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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I'm not a fan of military SciFi but in my youth I was a fan of the Napoleonic sea stories of Patrick O'Brian, so the blurb for this novel which sounded very Hornblower-in-space appealed to me, however I regretted it by 50%.
The style: several major info-dumps: firstly one on the over complicated reason for broadside battle tactics which puts Chekhov's (amended for eBook readers) gun in the first 1% which is so obviously used in the last 6%; the history of space colonisation dumped in the middle of what is meant to be a tense meeting; and the explanation of hyperdrive technology which takes up 1% of the book (I checked). Numerous descriptions of the heroines (Harrington) looks, from her pov and multiple other characters, which quickly become annoying. Switches between character pov mid-chapter, not a problem if the reader is shown via a chapter break or some other mechanism but (and this may be a failure of the eBook format) were not so were jarring.
Then the plot devices: natives (aliens/aborigines) are given absolutely no characters of their own, they are only seen through the eyes of the occupiers who refer to them as "stilties", we never hear any part of their story. The Captain's empathic Treecat is a daft idea, making a poker face impossible, here I was expecting some useful plot reason but nope.
The politics: I've mentioned the borderline treatment of the racist aliens/aborigines and the rest of the story has a remarkably pro imperial tendency told without balance, and an enemy who are economically incapable socialists who's aggressive expansion is driven by the need to pay for social security.
Most of the ship's officers are carbon-copies of each other with their skills their only differentiation (and I assume their rank and name but that never really stuck with me). There are two outliers, the 2nd in command who's antipathy is somewhat unbelievably maintained and even more unbelievably fixed and the Doctor who is the token inept "coward".
Spoliers from here........
So after a long middle of novel with the Captain being stoic and a good Queen's officer we go into the denouement
On the planet mass slaughter of the aborigines with no attempt to consider a different tactic. Allies and Enemies are given grisly deaths (one shot in the stomach deliberately to cause maxium suffering). Where to put the armour and mass killing devices is the problem not should you or is there another option.
In space we are treated to the two ships battering away at each other, with grisly deaths, until Chekov's gun is drawn.
The style: several major info-dumps: firstly one on the over complicated reason for broadside battle tactics which puts Chekhov's (amended for eBook readers) gun in the first 1% which is so obviously used in the last 6%; the history of space colonisation dumped in the middle of what is meant to be a tense meeting; and the explanation of hyperdrive technology which takes up 1% of the book (I checked). Numerous descriptions of the heroines (Harrington) looks, from her pov and multiple other characters, which quickly become annoying. Switches between character pov mid-chapter, not a problem if the reader is shown via a chapter break or some other mechanism but (and this may be a failure of the eBook format) were not so were jarring.
Then the plot devices: natives (aliens/aborigines) are given absolutely no characters of their own, they are only seen through the eyes of the occupiers who refer to them as "stilties", we never hear any part of their story. The Captain's empathic Treecat is a daft idea, making a poker face impossible, here I was expecting some useful plot reason but nope.
The politics: I've mentioned the borderline treatment of the racist aliens/aborigines and the rest of the story has a remarkably pro imperial tendency told without balance, and an enemy who are economically incapable socialists who's aggressive expansion is driven by the need to pay for social security.
Most of the ship's officers are carbon-copies of each other with their skills their only differentiation (and I assume their rank and name but that never really stuck with me). There are two outliers, the 2nd in command who's antipathy is somewhat unbelievably maintained and even more unbelievably fixed and the Doctor who is the token inept "coward".
Spoliers from here........
So after a long middle of novel with the Captain being stoic and a good Queen's officer we go into the denouement
On the planet mass slaughter of the aborigines with no attempt to consider a different tactic. Allies and Enemies are given grisly deaths (one shot in the stomach deliberately to cause maxium suffering). Where to put the armour and mass killing devices is the problem not should you or is there another option.
In space we are treated to the two ships battering away at each other, with grisly deaths, until Chekov's gun is drawn.
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
For a clever, detailed sci-fi work with a healthy serving of political intrigue, consider On Basilisk Station. It's a page-turning read about a captain determined to execute her job efficiently despite obstacles like incompetent well-born superiors, a lack of resources, and a covert plot by a foreign power. The ingredients here are all standard and formulaic, but the formula is executed well here, with some special flourishes.
What brings this book down from five stars are weaknesses in the writing. The final battle was somewhat confusing due to the constant switching of perspectives. (That said, I appreciated the realistic gore of it - no sugar-coating of what war looks like here.) The author also veers into long explanations of how his fantasy world's technology works at inopportune moments, such as in the middle of a tense conflict, which kills the book's pacing at a key moment. The side characters are serviceable but pretty forgettable.
There's far more to like here than not, as long as you aren't expecting it to be a life-changing novel. I'd consider reading further books in the series in future.
What brings this book down from five stars are weaknesses in the writing. The final battle was somewhat confusing due to the constant switching of perspectives. (That said, I appreciated the realistic gore of it - no sugar-coating of what war looks like here.) The author also veers into long explanations of how his fantasy world's technology works at inopportune moments, such as in the middle of a tense conflict, which kills the book's pacing at a key moment. The side characters are serviceable but pretty forgettable.
There's far more to like here than not, as long as you aren't expecting it to be a life-changing novel. I'd consider reading further books in the series in future.
I really enjoyed this book, I look forward to reading the next book in the series. There are parts that are overly technical, and if you don't have a military background it might bog down on you. But I liked Honor, a strong female lead. I enjoyed the idea of a bond cat, I can't wait to hear more about Nimitz.
I'm really sorry about the stupid cover. It's probably best to read this as an ebook. (It was also free as a Kindle book when I downloaded it!)
Honor Harrington is apparently a tribute to Horatio Hornblower. I have never read Horatio Hornblower because I think his name is kind of ridiculous and I don't see how he could live up to Jack Aubrey, so there doesn't seem to be a point in it. (I do have this vague feeling I should probably read them someday, though. Feel free to scold me about this.)
This book is absolutely military SF fluff. The characters are fun, but not necessarily deep or nuanced. The adventure is engaging, and the writing is acceptable. The cat-thing grew on me, though despite protestations of sapience, it didn't seem any brighter than your average Earth dog.
Run to read, perfect for the beach or the plane.
Honor Harrington is apparently a tribute to Horatio Hornblower. I have never read Horatio Hornblower because I think his name is kind of ridiculous and I don't see how he could live up to Jack Aubrey, so there doesn't seem to be a point in it. (I do have this vague feeling I should probably read them someday, though. Feel free to scold me about this.)
This book is absolutely military SF fluff. The characters are fun, but not necessarily deep or nuanced. The adventure is engaging, and the writing is acceptable. The cat-thing grew on me, though despite protestations of sapience, it didn't seem any brighter than your average Earth dog.
Run to read, perfect for the beach or the plane.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked this quite a bit more than I was expecting. Sometimes it’s nice to read about people who are good at their jobs doing their jobs well and beating the bad guys. Reminded me a lot of Star Trek TNG in that way.
The final battle sequence was thrilling. It was what put the book up from a solid 4 stars to a 5 star read. I was just tearing through the final 50 pages
The final battle sequence was thrilling. It was what put the book up from a solid 4 stars to a 5 star read. I was just tearing through the final 50 pages
I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters. I really like Honor Harrington. I want to read/listen to the rest of this series.
But for the love of every good and holy, do we HAVE to stop in the middle of the action for a history lesson?
I fully understand that this is an unfortunate trademark of Weber’s work. But I wanted to throw something when Honor was about to go toe-to-toe with Klaus Hauptmann over her inspections of his ships... and the book stops and takes a sharp detour into a tangent about Hauptmann’s family history. Like, centuries back.
I was driving at the time (listening to the audiobook) and that was not the best place to have that happen. Luckily, my husband has read these books and knew to warn me of it. Also, was helpful to have him explain some of the more eye-crossingly boring explanations of the political whys and wherefores of the setting (gotta say - once I understood what was going on, the politics of Manticore is fascinating. Mostly because it’s fictional).
But outside of the massive info dumps and dull space lectures, this is a great book! And I look forward to lots more Honor Harrington.
But for the love of every good and holy, do we HAVE to stop in the middle of the action for a history lesson?
I fully understand that this is an unfortunate trademark of Weber’s work. But I wanted to throw something when Honor was about to go toe-to-toe with Klaus Hauptmann over her inspections of his ships... and the book stops and takes a sharp detour into a tangent about Hauptmann’s family history. Like, centuries back.
I was driving at the time (listening to the audiobook) and that was not the best place to have that happen. Luckily, my husband has read these books and knew to warn me of it. Also, was helpful to have him explain some of the more eye-crossingly boring explanations of the political whys and wherefores of the setting (gotta say - once I understood what was going on, the politics of Manticore is fascinating. Mostly because it’s fictional).
But outside of the massive info dumps and dull space lectures, this is a great book! And I look forward to lots more Honor Harrington.
I feel it necessary to admit a few things before starting this review proper.
1. I have watched the Horatio Hornblower movies that were shown on A&E (you know, back when A&E actually could be called Arts and Entertainment as opposed to Tattoo TV). I liked them. (Okay, I really liked LT. Bush {Paul McGann}, but who didn't? The only thing better was The Hanging Gale when all the McGann brothers were working together). I also saw the Peck movie.
2. I have only read one Hornblower novel. I didn't really like it. Then I read a plot synopsis in Masterplots, don't get me started.
3. I have only read two [a:Patrick O'Brian|5600|Patrick O'Brian|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1212630063p2/5600.jpg] books. I felt one was okay, and other was :yawn:.
4. #s 2 and 3 are weird because I liked the Hornblower movies, and the Master and Commander movie (maybe, because it had Pippin in it). This has made me frightened to read the Sharpe novels. I want to like them beause I like the movies. (Did anyone else laugh when Bean picked up the sword in LOTR and said, "still sharp"?)
5. Why am I telling you this?
Because On Basilisk Station is Hornblower in space.
And it doesn't suck! (Can I use that word here?)
Weber is up-front about his inspiration material. Look at the dedication to the book. I love up-front advertising. It is also extremely honest because some of the themes are from Hornblower (at least from the movies). You have the really intelligent officer trying to work with a somewhat resentful crew who come around in the end. you have the intelligent officer who makes enemies in high ranking and powerful officers, and said intelligent officer gains protection in some places. Some of the references to the names are blatantly obvious (Honor as a first name. Of course, Horatio was rather obvious as well).
But Weber makes it more. Instead of making Honor a Hornblower with boobs, Weber makes her a believable woman. And she is a woman, not a girl. What I liked was that Weber didn't make her command style touchy feely (like Janeway in Voyager), but allowed us to see her thoughts as well as her actions. We could see her thinking her way though the decisions she made. This made her more human than Hornblower, more sympathetic, and more real. Weber also gives us a more plausible reason for her intelligence. Though she is young looking, she is really around what we would call her 40s. Weber explains this by that vague anti-aging drugs or process that works it's way into every other SF novel. Strangely, it didn't bug me here.
What I really liked about this book was Honor's interactions with other women. Too often in books with a chosen woman, the other women are made to look bad (for example, Anita Blake or [b:Blood and Chocolate|30324|Blood and Chocolate|Annette Curtis Klause|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YFHJ6VAKL._SL75_.jpg|895781]. Here, Weber does for women exactly what he did for the male characters. You have good and bad ones. (Though the bad guys are really guys). There is a female doctor that Honor can't get along with, but there is also Dame Estelle who Honor does get along with. You also have Young, a male officer who is worthless. No one sex is made to look bad. I loved that. I loved the interactions between Honor and Estelle (or any of the female crew for that matter). No girl talk, all business. I never understood the rule about 40% of the talk being about men meant that the writers was portraying women in a positive way. Really? Would you have a book geared towards males where 40% of the talk was about their relationships or hair or make-up? No, you wouldn't.
I love Weber for this.
There were some things that didn't quite work for me. I felt the inclusion of a treecat, while a cool sounding animal, made Honor too special, or meaning of the animal was too obvious. A bit heavy handed. I felt that making Honor stronger than some of the other characters too, was something that wasn't totally needed. I must give Weber credit. Honor is stronger because of her home planet, so her strength and treecat are not unusual for where she comes from.
I did think that Weber did a wonderful job with supporting characters, in particular with McKeon. The last few chapters, the major space battle, were thrilling.
I'm kicking myself for not picking up this series sooner.
1. I have watched the Horatio Hornblower movies that were shown on A&E (you know, back when A&E actually could be called Arts and Entertainment as opposed to Tattoo TV). I liked them. (Okay, I really liked LT. Bush {Paul McGann}, but who didn't? The only thing better was The Hanging Gale when all the McGann brothers were working together). I also saw the Peck movie.
2. I have only read one Hornblower novel. I didn't really like it. Then I read a plot synopsis in Masterplots, don't get me started.
3. I have only read two [a:Patrick O'Brian|5600|Patrick O'Brian|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1212630063p2/5600.jpg] books. I felt one was okay, and other was :yawn:.
4. #s 2 and 3 are weird because I liked the Hornblower movies, and the Master and Commander movie (maybe, because it had Pippin in it). This has made me frightened to read the Sharpe novels. I want to like them beause I like the movies. (Did anyone else laugh when Bean picked up the sword in LOTR and said, "still sharp"?)
5. Why am I telling you this?
Because On Basilisk Station is Hornblower in space.
And it doesn't suck! (Can I use that word here?)
Weber is up-front about his inspiration material. Look at the dedication to the book. I love up-front advertising. It is also extremely honest because some of the themes are from Hornblower (at least from the movies). You have the really intelligent officer trying to work with a somewhat resentful crew who come around in the end. you have the intelligent officer who makes enemies in high ranking and powerful officers, and said intelligent officer gains protection in some places. Some of the references to the names are blatantly obvious (Honor as a first name. Of course, Horatio was rather obvious as well).
But Weber makes it more. Instead of making Honor a Hornblower with boobs, Weber makes her a believable woman. And she is a woman, not a girl. What I liked was that Weber didn't make her command style touchy feely (like Janeway in Voyager), but allowed us to see her thoughts as well as her actions. We could see her thinking her way though the decisions she made. This made her more human than Hornblower, more sympathetic, and more real. Weber also gives us a more plausible reason for her intelligence. Though she is young looking, she is really around what we would call her 40s. Weber explains this by that vague anti-aging drugs or process that works it's way into every other SF novel. Strangely, it didn't bug me here.
What I really liked about this book was Honor's interactions with other women. Too often in books with a chosen woman, the other women are made to look bad (for example, Anita Blake or [b:Blood and Chocolate|30324|Blood and Chocolate|Annette Curtis Klause|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YFHJ6VAKL._SL75_.jpg|895781]. Here, Weber does for women exactly what he did for the male characters. You have good and bad ones. (Though the bad guys are really guys). There is a female doctor that Honor can't get along with, but there is also Dame Estelle who Honor does get along with. You also have Young, a male officer who is worthless. No one sex is made to look bad. I loved that. I loved the interactions between Honor and Estelle (or any of the female crew for that matter). No girl talk, all business. I never understood the rule about 40% of the talk being about men meant that the writers was portraying women in a positive way. Really? Would you have a book geared towards males where 40% of the talk was about their relationships or hair or make-up? No, you wouldn't.
I love Weber for this.
There were some things that didn't quite work for me. I felt the inclusion of a treecat, while a cool sounding animal, made Honor too special, or meaning of the animal was too obvious. A bit heavy handed. I felt that making Honor stronger than some of the other characters too, was something that wasn't totally needed. I must give Weber credit. Honor is stronger because of her home planet, so her strength and treecat are not unusual for where she comes from.
I did think that Weber did a wonderful job with supporting characters, in particular with McKeon. The last few chapters, the major space battle, were thrilling.
I'm kicking myself for not picking up this series sooner.
Reasonably believable competency porn, with a nice combination of (cast of) character development, plot, and politics in a pretty standard naval SF package.