Book Review: Kris Longknife: Unrelenting by Mike Shepherd

Kris Longknife: Unrelenting
Author: Mike Shepherd
Series: Kris Longknife (Book 13)
Publication: Ace (October 27, 2015)

Description: In the New York Times bestselling Kris Longknife novels, “fans of the Honor Harrington escapades will welcome the adventures of another strong female in outer space starring in a thrill-a-page military space opera” (Alternative Worlds).

The aliens attacking the planetary system of Alwa are an enemy unlike any Admiral Kris Longknife has ever encountered before. She doesn’t know who they are, only that they worship a being known as the Enlightened One and are unafraid to sacrifice themselves against her fleet.

But Kris faces more than just the fanatical behavior of an alien armada. A saboteur has infiltrated the military’s medical facility and unleashed an epidemic that has spread throughout the fleet without warning.

Seventy-two career military women are down with something not even the aliens could do to them—including Admiral Kris Longknife…

My Thoughts: In UNRELENTING, Kris and 72 other career military women find themselves pregnant because of a sabotage of their birth control implants. Besides dealing with her pregnancy, Kris has to get ready to face an implacable enemy planning to come at Alwah with overwhelming force. 

Kris is also dealing with a near mutiny of the support people who are working to produce the goods Kris needs to fight the war. A section of this story has her putting on her Nuu Enterprises hat and her Viceroy had to work with people to find out how to get the supplies they need and still meet the needs of all of the beings on Alwah. 

But the main focus of this one is the battle against four mother ships that are getting ready to come at Alwah with the goal of completely destroying the planet and the people who live on it. Luckily, just as the battle is about to begin, help arrives from King Ray which really beefs up Kris's defense forces. 

This was a shoot-em-up episode but didn't stint on quieter moments between Kris and her baby-to-be and Kris and Jack. 

Favorite Quote:

Kris had never attacked one of those monsters without some dirty, sneaky, or underhanded trick up her sleeve. But then, Grampa Trouble always said the only fair fight was the one you lost. 

I bought this one October 13, 2022. You can buy your copy here.