The novel “The Kif Strike Back” by C.J. Cherryh was published for the first time in 1985. It’s the third novel of the Chanur series and follows “Chanur’s Venture”.

Pyanfar Chanur ended up in the middle of a feud between two hakkikts, two leaders of the kif species. The result is that her niece Hilfy and the human Tully were taken hostage and her number one priority is rescue them. It’s just the latest problem for the captain of the space freighter “The Pride of Chanur”, less and less engaged in trade and more and more in political problems.

The only relief reason for Pyanfar Chanur is the fact that her husband Khym is no longer a fish out of water on the starship and on the contrary is more comfortable in political clashes being used to them after having lived many on the planet Anuurn. Any help is very welcome for Pyanfar Chanur because she made enemies among the hani and is forced to accept alliances among the kif.