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Honor Harrington #12
Mission of Honor
The Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven have been enemies for Honor Harrington's entire life, and she has paid a price for the victories she's achieved in that conflict. And now the unstoppable juggernaut of the mighty Solarian League is on a collision course with Manticore. The millions who have already died may have been only a foretaste of the billions of casualties just over the horizon, and Honor sees it coming.She's prepared to do anything, risk anything, to stop it, and she has a plan that may finally bring an end to the Havenite Wars and give even the Solarian League pause. But there are things not even Honor knows about. There are forces in play, hidden enemies in motion, all converging on the Star Kingdom of Manticore to crush the very life out of it, and Honor's worst nightmares fall short of the oncoming reality.But Manticore's enemies may not have thought of everything after all. Because if everything Honor Harrington loves is going down to destruction, it won't be going alone.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (DRM Rights Management).
571 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2010
346 people are currently reading
2214 people want to read
About the author
David Weber
322 books4,549 followersDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
August 2, 2011
Book 12 in the “main” Honor Harrington series finds Manticore finally confronting the Solarian League. As Weber has been hinting at for years, Manticore (and to a lesser degree, Haven) have both achieved very significant technological superiority compared to the league with regards to military hardware. The Solarian League is huge and powerful, but also complacent, arrogant, and full of self-delusion. Added to the mix is the growing threat from Mesa/Manpower. The main action in this book is divided between Michelle Henke’s trouncing of a Solarian Navy task force, an attack on Manticore by Mesa, and most importantly Honor’s mission to Haven to broker peace. After the Battle of Manticore, Haven does not have much choice but to accept Manticore’s terms.
What with the two spin-off series (Saganami Island and Torch of Freedom) and the increasingly complex macro plot, the series is spinning out of control a bit, in the sense that it is becoming almost too intricate for the action to shine through. Like most people, I started reading the series because it combined strong action with strong characters and an interesting but not too complicated macro story. While I do enjoy the additional facets to the Honorverse that are being uncovered, the whole thing does make for rather ponderous novels at this point. Long gone are the days of “On Basilisk Station” or “Honor Among Enemies”, where the mission was relatively simple and there was only one main plot.
Don’t get me wrong, I can live with the complications. Unfortunately Weber’s writing style has also become almost insufferably ponderous. There’s internal dialog after internal dialog, and endless conference scenes. The first third of the book is pretty much one meeting after another, with long breaks for internal dialog. To add insult to injury, about two thirds could have been cut. Every character seems to exhaust every option of every single train of thought or statement. “Oh I know this is not a perfect plan, but on the other hand this and that.” Ad nauseam. Mr. Weber, your readers are smart enough to draw those conclusions without needing them spelled out. There’s also endless summarizing of events from previous books. I did a lot of skimming at this point.
And don’t get me started on the conference scenes that start by introducing ten or twelve new characters with a paragraph or two each. How are we, as readers, supposed to keep track of all those? And why should we, given that most are never seen again?
The middle of the book mostly gets back to old form, with some nice action scenes. Weber really is a master of these. It’s a shame he still feels the need to pause the action for a page or two of internal dialog every so often.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book is back to conferences, though it is not as bad as the first third since by now the characters have something to actually talk about.
The real shame here is that the story and characters are really great. A good editor could have cut the fat and made this book half as long, at the same time transforming it into a gripping page turner like the early books in the series. Nevertheless, I suppose I shall have to continue reading. After twelve books I am pretty invested in this epic story.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=949
What with the two spin-off series (Saganami Island and Torch of Freedom) and the increasingly complex macro plot, the series is spinning out of control a bit, in the sense that it is becoming almost too intricate for the action to shine through. Like most people, I started reading the series because it combined strong action with strong characters and an interesting but not too complicated macro story. While I do enjoy the additional facets to the Honorverse that are being uncovered, the whole thing does make for rather ponderous novels at this point. Long gone are the days of “On Basilisk Station” or “Honor Among Enemies”, where the mission was relatively simple and there was only one main plot.
Don’t get me wrong, I can live with the complications. Unfortunately Weber’s writing style has also become almost insufferably ponderous. There’s internal dialog after internal dialog, and endless conference scenes. The first third of the book is pretty much one meeting after another, with long breaks for internal dialog. To add insult to injury, about two thirds could have been cut. Every character seems to exhaust every option of every single train of thought or statement. “Oh I know this is not a perfect plan, but on the other hand this and that.” Ad nauseam. Mr. Weber, your readers are smart enough to draw those conclusions without needing them spelled out. There’s also endless summarizing of events from previous books. I did a lot of skimming at this point.
And don’t get me started on the conference scenes that start by introducing ten or twelve new characters with a paragraph or two each. How are we, as readers, supposed to keep track of all those? And why should we, given that most are never seen again?
The middle of the book mostly gets back to old form, with some nice action scenes. Weber really is a master of these. It’s a shame he still feels the need to pause the action for a page or two of internal dialog every so often.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book is back to conferences, though it is not as bad as the first third since by now the characters have something to actually talk about.
The real shame here is that the story and characters are really great. A good editor could have cut the fat and made this book half as long, at the same time transforming it into a gripping page turner like the early books in the series. Nevertheless, I suppose I shall have to continue reading. After twelve books I am pretty invested in this epic story.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=949
October 23, 2014
While an interesting addition to the Honor series, Weber is getting far too wordy for my taste. The universe has expanded a lot, so it does require more points of view & explanation, but I think he's going too far. There were a lot of long meetings between characters. I avoid meetings in real life. They're certainly not the stuff of which my fantastic dreams are made of, so their sheer number were a disappointment.
Weber tries to capture some immediacy with a lot of little sections from the point of view of disposable characters - everyday folks who are caught up in all the mess. That didn't work very well, IMO.
The story ends well enough. While there is plenty more to come, I can certainly wait until next March when A Rising Thunder is supposed to be published.
Weber tries to capture some immediacy with a lot of little sections from the point of view of disposable characters - everyday folks who are caught up in all the mess. That didn't work very well, IMO.
The story ends well enough. While there is plenty more to come, I can certainly wait until next March when A Rising Thunder is supposed to be published.
July 15, 2010
This book was false advertising in my mind. It claims to be the 12th book in the Honor Harrington series but really it's another worlds of Honor book with her making a few appearances in some of the chapters. I'd be fine with that if the book jacket, cover, etc. made that point apparent. Moreover, this book has moved so far away from everything I loved about the early books. There is very little of the great action scenes and fun character interaction. Instead, almost the entire book is devoted to side characters, overly detailed plot, and way too much buildup to what was for me an anticlimactic ending. Granted, like the stupid consumer I am, I'll probably read the next book but it sure as hell better blow this one out of the water.
December 28, 2012
The is the 12th outing in the Honor Harrington series, which has grown to the point that it's spawned short story collections and off-shoots elsewhere into the same universe. I was addicted to these for a while, but book 10 was disappointing and book 11 was even worse so I'd kind of given up.
The book made me happy to be back.
One of the biggest problems I was having with the series is at a certain point characters like this run out of places to go that have the same kind of action of the earlier stories, if you're going to maintain the same element of realism that has marked this series. One of the hallmarks of the "Honorverse" is it has logical political systems, military hierarchy & tactics, explainable technology, etc. But at a certain point a character like Honor Harrington just isn't going to get a front-line ship command any longer: the rewards of prior success get you promoted to the point where you're devising and executing grand strategy, not commanding a tactical battle. Weber went through some pretty serious gyrations in previous books to keep Harrington out there as long as he did. (Weber has even acknowledged the problem)
Which brings you to the second problem the Harrington books were having: Honor just isn't as interesting any longer. Why? Because she's gotten so super-human it's hard to see her ever really losing. All that's remained is to rip apart her emotional support system, killing off her friends, which is aggravating to lose characters you still care about and haven't been fully explored. (Yes, I'm still bitter about losing Alister McKeon, one of my favorite characters from the entire series. Sigh) I've also NEVER bought the romantic angle with Admiral White Haven; it's felt forced the entire time and a drag on the whole series.
That's all the bad that started piling up in the later books. But overall, there's been a course correction in Mission that's made for a pretty gripping tale. Instead of the whole thing being focused around Honor, she's more a player in a greater mosaic, and in a role that makes perfect sense for her now exalted station. Instead of saving the day through sheer awesomeness, she's a conduit for others this time, more of a facilitator than just the bestest hero who ever heroed.
There's an argument to be made that Weber hasn't laid enough groundwork for the extremely intricate plot that's finally come to fruition here, and there's a touch of the Beowulf Problem here (what do you do once the hero kills the dragon, send in the dragon's mother?) but overall that's a relatively minor quibble. It's a gripping yarn as the players all scramble to figure out what's going on and how they fit in. Importantly, there's a very nicely designed understanding of the realities of politics showing how much depends on your point of view, and how personal desires can be overcome by the needs to satisfy the competing interests of the government, etc.
I find myself looking forward to the next book more than I have in a long time. This series is getting some fresh life by allowing other characters to take a more prominent role and making it less of a Honor-led series and more of an ensemble piece. There's still a little too much of Honor as the vastly more superior being than the rest of the peons, but the tensions are rising and watching the rest of it play out should be fun.
The book made me happy to be back.
One of the biggest problems I was having with the series is at a certain point characters like this run out of places to go that have the same kind of action of the earlier stories, if you're going to maintain the same element of realism that has marked this series. One of the hallmarks of the "Honorverse" is it has logical political systems, military hierarchy & tactics, explainable technology, etc. But at a certain point a character like Honor Harrington just isn't going to get a front-line ship command any longer: the rewards of prior success get you promoted to the point where you're devising and executing grand strategy, not commanding a tactical battle. Weber went through some pretty serious gyrations in previous books to keep Harrington out there as long as he did. (Weber has even acknowledged the problem)
Which brings you to the second problem the Harrington books were having: Honor just isn't as interesting any longer. Why? Because she's gotten so super-human it's hard to see her ever really losing. All that's remained is to rip apart her emotional support system, killing off her friends, which is aggravating to lose characters you still care about and haven't been fully explored. (Yes, I'm still bitter about losing Alister McKeon, one of my favorite characters from the entire series. Sigh) I've also NEVER bought the romantic angle with Admiral White Haven; it's felt forced the entire time and a drag on the whole series.
That's all the bad that started piling up in the later books. But overall, there's been a course correction in Mission that's made for a pretty gripping tale. Instead of the whole thing being focused around Honor, she's more a player in a greater mosaic, and in a role that makes perfect sense for her now exalted station. Instead of saving the day through sheer awesomeness, she's a conduit for others this time, more of a facilitator than just the bestest hero who ever heroed.
There's an argument to be made that Weber hasn't laid enough groundwork for the extremely intricate plot that's finally come to fruition here, and there's a touch of the Beowulf Problem here (what do you do once the hero kills the dragon, send in the dragon's mother?) but overall that's a relatively minor quibble. It's a gripping yarn as the players all scramble to figure out what's going on and how they fit in. Importantly, there's a very nicely designed understanding of the realities of politics showing how much depends on your point of view, and how personal desires can be overcome by the needs to satisfy the competing interests of the government, etc.
I find myself looking forward to the next book more than I have in a long time. This series is getting some fresh life by allowing other characters to take a more prominent role and making it less of a Honor-led series and more of an ensemble piece. There's still a little too much of Honor as the vastly more superior being than the rest of the peons, but the tensions are rising and watching the rest of it play out should be fun.
August 20, 2016
Weber is on a roll. I hesitate to award this book five stars because of the way it ends but the story doesn't. But, as any Honor Harrington reader who has gotten this far in the series knows, "If you can't take a joke. . . ."
Now that his new threat has found traction, Weber has left the mind-numbing recapitulations behind and forged into new plot territory. The action is varied, interwoven and galactic.
A good read.
Now that his new threat has found traction, Weber has left the mind-numbing recapitulations behind and forged into new plot territory. The action is varied, interwoven and galactic.
A good read.
October 17, 2019
I do like to catch up with all the books in a series. On the other hand, I hate to catch up when I'm dying to know what's gonna happen next.
Gawd, there is so much happening on so many fronts in Mission of Honor and I was so terrified at what would happen I couldn't decide if I should tear through the book or set it aside every few chapters to stave off the bad news.
While this particular story is supposedly about Honor with her diplomatic mission to Haven, the honors were shared fairly equally with Mike and her battles with the Sollies. I'm wondering if this is Weber's way of easing Honor out of the picture...I sure hope not.
In the meantime, Manpower is very definitely flexing its hidden muscles with devastating consequences but things may not be going all their way for very much longer...
The Second Read...
Twelfth in the Honor Harrington military science fiction series.
My Take
Be sure you've taken your blood pressure meds…ya gonna need 'em as you read through one heart-jumping situation after another!
Betrayals and idiots abound...hey, it's a patronage military system in the Solarian Navy, politicians are everywhere, and megalomaniac Nazi-types are currently running supreme. They've been scamming the systems for decades if not centuries and slowly, oh, so, slowly, those being conned are...oh, so, slowly...figuring it out.
There are great triumphs and great tragedies, yet, with this glimmer of light coming through and the integrity of Honor Harrington shining, there seems to be hope. I just love this series...actually, everything by David Weber has been fabulous. But I particularly enjoy the HH series as Weber is so incredibly detailed in both his descriptions of the ships, the battles, the weaponry, AND he creates the most incredible characters and worlds. Weber snatches bits from the French Revolution to create the People's Republic of Haven, our Earth is now the Solarian League which feels like such a natural result, but its democratic principles and the nature of man have created a corrupt society that needs to evolve, the current Star Empire of Manticore is (I like to think!) what the United States was intended to be in its early shining glory, while Manpower/Mesa/the Mesan Alliance is generations of genetically created super-humans who believe they are the "master race".
I just can't emphasize the incredible detail Weber has put into this series. Absolutely amazing!
I've read this installment before and caught it up again to prepare for A Rising Thunder and found details I had missed in that earlier reading. Wooh, I am so ready to find out what happens next...Elizabeth has finally met with Eloise. An SLN fleet of 300 ships of the wall are threatening...and the Manties are pissed!!
The Cover and Title
The cover is oh, so Baen with its brilliant colors and cartoony spaceships attacking the planet encircling a saluting Honor.
Yep, it's definitely a Mission of Honor as Admiral Alexander-Harrington flies off to Haven to negotiate an end to the war between the People's Republic and Manticore.
Gawd, there is so much happening on so many fronts in Mission of Honor and I was so terrified at what would happen I couldn't decide if I should tear through the book or set it aside every few chapters to stave off the bad news.
While this particular story is supposedly about Honor with her diplomatic mission to Haven, the honors were shared fairly equally with Mike and her battles with the Sollies. I'm wondering if this is Weber's way of easing Honor out of the picture...I sure hope not.
In the meantime, Manpower is very definitely flexing its hidden muscles with devastating consequences but things may not be going all their way for very much longer...
The Second Read...
Twelfth in the Honor Harrington military science fiction series.
My Take
Be sure you've taken your blood pressure meds…ya gonna need 'em as you read through one heart-jumping situation after another!
Betrayals and idiots abound...hey, it's a patronage military system in the Solarian Navy, politicians are everywhere, and megalomaniac Nazi-types are currently running supreme. They've been scamming the systems for decades if not centuries and slowly, oh, so, slowly, those being conned are...oh, so, slowly...figuring it out.
There are great triumphs and great tragedies, yet, with this glimmer of light coming through and the integrity of Honor Harrington shining, there seems to be hope. I just love this series...actually, everything by David Weber has been fabulous. But I particularly enjoy the HH series as Weber is so incredibly detailed in both his descriptions of the ships, the battles, the weaponry, AND he creates the most incredible characters and worlds. Weber snatches bits from the French Revolution to create the People's Republic of Haven, our Earth is now the Solarian League which feels like such a natural result, but its democratic principles and the nature of man have created a corrupt society that needs to evolve, the current Star Empire of Manticore is (I like to think!) what the United States was intended to be in its early shining glory, while Manpower/Mesa/the Mesan Alliance is generations of genetically created super-humans who believe they are the "master race".
I just can't emphasize the incredible detail Weber has put into this series. Absolutely amazing!
I've read this installment before and caught it up again to prepare for A Rising Thunder and found details I had missed in that earlier reading. Wooh, I am so ready to find out what happens next...Elizabeth has finally met with Eloise. An SLN fleet of 300 ships of the wall are threatening...and the Manties are pissed!!
The Cover and Title
The cover is oh, so Baen with its brilliant colors and cartoony spaceships attacking the planet encircling a saluting Honor.
Yep, it's definitely a Mission of Honor as Admiral Alexander-Harrington flies off to Haven to negotiate an end to the war between the People's Republic and Manticore.
December 24, 2025
Finally Worth the War
A good book should distract from real life even when you’re not reading it. After eleven entries, David Weber’s *Honor Harrington* series finally does. The story is no longer a slog limited understanding for middle management; I can now see what James S. A. Corey borrowed—structure, politics, propulsion—and why.
Weber’s universe remains brutal. You wouldn’t want to be Honor’s comrade, guard, or even a civilian from her home system. She has plot armor; everyone else in Manticore dies by the dozen. The Mesan Alignment, still twirling its mustaches, veers too far into conspiracy caricature, but the battles themselves are crisp and consequential.
What sets Weber apart is his effort to model the machinery behind war—the economics, bureaucracy, and politics that sustain it. Few writers even try. He sometimes lapses into Randian absurdity when sketching systems, but the ambition is admirable.
A good book should distract from real life even when you’re not reading it. After eleven entries, David Weber’s *Honor Harrington* series finally does. The story is no longer a slog limited understanding for middle management; I can now see what James S. A. Corey borrowed—structure, politics, propulsion—and why.
Weber’s universe remains brutal. You wouldn’t want to be Honor’s comrade, guard, or even a civilian from her home system. She has plot armor; everyone else in Manticore dies by the dozen. The Mesan Alignment, still twirling its mustaches, veers too far into conspiracy caricature, but the battles themselves are crisp and consequential.
What sets Weber apart is his effort to model the machinery behind war—the economics, bureaucracy, and politics that sustain it. Few writers even try. He sometimes lapses into Randian absurdity when sketching systems, but the ambition is admirable.
September 4, 2010
Ugh. For an "Honor Harrington" book she was hardly freaking in it. This could have been 200-300 pages less, or had more content about the main characters of the series, and it would have been MUCH better. I'm ashamed to say that I skimmed nearly all the sections with the Solarian League and barely gave more attention to the stuff with Gold Peak - and I actually like her.
Very disappointed. I even took a break from the series before reading this one so I wouldn't be burned out.
Very disappointed. I even took a break from the series before reading this one so I wouldn't be burned out.
May 20, 2017
I dragged myself through 800+ pages of interminably dry interchanges between politicos, enemies and allies, and then FINALLY we get a bunch of explosions that rip a couple planets' space stations apart.
Whelp. Everybody is sad, shocked, devastated... also sad. Did I mention shocked? Yes, also devastated. People tender their resignations for failing to see this coming. They are turned down. Does that stop them? NO! They tender those resignations again!
Also turned down.
Is there a bright side? NOT that I can see!!! This thing is boring, and even when the weary reader stabs forward on stumbling limbs into the darkness and numbing cold that is the mind as it endures the miasma of confusing names, purposes and as many titles as we can string together in one sentence...
No, there is no relief.
Not until the very last handshake, on the very last page, as which point I'm about ready to scream "So what HAPPENS???!!!!" Because isn't a book supposed to be about something that actually happens? Not just the dancing around before and beside and behind What Actually Happens.
I understand groundwork. I really do. And I'm a big fan of complicated plots... but this isn't complicated. It's internally out of focus and rambles from one random point in the galaxy to the next without ever reaching a satisfactory payoff for the black hole's worth of patience the reader has put into trusting this story to Go SomeWhere.
What are the treecats going to do, then? Their sense of outrage is earth shattering when a clan is destroyed by fallout from the space stations... and they WILL seek revenge.
But how? No, not going to talk about that. Also, I doubt this author will EVER talk about that. He seems to delight in dramatic threats and promises, but not on actually carrying through on any of them.
Personally I can see all sorts of ways intelligent treecats could get into the action and help out the desperate straits the Star Kingdom finds itself in.
Get their furry little emphatic sense into use among all diplomats and negotiators? No major political assembly should be without one, and if the treecat snarls at someone, it means they're acting selfishly or lying, and they get ejected from their position immediately, have to go sweep streets. That'd clean up politics, pronto.
Help assemble missile factories? (I bet they'd be good at it with all the cleverness their little hands can do... like signing and eating celery and stuff... but nope! They're too lazy to actually run any machinery, because of: reasons.)
Anyway, Weber again refuses to Actually Use the story fodder he's set up, and skips away to another dull and pointless rendering of how desperate and yes, sad, everyone is.
Also heroic. Because we all know being desperate and sad and failing to effectively utilize your resources, or your allies, or your numerical superiority over a defeated enemy to actually hammer out a treaty in less than two months (TWO MONTHS!!! I would have given that committee an ultimatum. "Hi guys. Yes, it's me and the entire Eighth Fleet. Yup, this war ends now: so two choices: gonna blow you out of the galaxy or accept a peace treaty with you. Yes, you have two days. 48 hours. If that's not long enough for you to decide if you want to live, then maybe you shouldn't."
Broadcast that little message on their 'newsfaxes', and see how long the "political groups" quibble about admitting that someone doctored the official peace agreements.)
The agonizing fiddle-faddle while whole groups of "good hearted" people are held up (TWO MONTHS) by two trouble makers lobbying for personal power increases... it's enough to make the stomach revolt!
Please... tell me Shannon Foraker gets to make a book on her own... she was a fun, no nonsense character. (LOVED when she "oops'ed" the State Sec ships!!! In an earlier book, can't remember which one...)
Okay, I could go on, but that'd just make us both tired. (More tired... worse tired.) I'm over and out.
Whelp. Everybody is sad, shocked, devastated... also sad. Did I mention shocked? Yes, also devastated. People tender their resignations for failing to see this coming. They are turned down. Does that stop them? NO! They tender those resignations again!
Also turned down.
Is there a bright side? NOT that I can see!!! This thing is boring, and even when the weary reader stabs forward on stumbling limbs into the darkness and numbing cold that is the mind as it endures the miasma of confusing names, purposes and as many titles as we can string together in one sentence...
No, there is no relief.
Not until the very last handshake, on the very last page, as which point I'm about ready to scream "So what HAPPENS???!!!!" Because isn't a book supposed to be about something that actually happens? Not just the dancing around before and beside and behind What Actually Happens.
I understand groundwork. I really do. And I'm a big fan of complicated plots... but this isn't complicated. It's internally out of focus and rambles from one random point in the galaxy to the next without ever reaching a satisfactory payoff for the black hole's worth of patience the reader has put into trusting this story to Go SomeWhere.
What are the treecats going to do, then? Their sense of outrage is earth shattering when a clan is destroyed by fallout from the space stations... and they WILL seek revenge.
But how? No, not going to talk about that. Also, I doubt this author will EVER talk about that. He seems to delight in dramatic threats and promises, but not on actually carrying through on any of them.
Personally I can see all sorts of ways intelligent treecats could get into the action and help out the desperate straits the Star Kingdom finds itself in.
Get their furry little emphatic sense into use among all diplomats and negotiators? No major political assembly should be without one, and if the treecat snarls at someone, it means they're acting selfishly or lying, and they get ejected from their position immediately, have to go sweep streets. That'd clean up politics, pronto.
Help assemble missile factories? (I bet they'd be good at it with all the cleverness their little hands can do... like signing and eating celery and stuff... but nope! They're too lazy to actually run any machinery, because of: reasons.)
Anyway, Weber again refuses to Actually Use the story fodder he's set up, and skips away to another dull and pointless rendering of how desperate and yes, sad, everyone is.
Also heroic. Because we all know being desperate and sad and failing to effectively utilize your resources, or your allies, or your numerical superiority over a defeated enemy to actually hammer out a treaty in less than two months (TWO MONTHS!!! I would have given that committee an ultimatum. "Hi guys. Yes, it's me and the entire Eighth Fleet. Yup, this war ends now: so two choices: gonna blow you out of the galaxy or accept a peace treaty with you. Yes, you have two days. 48 hours. If that's not long enough for you to decide if you want to live, then maybe you shouldn't."
Broadcast that little message on their 'newsfaxes', and see how long the "political groups" quibble about admitting that someone doctored the official peace agreements.)
The agonizing fiddle-faddle while whole groups of "good hearted" people are held up (TWO MONTHS) by two trouble makers lobbying for personal power increases... it's enough to make the stomach revolt!
Please... tell me Shannon Foraker gets to make a book on her own... she was a fun, no nonsense character. (LOVED when she "oops'ed" the State Sec ships!!! In an earlier book, can't remember which one...)
Okay, I could go on, but that'd just make us both tired. (More tired... worse tired.) I'm over and out.
April 7, 2014
Mission of Honor begins shortly after the events of the previous book At All Costs following on from the build up of tensions with the Solarian League and the Battle of Manticore where the Manticorians essentially knocked their long term enemies the Republic of Haven out of the war they had been de facto fighting between them for almost two decades! :D
Much of Mission of Honor is spread over a wide breadth of characters with naturally Honor featuring heavily as she leads for a large proportion of the books a diplomatic mission in person to the Havenite capital of Nouveau Paris in order to secure a peace treaty with them :D The other parts of the book follow Countess Michelle Henke Gold Peak and her ships as they wrestle with Solarian aggression in the Talbot Cluster! :D
The two sides of the story are extremely well handled and both work off of each other in an excellent way with both being used simultaneously to show the very different aspects of the conspiracy that is starting to come to light to each of the big players involved! :D The gradual discovery on the Mesan conspiracy and involvement of countless individuals and systems comes to light and More Than Honor does a great job of showing everyone ones light bulb moment as this all comes to light! :D At the same time though it is equally obvious that by attacking Manticore and setting off a chain of events earlier than they had planned and intelligence failure that they suffer that they themselves are completely oblivious as well! :D This provides an an excellent backdrop to the Havenite/Manticorian peace talks as well as the Situation with Admiral Henke's task force as pieces start to fall into place into the minds of the many characters in the book! :D Unfortunately for Messa not in the way they would like leaving the blissfully unaware of the renewed threat which is bound to have massive consequences in the next books! :D It will be a case of freedom loving Star Nations versus Eugenics Pro Evil Slavers! :D Lol
As ever characterisation is brilliant throughout for every character involved right down to the the minor characters who may only get one or two lines! :D The are characters are put through the gambit throughout the book pushing through the range of the emptions! :D You will find your self booing the 'bad guys', picking your jaw off the ground through one huge event after another and throughout cheering as The Manties and the Havenites outwit and outfight everything thrown at them! :D Not to mention the Elizabeth Winters speech which promises serious repercussions! :D Lol
There is also a lot of humour throughout the book which keeps the tone of the book so upbeat and marries the cataclysmic events that take place perfectly! :D
The ending of the book is perfectly done with the new peace treaty and military alliance between Manticore and The Republic of Have secure! :D President Pritchards offer of 300 Ships of the wall to help the Manticorians 'save ammunition' is a classic example of big events combined with humour which set things up perfectly for the next book with Solarian League fleet approaching! :D
It's to be noted though that is very helpful if you have read other books from the series as a lot characters from them make appearances in More Than Honor and events are referred to! :D
Brilliant edge of the seat stuff for of events on a great scale, grim chins, nefarious and heroic characters, large battles, internecine politics and heroics! :D Highly recommended! :D Great to have the next books! :D Lol
Much of Mission of Honor is spread over a wide breadth of characters with naturally Honor featuring heavily as she leads for a large proportion of the books a diplomatic mission in person to the Havenite capital of Nouveau Paris in order to secure a peace treaty with them :D The other parts of the book follow Countess Michelle Henke Gold Peak and her ships as they wrestle with Solarian aggression in the Talbot Cluster! :D
The two sides of the story are extremely well handled and both work off of each other in an excellent way with both being used simultaneously to show the very different aspects of the conspiracy that is starting to come to light to each of the big players involved! :D The gradual discovery on the Mesan conspiracy and involvement of countless individuals and systems comes to light and More Than Honor does a great job of showing everyone ones light bulb moment as this all comes to light! :D At the same time though it is equally obvious that by attacking Manticore and setting off a chain of events earlier than they had planned and intelligence failure that they suffer that they themselves are completely oblivious as well! :D This provides an an excellent backdrop to the Havenite/Manticorian peace talks as well as the Situation with Admiral Henke's task force as pieces start to fall into place into the minds of the many characters in the book! :D Unfortunately for Messa not in the way they would like leaving the blissfully unaware of the renewed threat which is bound to have massive consequences in the next books! :D It will be a case of freedom loving Star Nations versus Eugenics Pro Evil Slavers! :D Lol
As ever characterisation is brilliant throughout for every character involved right down to the the minor characters who may only get one or two lines! :D The are characters are put through the gambit throughout the book pushing through the range of the emptions! :D You will find your self booing the 'bad guys', picking your jaw off the ground through one huge event after another and throughout cheering as The Manties and the Havenites outwit and outfight everything thrown at them! :D Not to mention the Elizabeth Winters speech which promises serious repercussions! :D Lol
There is also a lot of humour throughout the book which keeps the tone of the book so upbeat and marries the cataclysmic events that take place perfectly! :D
The ending of the book is perfectly done with the new peace treaty and military alliance between Manticore and The Republic of Have secure! :D President Pritchards offer of 300 Ships of the wall to help the Manticorians 'save ammunition' is a classic example of big events combined with humour which set things up perfectly for the next book with Solarian League fleet approaching! :D
It's to be noted though that is very helpful if you have read other books from the series as a lot characters from them make appearances in More Than Honor and events are referred to! :D
Brilliant edge of the seat stuff for of events on a great scale, grim chins, nefarious and heroic characters, large battles, internecine politics and heroics! :D Highly recommended! :D Great to have the next books! :D Lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2010
Mission of Honor is the twelfth book in the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. The story takes place right after Storm in the Shadows and At All Costs. In At All Costs Honor and her eighth fleet have smashed the Havenite navy and the war between both star nations is over. The only thing left is to finally have a treaty between them. In the Talbott cluster, Admiral Michel Henke has just defeated a squadron of the Solarian navy, and the Solarians are not happy about it.
Throughout the history of the Honorverse novels David Weber has created many memorable characters. All of the surviving characters make an appearance in this novel, although someone of them just get a brief mention. The book tends to jump around a lot between different characters and locations in an attempt to tie up as many loose ends as possible it seems. Events in the storyline are coming to a head and this book seems to be a bridge between the different Honorverse storylines.
The two main plots of this book revolve around Haven and the Solarian League. Now that the Havenite war is over, it is time to make peace according to both sides. Early in the book, Honor takes her eighth fleet directly to Haven to negotiate with President Pritchart. Much like other diplomatic endeavors throughout the books, it is wrought with political intrigue, although this time it is much more subdued and things seem to go well. The Solarian navy has been putting pressure on the Manticoran efforts in the Talbott cluster since the wormhole had been found. They were not happy with Henke defeating their battle cruisers, but they are unwilling to believe such a small star nation could have much better technology than the mighty Solarian League. They are wrong of course, but that doesn’t stop them from ratcheting up the stakes and sending super dreadnaughts at the problem.
The story moves quickly throughout the book, in some places perhaps a little too quickly. The plot however, moves forwards much more quickly than previous books and is a welcome change since it seems as though there is a lot left to cover. In this way, it feels like the Wheel of Time novel, A Gathering Storm, and is just as epic.
Overall, this book is a needed addition to the Honorverse series. It brings a multitude of plot lines together and gives us an update on all the major characters. The plot moved forward and the reader gets a sense that the series is nearing its end which will be action packed and truly epic. The story is as well written as other Weber tales and It’s Geektime gives Mission of Honor an 8 on the d10 of Science Fiction.
Throughout the history of the Honorverse novels David Weber has created many memorable characters. All of the surviving characters make an appearance in this novel, although someone of them just get a brief mention. The book tends to jump around a lot between different characters and locations in an attempt to tie up as many loose ends as possible it seems. Events in the storyline are coming to a head and this book seems to be a bridge between the different Honorverse storylines.
The two main plots of this book revolve around Haven and the Solarian League. Now that the Havenite war is over, it is time to make peace according to both sides. Early in the book, Honor takes her eighth fleet directly to Haven to negotiate with President Pritchart. Much like other diplomatic endeavors throughout the books, it is wrought with political intrigue, although this time it is much more subdued and things seem to go well. The Solarian navy has been putting pressure on the Manticoran efforts in the Talbott cluster since the wormhole had been found. They were not happy with Henke defeating their battle cruisers, but they are unwilling to believe such a small star nation could have much better technology than the mighty Solarian League. They are wrong of course, but that doesn’t stop them from ratcheting up the stakes and sending super dreadnaughts at the problem.
The story moves quickly throughout the book, in some places perhaps a little too quickly. The plot however, moves forwards much more quickly than previous books and is a welcome change since it seems as though there is a lot left to cover. In this way, it feels like the Wheel of Time novel, A Gathering Storm, and is just as epic.
Overall, this book is a needed addition to the Honorverse series. It brings a multitude of plot lines together and gives us an update on all the major characters. The plot moved forward and the reader gets a sense that the series is nearing its end which will be action packed and truly epic. The story is as well written as other Weber tales and It’s Geektime gives Mission of Honor an 8 on the d10 of Science Fiction.
June 15, 2016
As usual, Weber tells a winding tale with long-running character, Honor Harrington. This book is chocked full of intrigue and the resulting tension - but only after a bit of a slow start. At times it's as dense as a Le Carre book but seems to bog down at times for no reason. Overall, I enjoyed this edition of the series.
April 10, 2021
2018 Re-read. Exceptional!
May 20, 2020
I have to admit, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, and I am glad that I took a chance and continued reading the series. I do wish it had focused more on Honor, but I am grateful it was "only" 600 pages long and not some 800+ page monstrosity like the last two books in the series. I would have rated it 3.5 for the first third or so of the book, but the latter part of the book really drags things along and slows down the pace, easily reducing it to a 3 out of 5 stars. The book did feel more focused than the last two books; that is not to say that it did not cover a wide range of ground as it is broken up into "five chapters" or parts, but I felt this had a better flow than the last two books. It did not feel as 'forced' as War of Honor and At All Costs; the story's flow was more 'natural' and believable.
I have to admit: I do not know if my disgust and disappointment over the previous two books affected my thinking, influencing me to give it a higher score than it 'deserved.' It does have its weaknesses, but it is so much better than the prior two books, even with the author's mistakes (typos, introducing characters nobody cares about that we never see or hear from again, etc.).
I think the first third of the book was probably the best part.
I don't know why I enjoyed this book so much, on the one hand. It held my interest all the way through; I hated putting it down when my responsibilities 'got in my way.' It had a nice flow to it; it 'made sense.' The characters were more believable in this book than they had been in the past two or three books.
It was interesting reading At All Costs, because reading it a second time was when I realized how Shadow of Saganami tied into that novel (it takes place around the end of War of Honor and carries over into At All Costs. Apparently the Torch series of books also begins to tie into the primary line of books around this time as well. It has been years since I read Shadow of Saganami so maybe after I finish the Honor books, I'll try that one again. But, that is probably also one of the 'bigger weaknesses' of this book - there is a good chunk of it that seems to rely upon the reader having read the two off-shoot series as well as the various short story collections that are also in print. My perspective is a bit limited because I have not read any of the Torch books and only the first Saganami book. But, the author does a nice job of 'keeping the reader' up-t0-date without bogging the reader down with monstrously massive info dumps.
For all I know - or all I can prove, anyway - he might've been ambushed and devoured by space hamsters! (223) - one of the funnier lines in the book. I was laughing pretty good when I read this line.
There is a lot more political machinations and maneuvering in this book than there is truly any kind of action. It still works, and the book was (is) an interesting read and a fast read. . I also liked how the author returned to having the title be a play on words, on having multiple meanings that can be interpreted various ways. I can’t help but wonder if sometimes he spends more time on the titles than the story, the titles are sometimes so much better than the storyline itself. The title of this book truly delivers, in my opinion, while being a nice play on words. I am truly glad I took a chance on reading it (especially considering how 'bad' the prior two books were in relation to the series as a whole). I look forward to reading the 13th book and hope that the author does not muck it up.
I have to admit: I do not know if my disgust and disappointment over the previous two books affected my thinking, influencing me to give it a higher score than it 'deserved.' It does have its weaknesses, but it is so much better than the prior two books, even with the author's mistakes (typos, introducing characters nobody cares about that we never see or hear from again, etc.).
I think the first third of the book was probably the best part.
I don't know why I enjoyed this book so much, on the one hand. It held my interest all the way through; I hated putting it down when my responsibilities 'got in my way.' It had a nice flow to it; it 'made sense.' The characters were more believable in this book than they had been in the past two or three books.
It was interesting reading At All Costs, because reading it a second time was when I realized how Shadow of Saganami tied into that novel (it takes place around the end of War of Honor and carries over into At All Costs. Apparently the Torch series of books also begins to tie into the primary line of books around this time as well. It has been years since I read Shadow of Saganami so maybe after I finish the Honor books, I'll try that one again. But, that is probably also one of the 'bigger weaknesses' of this book - there is a good chunk of it that seems to rely upon the reader having read the two off-shoot series as well as the various short story collections that are also in print. My perspective is a bit limited because I have not read any of the Torch books and only the first Saganami book. But, the author does a nice job of 'keeping the reader' up-t0-date without bogging the reader down with monstrously massive info dumps.
For all I know - or all I can prove, anyway - he might've been ambushed and devoured by space hamsters! (223) - one of the funnier lines in the book. I was laughing pretty good when I read this line.
There is a lot more political machinations and maneuvering in this book than there is truly any kind of action. It still works, and the book was (is) an interesting read and a fast read. . I also liked how the author returned to having the title be a play on words, on having multiple meanings that can be interpreted various ways. I can’t help but wonder if sometimes he spends more time on the titles than the story, the titles are sometimes so much better than the storyline itself. The title of this book truly delivers, in my opinion, while being a nice play on words. I am truly glad I took a chance on reading it (especially considering how 'bad' the prior two books were in relation to the series as a whole). I look forward to reading the 13th book and hope that the author does not muck it up.
June 20, 2019
Honor! I've missed you!
Since I'm trying to read the Honorverse books in chronological order from On Basilisk Station, it's been some time since I've seen much of Honor Harrington. The development of the overarching macroplot that is the focus of the current books started with other characters, and only starts to splash on Honor peripherally at first, such as by sending her back to war with Haven (see At All Costs.)
But now she's in it up to her ears. Things are exploding between Manticore and the huge and powerful Solarian League in Talbott, and the war against Haven is one they really can't afford to have in the face of such a threat. So she is sent to Haven to decide the war once and for all . . . by making peace.
What a joy it is to watch our battle-seasoned heroine serve as a diplomat as well as a soldier! She is fortunately aided by her empathic link with her treecat, Nimitz, and her own subsequently enhanced empathic abilities. She's been a voice of reason in support of the new Havenite administration for a long time, so it makes sense to send her, despite her lack of diplomatic experience. She's an iron fist in a velvet glove - her battlefleet remains parked in Haven's home space while she tries to negotiate - but she really means it in her attempts to bring an end to hostilities.
Action is cut between Honor's efforts and the rapidly escalating situation in Talbott, where Mike Henke is attempting to hold the fort. Some good space battles happen that get the blood stirring.
And in the meantime, the provocateurs at Mesa laugh and twirl their mustaches as the tsunami they've unleashed crashes off to destroy Manticore and Haven both.
Then something happens that nobody sees coming, and the game completely changes.
I would give this book five stars for its excellent action and plotting, except that we end up bogged down in a number of apparently unnecessary conference scenes while people speculate about what others might be thinking and planning. It's good strategic thinking, but it really derails tension when the characters are constantly saying, "This is my idea of what they're thinking. Oh, they could actually be thinking this." That "oh" became a frustrating refrain.
For the discerning space opera fan, the scale of the space battles starts to ramp up in this book noticeably. There's a lot more ships and a lot - a lot - more missiles flying. I love it! Bring on the explosions! Bring on the worlds-shattering, high-stakes fleet battles!
But then, I love the high-stakes politics just as much. When the fate of worlds hangs on the utterance of a word, I'm just as there as I would be with a battle to the death in spaceships.
Weber once again proves why he is one of the modern masters of space opera. Definitely recommended.
And hey! I've started my True Chronological Reading of the Last 10 Honorverse Books, as I said I would in the last couple of Honorverse reviews I did. You can check it out at the link above!
Since I'm trying to read the Honorverse books in chronological order from On Basilisk Station, it's been some time since I've seen much of Honor Harrington. The development of the overarching macroplot that is the focus of the current books started with other characters, and only starts to splash on Honor peripherally at first, such as by sending her back to war with Haven (see At All Costs.)
But now she's in it up to her ears. Things are exploding between Manticore and the huge and powerful Solarian League in Talbott, and the war against Haven is one they really can't afford to have in the face of such a threat. So she is sent to Haven to decide the war once and for all . . . by making peace.
What a joy it is to watch our battle-seasoned heroine serve as a diplomat as well as a soldier! She is fortunately aided by her empathic link with her treecat, Nimitz, and her own subsequently enhanced empathic abilities. She's been a voice of reason in support of the new Havenite administration for a long time, so it makes sense to send her, despite her lack of diplomatic experience. She's an iron fist in a velvet glove - her battlefleet remains parked in Haven's home space while she tries to negotiate - but she really means it in her attempts to bring an end to hostilities.
Action is cut between Honor's efforts and the rapidly escalating situation in Talbott, where Mike Henke is attempting to hold the fort. Some good space battles happen that get the blood stirring.
And in the meantime, the provocateurs at Mesa laugh and twirl their mustaches as the tsunami they've unleashed crashes off to destroy Manticore and Haven both.
Then something happens that nobody sees coming, and the game completely changes.
I would give this book five stars for its excellent action and plotting, except that we end up bogged down in a number of apparently unnecessary conference scenes while people speculate about what others might be thinking and planning. It's good strategic thinking, but it really derails tension when the characters are constantly saying, "This is my idea of what they're thinking. Oh, they could actually be thinking this." That "oh" became a frustrating refrain.
For the discerning space opera fan, the scale of the space battles starts to ramp up in this book noticeably. There's a lot more ships and a lot - a lot - more missiles flying. I love it! Bring on the explosions! Bring on the worlds-shattering, high-stakes fleet battles!
But then, I love the high-stakes politics just as much. When the fate of worlds hangs on the utterance of a word, I'm just as there as I would be with a battle to the death in spaceships.
Weber once again proves why he is one of the modern masters of space opera. Definitely recommended.
And hey! I've started my True Chronological Reading of the Last 10 Honorverse Books, as I said I would in the last couple of Honorverse reviews I did. You can check it out at the link above!
June 28, 2020
At this point, the series is well underway, so please, start at On Basilisk Station and catch up. You'll be lost if you don't as this does not stand alone well, although the author does a good job of refreshing the reader's memory.
Mission of Honor is far from being military science fiction at this point. There are political machinations, spies, and wheels within wheels as well as heartbreaking battles. Weber has no more compunction than George R. R Martin in killing folks off if it is called for. The action and planning were enough to keep me turning pages when I should have been sleeping. And yes, I am getting the next book in the series.
If you enjoy good science fiction with a military background, then the series is for you.
Mission of Honor is far from being military science fiction at this point. There are political machinations, spies, and wheels within wheels as well as heartbreaking battles. Weber has no more compunction than George R. R Martin in killing folks off if it is called for. The action and planning were enough to keep me turning pages when I should have been sleeping. And yes, I am getting the next book in the series.
If you enjoy good science fiction with a military background, then the series is for you.
July 11, 2020
Almost a “bridge” novel to get us to the next chapter in Honor’s story. Good and keeps the story moving, but not much to the novel in its own right.
Read
June 5, 2021DNF
June 26, 2021
This book was ... fine. WAY too much talking, not enough action, and certainly not enough Honor. But it was redeemed by the ending.
March 31, 2024
gfhdjskksjfhdjsl
July 6, 2019
Brilliant, as usual.
October 23, 2010
74 out of 100 for 2010
As I flipped the last page I screamed out loud at David Weber, "You jackass--you CAN"T stop there." I then shared several salty phrases, which, as an ex sailor, I am entitled to utter.
That's how engaging this book is.
The war with the Haven is militarily concluded, and yet, people on the Haven and the Manticoran sides are unwilling to conclude a peace agreement--partially because of a generational distrust between the two peoples, and partially because some within both sides see personal gain in continued warfare.
Honor Harrington has been sent to Haven to conduct negotiations to bring about a peace treaty.
However, the "Sollies"--the Solarian League, have ineptly picked a fight with the Manticoarean Navy and, not surpisingly, gotten their heads handed to them. Rather than admit fault, they ignore their own intelligence estimates and conclude that the defeat was not because of any military, technological, or tactical superiority of the Manties but because of their own commanders incompetence.
They attack again, losing an entire fleet, without one Manticorean death.
Then, Manticore itself is attacked by an outside military power no one knows anything about, the Mesans, whose goal is to reestablish genetic slaver in the galaxy.
Now that the seemingly invulnerable Manties are reeling, many Havenites see no need to conclude peace (even though their leadership, which is mostly honorable) wants it. And the Sollies see Manties weakness as an excuse to launch an invasion of the home system, designed to give the Manties a death blow.
However, the Havenites discover that the Mesans have orchestrated everything--the war between Haven and the Manties, the hostility between the Sollies and the Manties, and the corruption within the Solarian league itself. It is part of a large, generations long plan to destabilize all the strong governments in the galaxy so that the Mesans can "rise to the top." And because they are genetically engineered people who consider themselves supermen, they feel being "on top" is their evolutionary right.
So, as the Manties clean up from the destruction caused by the Mesan sneak attack (which, of course, no one knew was caused by the Mesans), and as the Sollies bear down on Manticore with the biggest fleet ever assembled in human history, Eloise Pritchard, the President of Haven, shows up, unannounced, with Honor Harrington, personally promising peace with the Manties and proposing a military alliance between eh Peeps and the Manties to protect all of them from this "Third Reichesque" plot dreamed up by the Mesans.
Which is where Weber ended the damned book. ARGH!
This is about as good as Weber can get. The military action is top flight, the political intrigue is compelling, and even the hard sf extrapoloation sections describing drives and weapons systmes (the stuff that, in other Weber fiction, drags) is compelling.
Helluva book.
As I flipped the last page I screamed out loud at David Weber, "You jackass--you CAN"T stop there." I then shared several salty phrases, which, as an ex sailor, I am entitled to utter.
That's how engaging this book is.
The war with the Haven is militarily concluded, and yet, people on the Haven and the Manticoran sides are unwilling to conclude a peace agreement--partially because of a generational distrust between the two peoples, and partially because some within both sides see personal gain in continued warfare.
Honor Harrington has been sent to Haven to conduct negotiations to bring about a peace treaty.
However, the "Sollies"--the Solarian League, have ineptly picked a fight with the Manticoarean Navy and, not surpisingly, gotten their heads handed to them. Rather than admit fault, they ignore their own intelligence estimates and conclude that the defeat was not because of any military, technological, or tactical superiority of the Manties but because of their own commanders incompetence.
They attack again, losing an entire fleet, without one Manticorean death.
Then, Manticore itself is attacked by an outside military power no one knows anything about, the Mesans, whose goal is to reestablish genetic slaver in the galaxy.
Now that the seemingly invulnerable Manties are reeling, many Havenites see no need to conclude peace (even though their leadership, which is mostly honorable) wants it. And the Sollies see Manties weakness as an excuse to launch an invasion of the home system, designed to give the Manties a death blow.
However, the Havenites discover that the Mesans have orchestrated everything--the war between Haven and the Manties, the hostility between the Sollies and the Manties, and the corruption within the Solarian league itself. It is part of a large, generations long plan to destabilize all the strong governments in the galaxy so that the Mesans can "rise to the top." And because they are genetically engineered people who consider themselves supermen, they feel being "on top" is their evolutionary right.
So, as the Manties clean up from the destruction caused by the Mesan sneak attack (which, of course, no one knew was caused by the Mesans), and as the Sollies bear down on Manticore with the biggest fleet ever assembled in human history, Eloise Pritchard, the President of Haven, shows up, unannounced, with Honor Harrington, personally promising peace with the Manties and proposing a military alliance between eh Peeps and the Manties to protect all of them from this "Third Reichesque" plot dreamed up by the Mesans.
Which is where Weber ended the damned book. ARGH!
This is about as good as Weber can get. The military action is top flight, the political intrigue is compelling, and even the hard sf extrapoloation sections describing drives and weapons systmes (the stuff that, in other Weber fiction, drags) is compelling.
Helluva book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2010
My oh my, when Weber wraps up a long running story arc he does it in style. For long time fans of the series--this is the book we have been waiting for. Finally the truth about the doctored documents (War of Honor,2002), the assassination of Ambassador Webster, the attempted assassinations of Queen Berry and Honor (At All Costs, 2005) are laid out during peace negotiations between Haven and Manticore. Finally, the leaders of both countries wake up and smell the coffee, as it were, regarding the nefarious 3rd party that has been doing a great deal of long term manipulating. Hooray, we fans shout, at long last.
Oh course, this being Weber, The Mesan Alignment's little surprise (the final scenes of Storm From the Shadows, 2009) is a really, really devastating to Manticore and to Honor. As Weber has proved in past books (At All Costs, especially), he is not afraid to kill off minor characters we have come to love.
Oh, and let's not forget the heating up of hostilities between Manticore and the Solarian League (Shadow of Saganami 2004, Storm From the Shadows, 2009). Cachat and Zilwicki get to deliver their own little surprise, too (begun in Torch of Freedom, 2009).
At one point I was contemplating making a spread sheet so I could track when which action began, the storylines had become so intertwined.
The last chapter is worth the price of the book and the final scene is absolutely delicious. Okay Weber, we're ready for the next round--bring on the Mesan Alignment, bring on the Sollies and do it NOW.
A couple of other thoughts--for a Weber book this was mighty short (a mere 600 pages). He had his tech info-dumping under control, as there were only two major battles, so the non-missile geeks amongst us weren't overwhelmed. There were lots of cameo appearances of people from the early books (yes, Scotty Tremaine and Chief Harkness and Rafe Cardones are okay--Weber hasn't killed them off in this one).
A word of warning for those curious about the series--this is NOT the book to start with.
Oh course, this being Weber, The Mesan Alignment's little surprise (the final scenes of Storm From the Shadows, 2009) is a really, really devastating to Manticore and to Honor. As Weber has proved in past books (At All Costs, especially), he is not afraid to kill off minor characters we have come to love.
Oh, and let's not forget the heating up of hostilities between Manticore and the Solarian League (Shadow of Saganami 2004, Storm From the Shadows, 2009). Cachat and Zilwicki get to deliver their own little surprise, too (begun in Torch of Freedom, 2009).
At one point I was contemplating making a spread sheet so I could track when which action began, the storylines had become so intertwined.
The last chapter is worth the price of the book and the final scene is absolutely delicious. Okay Weber, we're ready for the next round--bring on the Mesan Alignment, bring on the Sollies and do it NOW.
A couple of other thoughts--for a Weber book this was mighty short (a mere 600 pages). He had his tech info-dumping under control, as there were only two major battles, so the non-missile geeks amongst us weren't overwhelmed. There were lots of cameo appearances of people from the early books (yes, Scotty Tremaine and Chief Harkness and Rafe Cardones are okay--Weber hasn't killed them off in this one).
A word of warning for those curious about the series--this is NOT the book to start with.
August 3, 2023
I'm I just finished re-reading this book.
The whole series is great. I really only have a few comments:
1. You really need to learn the characters. Unlike most books there are about 50 major characters. And since there are 4 major "nations", there are hundreds of minor characters. I always pay special attention to chapter breaks to make sure that I know when and where we are now.
2. I think the books have gotten a little confusing. If you read them in order during a short period of time you shouldn't have any problems. But if you wait, even a few moths between books you might have a problem understanding the story. BTW this is not a book you can pick up and read as a once off. You need to read the other books, in order, before you read this. My only recommendation is that you read the book right before this one immediately before you read this.
3. Not sure how to say this part but pay attention to time in the book. Sometimes it goes to fast and sometimes it just drags. Battles are usually slow and take hours just for the ships to get in range. The author does help in this book my giving you dates at the start of each chapter. If you don't note the time it might be very confusing.
4. David Weber gives VERY detailed information about the ships and battles. This is extremely useful when you try to imagine the battles in your mind. I would suggest you Google the ships though. His description is very detail so there are a lot of good images of the ships. They are like no ship i've ever seen in any other media. The battles and most communications happen in sub-light speed. The characters do wait around a lot for things to happen.
Great book. start from Book 1 though.
The whole series is great. I really only have a few comments:
1. You really need to learn the characters. Unlike most books there are about 50 major characters. And since there are 4 major "nations", there are hundreds of minor characters. I always pay special attention to chapter breaks to make sure that I know when and where we are now.
2. I think the books have gotten a little confusing. If you read them in order during a short period of time you shouldn't have any problems. But if you wait, even a few moths between books you might have a problem understanding the story. BTW this is not a book you can pick up and read as a once off. You need to read the other books, in order, before you read this. My only recommendation is that you read the book right before this one immediately before you read this.
3. Not sure how to say this part but pay attention to time in the book. Sometimes it goes to fast and sometimes it just drags. Battles are usually slow and take hours just for the ships to get in range. The author does help in this book my giving you dates at the start of each chapter. If you don't note the time it might be very confusing.
4. David Weber gives VERY detailed information about the ships and battles. This is extremely useful when you try to imagine the battles in your mind. I would suggest you Google the ships though. His description is very detail so there are a lot of good images of the ships. They are like no ship i've ever seen in any other media. The battles and most communications happen in sub-light speed. The characters do wait around a lot for things to happen.
Great book. start from Book 1 though.
June 5, 2015
In some ways, this was better than the previous book in the series -- it was less about huge numbers and starting to get more into intrigue. Honor Harrington was in fewer military battles; I've read that she was originally intended to be killed in the previous book, and here it seems Weber could have pulled it off.
On the other hand, Weber has either one or maaaybe two voices that he uses consistently for every single one of his characters' dialogue; for a book that features as many POV characters as this, and as reliant as it is on establishing what's going on through overhearing conversations, that's not good.
I'm giving it three stars because there were scenes every few pages which made me slow down and read; and, when the *third* evil superpower threatening Manticore revealed its plot, it actually was super-audaction. And, Weber takes some structural risks -- the biggest space battle in this book comes midway through, rather than the Hollywood-style huge pitched battle wound up in the closing pages as most of the other books in the series have.
On the other hand, Weber has either one or maaaybe two voices that he uses consistently for every single one of his characters' dialogue; for a book that features as many POV characters as this, and as reliant as it is on establishing what's going on through overhearing conversations, that's not good.
I'm giving it three stars because there were scenes every few pages which made me slow down and read; and, when the *third* evil superpower threatening Manticore revealed its plot, it actually was super-audaction. And, Weber takes some structural risks -- the biggest space battle in this book comes midway through, rather than the Hollywood-style huge pitched battle wound up in the closing pages as most of the other books in the series have.
May 21, 2020
Nearly the whole book felt like spinning your wheels. Once every hundred pages or so something would happen only to be followed by 5+ chapters of people reacting to it and discussing it all over the galaxy. This could have been interesting *if their discussions actually informed us about something meaningful in their personalities or way of thinking* but like every other installment of the series there are only two types of characters- the good guys who all think the same thing in the same way and the bad guys who think the wrong thing but are aware of what the right thing is while choosing to ignore it subconsciously (why is it in their internal monologues then?).
So basically we get 3-6 pages of something actually happening followed by 30-60 pages of the next bast thing to copy pasted reactions with the names swapped out. Then something new would happen and we'd start getting identical reactions from everyone yet again... Honestly, the real content of this book could have easily fit in 20% of the volume.
So basically we get 3-6 pages of something actually happening followed by 30-60 pages of the next bast thing to copy pasted reactions with the names swapped out. Then something new would happen and we'd start getting identical reactions from everyone yet again... Honestly, the real content of this book could have easily fit in 20% of the volume.
September 12, 2010
Okay, the series is still entertaining, I'll give the author that. But several books ago it started getting too damn complicated for its own good, and this book is a perfect example of that. Weber seems to be running out of ideas and therefore resorts to introducing bigger and badder superweapons, more devastating battles with the Worst! Casualties! Ever! (including the deaths of even more of our favorite characters, just to keep us "invested"), and insanely Byzantine and improbable conspiracies. Lest that sound too exciting, keep in mind that at least three quarters of the book is just people sitting in rooms talking to each other. Like I said, it can be entertaining, but it's probably time to put this series to bed.
October 21, 2020
Cette critique vaut pour les deux parties.
Après l'immense bataille entre Manticove et la république de Havre, on passe à la politique pour définir les nouvelles relations entre ces adversaires de longue date. Pendant ce temps, les relations entre Manticore et la ligne Solarienne continuent de se détériorer. Et, par dessus tout cela, un adversaire caché tire les ficelles.
Beaucoup (trop) de politique et peu d'action. Même la tension des batailles spatiales, un des as de David Weber, est très faible dans ce roman. Sans compter le lot de personnages imbéciles pour faire passer les circonvolutions de l'histoire.
J'ai aimé, mais sans plus. Le roman manque de rythme et est beaucoup trop long (presque 900 pages) pour rien.
Après l'immense bataille entre Manticove et la république de Havre, on passe à la politique pour définir les nouvelles relations entre ces adversaires de longue date. Pendant ce temps, les relations entre Manticore et la ligne Solarienne continuent de se détériorer. Et, par dessus tout cela, un adversaire caché tire les ficelles.
Beaucoup (trop) de politique et peu d'action. Même la tension des batailles spatiales, un des as de David Weber, est très faible dans ce roman. Sans compter le lot de personnages imbéciles pour faire passer les circonvolutions de l'histoire.
J'ai aimé, mais sans plus. Le roman manque de rythme et est beaucoup trop long (presque 900 pages) pour rien.
January 27, 2022
I know Weber must be very sick of writing these by now, but I *love* reading them. They're my reference for epic space opera. I'm not even irritated by the unsubtle references to parallel plot lines that are unfolding in interstitial short story anthologies, since the hardcover comes with a CD that probably has the entire corpus of relevant work on it and more, and if I didn't have another much anticipated book waiting for me, I'd be diving into it now. Valour, treachery, royalty, assassins, love, loss, romance, loathing and giant exploding spaceships. What's not to like?
(the delay between subsequent novels, that's what)
(the delay between subsequent novels, that's what)
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July 21, 2010oh david weber. i enjoy your plotting (although the politics is getting old) and yet I skip probably a quarter of the book. way too many characters who aren't central to the story.
although at 600 pages this is shorter than some of the recent ones.
also, the Honor Harrington plots have gone downhill since he ran out of Horatio Nelson. He should have killed her off as originally planned. Probably not the best move revenue wise, but the new books haven't been nearly as good as the older ones.
although at 600 pages this is shorter than some of the recent ones.
also, the Honor Harrington plots have gone downhill since he ran out of Horatio Nelson. He should have killed her off as originally planned. Probably not the best move revenue wise, but the new books haven't been nearly as good as the older ones.
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