Vicky Peterwald: Target

Not bad. Not great, either. Way too much sex - ok, Vicky has been trained to use it and enjoy it (and very little else), but it just got boring, especially the very explicit stuff late in the book. I like Vicky, or at least I like what she's becoming - better than Kris, who was always a bit too confident. The dilemma she's trapped in is also interesting, especially the unfolding ramifications right at the end. The ending is way too abrupt - it might have been better to end it on arrival, before two conversations. Or something. This is a chapter break, shouldn't be the end of the book - it's not a cliffhanger either, it just...stops. Glad I have the next book at hand. I can't say whether this will be worth rereading at this point, it show more hasn't reached any conclusion. show less

From having read the Longknife series up to this point I'll say that it was a surprise, the difference in the story's feeling. Vicky Peterwald was very much more of a romance novel with a science fiction setting then a sci-fi novel with a long developed romantic interest as in the Longknife series. It does give insight into the Peterwald side of the galaxy, which is uniquely off putting in and of itself. So would I read the book again possibly with a filter of sorts, I don't have a personal taste for the amount of sex involved with the story of Vicky Peterwald. But, that seems to by a necessary point to understand the decadence and corruption of that side of the galaxy. Final advice is to read the Primary series first and then this show more offshoot at a older age due to mature content as well as using references to fill in back story. show less

Shepherd, Mike. Target. Vicky Peterwald No. 1. Ace, 2014.
Vicky Peterwald is a series spun off from Shepherd’s long-running Kris Longknife series. Vicky is a grand duchess, heir to an interstellar empire. She is also an ensign in the space navy, who in a prequel tries to assassinate Kris. But Kris really turns out to be Yoda to her Luke. Like Kris, Vicky is a traditionally sexy kick-ass heroine. Target begins with her back at court, where her father has remarried to a woman who seems to be modeled on Cruella Deville. The action of the plot comes mainly from attempts by the empress to assassinate Vicky. If you liked Kris Longknife books, you will probably like the Vicky stories. 3.5 stars.

Great to read about this world from another character's perspective.