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Man of War #3
Brothers in Valor
It is the year 2315, the 33rd year of the Krag Wars. The tide has been running against humankind and its allies. One small destroyer, the USS Cumberland, under the command of its young Cajun skipper, Max Robichaux, fights along with the rest of the Union and Allied navies to preserve the very existence of the human race.
Having delivered the Union's response to the Krag ultimatum, the USS Cumberland is ambushed on its way home by an overwhelmingly powerful enemy task force. Max, with the brilliant Dr. Ibrahim Sahin at his side as ship's surgeon, adviser, and friend, must use all his skill to defeat the enemy, only to find that Admiral Hornmeyer has an even more challenging mission for the destroyer and her intrepid crew.
The Cumberland must slip deep into enemy held space and attack a key fuel and supply depot that the Krag must have to defeat an upcoming Union and allied offensive. And, if Max and his crew survive that, they must then hunt down a brilliant and elusive Krag commander, code named "Admiral Birch" to prevent him from masterminding the Krag defense to the impending attack.
Oh, and one more thing, not only is Admiral Birch hopping from star system to star system in an armed convoy, there is a very good chance that the whole mission is an elaborate trap designed to destroy the Cumberland and kill its promising new commander.
"Brothers in Valor" is the third volume of the "Man of War" military science fiction trilogy. It concludes the first phase of the continuing story of Captain Max Robichaux and Dr. Ibrahim Sahin during the Krag Wars, and sets up the next cycle of the story--the "Brothers of the Black Sky" trilogy, the first volume of which, "To Stations My Lads" is due out in late 2015.
Having delivered the Union's response to the Krag ultimatum, the USS Cumberland is ambushed on its way home by an overwhelmingly powerful enemy task force. Max, with the brilliant Dr. Ibrahim Sahin at his side as ship's surgeon, adviser, and friend, must use all his skill to defeat the enemy, only to find that Admiral Hornmeyer has an even more challenging mission for the destroyer and her intrepid crew.
The Cumberland must slip deep into enemy held space and attack a key fuel and supply depot that the Krag must have to defeat an upcoming Union and allied offensive. And, if Max and his crew survive that, they must then hunt down a brilliant and elusive Krag commander, code named "Admiral Birch" to prevent him from masterminding the Krag defense to the impending attack.
Oh, and one more thing, not only is Admiral Birch hopping from star system to star system in an armed convoy, there is a very good chance that the whole mission is an elaborate trap designed to destroy the Cumberland and kill its promising new commander.
"Brothers in Valor" is the third volume of the "Man of War" military science fiction trilogy. It concludes the first phase of the continuing story of Captain Max Robichaux and Dr. Ibrahim Sahin during the Krag Wars, and sets up the next cycle of the story--the "Brothers of the Black Sky" trilogy, the first volume of which, "To Stations My Lads" is due out in late 2015.
369 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 30, 2015
273 people are currently reading
880 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 182 reviews
July 21, 2015
IIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!
Another cliffhanger!!!!! I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!
While this book...this short book...follows the story it doesn't follow it nearly far enough. It holds the tension and interest up, it also ends with us in a precarious position almost as if it were the end of a chapter not the end of a book.
These are enjoyable brain candy reads with good characters (okay our hero is approaching a dangerous level of "almost infallibility" but he hasn't hit "Gary Stu" status. At least not yet, and we do recover some as things go on).
Still great fun, interesting, lots of action, plenty of plot. Enjoy but remember:
IT ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER!
mumble, mumble, gripe, gripe...I hate cliffhangers.
Another cliffhanger!!!!! I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!
While this book...this short book...follows the story it doesn't follow it nearly far enough. It holds the tension and interest up, it also ends with us in a precarious position almost as if it were the end of a chapter not the end of a book.
These are enjoyable brain candy reads with good characters (okay our hero is approaching a dangerous level of "almost infallibility" but he hasn't hit "Gary Stu" status. At least not yet, and we do recover some as things go on).
Still great fun, interesting, lots of action, plenty of plot. Enjoy but remember:
IT ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER!
mumble, mumble, gripe, gripe...I hate cliffhangers.
August 15, 2022
In some ways, this was the best of the series as it had more interaction with interesting aliens and political intrigue. Robichaux and the Cumberland, after managing to escape the Krag after delivering humanity's resounding NEVER to the Krag's surrender ultimatum, is tasked on secret mission deep behind enemy lines to first take out a major storage depot, and then, if possible, take out a high ranking Krag admiral.
Unfortunately, this ends on a major cliff hanger, which is doubly unfortunate as Honsinger passed away in 2020, leaving any more of this spectacular universe unwritten. You are missed Honsinger! 4 stars.
Unfortunately, this ends on a major cliff hanger, which is doubly unfortunate as Honsinger passed away in 2020, leaving any more of this spectacular universe unwritten. You are missed Honsinger! 4 stars.
May 30, 2022
I wasn't intending to cry tonight. In fact, I had no plans to cry for the whole of this Memorial Day weekend, nor for the entirety of next week if fortunate. And now here I am all weepy! I finished several minutes ago and I'm still choked up.
This review will be relatively short for two reasons. First, see the paragraph above. And second, although immunized I have been dealing with Covid with a side order of a sinus infection. I'm feeling more terrible than talkative :)
This was a terrific book. There were some grade-A battle scenes, a fair bit of humor, some tugging at heartstrings, fabulous character interactions and dialogue, twists and turns, and Clouseau the ship's cat.
Unfortunately, the story will never be finished as the author passed away. I don't regret reading it at all, though, and these three books have earned a place on my Favorites List. Despite the unresolved nature of the overall storyline, I'm certain that this will be a trilogy that I re-read.
This review will be relatively short for two reasons. First, see the paragraph above. And second, although immunized I have been dealing with Covid with a side order of a sinus infection. I'm feeling more terrible than talkative :)
This was a terrific book. There were some grade-A battle scenes, a fair bit of humor, some tugging at heartstrings, fabulous character interactions and dialogue, twists and turns, and Clouseau the ship's cat.
Unfortunately, the story will never be finished as the author passed away. I don't regret reading it at all, though, and these three books have earned a place on my Favorites List. Despite the unresolved nature of the overall storyline, I'm certain that this will be a trilogy that I re-read.
August 21, 2015
IIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!
Another cliffhanger!!!!! I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!
While this book...this short book...follows the story it doesn't follow it nearly far enough. It holds the tension and interest up, it also ends with us in a precarious position almost as if it were the end of a chapter not the end of a book.
These are enjoyable brain candy reads with good characters (okay our hero is approaching a dangerous level of "almost infallibility" but he hasn't hit "Gary Stu" status. At least not yet, and we do recover some as things go on).
Still great fun, interesting, lots of action, plenty of plot. Enjoy but remember:
IT ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER!
mumble, mumble, gripe, gripe...I hate cliffhangers.
Another cliffhanger!!!!! I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!
While this book...this short book...follows the story it doesn't follow it nearly far enough. It holds the tension and interest up, it also ends with us in a precarious position almost as if it were the end of a chapter not the end of a book.
These are enjoyable brain candy reads with good characters (okay our hero is approaching a dangerous level of "almost infallibility" but he hasn't hit "Gary Stu" status. At least not yet, and we do recover some as things go on).
Still great fun, interesting, lots of action, plenty of plot. Enjoy but remember:
IT ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER!
mumble, mumble, gripe, gripe...I hate cliffhangers.
July 2, 2015
I was anxiously awaiting this book and after reading it i can firmly say "it was not enough". While the space lingo, battles and characters were well done, the story did not move one bit. IMHO if you skip this book and go to the next you wont miss anything important, which cannot be summarized by 3 sentences in an introduction chapter of the new book. Basically i was left with a feeling that half of this book was cut off in editing. There are no tasty morsels about Vaach or Krag origins, nothing to keep me thinking about this book for weeks to come.
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
July 14, 2015
So I slogged through the 2nd book and when I found out about the release of the third book I decided to find out how the series ended, the fact that this was supposed to be the last book in a trilogy was the
ONLY
reason I decided to pick up this book but I guess the meaning of the word trilogy has changed in recent years because Brothers in Valor ends on a cliffhanger and there are at least another 3 books planned. A series isn't a trilogy if you plan on immediately continuing the series right where you left off with another 3 books, its just a 6 book series.
For the past couple books I was able to put aside my distaste for the writing because the overarching story that was being told was actually pretty cool, the war with the krag, humanity's various independent nations, the alien races, pretty much all the sci-fi stuff was all interesting, it just kinda got drowned out by all the info dumping and anachronistic dialog.
When you take all that interesting stuff away you get Brothers in Valor. Brothers in Valor was pretty much everything I absolutely hated about the series punctuated by the fact that this "Trilogy" as going to have three books following it.
For the past couple books I was able to put aside my distaste for the writing because the overarching story that was being told was actually pretty cool, the war with the krag, humanity's various independent nations, the alien races, pretty much all the sci-fi stuff was all interesting, it just kinda got drowned out by all the info dumping and anachronistic dialog.
When you take all that interesting stuff away you get Brothers in Valor. Brothers in Valor was pretty much everything I absolutely hated about the series punctuated by the fact that this "Trilogy" as going to have three books following it.
July 30, 2015
Just like the other books in the series a great military scifi novel. Good story development, even though a bit too slow for my taste. I just hope it won't get too boring, due to repetitiveness. All the flaws I described in the last books still exist here, but it's still a very fun story.
June 9, 2015
I love this series. The 1st book grabbed my attention & didn't let go until it was done with me. I was up till the wee hours of the morning. These books are unapologetically fun.
August 31, 2018
This Space Marine Sci Fi provides great entertainment.
Max Robichaux is a young space Captain on the space destroyer USS Cumberland, a ship that was previously mocked for its losses. The crew knew more about polishing the rivets than fighting the enemy of the Union until Max became their Captain. Since then they have faced danger and come out alive through Max’s quick, sometimes out of the box thinking.
The action starts as Max has to help the ship and crew escape from overwhelming odds. He will have to pull a rabbit out his hat – or try a trick that has never been done- to succeed.
Next the Cumberland is sent on a covert mission that takes them into the heart of the enemy. There is initial conflict as the other Captain he is paired with is a seasoned man who doesn’t want to take orders from Max. Once that conflict is resolved, they proceed with a daring plan. Although it means they may end up stranded with the enemy they have to take the risk to capture a key leader to have a chance of stopping the war.
I loved the non-stop action and danger in this story. Max is a great character who comes up with ingenious tactical solutions and is willing to trust his crew to know their jobs and make effective suggestions. Dr. Sahin, chief medical officer and special ambassador, adds good humor with his side comments and views from a nonmilitary aspect. I like the other crew ‘family’ and shared in their emotions.
I am only sorry that Mr. Honsinger has no other books for me to get. I do recommend this series to readers who enjoy action packed military space battles.
Audio Notes: As with Book 2, Ray Chase does a great job with the narration. He captures the intensity, the dry wit and the quirks of the characters. The listening experience enhanced the entertainment of the story.
My Rating: Entertainment/Story 4.5 of 5.0; Performance 5.0 of 5.0.
Max Robichaux is a young space Captain on the space destroyer USS Cumberland, a ship that was previously mocked for its losses. The crew knew more about polishing the rivets than fighting the enemy of the Union until Max became their Captain. Since then they have faced danger and come out alive through Max’s quick, sometimes out of the box thinking.
The action starts as Max has to help the ship and crew escape from overwhelming odds. He will have to pull a rabbit out his hat – or try a trick that has never been done- to succeed.
Next the Cumberland is sent on a covert mission that takes them into the heart of the enemy. There is initial conflict as the other Captain he is paired with is a seasoned man who doesn’t want to take orders from Max. Once that conflict is resolved, they proceed with a daring plan. Although it means they may end up stranded with the enemy they have to take the risk to capture a key leader to have a chance of stopping the war.
I loved the non-stop action and danger in this story. Max is a great character who comes up with ingenious tactical solutions and is willing to trust his crew to know their jobs and make effective suggestions. Dr. Sahin, chief medical officer and special ambassador, adds good humor with his side comments and views from a nonmilitary aspect. I like the other crew ‘family’ and shared in their emotions.
I am only sorry that Mr. Honsinger has no other books for me to get. I do recommend this series to readers who enjoy action packed military space battles.
Audio Notes: As with Book 2, Ray Chase does a great job with the narration. He captures the intensity, the dry wit and the quirks of the characters. The listening experience enhanced the entertainment of the story.
My Rating: Entertainment/Story 4.5 of 5.0; Performance 5.0 of 5.0.
October 15, 2019
https://delivreenlivres.blogspot.com/...
Un tome fun et plein d'actions mémorables, même si le rythme était peut être un peu inconsistant.
Nous découvrons le commandant Robichaux en bien mauvaise posture au début de ce tome. Après avoir fuit à la fin du tome précédent, le voici acculé par les Krag dans un piège. Entouré de huit vaisseaux qui savent qu'il est dans le coin et qui l’empêchent de sortir, il n'est encore entier que grâce au camouflage de son nouveau vaisseau qui le rend indétectable sauf au scan direct.
Il va bien falloir trouver un moyen de s'en sortir, surtout qu'il est chargé d'une mission importante pour qui pourrait changer le visage de la guerre : détruire un amiral ennemi qui se rend actuellement sur le front ...
Petit rappel du contexte de la série : Le commandant Max Robichaux est à la tête de l'USS Cumberland. Lui, son ami le docteur Ibrahim Sahin, le medecin de bord, et tout son équipage se battent contre les Krags, une espèce extraterrestre qui a décidé de faire des humains sa première cible, dans des missions spéciales d'infiltration. Le tout grâce à un tout nouveau type de vaisseau qui est capable de masquer sa chaleur pendant un temps et donc d'être totalement indétectable sauf si on passe un scan directement dessus (et vu l'immensité de l'espace, à moins d'être acculé, c'est un coup de chance).
*****
La narration est à la troisième personne, de ce fait l'auteur utiliser la présence du docteur comme ressort explicatif. Celui ci n'étant pas du tout familier avec la marine, il n'en comprend ni le jargon, ni les principes. De ce fait celui ci n'arrête pas d'interrompre Robichaux et les autres officiers pour demander des explications. Explications bien entendu bienvenues pour le lecteur qui ne comprenait pas plus que lui ce qui se passait avant.
Dans le tome précédent ce principe m'énervait, c'était d’ailleurs pour moi le principal point noir. Surtout que je trouve que la présence du docteur est vraiment "en trop" dans la plupart des cas. Il n'est pas marin, il n'a rien à faire dans les briefings de mission top secret par exemple, même si il nous permet de les comprendre.
Mais le point positif dans ce tome, c'est qu'il y en a beaucoup moins. Du coup ça m'a moins braqué et j'ai pu apprécier le tome plus sereinement.
Franchement le début de ce tome était admirable. Les tactiques utilisées par Robichaux sont à entrer dans les annales tellement son esprit tactique et son ingéniosité brillent.
Si il y a un point fort dans cette série c'est la façon dont l'auteur arrive à trouver toujours de nouveaux détails et tactiques qui rendent passionnant les passages difficiles. Les 150-200 premières pages de ce tome étaient donc vraiment totalement ce que j'avais envie de lire.
Au final le livre se découpe en deux parties. La première étant de se sortir de sa situation de départ bloquée, donc j'ai parlé juste au dessus. Le problème vient de la suite. Ayant été bluffé par le génie de ce passage, j'ai trouvé la suite bien plus plate et en comparaison sans grand intérêt. Surtout les passages du début de cette seconde partie qui ne sont que des blabla et des problèmes de hiérarchie sur une mission à plusieurs.
Même quand l'action arrive enfin on est sur un niveau en dessous. L'auteur innove un peu en nous montrant tout un passage important de la seconde mission par les yeux de l'ennemi. C'était bien trouvé parce que du coup on n'a aucune idée de ce que va faire Robichaux. On le découvre au fur et à mesure que les Krags le subissent. Par contre on se doute un peu de la fin de cette manœuvre et donc ça donne moins de palpitations que le début.
Reste le passage final qui était une bonne conclusion au tome mais qui manquait un peu de puch car n'étant qu'une succession d'attaques rapides qui finissent rapidement aussi. Robichaux est toujours aussi bon, rien à redire. Il arrive toujours à trouver un truc à faire dans une situation désespéré mais vu que tout s'enchaîne trop rapidement on n'a pas vraiment le temps de sentir la tension monter.
*****
Sur l'ensemble de la série (et pas spécifiquement sur ce tome ci) si je devais faire une critique je dirais que des fois ça fait peut-être un peu trop carte postale pour la marine. Tout se passe trop bien, pas de conflits, les personnages ont toujours la bonne attitude. C'est trop lisse pour être crédible, du coup il faut limite se croise dans du Star Trek pour apprécier (il y a d'ailleurs des références dedans). Ça ne sera pas un point négatif pour tout le monde, bien sur.
Le fait d'avoir éliminé les femmes simplifie aussi la tache de l'auteur qui n'a donc pas à se soucier du coté sentimental de ses personnages. Ça n'est pas non plus très crédible, surtout qu'à aucun moment ce fait devient une frustration pour les hommes, étonnant vu le nombre d'ados et de jeunes hommes que le vaisseau comporte.
D'après ce que j'ai lu sur le site de l'auteur, il souhaitait faire de cette série une série récurrente mais n'en a pas eu l'occasion pour l'instant. Ce tome est sorti en VO en 2015 et rien depuis (il comptait sortir un tome par an). Apparemment il est tombé malade et n'a pas pu reprendre l'écriture. J'espère qu'il se rétablira et que dans les années à venir on aura le plaisir de retrouver Robichaux et les autres.
Au final j'ai passé un bon moment dans ce tome. Il était très sympa, un peu mieux que le précédent au niveau des explications mais un peu moins bon au niveau du rythme. Le tout se compense et place donc ce tome au même niveau.
16/20
Un tome fun et plein d'actions mémorables, même si le rythme était peut être un peu inconsistant.
Nous découvrons le commandant Robichaux en bien mauvaise posture au début de ce tome. Après avoir fuit à la fin du tome précédent, le voici acculé par les Krag dans un piège. Entouré de huit vaisseaux qui savent qu'il est dans le coin et qui l’empêchent de sortir, il n'est encore entier que grâce au camouflage de son nouveau vaisseau qui le rend indétectable sauf au scan direct.
Il va bien falloir trouver un moyen de s'en sortir, surtout qu'il est chargé d'une mission importante pour qui pourrait changer le visage de la guerre : détruire un amiral ennemi qui se rend actuellement sur le front ...
Petit rappel du contexte de la série : Le commandant Max Robichaux est à la tête de l'USS Cumberland. Lui, son ami le docteur Ibrahim Sahin, le medecin de bord, et tout son équipage se battent contre les Krags, une espèce extraterrestre qui a décidé de faire des humains sa première cible, dans des missions spéciales d'infiltration. Le tout grâce à un tout nouveau type de vaisseau qui est capable de masquer sa chaleur pendant un temps et donc d'être totalement indétectable sauf si on passe un scan directement dessus (et vu l'immensité de l'espace, à moins d'être acculé, c'est un coup de chance).
*****
La narration est à la troisième personne, de ce fait l'auteur utiliser la présence du docteur comme ressort explicatif. Celui ci n'étant pas du tout familier avec la marine, il n'en comprend ni le jargon, ni les principes. De ce fait celui ci n'arrête pas d'interrompre Robichaux et les autres officiers pour demander des explications. Explications bien entendu bienvenues pour le lecteur qui ne comprenait pas plus que lui ce qui se passait avant.
Dans le tome précédent ce principe m'énervait, c'était d’ailleurs pour moi le principal point noir. Surtout que je trouve que la présence du docteur est vraiment "en trop" dans la plupart des cas. Il n'est pas marin, il n'a rien à faire dans les briefings de mission top secret par exemple, même si il nous permet de les comprendre.
Mais le point positif dans ce tome, c'est qu'il y en a beaucoup moins. Du coup ça m'a moins braqué et j'ai pu apprécier le tome plus sereinement.
Franchement le début de ce tome était admirable. Les tactiques utilisées par Robichaux sont à entrer dans les annales tellement son esprit tactique et son ingéniosité brillent.
Si il y a un point fort dans cette série c'est la façon dont l'auteur arrive à trouver toujours de nouveaux détails et tactiques qui rendent passionnant les passages difficiles. Les 150-200 premières pages de ce tome étaient donc vraiment totalement ce que j'avais envie de lire.
Au final le livre se découpe en deux parties. La première étant de se sortir de sa situation de départ bloquée, donc j'ai parlé juste au dessus. Le problème vient de la suite. Ayant été bluffé par le génie de ce passage, j'ai trouvé la suite bien plus plate et en comparaison sans grand intérêt. Surtout les passages du début de cette seconde partie qui ne sont que des blabla et des problèmes de hiérarchie sur une mission à plusieurs.
Même quand l'action arrive enfin on est sur un niveau en dessous. L'auteur innove un peu en nous montrant tout un passage important de la seconde mission par les yeux de l'ennemi. C'était bien trouvé parce que du coup on n'a aucune idée de ce que va faire Robichaux. On le découvre au fur et à mesure que les Krags le subissent. Par contre on se doute un peu de la fin de cette manœuvre et donc ça donne moins de palpitations que le début.
Reste le passage final qui était une bonne conclusion au tome mais qui manquait un peu de puch car n'étant qu'une succession d'attaques rapides qui finissent rapidement aussi. Robichaux est toujours aussi bon, rien à redire. Il arrive toujours à trouver un truc à faire dans une situation désespéré mais vu que tout s'enchaîne trop rapidement on n'a pas vraiment le temps de sentir la tension monter.
*****
Sur l'ensemble de la série (et pas spécifiquement sur ce tome ci) si je devais faire une critique je dirais que des fois ça fait peut-être un peu trop carte postale pour la marine. Tout se passe trop bien, pas de conflits, les personnages ont toujours la bonne attitude. C'est trop lisse pour être crédible, du coup il faut limite se croise dans du Star Trek pour apprécier (il y a d'ailleurs des références dedans). Ça ne sera pas un point négatif pour tout le monde, bien sur.
Le fait d'avoir éliminé les femmes simplifie aussi la tache de l'auteur qui n'a donc pas à se soucier du coté sentimental de ses personnages. Ça n'est pas non plus très crédible, surtout qu'à aucun moment ce fait devient une frustration pour les hommes, étonnant vu le nombre d'ados et de jeunes hommes que le vaisseau comporte.
D'après ce que j'ai lu sur le site de l'auteur, il souhaitait faire de cette série une série récurrente mais n'en a pas eu l'occasion pour l'instant. Ce tome est sorti en VO en 2015 et rien depuis (il comptait sortir un tome par an). Apparemment il est tombé malade et n'a pas pu reprendre l'écriture. J'espère qu'il se rétablira et que dans les années à venir on aura le plaisir de retrouver Robichaux et les autres.
Au final j'ai passé un bon moment dans ce tome. Il était très sympa, un peu mieux que le précédent au niveau des explications mais un peu moins bon au niveau du rythme. Le tout se compense et place donc ce tome au même niveau.
16/20
April 2, 2016
This was a little disappointing compared to the 1st and 2nd books. Battles were sketchy and one of the main characters became nothing more than a superfluous mouthpiece. The enemy POV was short and uninformative, thus unnecessary.
May 29, 2020
Notes:
This was going to be a 4 star until I got to the end. I highly doubt there's going to be another book and that kinda ticks me off.
This was going to be a 4 star until I got to the end. I highly doubt there's going to be another book and that kinda ticks me off.
August 12, 2023
Perhaps some luck in the battle that was lost. The wild and unusual tactics are interesting.
July 5, 2015
This is another very enjoyable book in the Man Of War series. Not unsurprisingly it continues he adventures of Max Robichaux and his, now, firmly established crew. Unfortunately I read this book when I was in Sweden attending my fathers funeral and I did not really have the time (or tools) to write a review at that time so I am writing this from memory and my memory have a tendency to be coated with Teflon at times.
In any case, it was nice to make the acquaintance of Max Robichaux and his friends again. As with the previous book the space combat is excellent. The dialogue is entertaining although I got the impression that it was less inspired than in the previous books. Actually I felt that the entire book was a bit more “just” jumping from one adventure scene to another than the previous ones. It also felt shorter. It is still a great book but it did not reach the wow-standard that Mr. Honsinger managed to set with the previous one. But then that was a tall order to match. This is still a great book as far as I am concerned.
There are still a great number of really good episodes. Quite early in the book there are some great space combat and Max gets himself both in and out of some serious pickle. He also has to manage a few challenges to his authority. The loud mouthed Admiral is back as well. I must say that I quite like this character even though he mostly manages by distance and through some rather indirect means in this book.
I enjoyed the book immensely and I certainly hope that Mr. Honsinger continues the series. Especially given the ending which leaves Max and his crew in quite a bit of a mess.
In any case, it was nice to make the acquaintance of Max Robichaux and his friends again. As with the previous book the space combat is excellent. The dialogue is entertaining although I got the impression that it was less inspired than in the previous books. Actually I felt that the entire book was a bit more “just” jumping from one adventure scene to another than the previous ones. It also felt shorter. It is still a great book but it did not reach the wow-standard that Mr. Honsinger managed to set with the previous one. But then that was a tall order to match. This is still a great book as far as I am concerned.
There are still a great number of really good episodes. Quite early in the book there are some great space combat and Max gets himself both in and out of some serious pickle. He also has to manage a few challenges to his authority. The loud mouthed Admiral is back as well. I must say that I quite like this character even though he mostly manages by distance and through some rather indirect means in this book.
I enjoyed the book immensely and I certainly hope that Mr. Honsinger continues the series. Especially given the ending which leaves Max and his crew in quite a bit of a mess.
December 25, 2017
The final volume of the Man of War series starts, as usual, in medias res with the USS Cumberland stuck in an impossible situation. Unlike the previous volume, this one flows naturally from the situation at the end, but there's also a decided tendency to make the opening action bigger and badder than the previous.
Once out of this bit of formula, we're back to our usual mix of well-done military SF, with plenty of action. The character side is less evident here; I assume it got crowded out by other concerns (or deadlines). The bulk of the book is involved in a daring and dangerous mission (or two missions, really) behind enemy lines. Some early parts of this got done a bit episodically, and I wondered if I'd accidentally missed something, but no, there's just less bridging between sections than I expected.
Man of War is billed as a trilogy, but Brothers in Valor does not bring the action to a close. How this is considered 'the end' is way off in spoiler territory, but needless to say, I'm eager to see what happens next, and am disappointed that the next two (shorter) books are prequels, as opposed to the promised next series.
Despite some minor problems, overall the writing is holding up, and I do recommend the entire series as good military SF.
Once out of this bit of formula, we're back to our usual mix of well-done military SF, with plenty of action. The character side is less evident here; I assume it got crowded out by other concerns (or deadlines). The bulk of the book is involved in a daring and dangerous mission (or two missions, really) behind enemy lines. Some early parts of this got done a bit episodically, and I wondered if I'd accidentally missed something, but no, there's just less bridging between sections than I expected.
Man of War is billed as a trilogy, but Brothers in Valor does not bring the action to a close. How this is considered 'the end' is way off in spoiler territory, but needless to say, I'm eager to see what happens next, and am disappointed that the next two (shorter) books are prequels, as opposed to the promised next series.
Despite some minor problems, overall the writing is holding up, and I do recommend the entire series as good military SF.
July 23, 2020
Long-drawn out action sequences and a ton of military sci-fi mumbo jumbo makes for a tedious read.
I had been really enjoying the series and this book has all the ingredients which made the previous books (To Honor You Call Us, For Honor We Stand a success, the problem is it has them in uneven quantity. The overall plot hardly moves instead we have too much focus on space battles, terminology and slangs, I could skim over them and skip out chapters without missing out on anything. Also, the banters between the skipper and the doctor while humorous at times feel more silly, forced and stretched.
I am looking forward to the captain’s next adventure, just I hope it is more balanced than this.
I had been really enjoying the series and this book has all the ingredients which made the previous books (To Honor You Call Us, For Honor We Stand a success, the problem is it has them in uneven quantity. The overall plot hardly moves instead we have too much focus on space battles, terminology and slangs, I could skim over them and skip out chapters without missing out on anything. Also, the banters between the skipper and the doctor while humorous at times feel more silly, forced and stretched.
I am looking forward to the captain’s next adventure, just I hope it is more balanced than this.
January 9, 2016
‘“Firing solution computed. Targeting data routed to Equalizer. Weapon drives and warheads arming. Arming sequence complete. Warhead safeties disengaging. Safeties disengaged.” Pause. “Equalizer is ready to receive targeting data. Translating into individual weapon guidance commands….Data translated. Guidance commands loaded. Auto fire has initiated countdown. Firing in three seconds, Two. One. Firing.”’
If you are reading Book 3, it’s because you liked the action in space the author, N. Paul Honsinger, has provided in Books 1 and 2. WYSIWG. No surprise, the book starts out with a battle. It covers about the first quarter of the novel.
(semi-spoiler alert)
Then there is another battle that lasts another quarter of the book . Finally the Captain and crew get in position to complete their mission and the book ends with a cliffhanger. 'Nuff said.
If you are reading Book 3, it’s because you liked the action in space the author, N. Paul Honsinger, has provided in Books 1 and 2. WYSIWG. No surprise, the book starts out with a battle. It covers about the first quarter of the novel.
(semi-spoiler alert)
Then there is another battle that lasts another quarter of the book . Finally the Captain and crew get in position to complete their mission and the book ends with a cliffhanger. 'Nuff said.
July 5, 2015
Book 3 in the series (you don't have to have read the other two books but it certainly helps) starts off with dire action and does not really let up. As before this is essentially O'Brian's Aubrey-Marturin series set in space. The war with the Krag (bipedal rats) is in full force. The USS Cumberland is sent on a series of missions behind enemy lines.
Because of setting the book up as a war piece there is actually very little in the way of character development or advancement. The entire book is about the war, and because of this I feel it lacks what the other books had. In addition the ending was frustrating. I can't say more without giving away the ending but it was really a very rude cliffhanger.
Because of setting the book up as a war piece there is actually very little in the way of character development or advancement. The entire book is about the war, and because of this I feel it lacks what the other books had. In addition the ending was frustrating. I can't say more without giving away the ending but it was really a very rude cliffhanger.
July 6, 2015
Not quite as well-written as the first two in the series. Editing seems to have slowed the pace of the story somewhat and the ending was heavily foreshadowed. In several scenes the author has reverted to having characters tell us how remarkable other characters are by recounting segments of previous books, rather than demonstrating their actions through new material. Still worth a read but quite disappointing after the long wait and the higher quality of the first two self-published books and the novella.
November 17, 2016
While I enjoyed book 1 and 2 of this series immensely, this one didn't quite live up to the hype. It was an entertaining read, but it didn't reveal anymore about the universe and backstory as the others did. Even more, it didn't really feel as if the story was even remotely as harrowing as the others. Sure the battles were fun, the jokes funny, and the book enjoyable, but it just didn't quite feel the same. Hopefully the next ones will return to the former glory.
January 5, 2016
Just my kind of book: Lots of action undiluted by romance or other off-point subplots--and I'm guessing that the author shares my affection for Age of Sail Royal Navy books.
I look forward to the advent of book 4 in the series.
I look forward to the advent of book 4 in the series.
August 12, 2018
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2018/08/...
This review will contain spoilers for the previous two books.
Brothers in Valor really ramps up the action compared to the previous Man of War novels. The first book had a fair amount of world building and character development, with little bits of action in-between. The second novel used that pre-established information and focused more on fighting, just adding more lore as needed. This third book is closer to full-on war with Robichaux and his crew jumping from one battle to the next. The near-constant warfare does make this book feel shorter; and it is shorter too, with a noticeably lower page count than the other two.
Character development was a bit weaker here than in the previous books. Robichaux still gets developed further as the central character, but other crew members are not as at the forefront. Dr. Sahin, for example, felt more like a plot device than a character in Brothers in Valor. He serves the role of inexperienced military personnel, asking questions that the readers need answered in context. But for character development, he does not do a lot this time around. The same is true for most of the rest of the crew. There is one chapter though that takes place from a Krag commander’s point of view. This gives a lot of insight into the culture and the way they think, making it one of the best chapters of the book.
With so many battles, the overall plot of this series does not advance too much either. The way Brothers in Valor is lain out is almost like the season finale of a television show. We have had slower developments leading here and now we are at the big action scene at the end. Because despite this being the end of the trilogy, it does not end the story as a whole. This wraps up the current story arc, but there will still be more to come.
While some elements in Brothers in Valor are weaker than in its predecessors, the action is top notch. Since the Cumberland tends of operate independently, many of the previous battles in the series were skirmishes. This is where we get into full-on war; the turning point that could decide the final outcome for all humanity. We do get a climax but only for this first portion of a much larger story. With Honsinger working on another trilogy, I cannot wait to see where Robichaux and his crew go next.
This review will contain spoilers for the previous two books.
Brothers in Valor really ramps up the action compared to the previous Man of War novels. The first book had a fair amount of world building and character development, with little bits of action in-between. The second novel used that pre-established information and focused more on fighting, just adding more lore as needed. This third book is closer to full-on war with Robichaux and his crew jumping from one battle to the next. The near-constant warfare does make this book feel shorter; and it is shorter too, with a noticeably lower page count than the other two.
Character development was a bit weaker here than in the previous books. Robichaux still gets developed further as the central character, but other crew members are not as at the forefront. Dr. Sahin, for example, felt more like a plot device than a character in Brothers in Valor. He serves the role of inexperienced military personnel, asking questions that the readers need answered in context. But for character development, he does not do a lot this time around. The same is true for most of the rest of the crew. There is one chapter though that takes place from a Krag commander’s point of view. This gives a lot of insight into the culture and the way they think, making it one of the best chapters of the book.
With so many battles, the overall plot of this series does not advance too much either. The way Brothers in Valor is lain out is almost like the season finale of a television show. We have had slower developments leading here and now we are at the big action scene at the end. Because despite this being the end of the trilogy, it does not end the story as a whole. This wraps up the current story arc, but there will still be more to come.
While some elements in Brothers in Valor are weaker than in its predecessors, the action is top notch. Since the Cumberland tends of operate independently, many of the previous battles in the series were skirmishes. This is where we get into full-on war; the turning point that could decide the final outcome for all humanity. We do get a climax but only for this first portion of a much larger story. With Honsinger working on another trilogy, I cannot wait to see where Robichaux and his crew go next.
March 21, 2021
I liked book one despite the exposition, book two was adequate in every way but its long length, but book three has put me off this author forever. So let me explain my single star - a rating that I've barely made a handful of times before.
The book... it was bad.
It had some good qualities but there was so much lazy and awful writing for me to be anything but relieved as the pages wore on and I came closer to the end of this trilogy.
I'd start with the basics but there wasn't any. From page one right through to the very final scene there was ridiculous new technology and tactics that made no sense and had no place in the world the previous books had established.
Every action scene (until the trashbag ending) was the captain doing crazy amazing stuff and always getting the upper hand. There were several major issues I had with some of this but... spoilers... so I'll suffice to say that until the plot demanded his stupidity, he was the universe's greatest tactical genius.
Where the previous books were immensely longwinded, the third instalment did manage to slim things down. However, this seemed to come at the cost of randomly skipping transitions. Considering how little I enjoyed all the new tech though - seriously... robotic centipedes? - that just randomly appeared, often for just a single scene, I'm chuffed to pieces this was shorter.
The book... it was bad.
It had some good qualities but there was so much lazy and awful writing for me to be anything but relieved as the pages wore on and I came closer to the end of this trilogy.
I'd start with the basics but there wasn't any. From page one right through to the very final scene there was ridiculous new technology and tactics that made no sense and had no place in the world the previous books had established.
Every action scene (until the trashbag ending) was the captain doing crazy amazing stuff and always getting the upper hand. There were several major issues I had with some of this but... spoilers... so I'll suffice to say that until the plot demanded his stupidity, he was the universe's greatest tactical genius.
Where the previous books were immensely longwinded, the third instalment did manage to slim things down. However, this seemed to come at the cost of randomly skipping transitions. Considering how little I enjoyed all the new tech though - seriously... robotic centipedes? - that just randomly appeared, often for just a single scene, I'm chuffed to pieces this was shorter.
January 22, 2022
very very mild spoiler included
in honesty I listened to this book shortly after its audiobook release. I have a pretty simple criterion for sciences fiction books: can I suspend reality enough so that all the event's that play out seem believably? for this book and series the answer is yes. but this book gets knocked down 2 stars for a couple of reasons:
1. it ends in a cliffhanger. cliffhangers suck even more when the follow up book does not get published in a fairly timely fashion. it has been nearly 6 years since this was published with nothing since. unresolved storyline leave a very bad taste in my mouth and unless something has changed in the last 4 years that taste will remain because
2. the author has died and there is no word from the estate or publisher of any other author being commissioned to finish the loose ends and maybe even continue the series.
if you like military sci-fi I actually do recommend this book and this series. but if and until another book in the series comes out I do not recommend reading this as the entire ship's crew is left in a near impossible situation as the book ends and as of right now there is no resolution.
in honesty I listened to this book shortly after its audiobook release. I have a pretty simple criterion for sciences fiction books: can I suspend reality enough so that all the event's that play out seem believably? for this book and series the answer is yes. but this book gets knocked down 2 stars for a couple of reasons:
1. it ends in a cliffhanger. cliffhangers suck even more when the follow up book does not get published in a fairly timely fashion. it has been nearly 6 years since this was published with nothing since. unresolved storyline leave a very bad taste in my mouth and unless something has changed in the last 4 years that taste will remain because
2. the author has died and there is no word from the estate or publisher of any other author being commissioned to finish the loose ends and maybe even continue the series.
if you like military sci-fi I actually do recommend this book and this series. but if and until another book in the series comes out I do not recommend reading this as the entire ship's crew is left in a near impossible situation as the book ends and as of right now there is no resolution.
September 22, 2017
If you haven’t read the first two installments to this series and start with this one, you’re going to be lost. I would recommend you read them first.
On the other hand, I was very disappointed in this one. Without having a spoiler, the first third of the book was fairly slow and it didn’t get much better, and the author seems to be too enamored with the witty dialogue between the ship’s captain and doctor, and multiple long discussions of the necessity of good coffee – so much so it was really distracting and took away from the story. The ending was your usual dramatic and relatively hopeless situation for the good guys, but you won’t find out what happened until installment #4 is finished.
This started out as a good series, but everything in this third installment appeared to be written to be witty and cute with the captain’s conversations. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, I would recommend you give this one a pass and retain your fond memories.
Comment | Permalink
On the other hand, I was very disappointed in this one. Without having a spoiler, the first third of the book was fairly slow and it didn’t get much better, and the author seems to be too enamored with the witty dialogue between the ship’s captain and doctor, and multiple long discussions of the necessity of good coffee – so much so it was really distracting and took away from the story. The ending was your usual dramatic and relatively hopeless situation for the good guys, but you won’t find out what happened until installment #4 is finished.
This started out as a good series, but everything in this third installment appeared to be written to be witty and cute with the captain’s conversations. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, I would recommend you give this one a pass and retain your fond memories.
Comment | Permalink
October 1, 2025
The series has rushed headfirst downhill and landed here. Not only does the author rewrite - or flat-out forget - a major plot point from the 2nd book (how the enemy datacore was acquired) he also at one point in a battle forgets what ship his characters are on. Events major and minor are skipped over, an entire scene is written from the enemy POV (which has never happened in the series before) and the entire entry ends on a cliffhanger with no new books in 10 years at this point. GRR Martin can get away with that, Honsinger can't.
Addendum.
Apparently H. Paul died in 2020, and none of his relatives, agents, or executors saw fit to update his personal information anywhere on the interwebs. That doesn't forgive the sins of THIS novel, but can excuse the lack of follow-on material.
Addendum.
Apparently H. Paul died in 2020, and none of his relatives, agents, or executors saw fit to update his personal information anywhere on the interwebs. That doesn't forgive the sins of THIS novel, but can excuse the lack of follow-on material.
June 10, 2017
I am generally in favor of putting slower books in an action series. It allows the author to develop the characters and the world and the reader to take a breath and take in the world… well, that failed.
I had vague recollections of this series and after reading this book I had a look at my earlier reviews. “An interesting, rich universe with an equally interesting conflict. Shame about the people.“ Yup, same here. The characters fail at developing (the doctor feels like he is regressing) and we get very little of the overall situation.
The book is clearly the setup for major developments, but it is a long and mostly wasted setup that could have been so much more.
I had vague recollections of this series and after reading this book I had a look at my earlier reviews. “An interesting, rich universe with an equally interesting conflict. Shame about the people.“ Yup, same here. The characters fail at developing (the doctor feels like he is regressing) and we get very little of the overall situation.
The book is clearly the setup for major developments, but it is a long and mostly wasted setup that could have been so much more.
May 29, 2020
Another exceptional book from Honsinger that ends on a cliffhanger if there ever was one. Sadly, Paul is very ill and the next book is in limbo.
'Brothers in Valor' has all the technical aspects that we've come to expect plus the characterizations that make me stay with a book that is full of technical aspects. In other words, I can skip some of the technical things that my husband loves and concentrate on the people and their relationships. That way we can both enjoy the same book.
Get well, Paul, the suspense is killing us!
'Brothers in Valor' has all the technical aspects that we've come to expect plus the characterizations that make me stay with a book that is full of technical aspects. In other words, I can skip some of the technical things that my husband loves and concentrate on the people and their relationships. That way we can both enjoy the same book.
Get well, Paul, the suspense is killing us!
November 24, 2016
Paul,
Yep. I gobbled this series up like the most delicious desert you can imagine. I really wish there were more of these published or you would consider adding me to your advanced reader list for feedback.
I must say that reading these ebooks was more enjoyable to me than anything I have read in a great while. I am a voracious reader - sometimes more than 1 book a day.
Steven Bergh
USN VietNam Vet
Spokane Valley, WA
Yep. I gobbled this series up like the most delicious desert you can imagine. I really wish there were more of these published or you would consider adding me to your advanced reader list for feedback.
I must say that reading these ebooks was more enjoyable to me than anything I have read in a great while. I am a voracious reader - sometimes more than 1 book a day.
Steven Bergh
USN VietNam Vet
Spokane Valley, WA
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