Subject: Honor Harrington by David Weber

From: [email-masked] (Francis A. Ney, Jr.)
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 1994 22:39:18 GMT

"From: Admiral Sir Lucien Cortez 
       Fifth Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy

"To:   Commander Honor Harrington 
       Royal Manticoran Navy

       35th day, Fourth Month, Year Two Hundred Eighty After Landing

"Madam:

"You are hereby directed and required to proceed aboard Her Majesty's 
 Starship FEARLESS (CL56), there to take upon yourself the duties and 
 responsibilites of Commanding Officer in the service of the Crown.

"Fail not in this charge at your peril.

"By Order of Admiral Sir Edward Janacek 
             First Lord of Admiralty, Royal Manticoran Navy 

"For Her Majesty the Queen."

Thus, Honor Harrington embarks on her first major command tour as an officer 
of the Royal Manticoran Navy, and into an adventure that owes much to the 
Horatio Hornblower genre.

The Star Kingdom of Manticore started as a Terran colony.  It currently 
consists of three earthlike planets that share a primary and a number of 
protectorates and allies.  Its primary adversary is a star empire that bears a 
great resemblance to the Soviet Union in the final years before it collapsed, 
which annexes surrounding planetary systems to prop up the failing home 
economy.  Manticore is high on the list of desirable property, due to the fact 
that it owns a hyperspace conduit that links a number of systems, 
governments, and trade regions. 

Into this hypergolic mix Commander Harrington and her crew are unceremoniously 
dumped after failing an impossible task set by the brass.  Basilisk Station, 
the other end of the hyperspace conduit, should have been an important 
posting.  Unfortunately, due to politics and circumstances (including a 
primitive sentient indigenous people within the system), it is a dumping 
ground for the worst of the worst who otherwise can't be drummed out of the 
service.

The worst includes an old adversary and current Senior Officer of the station, 
Captain Paul Young, whom Honor last met socially when he tried to rape her in 
the shower at the Naval Academy while they were both midshipmen.  I say 
'tried' because Honor kicked his cojones up around his eyeballs and Midshipman 
Young got busted for conduct unbecoming.  Well, Captain Young has a plan to 
deal with Commander Harrington's career once and for all: his ship needs to 
return to drydock (allegedly) for some much-needed repair, so Honor is now in 
charge at Basilisk station. 

This leaves Honor with an impossible task (that hasn't been done in five years 
anyway), short supplies and a demoralized crew to do it with.  So, in the 
finest tradition of the service, she proceeds to kick ass and take names.  Oh, 
brother! (or should I say sister?) 

That should be enough of a teaser to get you to start reading the first book 
(On Basilisk Station).  On to more important things: the review.

David Weber creates a believable universe.  His physics hangs together, his 
development of space battle tactics is so good I'm betting he did computer 
sims (and if he didn't I'm going to), and his portrayal of a working naval 
operation is top rate.  I especially like the concept of a completely 
integrated military service.  The political maneuvering behind-the-scenes is 
also well developed and serves to add to the story, rather than going off on a 
tangent.

I have nothing to complain about in David's development of characters, either.  
Honor develops and grows as a person, and so does everyone she meets -- they 
are not cardboard cutouts.  Her parents (who we meet in the second book) are 
very believable as such.  Even the slimebag Captain Young has a character (of 
a sort, anyway).

This series is definitely worth the time and trouble.  On a linear scale of 1-
10 this series of books rates a 9+.  This set rates a Hugo nomination.

Honor Harrington Novel Series
by David Weber

Baen Books (SIMON & SHEUSTER)

On Basilisk Station  $4.99  1993  0-671-72163-1 422p
The Honor Of The Queen $5.99  1993 0-671-72172-0 422p
The Short Victorious War $5.99  1994 0-671-87596-5 360p + 16p
Field Of Dishonor (Forthcoming)
-- 
"Apparently on New Texas, killing a politician was not _malum in se_, and was
_malum prohibitorum_ only to the extent that what the politician got was in
excess of what he deserved."
	-H. Beam Piper, _Lone Star Planet/A Planet For Texans_

%T On Basilisk Station
%A David Weber
%I Baen Books
%D 1993
%G ISBN 0-671-72163-1
%P 422 pages
%O $4.99 paperback

%T The Honor of the Queen
%A David Weber
%I Baen Books
%D 1993
%G ISBN 0-671-72172-0
%P 422 pages
%O $5.99 paperback

%T The Short Victorious War
%A David Weber
%I Baen Books
%D 1994
%G ISBN 0-671-87596-5
%P 360 pages
%O $5.99 paperback