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brookenger's review against another edition
1.0
This one finally killed my interest in this series. For the last several books, the story has revolved almost entirely around political wrangling and internal monolog, and not even very interesting wrangling. In fact, the result of all the wrangling is pretty obvious from about 1/4 of the way through the book. I've stayed with this because there were some great comeuppance moments in previous books, and the space battles were very engaging. But this book has 700-odd pages with neither of those things. That's when I gave up and decided to read something else.
For an alternative, look at the Vatta's War series by Elizabeth Moon or the Miles Vorkosigan series by Bujold.
For an alternative, look at the Vatta's War series by Elizabeth Moon or the Miles Vorkosigan series by Bujold.
serinde4books's review
2.0
This is the 10th book in the series and it is quite the tome.
I'm glad to be back in the Honorverse, but I feel like I missed something. There is a big thing about genetic slavery and it's affecting the political landscape, but I missed what genetic slavery actually is. Some of the players I'm having a hard time remembering who they are...mostly I'm frustrated with the current RMN’s Lords games. They remind me too much of the Tump administration. The deeper I get in the book the more this frustrates me. I know as the reader I can see the bigger picture easier than the characters, but the civilian politicians narrow minded decisions really frustrate me. It actually makes me angry that they are looking so intently at their own careers that they put the nation at risk. Again I am sure our own US political environment right now feeds into that anger.
Again I feel that we are so busy talking about the political machinations of the RMN and the Peeps that we forget to talk about our main character. So much so that I actually began to tally when we had an Honor chapter versus a chapter about politics, other navies etc. Out of 60 chapters only 25 maybe 26 involved Honor and her actions. This is one of the reasons I have struggled so much with the last few Honor Harrington books, they have moved more to being about the Honorverse world and politics and not so much about Honor herself. But Honor is why I read them, the politics etc are only background noise in my mind, but Webber has moved them to the front line and Honor seems to be the background noise.
Things finally start to heat up around page 643, we got one chapter of excitement in and went back to political machinations. Things started moving again around page 800 and still there was only 1 maybe 2 chapters that were about Honor.
Another issue I am beginning to recognize, is that every time a minor character dies, even this far into the series I still flinch, I keep hoping the devastation won’t happen. I’m not sure I’m cut out for war novels, but the characters such as Honor, Mayhew, Lefollet, Nimitz etc keep me trudging on through the blood and the loss. And Webster isn’t afraid to kill a major character either we have seen that so many times. I am about at the end of my limit though, the cost benefit is shifting for me. There is getting to be too much politicking, war and death, and not enough focus on the characters that keep me coming back. I have some other books on my TBR shelf and for book clubs, so I think those will be my next choices, but if the next book isn't about Honor more, the final 3 may go unread by me.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
I'm glad to be back in the Honorverse, but I feel like I missed something. There is a big thing about genetic slavery and it's affecting the political landscape, but I missed what genetic slavery actually is. Some of the players I'm having a hard time remembering who they are...mostly I'm frustrated with the current RMN’s Lords games. They remind me too much of the Tump administration. The deeper I get in the book the more this frustrates me. I know as the reader I can see the bigger picture easier than the characters, but the civilian politicians narrow minded decisions really frustrate me. It actually makes me angry that they are looking so intently at their own careers that they put the nation at risk. Again I am sure our own US political environment right now feeds into that anger.
Again I feel that we are so busy talking about the political machinations of the RMN and the Peeps that we forget to talk about our main character. So much so that I actually began to tally when we had an Honor chapter versus a chapter about politics, other navies etc. Out of 60 chapters only 25 maybe 26 involved Honor and her actions. This is one of the reasons I have struggled so much with the last few Honor Harrington books, they have moved more to being about the Honorverse world and politics and not so much about Honor herself. But Honor is why I read them, the politics etc are only background noise in my mind, but Webber has moved them to the front line and Honor seems to be the background noise.
Things finally start to heat up around page 643, we got one chapter of excitement in and went back to political machinations. Things started moving again around page 800 and still there was only 1 maybe 2 chapters that were about Honor.
Another issue I am beginning to recognize, is that every time a minor character dies, even this far into the series I still flinch, I keep hoping the devastation won’t happen. I’m not sure I’m cut out for war novels, but the characters such as Honor, Mayhew, Lefollet, Nimitz etc keep me trudging on through the blood and the loss. And Webster isn’t afraid to kill a major character either we have seen that so many times. I am about at the end of my limit though, the cost benefit is shifting for me. There is getting to be too much politicking, war and death, and not enough focus on the characters that keep me coming back. I have some other books on my TBR shelf and for book clubs, so I think those will be my next choices, but if the next book isn't about Honor more, the final 3 may go unread by me.
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
3.0
Ahh, it finally happened. I got bored in the middle. I almost gave up. It's okay, but one of the weakest books in the series. Very anti-climactic as well.
pjonsson's review against another edition
2.0
This book was really booring. It's mostly politics and dumbass politics as well.
I was almost tempted to give it a single star but that would have been unfair but I certainly hope that the next one in the series is more about Honor Harrington and military action than about incompetent stupid politicians.
I was almost tempted to give it a single star but that would have been unfair but I certainly hope that the next one in the series is more about Honor Harrington and military action than about incompetent stupid politicians.
matosapa's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a long time fan of this series because it is one of the best 'translations' of naval warfare to another environment I have read (and I've read a few). I am a big fan of well-written space opera (Banks, Brian J. Anderson, Scalzi, etc.) and Weber definitely ranks high on my list.
Focusing on a strong female protagonist, the series has aged well and has a balanced mix of high-level political maneuvering and tactical, large-unit warfare. My bias is towards the battle set pieces which are the high point for me but the politics also keep my interest.
Highly recommended for readers looking for strong female protagonists, well-written military encounters, and well-written science fiction.
Focusing on a strong female protagonist, the series has aged well and has a balanced mix of high-level political maneuvering and tactical, large-unit warfare. My bias is towards the battle set pieces which are the high point for me but the politics also keep my interest.
Highly recommended for readers looking for strong female protagonists, well-written military encounters, and well-written science fiction.
rgreatreader's review against another edition
4.0
I was slightly disappointed by this book. I was expecting another Honor Harrington adventure and instead I received an 800 page book mostly taken up with the political problems that the Manticoran Star Kingdom faces and how the inept High Ridge government attempts to deal with them. It only really picks up in the last 100 pages or so.
I also started to notice how little Weber takes note of the 3D aspect of space battle, which could really make his battle scenes more exciting. They've fallen into somewhat of a pattern - who is best prepared? who has the most missile pods? any plot twists? - which it might be nice to vary.
Additionally the "romance" between White Haven and Honor seems slightly forced. I can understand White Haven's obsession with Honor, but not the other way around. Not at all.
Don't skip it, though, as much as you might be tempted to. It does contain important plot points and most of the book is likeable, just not particularly exciting nor focused on Honor.
I also started to notice how little Weber takes note of the 3D aspect of space battle, which could really make his battle scenes more exciting. They've fallen into somewhat of a pattern - who is best prepared? who has the most missile pods? any plot twists? - which it might be nice to vary.
Additionally the "romance" between White Haven and Honor seems slightly forced. I can understand White Haven's obsession with Honor, but not the other way around. Not at all.
Spoiler
And when Emily, in the last 2 pages of the book, decides to be OK with the two of them getting together somehow, I was shocked. I expected that if Weber really wanted Honor and White Haven to be a couple, he would at least have the decency to kill Emily off. Not that I didn't like Emily - I did. But Weber is so good at creating personalities and storylines for characters whose only purpose is to die to further the plot that one might expect more courtesy from him to Emily.Don't skip it, though, as much as you might be tempted to. It does contain important plot points and most of the book is likeable, just not particularly exciting nor focused on Honor.
katmarhan's review against another edition
4.0
It took me awhile to get into this installment in the Honor Harrington series, but once I did, I really got into it.
The leaders of the Republic are, right now, the most interesting characters in the saga. While I don't understand all of Secretary of State's maneuvering, I do understand enough to know that it didn't turn out quite as he planned. I have really enjoyed Weber's development of the "enemy" as 3-dimensional people who could just as easily be the "good guys" in certain circumstances. It's probably too late for this situation to be untangled anyway.
The real villains are the Manticorans who were allied with Baron High Ridge. And it was satisfying, if somewhat fleeting, for them to get their due.
I was also glad to see the relationship between Manticore and the Andermani Empire get more play.
The relationship I didn't much enjoy reading about was the triangle between Honor, Hamish, and Emily. Just doesn't ring true for me.
Next installment coming up...
The leaders of the Republic are, right now, the most interesting characters in the saga. While I don't understand all of Secretary of State's maneuvering, I do understand enough to know that it didn't turn out quite as he planned. I have really enjoyed Weber's development of the "enemy" as 3-dimensional people who could just as easily be the "good guys" in certain circumstances. It's probably too late for this situation to be untangled anyway.
The real villains are the Manticorans who were allied with Baron High Ridge. And it was satisfying, if somewhat fleeting, for them to get their due.
I was also glad to see the relationship between Manticore and the Andermani Empire get more play.
The relationship I didn't much enjoy reading about was the triangle between Honor, Hamish, and Emily. Just doesn't ring true for me.
Next installment coming up...
voiddragon117's review against another edition
5.0
The fragile "truce" between the Star Kingdom and the Republic of Haven is getting frostier with both sides not moving an inch. Still on the outside of her government Honor is trying to balance things politically as well as trying to make her government see sense. With the news of a secret Republics' military fleet coming to head, this suddenly cold war is about to heat up. As usual, this book was a nice wave of actions rising and falling before one really big rise and fall. I look forward to reading how the end of this book with the war heating up, a switch in the government of the Star Kingdom, and the Republic now able to challenge the Star Kingdom, the next book is sure to be entertaining.