First Casuality by Mike Moscoe

Moscoe and Shepherd of the Kris Longknife stories are one and the same. Unfortunately, this time I had to read very fast to manage to finish the book. I haven't come this close to dumping one in a long time. However, the second Kris book was a much better read than the first (which I understand is not actually the first but the tenth or some such), so maybe I will give book two a try.

I would have said that the only purpose the book served was to introduce characters and some back story for the Kris books, but Google informs me that it and its two fellows were in fact written first. The primary character, Ray Longknife, is Princess Kris's grampa Ray (actually great-grampa) - also known as King Ray. In this one he is merely a marine lieutenant, who does marry and beget the initial spawn in the line of Longknife.

Aside from that, it is basically fly, fight, and kill. Lengthy, detailed descriptions of space warfare are pretty boring. There was a fair amount of ground combat as well, but it seemed remarkably pointless - except as a plot device for getting Ray seriously injured. C'mon people, why would you have ground forces in combat on an moon without atmosphere or any redeeming mineral value or population to be protected?

The title is apt, but unsubtle. The political leadership on both sides is corrupt to the point of idiocy. Oh well, maybe there will be some story in the next one.