Kris Longknife: Redoubtable

Kris, badly injured at the end of Undaunted (2009), is put in charge of a squadron on anti-pirate duty on the Rim. Unsurprisingly, they soon encounter pirates aplenty and a planet that’s been taken over by former members of Peterwald Security. Kris can’t leave injustice alone, and soon enough, what was supposed to be a relief-and-recon assignment turns into a full- fledged military mission. The main problem here is that series fans will have no trouble predicting what happens next; the plots are remarkably similar to previous entries, and there is limited character development. The one exception is the inclusion of Kris’ hereditary enemy Lieutenant Vicki Peterwald. She and Kris must combine their forces to take down the pirate headquarters, and their time together leads to some interesting revelations on the state of internal affairs in the Peterwald Empire. While series fans will be happy to follow Kris’ latest adventure, this isn’t the place for new readers to start.