t's been a long ride for Honor Harrington. She has fought wars, fought assassins and fought her own doubts—but now she must fight again. The difficult question is: "Who to fight?"
Although the Haven seemed defeated, they fight on. Yet that is not a completely bad thing. The money raised for the war effort continues to flow into the government's coffers and the private interests of those that run it. But now there are new problems on the horizon. For sure, the Haven is unbowed, and the Andermanis are making noises in Silesia. It looks like the Manticoran Alliance might have to silence them, and the universe is once again set to erupt into no-holds-barred war. To top it off, Weber includes heavily layered Manticorian politics, the discovery of a new wormhole junction and Honors discovery of her romantic self.
This is the volatile universe into which Harrington (serving as a political advisor) and the reader are thrown. And make no mistake, this is no short toss, but rather a Michael Vick-class bomb. The book weighs in at 869 pages—which makes it an epic by anyone's measure, and one of the longest in the Harrington series. These pages are packed with the familiar series characters—such as Honor and Nimitz—and more political intrigue than the Washington Post's op-ed page. The chapters thunder with space battles described with the flair and detail that have made David Weber famous. It's more than enough to fill the pages, but is it enough to fill reader's interest?
Space battles beyond compare
This isn't a bad book, but neither is it typical Honor Harrington fare. There was obviously no lack of effort. Eight hundred and sixty-nine pages are a solid two years' writing by anyone's measure, but it somehow feels a bit flat. The characters, always one of Weber's strengths, seem more strained, less real. Honor has traditionally been a strong woman and leader, but one who also feels compassion. There is less of that multi-dimensionality in War of Honor.
There's plenty of politics. In fact, there may be too much politics. Weber's political droning reminds me of the nauseating Wall Street diatribe in Clancy's Debt of Honor. Too detailed, too long and too tedious. The technical detail is also tedious. Some authors—such as Peter Hamilton—bring techno-detail to life. Weber certainly has the talent to do so, but the stardrive and wormhole descriptions in War of Honor seem lengthy, forced and dry.
Yet when all is said and done, these problems are merely detractors from what is otherwise a solid effort. Weber's descriptions of space combat remain magnificent, his plotting—although creaking under the weight of political descriptions—is sound, and his characters—even when not at their best—are better than most. War of Honor is a good read. It's by no means the best in the "Honorverse," but it is nevertheless better than much of that which is taking up space on bookstores' shelves.
