Vicky Peterwald: Target

In deep space, she’s Navy Ensign Vicky Peterwald. Back on her homeworld, she’s Her Imperial Grace the Grand Duchess Lt. Victoria Maria Teresa Inez Smythe- Peterwald, daughter of the emperor and—in the eyes of the emperor’s new and much younger wife, Annah—completely superfluous. Vicky was raised to serve as a marriageable pawn, but now returning home only puts her in reach of Annah’s assassins. However, Vicky has deadly skills of her own. This first spin-off from Shepherd’s popular Kris Longknife books is fast paced, but restricted to setting up the conundrums that will drive the next two novels in the trilogy. Vicky’s critiques of women’s increasingly constrained roles in the imperial court are undermined by the frequent character descriptions composed of pure male gaze. The result is entertaining but disappointingly, avoidably shallow. (July)