building if somewhat weaker in character building by David Weber and Steve White. The fifth book Exodus is written by Steve White and Shirley Meier.

10000. Confederation of Valor – is about the futuristic career of a non commissioned officer fighting aliens for the elder races in the alliance. There is a secret behind the scenes that are gradually revealed. The Protagonist Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr keep her space marines and and superiors alive. Tanya Huff writes good characters and the dialog is to die for. My reviews of the first four books, there is a fifth book The Truth of Valor coming out in september 2010.

01111. Jenny Casey - used to be a former retired Canadian special forces living in the hellish streets of Hartford, Connecticut. Earth is in shambles from environmental disasters. Jenny becomes a pawn in game of world dominance between Canada and China over being the first to reach the stars. In Hammered Jenny tries to survive, in Scardown she has to fly and in Worldwired she has to teach the aliens to talk with each other. The world is a bit noir and gritty as Elizabeth Bear likes to write.

01110. Major Ariadne Kedros – is a woman with a dark military past working as a surveyor. Her past catches up with her, both from old enemies and old friends. The world is built on Greek culture with the dominating race being the Minoans called so because they share symbols with the Greek. Temporal buoy’s play a significant part in the story as well as their weaponization. Laura E. Reeve is the creator of this resourceful and guilt ridden heroine. The third book Pathfinder is out this summer.

01101. Aldenata universe – Posleen War | Cally’s War | Hedren War – takes place in a world where an ancient race, the Aldenata uplifted a number of races, screwing them up at the same time. The only race not uplifted is the humans. When the galactic society is attacked by the ferocious Posleen there is a need for someone that can fight so they turn to the humans, who they fear almost as much as the Posleen. The O’Neal clan unite the different series. The redheaded feisty warrior princess Cally stands out together with her war hero father Mike. It’s John Ringo’s universe and he cooperate with Tom Kratman, Mikael Z. Wiliamson and Julie Cochrane there. This is also another example of a series where other races taking advantage of the human race’s ability to fight.

01100. Stellar Marines Universe – Heritage Trilogy | Legacy Trilogy | Inheritage Trilogy – is Ian Douglas Stellar Marines family saga. The Garroways fight in the sands of Mars to the Magellanic Cloud. Humanity is on the brink of extinction time after time as they fight the Xul, a galaxy spanning race of xenophobics. Built on ‘Hard science’. Ian Douglas is really a pseudonym for William H.Keith.

01011. Tour of the Merrimack – is about the finest battleship in Earth’s fleet and its crew.The series’ arc about how to deal with the ravenous Hive, a race of space traveling insects that devour all life they come across. In The Myriad the Mack was out looking for the Hive’s Home world when they stumbled on the time traveling aliens who eventually caused the universe to throw them into an alternative reality to avoid paradox. In Wolf Star the war between Earth and the New Roman Empire is going at full blast and Merrimack is in a deep strike mission behind enemy lines when they meet the Hive again and the Romans have to bow down and admit they need help. In the Sagittarius Command they go after the cause. I love Rebeca M. Meluch’s characters.

01010. Dahak Series – Earths Moon is in reality a gigantic camouflaged battleship who’s crew become the human race. This is discovered by a lone human astronaut that has to face the ancient ship’s computer Dahak. It’s not enough that he has to deal with mutineers that survived in Antarctica, he also has to do with an onslaught of hordes of genocidal aliens and traitors. David Weber is at his best in this awesome space opera

01001. Empire of Man – Prince Roger is a failure and a brat when his starship is sabotaged and he and his company of marine bodyguards has to land on the other side of an hostile planet and walk all the way to the star port on the other side. Wonderful four armed aliens, an epic journey and a prince that becomes a man and the soldiers that fights with him. Nice technological progression from stone age to space age. Written by John Ringo and David Weber.

01000. Lost Fleet - The Alliance has been fighting the Syndics for a century – and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is a man who’s emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he had been heroically idealized beyond belief . Captain John ‘Black Jack’ Geary’s legendary exploits are known to every schoolchild. Appalled by the hero-worship around him, Geary is nevertheless a man who will do his duty. And he knows that bringing the stolen Syndic hypernet key safely home is the Alliance’s one chance to win the war. But to do that, Geary will have to live up to the impossibly heroic ‘Black Jack’ legend. Victorious the final book in the series is out now in April. Written by Jack Campbell

00111. Seafort Saga - is built on C. S. Forester’s novels about Horatio Hornblower and written by David Feintush. The books are set in a future human society that is largely dominated by unified Christianity. The main protagonist is a naval officer who strives always to do his duty, both to the navy and to his God, at great personal cost. Beside the personal story there is an interesting race of fish like aliens central to the story.

00110. Kris Longknife – is about a formidable woman with a knack for getting in trouble and getting out. She is one of them Longknifes and if life wasn’t enough complicated being an officer in the navy, the society of humanity dissolve and her grandpa is named King making her a reluctant princess. The Peterwald family with their long standing grudge with the Longknife set up their own little pocket empire and starts to make life for Kris and her family difficult. Lots of humor, fantastic characters by Mike Shepherd. The next book Redoubtable will be out in November this year.

00101. The Vorkosigan Saga - is about Miles and his mother Cordelia Naismith. It begins with Cordelia’s military career and the unlikely love story between her and Miles father. Miles is crippled in vitro by an assassination attempt but grows up to a crippled formidable interstellar spy and mercenary admiral. Lois has modeled the series after Hortio Hornblower with a taste of Lord Peter Wimsey. The novels stand alone pretty well but benefit from each other. Another Miles novel, CryoBurn is coming later this year. Written by Lois McMaster Bujold.

00100. Safehold – is the world where humanity hides from extermination from the Gbaba, something went wrong thou, the leaders of the colony reprogrammed the colonists in cold sleep creating a medieval world ruled by the church and themselves as Angles. When a fraction tries to revive advanced technology they are ruthlessly exterminated by orbital strikes. 800 years later their second line of defense wakes up. Nimue Alban is an android with the mind and memories of a long dead starship captain. Her mission is to restore civilization and prepare Man for the inevitable re-encounter with the Gbaba. David Weber’s knowledge in history comes to life in this beautiful military saga. The latest novel A Mighty Fortress is out this April (it arrived April 20 for me).

00011. Family’s Regnant universe – Heris Serrano Trilogy | Esmay Suiza continuation | Suiza and Serrano - is about two formidable females Heris Serrano of an old navy family and Esmay Suiza of an old army family. Characters easy to love and formidable old ladies. Much of the driving force for conflict in this universe comes from longevity treatments. Those who get it and will live long life, those who fear the consequences or those who wont wait their turn. Elizabeth Moon is an amazing crafter of characters and worlds.

00010. Honor Harrington is about a competent man kind of military woman with an empath treecat called Nimitz that becomes the foremost military commander of her time battling expansionist empires and human slavers. She is called the Salamander because she thrives in the heat of battle. There are so far eleven books in the series that starts with On Basilisk Station and the next book Mission of Honor will be out this summer. The series is written by David Weber and the success so far have lead to two sub series Saganami and Wages of Sin. The first written together with Eric Flint.

00001. Old Man’s War start with protagonist John Perry joining the army on his seventy-fifth birthday and goes off to fight in The Colonial Defence Force where he meets the love of his life, fight aliens, become leader of a colony and in general make himself useful. I am afraid to tell you much about this series because I so enjoyed the surprise I got as piece after piece fell in place. John Scalzi is one of my favorite authors, I love his characters and his humor.

And before you say how could he miss Hammer Slammers, I didn’t. I tried to read them a couple of times but never really fell for it. Bolo is another ‘series’ that I considered but I feel its less a series and more of a loose concept even if i love them. I have probably missed some, because I haven’t read them, so as usual give me a comment, I love to get to know more military science fiction series.

Share|

New Kris Longknife in Early November 2010 and Cover Art? (Redoubtable)

Cybermage.se — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:21:12 +0000

Kris Lonknife: Redoubtable is now accepted by ACE and will be published October-early November 2010 according to Author Mike Shepherd [profile]. This is the long awaited eight Kris Longknife Novel. There is a slight ‘spoiler’ from the author below, it doesn’t reveal anything catastrophic I think.

Cover Art for the new novel is in it’s final stages. Artist Scott Grimando have made the cover art for all the other Kris Longknife novells, so it would surprise me greatly if he wasn’t doing Redoubtable. And Surprise, surprise when visiting his homepage grimstudios.com I find this beauty. A real action shoot with a determined Kris firing an impressing looking rifle framed in what looks like a mountain area being struck from above by weapon fire from ships in orbit around the ringed planet. Kris looks very beautiful on the picture, I wonder if she is in love?

Mike Shepard adds some information that hints to the content beside what we know from the last book:

There was one surprise in the final chapter that I think I can let out of the bag early. Kris is no longer in the Wardhaven Navy. It’s official now, she is in the Royal U.S. Navy.

There is a glitch (how could there not be). U.S. does not stand for United Sentients like Grampa Ray wanted. It got changed during one of the last votes of the Constitutional Convention.

There were rumors about the Iteeche and meetings and things. Sentients sounded too open to those four eyed nasties, so US officially means United Societies. Kris has a bad feeling there is more behind the name change than meets the eye. She’ll have to talk to her big brother next time she’s on Wardhaven.

Source: krislongknifesblog.mikeshepherd.org

Share|

New Science Fiction to Read 2010

Cybermage.se — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:03:29 +0000

It looks like 2010 will be a mighty interesting year, lots of good books by great authors. Here is a list of some of the books I would like to read 2010.

I hope to tease you to read the new Miles Vorkosigan novel, the new Safehold and something Pearl Harbory from David Weber, the final book in Jump 225, the continuation of Robot Wars, the new Kris Longknife, Major Ariane Kedros new adventures in Minoan space among others. Preview the covers, details are in the list below.

For books that I have read the titles will link to the articles and reviews here for your convenience. Author names are linked to my author profiles so you can find more to read. I will update this list as I read along it and update the titles to my articles.

A Mighty Fortress

(Safehold 4)
by David Weber
Release: April 2010
This is one book I’m anticipating with more curiosity than most, its only three months until release and there are no snippets, no description and no cover. What’s the matter?
According to the FAQ at David Weber’s homepage snippets (short parts) from A Mighty Fortress will be published at Eric Flint’s homepage as soon as he have time to do it. They are out since the 8th of January 2010.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

(blurb from forums.davidweber.net by Alistair) The new novel in the New York Times bestselling series that began with Off Armageddon Reef, By Schism Rent Asunder, and By Heresies Distressed (my review)

Young Cayleb Ahrmahk has accomplished things few people could even dream of. Not yet even thirty years old, he’s won the most crushing naval victories in human history. He’s smashed a hostile alliance of no less than five princedoms and won the hand of the beautiful young Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm. Cayleb and Sharleyan have created the Charisian Empire, the greatest naval power in the history of Safehold, and they’ve turned Charis into a place of refuge for all who treasure freedom.

Their success may prove short-lived. The Church of God Awaiting, which controls most of Safehold, has decreed their destruction. Mother Church’s entire purpose is to prevent the very things to which Charis is committed. Since the first attempt to crush the heretics failed, the Church has no choice but to adopt some of the hated Charisian innovations for themselves. Soon a mighty fleet will sail against Cayleb, destroying everything in its path.

But there are still matters about which the Church knows nothing, including Cayleb and Sharleyan’s adviser, friend, and guardian — the mystic warrior-monk named Merlin Athrawes. Merlin knows all about battles against impossible odds, because he is in fact the cybernetic avatar of a young woman named Nimue Alban, who died a thousand years before. As Nimue, Merlin saw the entire Terran Federation go down in fire and slaughter at the hands of a foe it could not defeat. He knows that Safehold is the last human planet in existence, and that the stasis the Church was created to enforce will be the human race’s death sentence if it is allowed to stand.

The juggernaut is rumbling down on Charis, but Merlin Athrawes and a handful of extraordinary human beings stand in its path. The Church is about to discover just how potent the power of human freedom truly is.

Blood & Iron

(The Robot Wars 2)
by Tony Bellantyne
Release: April 2010
This is the sequel to Twisted Metal.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

From Amazon:
Appointed Commander of the Emperor’s Army of Sangrel, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do of Ko tries to establish relations between the existing robot population and the humans who have recently arrived on Yukawa. On the continent of Shull, Kavan forms the Uncertain Army and is marching to Artemis City. Upon discovery that the city’s generals have made an alliance with the humans, he retreats to Stark where he plans the eventual overthrow of Artemis and the humans. Meanwhile, Karel is heading South, hoping to be reunited with Susan, his wife. As he walks, he hears more of the stories of the robots, and begins to understand something about his place on the world of Penrose. But with limited resources and tensions growing between robot and human it’s only a matter of time before problems arise. And it’s becoming more and more apparent that the humans are a lot more powerful than the robots first expected…

CryoBurn

(Miles 12)
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Release: November 2010
It is nothing less than a new Miles Novel! The Release date hasn’t been set yet but Lois thinks it will be late 2010, probably November. The Vorkosigan Saga is one of my favorite science fiction series. Miles is a really charming scoundrel, an interstellar spy and mercenary admiral. Welcome back Miles!

From Lois McMaster Bujold MySpace Page:
The story is an Auditorial investigation that takes place on a planet new to readers, called New Hope II or Kibou-daini. Miles is 39, to go by the very Miles-centered series chronology we’ve been using. The story uses three viewpoints: Miles, Roic, and a local lad named Jin. The general mode is mystery/thriller/technological-social exploration.

Do Unto Others

(Freehold)
by Michael Z Williamson
Release: Aug 2010
This is a sequel to Better to Beg Forgiveness… and it takes place in the Freehold universe if I remember correctly.
Order: amazon.co.uk amazon.com

From Amazon.co.uk
The Prescot family were miners. At one time, they were contracted to develop technology for a mineral rich but uninhabitable system. Gradually, all the investors shied away. Then the Prescots broke through with the technology needed to exploit entire planets, and incidentally develop domed playgrounds for the perversely rich, including indoor ski slopes and cable cars over megavolcanos, casinos and rides. This created the economic problem of being the richest people in the universe, having more money than most governments and effectively unlimited resources.

Money is a small blessing when enemies are quite willing to spend billions for the chance at trillions. Bryan Prescot and his daughter might as well have targets painted on their backs for the thugs, kidnappers and assassins their competitors would throw at them. Bodyguards were necessary—Highly trained bodyguards who could be bought once and be utterly loyal no matter the circumstances.

The altercation comes to a head inside the domes and mines of Govannon, with their enemy desperate to do anything to save their own lives, now that the gloves are off. Caron Prescot has only six bodyguards against an army, but she has two aces in the hole: The miners are on her side, and Elke, Ripple Creek’s psychotic demolition expert, has a nuke.

The problem with Elke having a nuke is that Elke WILL use it.

Geosyncron

(Jump 225 3)
by David Louis Edelman
Release: February 2010
I am looking forward to read the conclusion to David Louis Edelman’s epic cyberpunk-business science-fiction thriller. The series started with Infoquake (1) which I have read and like. MultiReal (2) is still on its way from U.K.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

From David Louise Edelman’s homepage:
The Defense and Wellness Council is enmeshed in full-scale civil war between Len Borda and the mysterious Magan Kai Lee. Quell has escaped from prison and is stirring up rebellion in the Islands with the aid of a brash young leader named Josiah. Jara and the apprentices of the Surina/Natch MultiReal Fiefcorp still find themselves fighting off legal attacks from Margaret Surina’s unscrupulous heirs — even though MultiReal has completely vanished.

The quest for the truth will lead to the edges of civilization, from the tumultuous society of the Pacific Islands to the lawless orbital colony of 49th Heaven; and through the depths of time, from the hidden agenda of the Surina family to the real truth behind the Autonomous Revolt that devastated humanity hundreds of years ago.

Meanwhile, Natch has awakened in a windowless prison with nothing but a haze of memory to clue him in as to how he got there. He’s still receiving strange hallucinatory messages from Margaret Surina and the nature of reality is buckling all around him. When the smoke clears, Natch must make the ultimate decision — whether to save a world that has scorned and discarded him, or to save the only person he has ever loved: himself.

Guardians of Paradise

(Sidhe 3)
by Jaine Fenn
Release: September 2010
Jaine is a very promising new British writer. She immediately become one of my favorites after I read Principles of Angles and Consorts of Heaven. Jaine also goes under the name J.N. Fenn, which amazon seems to use.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

Most people believe the Sidhe are long dead, exterminated centuries ago when the males of the race rose up and fought alongside the humans subjugated and enslaved by the female Sidhe. But Jarek Reen knows better: he’s discovered, the painful way, that the Sidhe are alive and well, and still screwing over humanity. They’ve already killed his sister, so he’s not surprised when he discovers an old friend and her partner are next on the Sidhe’s hitlist. He helps not only to foil the assassination attempt, but also to muddy the scene of the crime, leaving the Angels Nual and Taro sanMalia presumed dead – and free to join his crusade to expose the insidious influence of the Sidhe, and their evil plans to enslave the human race again. Their mission takes them across human-space, from utilitarian hub-points to rich, exotic planets – where they discover that a brilliant vacation spot hides some of the darkest secrets of all. And that’s when they discover how easy it is for the hunters to become the hunted . . .

From Jaine Fenn’s homepage:
The third book in the series, GUARDIANS OF PARADISE, will see characters from the first two books meeting up, and confronting the more-than human Sidhe more directly. A desire for justice and a drive to survive are all very well, but the bigger picture is more complex than our heroes have considered, and it’s largely painted in shades of grey. Then again, some secrets are so dark that genocide isn’t too great a price to pay to keep them contained.

Mission of Honor

(Honor Harrington 12)
by David Weber
Release: June 2010
David Weber is a phenomenal writer of military science fiction and Honor Harrington is his most popular series. We are many that await the resoluton of Oyster Bay, Mesa’s secret attack against Manticore. David likes to build books on famous battles, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the story in Misson of Honor was built on Pearl Harbor. With the following wrath of the Manticorian people.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

(risingshadow.net) The Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven have been enemies for Honor Harrington’s entire life, and she has paid a price for the victories she’s achieved in that conflict. And now the unstoppable juggernaut of the mighty Solarian League is on a collision course with Manticore. The millions who have already died may have been only a foretaste of the billions of casualties just over the horizon, and Honor sees it coming.

She’s prepared to do anything, risk anything, to stop it, and she has a plan that may finally bring an end to the Havenite Wars and give even the Solarian League pause. But there are things not even Honor knows about. There are forces in play, hidden enemies in motion, all converging on the Star Kingdom of Manticore to crush the very life out of it, and Honor’s worst nightmares fall short of the oncoming reality.

But Manticore’s enemies may not have thought of everything after all. Because if everything Honor Harrington loves is going down to destruction, it won’t be going alone.

Pathfinder

(Major Ariane Kedros 3)
by Laura E. Reeve
Release: July 2010
The previous books Peacekeeper (1) and Vigilante (2) have been good so I am looking forward to this one. Maybe they will explore the alien gate in this book.

Reserve Major Ariane Kedros needs a shot at redemption—and the mysterious aliens known as the Minoans need an extraordinary human pilot with a rejuv-stimulated metabolism like Ariane for a dangerous expedition to a distant solar system. But there’s a catch. the minoans have to implant their technology in Ariane’s body, and it might not be removable. Ariane is willing, but as she begins the perilous journey, there is an old enemy hiding within the exploration team who is determined to see them fail…

Order: amazon.co.uk amazon.com

Redoubtable

(Kris Longknife 8 )
by Mike Shepherd
Release: October 2010
Publisher: ACE

The Kris Longknife series is good solid military science fiction and I can’t wait on this one.

Edit: Cover Art added in June 20,2010

The Orphaned Worlds

(Humanity’s Fire 2)
by Michael Cobley
Release: April 2010
Order: amazon.co.uk

From Amazon:
Darien is no longer a lost outpost of humanity, but the prize in an intergalactic power struggle. Hegemony forces have a stranglehold over the planet and crack troops patrol its hotspots while Earth watches, passive, rendered impotent by galactic politics. But its Darien ambassador will soon become a player in a greater conflict. There is more at stake than a turf war on a newly discovered world. An ancient Uvovo temple hides access to a hyperspace prison, housing the greatest threat sentient life has ever known. Millennia ago, malignant intelligences were caged there following an apocalyptic war. And their servants work on their release. However, Darien’s guardians have not been idle, gathering resistance on the planet’s forest moon. Knowledge has been lost since great races battled in eons past, and now time is short. The galaxy will depend on the Uvovo reclaiming their past – and humanity must look to its future. For a new war is coming.

Trade of Queens

(The Merchant Princes 6)
by Charles Stross
Release: March 2010
Miriam, the world-strolling-American-other-world-princess is teaching her medieval family national economics or so. The Family Business (1), The Hidden Family (2) , The Clan Corporate (3), Merchants War (4), The Revolution Business (5) are previous books in the series.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

(risingshadow.net) A dissident faction of the Clan, the alternate universe group of families that has traded covertly with our world for a century or more, has carried nuclear devices between the worlds and exploded them in Washington, DC, killing the President of the United States. Now they will exterminate the rest of the Clan and keep Miriam alive only long enough to bear her child, the heir to the throne of their land in the Gruinmarkt world.

Mike Fleming, late of US intelligence, has just survived an attack on his life in Massachusetts and knows the worst and deepest secret: behind the horrifying plot is a faction of the US government itself, preparing for a political takeover in the aftermath of terrifying disaster. There is no safe place except, perhaps, in the third alternate world, New Britain — which has just had a revolution and a nuclear incident of its own.

Charles Stross’ Merchant Princes series reaches a spectacular climax in this sixth volume. Praised by Nobel laureate Paul Krugman as “great fun,” this is state-of-the-art, cutting-edge SF grown out of a fantastic premise.

Victorious

(The Lost Fleet 6)
by Jack Campbell
Release: April 2010
Last book in the Lost fleet series, time to fight the aliens? Sequel to Relentless (5)
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

(risingshadow.net) Now Victorious leads the charge again — and “Black Jack” Geary is in command…

As war continues to rage between the Alliance and Syndicate Worlds, Captain “Black Jack” Geary is promoted to admiral — even though the ruling council fears he may stage a military coup. His new rank gives him the authority to negotiate with the Syndics, who have suffered tremendous losses and may finally be willing to end the war. But an even greater alien threat lurks on the far side of Syndic occupied space.

What Distant Deeps

(RCN 7)
by David Drake
Release: August 2010
Captain Daniel Leary and the formidable Adele Mundy has been strong friends so far in the series. Rumor says there will be love in the new book. In the Stormy Red Sky had Adele more in focus than previous book. Can’t wait to read this one.
Order: amazon.com amazon.co.uk

From Amazon:
Captain Daniel Leary and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy, have been in the front lines of Cinnabar’s struggle against the totalitarian Alliance. Now these galactic superpowers have signed a peace of mutual exhaustion–

But the jackals are moving in!

The Republic of Cinnabar was on the verge of collapse under the weight of taxes, casualties, and war’s disruption of trade. That the Alliance of Free Stars was in even worse condition helped only because it has made peace possible.

Years of war have been hard on Daniel and harder still on Adele, whose life outside information-gathering is a tightrope between despair and deadly violence. Their masters in the RCN and the Republic’s intelligence service have sent them to the fringes of human space to relax away from danger.

But the barbarians of the outer reaches have their own plans, plans which will bring down both Cinnabar and the Alliance. The enemies of peace include traitors, giant reptiles, and barbarian pirates whose ships can outsail even Daniel Leary’s splendid corvette, the Princess Cecile.

Unless Daniel, Adele, and their unlikely allies succeed, galactic civilization will disintegrate into blood and chaos. So they will succeed—or they’ll die trying

Share|

Mike Moscoe alias Mike Shepherd (Author)

Cybermage.se — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:22:29 +0000

I like Mike’s Science Fiction. He is good at bickering characters and his world building contains some spiffy concepts like smart metal ships that can reconfigure in flight.

Let me tell you about his books.

Series

Society of Humanity

The series is prequel to the Kris Longknife novels.

First Casualty
Price of Peace
They Also Serve

Kris Longknife (under the name Mike Shepherd)

The tale of one of those damn Longknifes. Kris joins the Navy to earn her own way as much as to get away from her relatives. And then they make her grandfather King and her a Princess. On top of that their old enemies the Peterwalds are at it again, again and again, you get the picture.

Mutineer
Deserter
Defiant
Resolute
Audacious
Intrepid
Undaunted
Redoubtable (ACE 2010)
Daring (Late in 2011)
Furius (2012)*

* according to Mike’s homepage, they are not out on Amazon.

Best Science Fiction Books of 2009

Cybermage.se — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:47:48 +0000

The Best of My New Books 2009

These are the best books i have read for the very first time in 2009. There was quit a few authors I discovered 2009, and many of them are already favorites. To mention some of them John Scalzi of course he is my favorite of the year, Jaine Fenn is another strong new author, Elisabeth Bear is much better than the covers of her books, Laura E. Reeve with her strong Greek influence and Tony Bellantyne with his robot series is novel to say the least. I don’t doubt for a second I have missed some of this years greatest new authors and books. I would love to read them if you tell me about them.

Old Man’s War Series by John Scalzi (Old Man’s War, The Ghost Brigade The Last Colony, Zoe’s Tale)
The Graveyard Book by Niel Gaiman
Storm from the Shadows by David Weber (Saganami 2)
The Anderoid’s Dream by John Scalzi
Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
By Heresies Distressed by David Weber (Safehold 3)
Torch of Freedom by Eric Flint & David Weber (Wages of Sin 2)
Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross
The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin(Eukmen 5)
The Magicans’ Guild by Trudi Canavan (The Black Magician 1)
The Sidhe Series by Jaine Fenn (Principles of Angels, Consorts of Heaven)
Mothership by John Brosnan(Mothership 1)
Undaunted by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 7)
The Coyote Series by Allen Steel
1632 by Eric Flint (Ring of fire 1)
Empire Series by Richard Allen Stotts (Midshipman, Heir to the Throne, Majesty, Acheon, Citizen of the Empire) – All are Free Online Books
Relentless by Jack Campell (The Lost Fleet 5)
Southern Vampires Series (1-9) by Charlene Harris the inspirationt to True Blood the TV Series
Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley (Humanity’s Fire 1)
The Jenny Casey Series by Elizabet Bear (Hammered, Scaredown, Worldwired)

The Best Re-Read Books of 2009

Remnant Polulation by Elizabeth Moon - This is the best First Contact book I ever read. It might be the best book.
Honor Harrington Series (1-11) by David Weber
Kris Longknife Series (1-7) by Mike Shepherd

Interesting and Notable Books not on the list 2009

The Wess’har Wars Series by Karen Travis
The Merchant Princes Series by Charles Stross
Contact With Chaos by Michael Z. Williamsson
The Lost Xuyan Bride by Aliette de Bodard
Twisted Metal by Tony Ballantyne
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
Jennifer Government by Max Barry
Major Ariane Kedros Series by Laura E Reeve

Share|

Intrepid by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 6)

Cybermage.se — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:02:02 +0000

After reading Undaunted I got an urge to reread Intrepid. I thought it came out this summer, but it was the summer of 2008 it did.

Kris is heading out into the Rim on the starship Waspto explore and hunt down pirates. Masquerading as a merchant ship they happen on a pirate. They capture the ship after a short battle. After returning their prisoners for trial, they happen on a colonist trying to get home. So they decide to head that way. First they stop at Xanadu, the next planet before Panda. Xanadu is govern by a religious cult hiding from what they believe is an unavoidable alien invasion. They also keep their people drugged and obedient. After slapping the Elders on their fingers they head off to Panda only to find Kris first captain, Thorpe there with two ships in orbit. There is a filibuster operation going there. A bunch of Mercenaries, the majority of them are religious fanatics from New Jerusalem, have taken over the planet.

The rest is again an entertaining rumble with our favorite princess.

After the rumble they return via Xanadu only to discover a plot to start a war between Peterwald and United Setiends with foreseeable consequences.

Ta ta, brilliant. I can’t wait on the next novel.

The next Kris Longknife novel to be out in 2010 will be Superb Redoubtable and the 2011 one is Daring according to mikeshepherd.org (See New Releases)

Share|

Undaunted by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 7)

Cybermage.se — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:44:26 +0000

Kris have the watch and the rest of the crew are asleep when The Wasp enter another of those newly discovered worm holes out in the Rim. It comes out just as the probe sent ahead is destroyed by laser fire from 2 Peterwald cruisers engaged in a fight with an alien Death Ball.

To her surprise the Iteeche don’t fire back, they are indeed on a diplomatic mission to her grandfather Trouble. If you expected that to play out in this book you are wrong. Kris is sent to the planet Texarkana to keep it in support of the king in the coming constitution poll bringing the Iteeche along.

The rest is an enjoyable rumble.

I don’t know when the next book will be published. Maybe next summer? It ought to be about the next mission kris is sent to before she is sent to the iteeche (quite annoying to be honest, why all these side stories before the big beef)

Share|

Defiant by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 3)

Cybermage.se — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:35:56 +0000

Kris gets her first command PF-109 one out of 12 fast patrol boats commanded by other Navy misfits. She and Nelly prove that they can take out a Battleship when used right when she is arrested for misappropriation of government funds on her mission to Olympia. Her father’s party lost a vote of Confidence in the Parliament and the interim government haste to make clean house in the military while promoting anything that can embarrass the old government. King Ray sends her to hold an old friends hand while she dies. Kris dance nude on the beach and free some hostages before returning home where her accuser has been shredded to pieces by her friends from Olympia.

They can all relax and celebrate the marriage between Tom and Penny. Almost on cue 6 battleships of unknown origin arrive, demanding surrender. Since the new government sent the whole fleet away there is only Kris and her motley crew to defend them all.

Kris discovers what sacrifices are when people all over volunteer to fight.

One very good Longknife book.

Share|

Deserter by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 2)

Cybermage.se — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:29:00 +0000

In Deserter Kris personal computer: Nelly really comes out of the box. Kris friend Tom takes off on leave with Penny (his former interrogator. See Mutineer). They head for an archaeological dig when Tom is somehow waylaid. Kris comes to the rescue.

Introducing Abby, Kris mysterious maid. Hired by her mother so at first Kris resist her, but she has an uncanny ability to produce what Kris needs from her luggage. There is much going on there.

Also introducing Jack, Kris new handsome bodyguard.

Kris and Company rushes of to Turantic, a planet boiling a stew that threatens to change the map in humanity’s part of the galaxy for the next century or so. And of course Kris does the damn Longknife thing and havoc commence.

Hank the handsome Peterwalder are there, so are also ghosts from Kris past.

There is lots of spiffy tech here: Nano spies, three artifacts and true Booby traps (Kris gets a temporary boob job or 2).

Really entertaining, fast action, mystery and a lot of sass. If you like military scifi with more than testosterone this is a good read.

Mike Sheperd is a pseudonym for Mike Moscoe.

Share|

The First Casuality by Mike Moscoe (Society of Humanity 1)

Cybermage.se — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:58:06 +0000

In this universe humanity has settled on more than one hundred planets. Travel is done by wormholes left by aliens. Heavy taxation and low prices for the raw material they produce have caused a lot of anger in the colonies. Large corporations are the real players behind the governments. The Unity is formed around a strong leader as the colonies make war on their oppressors in the Society of Humanity.

We get to follow Ray Longknife a Unity Marine Captain in battle and as a recoveree on Wardhaven. Rita his Navy pilot wife to be keeps him going.

We also get to follow Mary Rodrigo’s as the former Miner is transformed by the war. She starts out as a elected Society Marine Sergeant and trough ingenuity and leadership she ends up a Captain.

Mattim is a Trader drafted together with his ship. He will cause the greatest changes in the long run when he stumbles on on knowledge that the powers behind the government will do anything to suppress.

Mike Moscoe has written a follow up series under the pseudonym Mike Shepherd about Kris Longknife.

This one is not as catchy as the later Longknife series, it’s a decent read. I’ll give it a strong 3 out of 5.

Share|

Mutineer by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 1)

Cybermage.se — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:37:07 +0000

Mike Shepard is a Pseudonym for Mike Moscoe. He’s trilogy Society of Humanity continues in the stand alone Kris Longknife series.

Kris is a young ensign in the Society of Humanity’s Navy. She isn’t just any young ensign, she is the daughter of a Prime minister of WardHaven and a descent of those Longknifes known from the history books (they are still alive though). Joining the Navy was her way to rebel against her parents.

She is confronted with the death of her little brother when her ship is called to free a kidnapped little girl. The story unfolds around her family’s history and the split of humanity into fractions as Earth and the Rim go their separate ways.

There is some spiffy technology here: Smart metal used to transform a starship from a spacious peace time ship to a compact war machine. Kris have a personal computer called Nelly made out of smart smart metal.

There are a lot of interesting characters, grandfather Trouble, Aunt Tru and more.

It’s an entertaining read. I like the plot, the world building and the characters. Ill give it a weak 4.

Share|

Cybermage » Kris Longknife

Daring (Kris Longknife 9) by Mike Shepherd [Book Review]

Bringing Neutronium to a Gun Fight

Book information

Cover art & Blurb Kris Longknife: Daring

Redoubtable (Kris Longknife 8) by Mike Shepherd [Book Review]

New Science Fiction Books in October 2010 Revisited

On Order

Older Books in new Releases on Order

Other Books of Interest

New Releases of Old Books

Related lists

New Science Fiction Books in October 2010

On Order

Older Books in new Releases on Order

Other Books of Interest

New Releases of Old Books

13 SF Books for the Rest of 2010

CryoBurn by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)

Guardians of Paradise by Jaine Fenn (Gollancz)

Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi (Gollancz)

Out of the Dark by David Weber (Tor)

Redoubtable by Mike Shepherd (ACE)

The Technician by Neal Asher (Tor)

What Distant Deeps by David Drake (Baen)

The Colony by Ray Harper (Book Guild Publishing)

The Water Rising by Sheri S. Tepper (EOS)

Dreadnought by Cherie Priest (Tor)

The Truth of Valor by Tanya Huff (DAW)

Damage Time by Colin Harvey (Angry Robot)

Money Shot by Christopher Rowley (Tor)

Other related posts

New Kris Longknife Novel: Redoubtable Cover Art & Blurb

Formidable Female Protagonists in Science Fiction part 2

Benita Alvarez-Shipton – the Perfect House-wife

Kris Longknife – Princess & Officer

Tobin Kerr – Leading From Below

Sassinak – Older Than Her Mother

Sharrow – Symbol of a Solar System

10010 Top Military Science Fiction Series

New Kris Longknife in Early November 2010 and Cover Art? (Redoubtable)

New Science Fiction to Read 2010

A Mighty Fortress

Blood & Iron

CryoBurn

Do Unto Others

Geosyncron

Guardians of Paradise

Mission of Honor

Pathfinder

Redoubtable

The Orphaned Worlds

Trade of Queens

Victorious

What Distant Deeps

Mike Moscoe alias Mike Shepherd (Author)

Series

Society of Humanity

Kris Longknife (under the name Mike Shepherd)

Links

Best Science Fiction Books of 2009

The Best of My New Books 2009

The Best Re-Read Books of 2009

Interesting and Notable Books not on the list 2009

Intrepid by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 6)

Undaunted by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 7)

Defiant by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 3)

Deserter by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 2)

The First Casuality by Mike Moscoe (Society of Humanity 1)

Mutineer by Mike Shepherd (Kris Longknife 1)