Book Reviews: Kris Longknife Boot Recruit & Kris Longknife's Maid Goes on Strike by Mike Shepherd

Kris Longknife Boot Recruit
Author: Mike Shepherd
Publication: Self-Published (June 11, 2021)

Description: Everyone has known since Kris Longknife – Mutineer that Kris ran off to join the Navy after graduating college much to her parents’ dismay. However, the story has never been told of how that came to pass. Worse, how does a scion of the Longknife clan survive that massive drop in social levels, plummeting from the Prime Minister’s brat to a lowly Boot Recruit. Here, at last, is the story in all it’s fuss and feathers still on this rare bird. Enjoy.

Kris Longknife's Maid Goes on Strike
Author: Mike Shepherd
Publication: KL & MM Books (October 13, 2017)

Description: This collection of 4 short stories under one cover: Maid Goes on Strike, Ruthie Longknife's First Christmas, Among the Kicking Birds and Bad Day.

My Thoughts: These are fill-in pieces to the long-running Kris Longknife series. 

Boot Recruit is a novella and talks about Kris's reasons for joining the Navy after college and things that happened when she attended OCS. Fun story with all sorts of adjustments for both Kris and the Navy. 

Kris Longknife's Maid Goes on Strike contains four short stories. The first is about a problem on Alwa and the way Abby decides to solve it. Ruthie Longstreet's First Christmas is about a visit to Grandfather Al which turns into the second assassination attempt the baby manages to survive. Among the Kicking Birds takes place on Alwa and has Kris negotiating with the ostriches for land for the humans. Bad Day has Kris at Navy Headquarters on Wardhaven during her time as a staff officer and the reason why she asked for another job. 

The stories were all entertaining and filled in some other adventures in the universe. None were really essential, and none would really stand alone without having read the rest of the series. 

Favorite Quote:

"Why didn't your famous computer tell you that was a defective pod?" gunny asked.

"The interface on the pod's computer was so obsolete I could not attach," Nelly answered for herself.

"That was when I realized I had a problem," Kris put in. "I just didn't know how bad it was."

I bought these. You can buy your copies here and here.