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Man of War #1
To Honor You Call Us
The Terran Union is engaged in a vast interstellar war against the Krag, ruthless aliens intent on exterminating humankind. In 2315, the wily Max Robichaux is given command of the USS Cumberland, a destroyer with state-of-the-art capabilities but a combat record so bad, she’s known as the “Cumberland Gap.”
Capt. Robichaux’s first mission: to take his warship to the Free Corridor, where the Krag have secretly been buying strategic materials, and to seize or destroy any ships carrying enemy cargo. Far from the fleet and under enforced radio silence, Max relies only on his determination and guile…and the support and friendship of his chief medical officer, the brilliant Dr. Sahin.
Because even as he deals with the ship’s onboard problems and the stress of carrying out her risky assignment, Max and the doctor discover that the Cumberland and her misfit crew are all that stands in the way of a deadly Krag attack that threatens to end the war—and humanity—once and for all.
A far-future story in the tradition of “ships of wood, men of iron” novels, To Honor You Call Us and the Man of War series combines the adventure of exploration, the excitement of war, and the dangers of the unknown through the eyes of a ship and her crew.
Capt. Robichaux’s first mission: to take his warship to the Free Corridor, where the Krag have secretly been buying strategic materials, and to seize or destroy any ships carrying enemy cargo. Far from the fleet and under enforced radio silence, Max relies only on his determination and guile…and the support and friendship of his chief medical officer, the brilliant Dr. Sahin.
Because even as he deals with the ship’s onboard problems and the stress of carrying out her risky assignment, Max and the doctor discover that the Cumberland and her misfit crew are all that stands in the way of a deadly Krag attack that threatens to end the war—and humanity—once and for all.
A far-future story in the tradition of “ships of wood, men of iron” novels, To Honor You Call Us and the Man of War series combines the adventure of exploration, the excitement of war, and the dangers of the unknown through the eyes of a ship and her crew.
454 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2012
595 people are currently reading
4492 people want to read
About the author
H. Paul Honsinger
8 books477 followersH. Paul Honsinger is the author of the "Man of War" Trilogy, published by 47North Books and available worldwide in English from Amazon and also translated by major publishers in Japan, France, and Poland into those nations' respective languages. Approximately 150,000 copies have been sold to date.
All three volumes are available in Kindle eBook, paperback, and audio editions (from Brilliance Audio, narrated by top-drawer voice actor Ray Chase).
The story of Max Robichaux, Dr. Ibrahim Sahin, and the colorful personalities that populate the USS Cumberland will continue in the "Brothers of the Black Sky" trilogy. The first volume, "To Stations My Lads" is expected sometime in 2020.
Paul is also the author of the shorter works, "Deadly Nightshade," and "The Hunters of Vermin," a novella and a short novel respectively, which are prequels to the Man of War series, tracing the adventures of a teenage Max Robichaux on his first solo deep space mission.
Space and military history are H. Paul Honsinger's life long passions. Lacking the physical attributes to be an astronaut or a soldier, and not endowed with the mathematical ability essential to become an Aerospace Engineer or an Astronomer, he "settled" for a career in law. But, the study of space and war have always been a part of his life. He became an amateur astronomer, made himself an expert on the history of space exploration (if you ever tell him that the moon landings were a hoax, expect an argument; expect to lose), and never stopped studying the history and the art of war. He started reading science fiction at the age of seven (starting with "Between Planets" by Robert Heinlein) and has been a lifelong fan of the genre.
He also developed an interest in military history upon seeing the movie "Patton" on television in 1972 when he was twelve. He has spent years studying in detail the campaigns of Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Halsey, and Patton and--perhaps most significantly--thinking deeply and precisely about what it would be like if the stories about combat in space he read and saw on the screen were told in a way that made scientific and military sense.
He never thought he would be a fiction writer. His wife, Kathleen, one day pointed at his computer chair and said: "Sit. Start writing. Now." The result was the first draft of Chapter 1 of "To Honor You Call Us" (the Prologue was written later). Paul tremulously presented it to Kathleen and asked "am I wasting my time?" She said "no" and the rest of the novel followed.
Paul's goal is simple: to write military science fiction done right--stories in which the alien enemies are believable foes, fighting for a plausible reason, with weapons that don't violate the laws of physics, and where the tactics used by both sides make some sort of geometric and military sense. He wanted to bring to space the same kind of realistic adventure one finds on the sea in the novels of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester. Why not, he thought, tell realistic human stories against the background of a realistic military conflict that just happens to be set 300 years in the future? And why not try to evoke in the imaginations of readers vivid images of what the lives of these men would be like, fighting for the survival of mankind among the stars, thousands of light years from home?
All three volumes are available in Kindle eBook, paperback, and audio editions (from Brilliance Audio, narrated by top-drawer voice actor Ray Chase).
The story of Max Robichaux, Dr. Ibrahim Sahin, and the colorful personalities that populate the USS Cumberland will continue in the "Brothers of the Black Sky" trilogy. The first volume, "To Stations My Lads" is expected sometime in 2020.
Paul is also the author of the shorter works, "Deadly Nightshade," and "The Hunters of Vermin," a novella and a short novel respectively, which are prequels to the Man of War series, tracing the adventures of a teenage Max Robichaux on his first solo deep space mission.
Space and military history are H. Paul Honsinger's life long passions. Lacking the physical attributes to be an astronaut or a soldier, and not endowed with the mathematical ability essential to become an Aerospace Engineer or an Astronomer, he "settled" for a career in law. But, the study of space and war have always been a part of his life. He became an amateur astronomer, made himself an expert on the history of space exploration (if you ever tell him that the moon landings were a hoax, expect an argument; expect to lose), and never stopped studying the history and the art of war. He started reading science fiction at the age of seven (starting with "Between Planets" by Robert Heinlein) and has been a lifelong fan of the genre.
He also developed an interest in military history upon seeing the movie "Patton" on television in 1972 when he was twelve. He has spent years studying in detail the campaigns of Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Halsey, and Patton and--perhaps most significantly--thinking deeply and precisely about what it would be like if the stories about combat in space he read and saw on the screen were told in a way that made scientific and military sense.
He never thought he would be a fiction writer. His wife, Kathleen, one day pointed at his computer chair and said: "Sit. Start writing. Now." The result was the first draft of Chapter 1 of "To Honor You Call Us" (the Prologue was written later). Paul tremulously presented it to Kathleen and asked "am I wasting my time?" She said "no" and the rest of the novel followed.
Paul's goal is simple: to write military science fiction done right--stories in which the alien enemies are believable foes, fighting for a plausible reason, with weapons that don't violate the laws of physics, and where the tactics used by both sides make some sort of geometric and military sense. He wanted to bring to space the same kind of realistic adventure one finds on the sea in the novels of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester. Why not, he thought, tell realistic human stories against the background of a realistic military conflict that just happens to be set 300 years in the future? And why not try to evoke in the imaginations of readers vivid images of what the lives of these men would be like, fighting for the survival of mankind among the stars, thousands of light years from home?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
April 28, 2022
This could be a slightly lengthy review so let me give a thumbnail for those who simply want to know if I like and recommend the book. Then I'll give a few details and impressions.
Yes...I greatly like and recommend the book. Good military science fiction, military fiction, action and simply a good novel. It get's my highest recommendation.
NOW, if you know my taste and my reviews then you know that means the emphasis is not on romance or a love story. Bottom line...there isn't one. Okay let me say a little about the book, the story and why (I think) I like it.
I wonder if some of this may not be related to the number of books I have read, even age related. I find more and more lately my reading is leaning farther away from nonfiction and message fiction. I have on my currently reading list right now 2 books that have failed to catch my interest. I keep laying them aside and just not picking them back up. I started another "space opera" and was so unimpressed that I put it back on my to be read list thinking I'd get to it later (it's the second in a series). I've also had a string of mediocre reads lately that I can only go about 3 stars for. I didn't dislike them, I even liked "parts of them". But as a whole they just didn't draw me in.
This book will I suspect appeal to those of us with military backgrounds (especially Navy or Marine here I suspect. However I'm Army and I got into it). I don't know why it is that often when in the military we "bellyache", complain and carry on yet then the positive side stays with us throughout our lives...but there it is.
The characters in this book while not being laid out in long laborious detail are complete and you'll get to know them by their actions. The story (as I've said about other books I've liked) breaks out of the starting gate at breakneck speed and barely slows down to catch it's breath.
Now I'm going to say something else but please read it to the end in case you don't particularly care for the books I'm about to compare this to.
I've often read where reviewers compare military navy science fiction to the Hornblower novels. This one does bring much of the Hornblower "mythos" (if you will) into a futuristic setting. Now if you didn't like those books don't let that put you off. What I mean is that you see a junior officer having to perform in a very tough situation. This is a "space navy war" where ships are boarded with swords and cutlasses being used. AND there is a rational reason for it. The crews and officers share in prize money for captured ships. They have to deal with neutral worlds that won't take sides...
(I know you're probably asking about why they would use swords and why not just have a self destruct for boarded ships. The book answers those questions...but if I told you, you would miss out on finding it out in the book. I wouldn't do that to you.)
No...no spoilers here. I truly enjoyed this book. Am I shallow???? Maybe, but it's a good book and I burned straight through it. I give it my highest adventure/action/military/science fiction recommendation...
Enjoy.
Yes...I greatly like and recommend the book. Good military science fiction, military fiction, action and simply a good novel. It get's my highest recommendation.
NOW, if you know my taste and my reviews then you know that means the emphasis is not on romance or a love story. Bottom line...there isn't one. Okay let me say a little about the book, the story and why (I think) I like it.
I wonder if some of this may not be related to the number of books I have read, even age related. I find more and more lately my reading is leaning farther away from nonfiction and message fiction. I have on my currently reading list right now 2 books that have failed to catch my interest. I keep laying them aside and just not picking them back up. I started another "space opera" and was so unimpressed that I put it back on my to be read list thinking I'd get to it later (it's the second in a series). I've also had a string of mediocre reads lately that I can only go about 3 stars for. I didn't dislike them, I even liked "parts of them". But as a whole they just didn't draw me in.
This book will I suspect appeal to those of us with military backgrounds (especially Navy or Marine here I suspect. However I'm Army and I got into it). I don't know why it is that often when in the military we "bellyache", complain and carry on yet then the positive side stays with us throughout our lives...but there it is.
The characters in this book while not being laid out in long laborious detail are complete and you'll get to know them by their actions. The story (as I've said about other books I've liked) breaks out of the starting gate at breakneck speed and barely slows down to catch it's breath.
Now I'm going to say something else but please read it to the end in case you don't particularly care for the books I'm about to compare this to.
I've often read where reviewers compare military navy science fiction to the Hornblower novels. This one does bring much of the Hornblower "mythos" (if you will) into a futuristic setting. Now if you didn't like those books don't let that put you off. What I mean is that you see a junior officer having to perform in a very tough situation. This is a "space navy war" where ships are boarded with swords and cutlasses being used. AND there is a rational reason for it. The crews and officers share in prize money for captured ships. They have to deal with neutral worlds that won't take sides...
(I know you're probably asking about why they would use swords and why not just have a self destruct for boarded ships. The book answers those questions...but if I told you, you would miss out on finding it out in the book. I wouldn't do that to you.)
No...no spoilers here. I truly enjoyed this book. Am I shallow???? Maybe, but it's a good book and I burned straight through it. I give it my highest adventure/action/military/science fiction recommendation...
Enjoy.
May 30, 2014
In the somewhat distant future, the Terran Union is engaged in a desperate war against an alien foe, the Krag. The Union's goal is survival. The Krag's goal is exterminating every last human. A rising star, the newly promoted Capt. Robichaux is assigned to the the USS Cumberland and tasked to harass, interdict, destroy, and disrupt the shipping of the Krag in the sleepy interstellar regions of the war. Robichaux and his crew find themselves engaged in a pivotal engagement where they all that stands between a dangerous new incursion by the Krag and the core human systems.
There is much to like in this book. The space battles are great. The author did a good job of converting the age of sail to the ago of star ships and faster than light travel. The cat and mouse of the Cumberland stalking and being stalked made for some pretty tense moments. Additionally, the hand to hand combat in the occasional boarding engagement was pretty exciting as well. And the Krag make a great enemy that we can all enjoy blowing to hell and back.
Unfortunately, there were some things in the book that also detracted from the experience. When I read, I like to lose myself in the story. There is nothing better than looking up from your book and realizing an hour and a half has just past - or staying up til three in the morning because you simply can't put the book down. That never happened with this book. There were some real zingers that broke my immersion in the author's story.
The books need to hold together with a certain amount of logic. And this book failed that test for me. OK, the Krag are engaged in an acknowledged war of human extermination. As part of that war, they unleashed a terrible plague - the Gynophage. This disease left men largely unaffected, but had a 99% mortality among women. It spread like crazy and it was only through a Herculean effort that a vaccine was developed. Let's say that it killed 70% of all women and girls. This is part of the author's story and it fits. What doesn't fit is all the unaligned human worlds. I have a hard time understanding how these numerous unaligned worlds would remain unaligned when (a) the Krag have announced their determination to exterminate humanity, and (b) the Krag virus has just killed most of the women on human planets. Now maybe I could accept an oddball unaligned human state - but lots of them. No freaking way! I think that given points (a) and (b) above ALL the human planets would come together to fight the Krag.
This is minor, but related to the Gynophage, I was surprised that there were no hints of homosexual relationships. Again, remember that conservatively speaking 70% of all women are dead. The remaining women are closely guarded and kept out of front line navy deployments. These men are at space for years at a time and even when they go planet side, there are simply no women. Surely homosexuality would be more accepted in this type of world. In this story there weren't even hints. I think the author missed a chance to make his story more authentic.
The other main problem with the book was its predictability. Yes, of course, Robichaux is assigned to a problem ship. Of course he has to whip the crew and officers into shape. Of course he does it. Of course he stumbles upon a secret blitzkrieg plan that the Krag have hatched. Of course he thwarts it. The whole thing just very linear. I was expecting or hoping for some unexpected twist. It never materialized.
Finally, there was just an awful lot of explaining going on in the book. The characters spend a great deal of time explaining things to one another so that I, as a reader, will know what is going on. I may be the exception, but as a reader I kind of like not knowing exactly what is going on. It is fun to figure it on my own without a character telling me. A certain amount of exposition is necessary, but I felt there was too much.
Two and a half stars rounded down to two. This book was fun for space battles and kind of annoying for the rest of it. I wound up with something less than I had expected.
There is much to like in this book. The space battles are great. The author did a good job of converting the age of sail to the ago of star ships and faster than light travel. The cat and mouse of the Cumberland stalking and being stalked made for some pretty tense moments. Additionally, the hand to hand combat in the occasional boarding engagement was pretty exciting as well. And the Krag make a great enemy that we can all enjoy blowing to hell and back.
Unfortunately, there were some things in the book that also detracted from the experience. When I read, I like to lose myself in the story. There is nothing better than looking up from your book and realizing an hour and a half has just past - or staying up til three in the morning because you simply can't put the book down. That never happened with this book. There were some real zingers that broke my immersion in the author's story.
The books need to hold together with a certain amount of logic. And this book failed that test for me. OK, the Krag are engaged in an acknowledged war of human extermination. As part of that war, they unleashed a terrible plague - the Gynophage. This disease left men largely unaffected, but had a 99% mortality among women. It spread like crazy and it was only through a Herculean effort that a vaccine was developed. Let's say that it killed 70% of all women and girls. This is part of the author's story and it fits. What doesn't fit is all the unaligned human worlds. I have a hard time understanding how these numerous unaligned worlds would remain unaligned when (a) the Krag have announced their determination to exterminate humanity, and (b) the Krag virus has just killed most of the women on human planets. Now maybe I could accept an oddball unaligned human state - but lots of them. No freaking way! I think that given points (a) and (b) above ALL the human planets would come together to fight the Krag.
This is minor, but related to the Gynophage, I was surprised that there were no hints of homosexual relationships. Again, remember that conservatively speaking 70% of all women are dead. The remaining women are closely guarded and kept out of front line navy deployments. These men are at space for years at a time and even when they go planet side, there are simply no women. Surely homosexuality would be more accepted in this type of world. In this story there weren't even hints. I think the author missed a chance to make his story more authentic.
The other main problem with the book was its predictability. Yes, of course, Robichaux is assigned to a problem ship. Of course he has to whip the crew and officers into shape. Of course he does it. Of course he stumbles upon a secret blitzkrieg plan that the Krag have hatched. Of course he thwarts it. The whole thing just very linear. I was expecting or hoping for some unexpected twist. It never materialized.
Finally, there was just an awful lot of explaining going on in the book. The characters spend a great deal of time explaining things to one another so that I, as a reader, will know what is going on. I may be the exception, but as a reader I kind of like not knowing exactly what is going on. It is fun to figure it on my own without a character telling me. A certain amount of exposition is necessary, but I felt there was too much.
Two and a half stars rounded down to two. This book was fun for space battles and kind of annoying for the rest of it. I wound up with something less than I had expected.
September 11, 2024
Reread in 2024, and that was fun!
---------------------------
Original review from 2022:
I really, really liked this book! Terrific military science fiction. I've bought both the sequels and the prequels already. The author has sadly passed away due to Covid-19 so there will never be any more, and he had a true talent for this genre. This is the type of series that I'll enjoy rereading.
The book opened up with a bang in the form of a terrific prologue. Normally I detest those suckers with a passion, but this was actually a very good one. We were plopped down in the middle of boarding action during a longstanding war between the humans and the Krag, which are sort of highly-intelligent human/giant rat hybrids. This alien race is determined to exterminate humanity and thus far they have been on the winning team.
Max Robichaux is our main character. What was particularly cool about him is that he is Cajun. That's not a common sci-fi character! He also had an excellent demeanor and command style. I really liked him. So the MC is transferred to new ship with a totally demoralized and neurotic crew. He's kind of on a time crunch to get his vessel up to snuff in order to go after the Krag. I enjoyed reading about the evolution of the crew.
The scenes of the book dealing with the stalking of enemy vessels were my favorite parts of the book. They were similar to submarine warfare but in space. These scenes were particularly well done.
Regarding the military jargon sprinkled liberally throughout, I pestered the heck out of my poor retired-Navy husband for interpretations. Except for FUBAR. I already knew what that meant 😉 So he was telling me what various acronyms stood for as I progressed through the story. And then, (duh!), the author had a glossary at the end. Certain Cajun phrases are included, too. Had I known ahead of time I wouldn't have questioned my beleaguered husband incessantly. I say all of this to say: if you are a civilian unfamiliar with military jargon, there's a glossary of terms included to make your life easier.
Recommended to military sci-fi fans!
---------------------------
Original review from 2022:
I really, really liked this book! Terrific military science fiction. I've bought both the sequels and the prequels already. The author has sadly passed away due to Covid-19 so there will never be any more, and he had a true talent for this genre. This is the type of series that I'll enjoy rereading.
The book opened up with a bang in the form of a terrific prologue. Normally I detest those suckers with a passion, but this was actually a very good one. We were plopped down in the middle of boarding action during a longstanding war between the humans and the Krag, which are sort of highly-intelligent human/giant rat hybrids. This alien race is determined to exterminate humanity and thus far they have been on the winning team.
Max Robichaux is our main character. What was particularly cool about him is that he is Cajun. That's not a common sci-fi character! He also had an excellent demeanor and command style. I really liked him. So the MC is transferred to new ship with a totally demoralized and neurotic crew. He's kind of on a time crunch to get his vessel up to snuff in order to go after the Krag. I enjoyed reading about the evolution of the crew.
The scenes of the book dealing with the stalking of enemy vessels were my favorite parts of the book. They were similar to submarine warfare but in space. These scenes were particularly well done.
Regarding the military jargon sprinkled liberally throughout, I pestered the heck out of my poor retired-Navy husband for interpretations. Except for FUBAR. I already knew what that meant 😉 So he was telling me what various acronyms stood for as I progressed through the story. And then, (duh!), the author had a glossary at the end. Certain Cajun phrases are included, too. Had I known ahead of time I wouldn't have questioned my beleaguered husband incessantly. I say all of this to say: if you are a civilian unfamiliar with military jargon, there's a glossary of terms included to make your life easier.
Recommended to military sci-fi fans!
June 1, 2014
I've read and love many books with the premise of Horatio Hornblower in space, but this one leans on the template of Aubrey/Maturin, which I loved! There's the same sense of character, but the friendship between Captain Max Robichaux and Dr. Ibrahim Sahin is both familiar and a thing of its own. There's a warmth here, the sense of a navy that relies heavily on the tradition of the Napoleonic British with a dash of Cold War submarine warfare, but done in such a way that it takes into account what it's trying to do and shows why things are the way they are. The fact that it holds to a future timeline, too, anchors it, and one of my favorite things about the book was the gleeful references to history and pop culture that made their way into this future navy. My favorite: if a man's threatened to be put out the airlock, they call it "to go dancing with the stars."
The book is also very well written, with info parsed out in the same running fashion as Patrick O'Brian--good and technical, but not too info-dumpy. The pacing is brisk, but always anchored in character, and the characters are all wonderfully human, with plenty of demons to fight and overcome. The situation with the war with the Krag was dire, and painted in such a way that I wholeheartedly stood on the side of Max and his trouble-ship, the U.S.S. Cumberland. And of course, the space combat is realistic and superb!
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator Ray Chase was absolutely excellent. If you can get the audio version, do!
Overall, a solid, surprising, and warmly human addition to my favorites of military SF.
The book is also very well written, with info parsed out in the same running fashion as Patrick O'Brian--good and technical, but not too info-dumpy. The pacing is brisk, but always anchored in character, and the characters are all wonderfully human, with plenty of demons to fight and overcome. The situation with the war with the Krag was dire, and painted in such a way that I wholeheartedly stood on the side of Max and his trouble-ship, the U.S.S. Cumberland. And of course, the space combat is realistic and superb!
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator Ray Chase was absolutely excellent. If you can get the audio version, do!
Overall, a solid, surprising, and warmly human addition to my favorites of military SF.
August 14, 2022
Reread notes August 2022. H. Paul Honsinger came rather late in life to writing fiction and sadly passed away a few years ago, leaving just his Man of War series, but what a series! I first read this shortly after it came out and it definitely scratched that itch for excellent military science fiction. Man of War is set roughly three centuries into the future and humanity, utilizing the 'jump drive', quickly colonized many planets and systems. Originally under the 'Terran Federation', the political system eventually collapsed, leaving several 'pockets' of independent human 'empires'.
Humanity also discovered several alien species, most of which are higher on the tech chain, but one became of special interest-- the Krag. It seems roughly 11 million years ago, some alien power transported a swath of flora and fauna from Earth and terriformed another planet; eventually, the species that became dominant and space-faring where the Krag. The Krag are humanoid, but trace their ancestors to rats rather than monkeys. For some bizarre religious rationale, the Krag have vowed to wipe out humanity and for the last 30 years have been at war with the Terran Union, which comprises about 500 of the 600 planets and systems colonized by humanity. It is total war and the Terran Union is losing slowly.
Our main protagonist in To Honor You Call Us, Max Robichaux, is given his first ship to captain, the Cumberland, a new destroyer, and a mission to track down and stop various neutral states selling goods to the Krag Hegemony. The problem is the previous captain was a failure and the crew seriously demoralized. Hence, it is up to Max to turn the ship around and complete the mission as best as possible...
The old 'black sheep' to honed fighting machine is an old trope, but Honsinger employs it very well here. Obviously, there was a lot of research (and thought) put into this and it reads a little inside baseball a bit, but it really puts you about the Cumberland and the pacing never lets down. Through orts and scraps, Honsinger fleshes out the navy and its traditions alongside Max's character. For the last 20 years, since the age of eight, Max has been in the navy, after having witnessed his mother and sisters die of a brutal biological attack by the Krag and shortly thereafter, the death of his father.
The action is superb as Max must use his wiles and wits to overcome one challenge after another. This is, however, not a rah rah humanity story; it is gritty and dark and the characters oh so human. What holds the navy together is honor and a toughness/willing to go for everything attitude, because they know if they fail, humanity will lose. Sure, the Krag are almost stereotypical bad guys, especially with their nasty rat faces and tails, but Honsinger knows how to tell a story. Highly recommended for military scifi fans! 4.5 stars!
Humanity also discovered several alien species, most of which are higher on the tech chain, but one became of special interest-- the Krag. It seems roughly 11 million years ago, some alien power transported a swath of flora and fauna from Earth and terriformed another planet; eventually, the species that became dominant and space-faring where the Krag. The Krag are humanoid, but trace their ancestors to rats rather than monkeys. For some bizarre religious rationale, the Krag have vowed to wipe out humanity and for the last 30 years have been at war with the Terran Union, which comprises about 500 of the 600 planets and systems colonized by humanity. It is total war and the Terran Union is losing slowly.
Our main protagonist in To Honor You Call Us, Max Robichaux, is given his first ship to captain, the Cumberland, a new destroyer, and a mission to track down and stop various neutral states selling goods to the Krag Hegemony. The problem is the previous captain was a failure and the crew seriously demoralized. Hence, it is up to Max to turn the ship around and complete the mission as best as possible...
The old 'black sheep' to honed fighting machine is an old trope, but Honsinger employs it very well here. Obviously, there was a lot of research (and thought) put into this and it reads a little inside baseball a bit, but it really puts you about the Cumberland and the pacing never lets down. Through orts and scraps, Honsinger fleshes out the navy and its traditions alongside Max's character. For the last 20 years, since the age of eight, Max has been in the navy, after having witnessed his mother and sisters die of a brutal biological attack by the Krag and shortly thereafter, the death of his father.
The action is superb as Max must use his wiles and wits to overcome one challenge after another. This is, however, not a rah rah humanity story; it is gritty and dark and the characters oh so human. What holds the navy together is honor and a toughness/willing to go for everything attitude, because they know if they fail, humanity will lose. Sure, the Krag are almost stereotypical bad guys, especially with their nasty rat faces and tails, but Honsinger knows how to tell a story. Highly recommended for military scifi fans! 4.5 stars!
July 29, 2016
H. Paul Honsinger's To Honor You Call Us is on the softer side of Military SF. Rat-faced aliens religiously motivated and determined to exterminate humans play the role of villain. The stage is the stars, and the stars teem with alien life. Some species resemble catfish; others appear to mirror carnivorous teddy bears.
The year is 2315. Rough and tumble Max Robichaux is promoted to Captain, and the story follows his journey into deep space to fight the dreaded rat-faced Krag. In this era of FTL (Faster Than Light) space jumps, pulse cannons, and universal interspecies translators, we also encounter boarding parties, cutlasses, traditional firearms, beer and liquor rations, and battle-axes.
I struggled with this book. None of the characters are engaging, the dialogue is clunky unoiled exposition, and pretty much the entire book is written in the passive voice. Honsinger overloads his prose with anachronistic stumbling blocks jarring the reader from the 2315 present-day. I didn't want to at first, but I was willing to accept sword wielding boarding parties in space. I drew the line at the ships commissary selling t-shirts (all sizes), ball caps, pins, coffee mugs, pillowcases, pendants, charm bracelets, polo shirts, shotglasses, workout shorts, throw pillows, Christmas tree ornaments, etc. When I encounter a character saying, "Maybe Santa Claus will come by in his sleigh and act as a missile decoy," I stop and scratch my noggin. The year is 2315, what character drops this antiquated holiday reference? And why does a character observe, "The sounds reminded Max of a child playing with his oatmeal by using a drinking straw to make bubbles." Is there really still straws and oatmeal in 2315? Don't get me wrong, I like oatmeal, but I've never used a straw with it before.
The struggle lies in Honsinger's earnest desire for his story to be taken seriously. If this had been presented as a farce, a jape upon the genre of Military SF like the film Galaxy Quest poked good-naturedly at its contemporary counterparts, I could have better rolled with the punches. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Honsinger's incessant desire to drop knowledge in the form of military history on the reader is tiring, and does nothing to advance the story. When it's all said and done, this reads like fanfic, poorly written fanfic.
I listened to the audiobook. Ray Chase is the narrator, and damned if he didn't make this book better.
Since To Honor You Call Us is the first in the Man of War series, I fully expect Honsinger's writing to improve as the story continues. And while I do feel burned by this book, I might be willing to pick up the next volume, in time, if Honsinger figures out what he is writing, drops the passive voice, and commits to more intensive revision.
The year is 2315. Rough and tumble Max Robichaux is promoted to Captain, and the story follows his journey into deep space to fight the dreaded rat-faced Krag. In this era of FTL (Faster Than Light) space jumps, pulse cannons, and universal interspecies translators, we also encounter boarding parties, cutlasses, traditional firearms, beer and liquor rations, and battle-axes.
I struggled with this book. None of the characters are engaging, the dialogue is clunky unoiled exposition, and pretty much the entire book is written in the passive voice. Honsinger overloads his prose with anachronistic stumbling blocks jarring the reader from the 2315 present-day. I didn't want to at first, but I was willing to accept sword wielding boarding parties in space. I drew the line at the ships commissary selling t-shirts (all sizes), ball caps, pins, coffee mugs, pillowcases, pendants, charm bracelets, polo shirts, shotglasses, workout shorts, throw pillows, Christmas tree ornaments, etc. When I encounter a character saying, "Maybe Santa Claus will come by in his sleigh and act as a missile decoy," I stop and scratch my noggin. The year is 2315, what character drops this antiquated holiday reference? And why does a character observe, "The sounds reminded Max of a child playing with his oatmeal by using a drinking straw to make bubbles." Is there really still straws and oatmeal in 2315? Don't get me wrong, I like oatmeal, but I've never used a straw with it before.
The struggle lies in Honsinger's earnest desire for his story to be taken seriously. If this had been presented as a farce, a jape upon the genre of Military SF like the film Galaxy Quest poked good-naturedly at its contemporary counterparts, I could have better rolled with the punches. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Honsinger's incessant desire to drop knowledge in the form of military history on the reader is tiring, and does nothing to advance the story. When it's all said and done, this reads like fanfic, poorly written fanfic.
I listened to the audiobook. Ray Chase is the narrator, and damned if he didn't make this book better.
Since To Honor You Call Us is the first in the Man of War series, I fully expect Honsinger's writing to improve as the story continues. And while I do feel burned by this book, I might be willing to pick up the next volume, in time, if Honsinger figures out what he is writing, drops the passive voice, and commits to more intensive revision.
August 24, 2014
Yeah, I'm four chapter ruling this one. I have a rule that if a book can't interest me within four chapters, there's plenty of others out there that can, and I shouldn't waste my time with one that can't. I can usually sit down and enjoy the most terrible of Military Sci-fi, but this one just isn't doing it for me. Most of all, it's just really, really boring, and all of the characters are just so bland and lacking anything resembling personality. And there's so much made up military jargon, and acronyms that the author either doesn't explain at all, or spends way to much time explaining. Here's an idea, save yourself the need to explain, as well as saving the reader the head-scratching over trying to figure it out, and work the jargon into the story in such away that the meaning is apparent. There are literally PARAGRAPHS of this book that are made up of nothing but nonsense words and acronyms that are not explained until pages later. You want to take me out of the story, entire paragraphs of meaningless gibberish is a pretty good way right there.
If you're looking for some good military sci-fi and Amazon keeps pushing this one on you like it's the freaking holy grail, don't give in to temptation, and skip it. If you like well written sci-fi with strong characters, pick up Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos instead, I've recommended that one to quite a few people, and not had a complaint yet.
If you're looking for some good military sci-fi and Amazon keeps pushing this one on you like it's the freaking holy grail, don't give in to temptation, and skip it. If you like well written sci-fi with strong characters, pick up Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos instead, I've recommended that one to quite a few people, and not had a complaint yet.
July 13, 2014
I read the first half of this book quickly and then paused whilst I read a "book club read". I can't deny that I read the second half just as quickly but not so much because I wanted to find out what happened.
The was lots of suspense and it was written in a very military way but nothing seemed to go wrong. It was just too convenient that everything seemed to work out and the end of the back just seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for me, when congratulated on how well they had done. It was kind of like one of the Hollywood movies that has to explain what happened just in case you didn't get it. Well I read the whole book, so I got it and didn't need it re-iterating.
Probably somewhere between 2.5 - 3 stars
The was lots of suspense and it was written in a very military way but nothing seemed to go wrong. It was just too convenient that everything seemed to work out and the end of the back just seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for me, when congratulated on how well they had done. It was kind of like one of the Hollywood movies that has to explain what happened just in case you didn't get it. Well I read the whole book, so I got it and didn't need it re-iterating.
Probably somewhere between 2.5 - 3 stars
April 2, 2014
Patrick O'Brien in Space
The first book in the series, the reader is thrust into an intergalactic war with a rat like species. There are battles, mutiny, and interspecies politics. If you like Honor Harrington or the Lost Fleet series you'll enjoy this series.
The first book in the series, the reader is thrust into an intergalactic war with a rat like species. There are battles, mutiny, and interspecies politics. If you like Honor Harrington or the Lost Fleet series you'll enjoy this series.
April 13, 2014
This is a book that I stumbled on via various recommendations on Goodreads & Kindle. I am glad I did pick it up. It is a great book. Just my cup of tea. It is a very enjoyable space adventure about two main, rather heroic, characters that quickly form a bond and proceed to, not only get the USS Cumberland back in shape, but also to save The Terran Union. At least temporarily since this is just the first book in what I hope fill be a reasonably long series.
The book is very well written and you really come to like the various characters, at least the ones that are meant to be likable. The science is quite acceptable. I was a bit put off at the start when they started to make combat with cutlasses and such archaic instruments. It reminded me about Tour of the Merrimack, a series which I read because I wanted to finish what I started but was never really very impressed by. It did not turn out to be as bad as I thought though and the space combat is quite well done.
Sometimes the book can be quite humorous, often due to the way the author word things but also due to the friendly bantering and bickering between the various characters. It is written for an adult audience and there is none of this nonsensical replacing of certain words that a soldier on the front-lines would utter from time to time. That kind of language is sparingly used though and mostly the author is demonstrating his skills in using the language instead. I noticed that someone had written review giving the book a one-star rating on Kindle claiming that the author is struggling with his sentence structure. That review is blatantly false and nothing but trolling as far as I am concerned.
This book is really a great adventure story in the same style as the old sailing ship adventure stories. I loosely refer to Master & Commander in the title but you can probably find quite a few other examples.
I was planning to dig into another book by Christopher Nuttall after I had read this one but I am afraid that I got so immersed in this series that I just have to read the second book in the series right away so, sorry Mr. Nuttall, yours have to wait a wee bit longer. I just have to see where this series goes now.
The book is very well written and you really come to like the various characters, at least the ones that are meant to be likable. The science is quite acceptable. I was a bit put off at the start when they started to make combat with cutlasses and such archaic instruments. It reminded me about Tour of the Merrimack, a series which I read because I wanted to finish what I started but was never really very impressed by. It did not turn out to be as bad as I thought though and the space combat is quite well done.
Sometimes the book can be quite humorous, often due to the way the author word things but also due to the friendly bantering and bickering between the various characters. It is written for an adult audience and there is none of this nonsensical replacing of certain words that a soldier on the front-lines would utter from time to time. That kind of language is sparingly used though and mostly the author is demonstrating his skills in using the language instead. I noticed that someone had written review giving the book a one-star rating on Kindle claiming that the author is struggling with his sentence structure. That review is blatantly false and nothing but trolling as far as I am concerned.
This book is really a great adventure story in the same style as the old sailing ship adventure stories. I loosely refer to Master & Commander in the title but you can probably find quite a few other examples.
I was planning to dig into another book by Christopher Nuttall after I had read this one but I am afraid that I got so immersed in this series that I just have to read the second book in the series right away so, sorry Mr. Nuttall, yours have to wait a wee bit longer. I just have to see where this series goes now.
March 17, 2023
In some ways I consider these series of books to be a guilty pleasure of mine. They are in essence formulaic, a great homage to one of the best series of books about naval warfare ever written: The Master & Commander series and yet the latter didn't quite captivate me as much, I must confess. This is the same broad concept of adventure in a sci fi setting. It shouldn't be that special, yet, for me, it is.
Every couple of years I reread the series (and hopefully now that the author has recovered from illness we will have many more adventures from Robicheaux and Sahin), and I just cannot stop reading them until I finish every single book available. And that is exactly what my father does every couple of years with Patric O'Brian.
I love the world, the characters, the non sensical chatter about imaginary systems and subsystems on space ships that make everithing believable and most of all love the characters that are fighting for the survival of the human race.
A masterfully crafted sci fi space opera adventure. Give it a try if it sounds like your cup of tea, I think you will not be disappointed.
Every couple of years I reread the series (and hopefully now that the author has recovered from illness we will have many more adventures from Robicheaux and Sahin), and I just cannot stop reading them until I finish every single book available. And that is exactly what my father does every couple of years with Patric O'Brian.
I love the world, the characters, the non sensical chatter about imaginary systems and subsystems on space ships that make everithing believable and most of all love the characters that are fighting for the survival of the human race.
A masterfully crafted sci fi space opera adventure. Give it a try if it sounds like your cup of tea, I think you will not be disappointed.
May 28, 2016
Wow, I must say I am impressed. After reading a lot of mediocre Space Opera over the past few years, I have finally found another series I actually like.
Excellent series so far. The smaller scale of the books felt a lot more like early Honor Harrington, with only a few ships and small scale diplomacy against a larger backdrop, but without the "single ship charging into the unknown and getting into and out of all sorts of trouble" that I have come to hate.
The series is told from the perspective of the commander of a smallish space faring military vessel, including interactions with his senior staff and crew. The cast of recurring characters is relatively small and easy to remember, and the characters are actually adults, not testosterone addled kids getting in over their head doing stupid shit like Odyssey One (Into the Black) or Aurora: CV-01. The future is dark - there is a war on - but it is not dystopian or post apocolyptic like Marines or The Empire's Corps.
It lacks the large scale plots and PoV shifts of David Weber's Honor Harrington series On Basilisk Station, which makes it a much easier read, more like Dauntless or On Silver Wings, both of which are series I enjoyed. It is no where near as dry as Lost Fleet, however.
There is a distinct lack of women in these books, as it is based on the archetype "Ships of Wood, Men of Steel" model, but the lack is explained early on and in a way that bemoans the lack of women in the fleet - and emphasizes the genocidal nature of the alien threat. In some ways this feels little different that many military books written by men, where the women often come across as very masculine, like Honor Harrington or Sorilla or Tanya Desjani.
I look forward to book 3. Definitely recommend this if you like military sci fi told from a naval perspective.
Excellent series so far. The smaller scale of the books felt a lot more like early Honor Harrington, with only a few ships and small scale diplomacy against a larger backdrop, but without the "single ship charging into the unknown and getting into and out of all sorts of trouble" that I have come to hate.
The series is told from the perspective of the commander of a smallish space faring military vessel, including interactions with his senior staff and crew. The cast of recurring characters is relatively small and easy to remember, and the characters are actually adults, not testosterone addled kids getting in over their head doing stupid shit like Odyssey One (Into the Black) or Aurora: CV-01. The future is dark - there is a war on - but it is not dystopian or post apocolyptic like Marines or The Empire's Corps.
It lacks the large scale plots and PoV shifts of David Weber's Honor Harrington series On Basilisk Station, which makes it a much easier read, more like Dauntless or On Silver Wings, both of which are series I enjoyed. It is no where near as dry as Lost Fleet, however.
There is a distinct lack of women in these books, as it is based on the archetype "Ships of Wood, Men of Steel" model, but the lack is explained early on and in a way that bemoans the lack of women in the fleet - and emphasizes the genocidal nature of the alien threat. In some ways this feels little different that many military books written by men, where the women often come across as very masculine, like Honor Harrington or Sorilla or Tanya Desjani.
I look forward to book 3. Definitely recommend this if you like military sci fi told from a naval perspective.
October 28, 2015
I must admit, I liked the book.
It's a unique book in several ways. Those ways might be good, or bad depending on your preference.
First of all...the book has no true downs. Usually, you have some ups and some downs. The hero (or heroes) are tested, and you learn that they are awesome, but have yet a long way to go. In this book, we are basically told everything is bad except for this guy, who will fix everything...and that's exactly what happens. It's a nice change, and surprising in it's own right, that all his plans worked and nothing went arbitrarily bad just for the sake of making things interesting...it sort of made you more expectant, always waiting for the fall from which he could rise again, stronger and more awesome than before....it's not often that you come across a plot written this way, and I enjoyed the novelty.
The second unique thing about this book is it's outlook on space battles. We got used to the Star trek and Star wars way of looking at things. The omni sensors, that told you everything that was going on, the red and blue marked ships to separate friend from foe...this book portrays the space battle very similiarly to what a battle of the submarines looks like. Yes, you could use sensors, but that would give away your position....and just because you know something is out there doesn't mean you can identify it correctly at a glance. So this deals a lot with questions like "what is that ship?" "what size is it?" "did they see us?" "how can we hide from them, but keep them in our sights?" ....this is just so much more realistic than the usual way...and so, it's quite refresing.
To summarize, the characters are strong and smart. The narrative is good and often humorous. All in all...I enjoyed this book a lot :)
It's a unique book in several ways. Those ways might be good, or bad depending on your preference.
First of all...the book has no true downs. Usually, you have some ups and some downs. The hero (or heroes) are tested, and you learn that they are awesome, but have yet a long way to go. In this book, we are basically told everything is bad except for this guy, who will fix everything...and that's exactly what happens. It's a nice change, and surprising in it's own right, that all his plans worked and nothing went arbitrarily bad just for the sake of making things interesting...it sort of made you more expectant, always waiting for the fall from which he could rise again, stronger and more awesome than before....it's not often that you come across a plot written this way, and I enjoyed the novelty.
The second unique thing about this book is it's outlook on space battles. We got used to the Star trek and Star wars way of looking at things. The omni sensors, that told you everything that was going on, the red and blue marked ships to separate friend from foe...this book portrays the space battle very similiarly to what a battle of the submarines looks like. Yes, you could use sensors, but that would give away your position....and just because you know something is out there doesn't mean you can identify it correctly at a glance. So this deals a lot with questions like "what is that ship?" "what size is it?" "did they see us?" "how can we hide from them, but keep them in our sights?" ....this is just so much more realistic than the usual way...and so, it's quite refresing.
To summarize, the characters are strong and smart. The narrative is good and often humorous. All in all...I enjoyed this book a lot :)
September 4, 2016
This is just bad. I love military sci-fi, but I had to choke this one down. It reads like wish-fulfillment fan fiction. The main character is the greatest Captain ever known to man. He knows everything in the universe that anyone could possibly know. He's an extremely junior officer, but has seen more combat than anyone. He knows how to fight hand-to-hand. He knows obscure information about alien races. Basically, he could run the entire ship with no problems. In his first command he already knows exactly how every situation should be handled. He makes exactly one mistake in the entire book that is immediately recognized and corrected. He turns a horrible ship environment into the best ship crew in the fleet in three weeks. In a nutshell, the most boring character, ever.
I really wish that a few chapters into the book that he had died in some kind of accident and then the young officer that had the drug habit had to take over command. Now THAT would've been interesting. The doctor character is just as bad. This author really wanted to write an Aubrey/Maturin story... in space!
Then there's the anachronisms. It's supposedly the year 2315, and yet they are constantly making 20th century references to World War 2, the Apollo project astronauts, etc. It was extremely distracting.
Ugh, I should just stop. This book was terrible.
I really wish that a few chapters into the book that he had died in some kind of accident and then the young officer that had the drug habit had to take over command. Now THAT would've been interesting. The doctor character is just as bad. This author really wanted to write an Aubrey/Maturin story... in space!
Then there's the anachronisms. It's supposedly the year 2315, and yet they are constantly making 20th century references to World War 2, the Apollo project astronauts, etc. It was extremely distracting.
Ugh, I should just stop. This book was terrible.
November 23, 2015
There's nothing like bad sci-fi to remind you a) just how hard it is to write sci-fi and b) just how good good sci-fi is. This book isn't just bad sci-fi; it's highfalutin, overblown prose makes it a really terrible book to read. Not to mention that you'd be quite happy to blow the supposed hero out of an airlock within the first few pages.
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
I love a good old fashioned military sci fi but it's the space opera subgenre that I truly enjoy. This book by Paul Honsinger, previously self published, is now getting a glossy release with a great cover.
Although the book is decently written, I have to admit I did not find myself engaged by the characters. Dialogue seems to always be presented, rather than spoken, and it ended up making the characters feel either pompous or smug. I listened to the Audible version as well as reading the print and I can't pinpoint whether it was the narrator's way of tapering off sentences to an emotional low or simply stilted dialogue. But in the end, I just didn't believe any of the characters are real people. Robichaux was a bit too perfect - always coming up with the perfect solutions to any situation, alien or otherwise. I believe the author wanted to present a flawed character forged through a crucible of horrific experiences. But I'd have to have seen, rather than be constantly told in speech after speech, of that pathos. And therein was a lot of the problem for me - we get a lot of tell but very little show as to the nature of the characters. Even the narrator was having trouble making the dialogue sound believable.
Plot: Captain Robichaux lost his first command in a horrific way and now finds himself captaining a grossly mismanaged ship with serious issues. He will have to pull it together as an alien species is bent on human genocide. For it will turn out that their ship may be all that stands between the aliens and Earth.
Robichaux, we're told, is suitably flawed - suffering from PTSD, having to overcome the obstacles of his new captaincy, and with only his ship's doctor for a friend. Those who have read Patrick O'Brien's Age of Sail series will recognize these archetype characters immediately (or, at least, Star Trek interaction between Kirk and Bones). Most of the book is Robichaux fixing the issues with his new crew. As such, there's not much action until near the end: just events, speeches, crew mutiny, speeches, drug problems, speeches, introspection, speeches....and more speeches. I felt like every sentence someone spoke had to end with an exclamation mark.
There are no women whatsoever - we are told the aliens created a virus that wiped them out. Even at social functions, there are no women nor do any of the men really think of loved ones/parents/etc. I can't think that leaving part of the human race at home because of gender when there is a war to annihilate your species is going on is the smartest move - if you lose, the women bite it anyway. But it is thematic with the Master and Commander feel of the book, harkening to the days when women were considered bad luck on a ship.
One thing that really did bother me were the countless references to late 20th century space/sci fi - I think Grissom was mentioned, what, 5 times? Star Trek 7 or 8, and a lot of the terms derived from pop culture. That felt odd considering the space/sci fi of the first part of the century not really being noted - from Verne to Buck Rogers. Clearly, the author is a child of the 60s and 70s but the character Robichaux isn't - and why would any of his crew get those random historical references? It would be sort of like referencing generals of the Crimean war if you lived in the 1920s. As well, there would be many many more cultural icons to draw from in the coming several centuries before this story takes place - but no reference to anything else except 60s and 70s NASA/Sci Fi. This may seem nitpicky but it kept pulling me out of the story and was starting to feel far too gratuitous and wink wink.
Military sci fi authors each bring something special to the table for their successful series. CJ Cherryh and her psychology, Campbell's Lost Fleet and likeable characters, even another formerly self published but now published author Currie and his down to Earth motley assortment of simple folk. What I feel Honsinger brings is a more formal, stilted, old fashioned type of navy at sea a la Nelson and Hornblower. So if you like characters that don't speak, but instead Project with a capitol "P", then this likely will be a series you'll enjoy. But for me, it just didn't engage me and I just didn't like or get behind any single character in the book. I didn't dislike them - I just found them annoying and somewhat pompous.
At this point, I'm not sure if I want to continue with the series. Reading the writer's haranguing of reviewers who didn't highly rate the book in the Amazon review comments sections was disappointing and quite off putting (personal attacks, "if you don't like it, go write your own novel!", "this person is a shill working for another sci fi author trying to discredit me!"). It's just not something that makes me want to support the book with sales or even recommend.
June 25, 2015
*I received a copy of this novel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This review can also be found on my blog: www.courtneysreads.blogspot.com
While it took me quite a while to finish this novel it was by no means due to a lack of interest. I was hooked from the first page. The prologue was brilliant.
This novel is set in the year 2315 where Earth, along with its allies, is fighting a war against the Krag-an alien race set on the destruction of humankind. The main events of the story take place aboard the USS Cumberland, a destroyer in the Union Space Navy. The Cumberland is up against tough odds, particularly considering the majority of its crew has little battle experience and are used to abuse from the commanding officers.
One of the best things about this novel is the characters and the relationships that we see beginning to develop. Max, the young and impulsive captain, has a tormented past that leaves him haunted but he's very good at hiding his demons. Abrahim Sahin, the chief medical officer, is articulate, brilliant, clueless, and observant all in good measure. The combination is quite endearing. The friendship that begins to develop between these two characters was beautifully depicted and I hope that it continues to be explored and developed throughout the rest of the series.
Some of the other characters that I particularly enjoyed were Brown, the chief engineer, who was hilarious. I was always laughing during his portions of the novel. He always had something funny to say that lightened the novel perfectly. Garcia, Max's second in command, was also a favorite. There were others I really enjoyed. The entire crew of the Cumberland really made this novel for me, even those I didn't particularly enjoy.
The naval information was fascinating. At times there was too much information dumped on the reader that could have been more broken up and spread out, but it was all relevant and informative. Even when the explanations became lengthy it was still nice to have the information presented, rather than the author assuming that you understand all of the naval jargon and such. The glossary of terms at the end was also a nice addition. I used it to refresh myself on some of the terms and sayings. It was very informative.
The main downfall of this novel for me was the action scenes. These scenes could be cleaned up and polished a bit to improve the overall flow. At times it almost became too descriptive and was more telling rather than showing what was happening. This caused me to lose the story in the details a few times.
I'm really glad that I decided to read this novel. I've had little experience with science fiction in the past, but that I have read has impressed me and this novel will join that list. I am very excited to start the second installment and see where Max takes his crew next.
This review can also be found on my blog: www.courtneysreads.blogspot.com
While it took me quite a while to finish this novel it was by no means due to a lack of interest. I was hooked from the first page. The prologue was brilliant.
This novel is set in the year 2315 where Earth, along with its allies, is fighting a war against the Krag-an alien race set on the destruction of humankind. The main events of the story take place aboard the USS Cumberland, a destroyer in the Union Space Navy. The Cumberland is up against tough odds, particularly considering the majority of its crew has little battle experience and are used to abuse from the commanding officers.
One of the best things about this novel is the characters and the relationships that we see beginning to develop. Max, the young and impulsive captain, has a tormented past that leaves him haunted but he's very good at hiding his demons. Abrahim Sahin, the chief medical officer, is articulate, brilliant, clueless, and observant all in good measure. The combination is quite endearing. The friendship that begins to develop between these two characters was beautifully depicted and I hope that it continues to be explored and developed throughout the rest of the series.
Some of the other characters that I particularly enjoyed were Brown, the chief engineer, who was hilarious. I was always laughing during his portions of the novel. He always had something funny to say that lightened the novel perfectly. Garcia, Max's second in command, was also a favorite. There were others I really enjoyed. The entire crew of the Cumberland really made this novel for me, even those I didn't particularly enjoy.
The naval information was fascinating. At times there was too much information dumped on the reader that could have been more broken up and spread out, but it was all relevant and informative. Even when the explanations became lengthy it was still nice to have the information presented, rather than the author assuming that you understand all of the naval jargon and such. The glossary of terms at the end was also a nice addition. I used it to refresh myself on some of the terms and sayings. It was very informative.
The main downfall of this novel for me was the action scenes. These scenes could be cleaned up and polished a bit to improve the overall flow. At times it almost became too descriptive and was more telling rather than showing what was happening. This caused me to lose the story in the details a few times.
I'm really glad that I decided to read this novel. I've had little experience with science fiction in the past, but that I have read has impressed me and this novel will join that list. I am very excited to start the second installment and see where Max takes his crew next.
March 19, 2017
Combine Longknife, Harrington, Scalzi, and a little bit of Nathan Lowell's Quarter Share, remove all of the women, and start a big war, and you've got this book/series.
And those are all good things (except maybe the lack of women).
A solid mix of tactics, tension, politics, and creative solutions. Somewhat predictable if you are well-versed in this genre, but still well written.
I will read the other books in the series.
And those are all good things (except maybe the lack of women).
A solid mix of tactics, tension, politics, and creative solutions. Somewhat predictable if you are well-versed in this genre, but still well written.
I will read the other books in the series.
April 4, 2014
Man of War Series......
Excellent tale interstellar with humans losing for more than 30 years. It is also the story of courage, honor, brotherhood and the redemption found in competent leadership and example. Great story with great meaning. Read the first two books of the trilogy, you'll be glad you did.
Excellent tale interstellar with humans losing for more than 30 years. It is also the story of courage, honor, brotherhood and the redemption found in competent leadership and example. Great story with great meaning. Read the first two books of the trilogy, you'll be glad you did.
April 9, 2014
Great, ship to ship combat, ground assaults, navy crews, fighting an epic war that spans hunreds of star systems. good tech, good military lingo, very convincing
May 25, 2014
Honsinger joins the short list of military sci-fi authors that I think not only can write in an entertaining way, but come across as actually knowing what they are talking about. Set 300 years in the future, To Honor begins a series that follows the experiences of Max Robichaux, a battle-tested 28-year-old lieutenant, then lieutenant commander, who inherits command of a new destroyer in the Union forces caught in a war with the Krag, a rat-like race who are intent on destroying the fleet, capturing every human-held planet and killing every human. Robichaux learns that being in command, something he has always longed for, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. His predecessor, a captain compared to Queeg in The Caine Mutiny, has brow-beaten the soul out of his crew while not preparing them for the combat they will inevitably face. With the help of a ideosyncratic staff doctor that comes aboard when Robichaux does, the new captain addresses mutiny, drug addiction, and a host of other problems that comes with the new ship.
The combat scenes are great, as expected. But what I enjoyed most was the reality of day-to-day problems of dealing with a demoralized, drug-addled, mutinous crew. I was impressed–especially since this is a first novel–that the author brought a richness into the story that made you believe that he may have just stepped off a star destroyer in the 24th century. The dialogue is realistic, the description is full without slowing the action down, and the pace is fun.
Probably the only wrinkle I saw in the story was in Robichaux himself. He’s too perfect. Here’s a 28-year-old new Lt. Commander, fresh into command, who seems to have all the answers. I expected some self doubt, some hesitation, even some missteps, but I didn’t find that. In addition, Robichaux’s characterization begins in the first few chapters, but seems to disappear later when other characters are introduced. In fact, Robichaux’s character remains somewhat flat as he is surrounded by other, more colorful characters.
But in the end, it was a thoroughly enjoyable book. It was about the same length as the last book I reviewed, but while the first one took me about a month to complete, I finished this one in two days. That’s says a great deal about how much I enjoyed it.
The combat scenes are great, as expected. But what I enjoyed most was the reality of day-to-day problems of dealing with a demoralized, drug-addled, mutinous crew. I was impressed–especially since this is a first novel–that the author brought a richness into the story that made you believe that he may have just stepped off a star destroyer in the 24th century. The dialogue is realistic, the description is full without slowing the action down, and the pace is fun.
Probably the only wrinkle I saw in the story was in Robichaux himself. He’s too perfect. Here’s a 28-year-old new Lt. Commander, fresh into command, who seems to have all the answers. I expected some self doubt, some hesitation, even some missteps, but I didn’t find that. In addition, Robichaux’s characterization begins in the first few chapters, but seems to disappear later when other characters are introduced. In fact, Robichaux’s character remains somewhat flat as he is surrounded by other, more colorful characters.
But in the end, it was a thoroughly enjoyable book. It was about the same length as the last book I reviewed, but while the first one took me about a month to complete, I finished this one in two days. That’s says a great deal about how much I enjoyed it.
February 14, 2014
To Honor You Call Us is a must read for any Military Science Fiction fan. Honsinger takes some familiar themes and gives them a new twist.
To Honor You Call Us starts with our hero, Max Robichaux, leading a successful raid against the enemy and ending up the senior officer left alive on his spaceship making him the acting Captain. Fast forward another chapter and Max is given command of the Cumberland, a problem ship that when faced with action against the enemy was noted to come, see and run. Certainly a theme that has been used before.
What makes this a good read is that after that the book develops its own voice and becomes a unique story.
There is great world building worked into the story and plot. Part of the world building is done with information dumps but they are kept to a paragraph or two and do not run pages and pages. I also like the explanation of why there were no women on the ships and how they felt it was a loss to the Navy that they were no long part of the space going service.
The characters are interesting and very well developed. Expect the unexpected from some of the characters. The roles they play are flexible and unique adding to the depth of the story line.
Then there are the aliens. Look for a big surprise about the enemy about 2/3 of the way through the book.
The plot is set up for a series. Max and crew are successful at their mission but their mission is only a small part of the war. That leaves the ending up in the air with a lot of room for the action in the next book.
I liked the writing. As I said there were some information dumps but not enough to interfere with the flow of the story and all had information that was needed. I found it very easy to read and keep up. The writing was very much in an active voice and kept my attention throughout the book. Pick up To Honor You Call Us for an enjoyable read. Book Two, For Honor We Stand, is already out in one addition and will be released again by 47 North on March 11, 2014.
To Honor You Call Us starts with our hero, Max Robichaux, leading a successful raid against the enemy and ending up the senior officer left alive on his spaceship making him the acting Captain. Fast forward another chapter and Max is given command of the Cumberland, a problem ship that when faced with action against the enemy was noted to come, see and run. Certainly a theme that has been used before.
What makes this a good read is that after that the book develops its own voice and becomes a unique story.
There is great world building worked into the story and plot. Part of the world building is done with information dumps but they are kept to a paragraph or two and do not run pages and pages. I also like the explanation of why there were no women on the ships and how they felt it was a loss to the Navy that they were no long part of the space going service.
The characters are interesting and very well developed. Expect the unexpected from some of the characters. The roles they play are flexible and unique adding to the depth of the story line.
Then there are the aliens. Look for a big surprise about the enemy about 2/3 of the way through the book.
The plot is set up for a series. Max and crew are successful at their mission but their mission is only a small part of the war. That leaves the ending up in the air with a lot of room for the action in the next book.
I liked the writing. As I said there were some information dumps but not enough to interfere with the flow of the story and all had information that was needed. I found it very easy to read and keep up. The writing was very much in an active voice and kept my attention throughout the book. Pick up To Honor You Call Us for an enjoyable read. Book Two, For Honor We Stand, is already out in one addition and will be released again by 47 North on March 11, 2014.
November 5, 2014
Askeri Bilim Kurgu romanlarına erkekler için Romans demişti biri internetlerde. Romans okumasam da ne demek istediğini anladığımı sanıyorum. Çoğu askeri bk'da belli bir şablon vardır. Güçsüz bir uzay gemisi, gezegen ya da askeri birliğin başındaki genç subayın o birliği savaşabilir hale getirip, kendinden büyük bir düşmanı yenmesini anlatır. To Honor You Call Us da böyle bir roman. Şablona uymasına rağmen neden dört yıldızı hak ediyor derseniz cevabı yaratıcılığında ve yeniliğinde.
Askeri BK'nın bana sorarsanız bir alt kolu sayılabilecek uzay gemisi kaptanı türünde çoğu yazarın etkilendiği eser Patrick O'Brian'ın Aubrey–Maturin romanları olmuş. Sevdiğim yazar Drake gibi yazarlar direk etkilendiklerini söylüyorlar. Dolayısıyla ortada bir şablonun varlığını inkar edemeyiz. Ancak bu dar sınırların içinde öyle zekice işler çıkartıyorlar ki keyifle okunan bir roman ortaya çıkıyor.
Dünyayı, aslında galaksiyi demeliyim, başarılı bir teknikle anlatıyorlar. Bilgi dökmesi değil, çaktırmadan ve konuşma içinde verme işini iyi beceriyorlar. Uzaydaki savaşlardan ziyade, donanmanın ve insanların kültürü başarılı bir arka plan oluşturup romanın keyfini arttırıyor.
İçindeki sadece yer kaplayan cinsiyetçi, maço bölümleri atsalar beş yıldız verebilirdim. Fakat o bölümler ve uzunluğuyla sıkan verilmese de olacak yazışmalar yüzünden dört yıldız veriyorum. Eğer gemi savaşlı askeri bk okumak isterseniz bir göz atın.
Askeri BK'nın bana sorarsanız bir alt kolu sayılabilecek uzay gemisi kaptanı türünde çoğu yazarın etkilendiği eser Patrick O'Brian'ın Aubrey–Maturin romanları olmuş. Sevdiğim yazar Drake gibi yazarlar direk etkilendiklerini söylüyorlar. Dolayısıyla ortada bir şablonun varlığını inkar edemeyiz. Ancak bu dar sınırların içinde öyle zekice işler çıkartıyorlar ki keyifle okunan bir roman ortaya çıkıyor.
Dünyayı, aslında galaksiyi demeliyim, başarılı bir teknikle anlatıyorlar. Bilgi dökmesi değil, çaktırmadan ve konuşma içinde verme işini iyi beceriyorlar. Uzaydaki savaşlardan ziyade, donanmanın ve insanların kültürü başarılı bir arka plan oluşturup romanın keyfini arttırıyor.
İçindeki sadece yer kaplayan cinsiyetçi, maço bölümleri atsalar beş yıldız verebilirdim. Fakat o bölümler ve uzunluğuyla sıkan verilmese de olacak yazışmalar yüzünden dört yıldız veriyorum. Eğer gemi savaşlı askeri bk okumak isterseniz bir göz atın.
January 13, 2016
First read May 28th 2014: Great fun. I love the references and the wordplay most of the characters engage in. The worldbuilding is a little bit cookie-cutter. I'm troubled that the author decided to include the Gynophage rather than have female characters other than one or two background characters.
Second read: Jan 13 2016. When the third book came out, I found that I wanted to reread books one and two, because I had retained shockingly little of the plot. I'm not sure why because it's totally enjoyable with a tone and violence level exactly where I want my space military scifi.
Second read: Jan 13 2016. When the third book came out, I found that I wanted to reread books one and two, because I had retained shockingly little of the plot. I'm not sure why because it's totally enjoyable with a tone and violence level exactly where I want my space military scifi.
January 10, 2015
4,5*
A gripping military sifi book, that feels like a mix between the Lost Fleet Series by jack Campbell and Das Boot. With a lot of thrilling battle scenes, great worldbuilding and okay character development. You get your stereotypical characters for this genre, but as it's heavily plot driven, you can overlook this weakness and enjoy the rest.
I just hope we get to see at least one female character in the following books, even though the author quite cleverly circumvented to use any through a plot trick.
A gripping military sifi book, that feels like a mix between the Lost Fleet Series by jack Campbell and Das Boot. With a lot of thrilling battle scenes, great worldbuilding and okay character development. You get your stereotypical characters for this genre, but as it's heavily plot driven, you can overlook this weakness and enjoy the rest.
I just hope we get to see at least one female character in the following books, even though the author quite cleverly circumvented to use any through a plot trick.
December 30, 2016
One of the worst military fiction ever. A low level mixture of Hornbower including 8 years old cadets in space ships, including the best friend (a doctor, obviously), a Mutiny on the Caine, a crypanalyst called Rochefort...
It sounds dusty to me as if it had been written by a very old man with outdated cultural references. Come on... They are using text pagers (!!!) to communicate. The hero gets a text message to go to a specific room to print orders that he's going to seal only to open the letter after. WTF!
It sounds dusty to me as if it had been written by a very old man with outdated cultural references. Come on... They are using text pagers (!!!) to communicate. The hero gets a text message to go to a specific room to print orders that he's going to seal only to open the letter after. WTF!
August 18, 2016
OMG. this book was just like all exposition. exposition everywhere. longwinded annoying exposition. and no plot. or characters. And I would like to give a special shoutout to the 'gynophage' a lethal virus that only affects women, wiped out half of the galaxy's females, forcing them to be kept safe at home to have babies and most definitely not allowed on any naval ship! Men only. That little gem dropped 14% into the book and my expectations for this book nosedived accordingly. It doesn't get any better. It's very, very boring. Only try it as an insomnia cure. I seriously can't understand how this is rated so well on Amazon and Goodreads.
June 14, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Well, now that is out of the way, let me say that I loved this book. It's a mix of Horatio Hornblower, Jack Aubrey, and Honor Harrington with a dash of Star Trek. Great action, characters you grow to love, just a really awesome read. I am really looking forward to reading the next book.
H. Paul Honsinger has been added to the list of my favorite authors.
H. Paul Honsinger has been added to the list of my favorite authors.
July 15, 2016
6.7.2016 - 5* - strašně se mi líbí autorův styl psaní. Jeho vedení postav.
8.11.2015 - 4,5*
Děj, atmosféra příběhu, militantní prostředí.
Rasy, jejich zvyky.
Nebylo to dokonalé, stále mi u všeho nějaký ten kousek chyběl, ale rozhodně to bylo zatraceně nadprůměrné a psaní mě stejně tak chytlo, že jsem si to prostě jen užívala.
A postavy si tak oblíbila. .)
8.11.2015 - 4,5*
Děj, atmosféra příběhu, militantní prostředí.
Rasy, jejich zvyky.
Nebylo to dokonalé, stále mi u všeho nějaký ten kousek chyběl, ale rozhodně to bylo zatraceně nadprůměrné a psaní mě stejně tak chytlo, že jsem si to prostě jen užívala.
A postavy si tak oblíbila. .)
August 8, 2015
A very satisfying story of an underdog crew forced to pull together under the command of a new captain. Feels a little like Star Trek, but in a grittier war-ravaged universe. Thrilling climax. I recommend this book and will be returning to the series.
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