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kathydavie's review
5.0
Runs parallel with the Honor Harrington series and is the first in the Wages of Sin subseries.
Brings some very minor characters into a major role in this new series expanding upon their abilities on behalf of Manticore in repulsing a kidnapping leading to a coronation after the revolution. New, very unexpected allies come together in a good cause while some very happy assassinations take place...well, happy for me anyway!
Sets up a future scenario for the Solarian League and Manpower to, hopefully, take some nasty falls!
Brings some very minor characters into a major role in this new series expanding upon their abilities on behalf of Manticore in repulsing a kidnapping leading to a coronation after the revolution. New, very unexpected allies come together in a good cause while some very happy assassinations take place...well, happy for me anyway!
Sets up a future scenario for the Solarian League and Manpower to, hopefully, take some nasty falls!
ptothelo's review
4.0
I re-read it recently now that the Manpower/Mesa stuff has come to a head. The first time I read it I think I skimmed it for part that had to do with Honor or the Manticore/Haven war but that wasn't the focus of the book. This time I got more invested in the characters and found the politics really interesting, especially when they're talking about what they need to do to successfully build a new society.
downby1's review
3.0
I was interested in the possibilities of a book in the Honorverse that diverged from the main line's focus on military SF. However, the first exercise into this new spin-off from Honor Harrington's continuing naval escapades was disappointing to me. I will agree with others suggesting that Eric Flint carried most of the work as the creator of the Zilwicki's, but the book is a weak example of what both authors are capable of at their best.
There are some interesting characters. The examination of Erewhon is particularly interesting as a galactic hub that's marginalized to the sidelines in most other Honorverse books, even when Erewhon remained part of the Manticoran Alliance. The individually good components of the book just aren't sufficient to save the whole. Overall, the plot feels contrived and moves from plodding slowness at the beginning to a forced march toward the end. It's jarring, especially with the latter half of the book being closer to the military genre Weber normally performs so well in. Possibly the most contrived element of the book is the chapter-long appearance by Honor herself, which could've been forgone entirely with ease.
The book can be enjoyed by fans, but I would not recommend it as a way to introduce someone new to Weber (unless some serious ulterior motives were at work). I warred with giving the book two or three stars and finally erred upon a positive light hoping that the possibilities of this series will be better delivered on in Torch of Freedom.
There are some interesting characters. The examination of Erewhon is particularly interesting as a galactic hub that's marginalized to the sidelines in most other Honorverse books, even when Erewhon remained part of the Manticoran Alliance. The individually good components of the book just aren't sufficient to save the whole. Overall, the plot feels contrived and moves from plodding slowness at the beginning to a forced march toward the end. It's jarring, especially with the latter half of the book being closer to the military genre Weber normally performs so well in. Possibly the most contrived element of the book is the chapter-long appearance by Honor herself, which could've been forgone entirely with ease.
The book can be enjoyed by fans, but I would not recommend it as a way to introduce someone new to Weber (unless some serious ulterior motives were at work). I warred with giving the book two or three stars and finally erred upon a positive light hoping that the possibilities of this series will be better delivered on in Torch of Freedom.
pjonsson's review
2.0
This book was a disappointment for me. I have really liked a lot of the books in David Weber’s Honorverse. Especially the first books with Honor Harrington as the main protagonist. Unfortunately in a lot of the later books Weber has spun out control in terms of verbosity. The books have been filled with dialogue, dialogue and more dialogue to the detriment of the action and adventure that made me enjoy his books in the first place.
Lately I have read some of Weber’s book that I quite enjoyed again. For example Governor and a Call to Insurrection.
This book however was 700+ pages of slow moving overcomplicated plot with so many different characters, each described and talking, talking, talking for hundreds and hundreds of pages, that it was almost unreadable. When there finally was some decent action towards the very end it in no way made up for having slugged through all those pages of bla bla.
When Weber decides to write action, especially fleet action in the Honorverse, he is one of the best authors today. Since I know how much I like his books when he sticks to this, the near total absence of this just added to the disappointment of this book.
I do not know what Eric Flint actually brings to the table for this book but it was obviously nothing good as far as I am concerned. I do not know if the comical nonsense around “Queen Berry” towards the end came from Flint or Weber but it just made my disappointment of this book worse.
Technically it is a very well written book. Weber know how to write and how to build a story and a scenario. That is really the only reason I gave this book two stars instead of one.
Lately I have read some of Weber’s book that I quite enjoyed again. For example Governor and a Call to Insurrection.
This book however was 700+ pages of slow moving overcomplicated plot with so many different characters, each described and talking, talking, talking for hundreds and hundreds of pages, that it was almost unreadable. When there finally was some decent action towards the very end it in no way made up for having slugged through all those pages of bla bla.
When Weber decides to write action, especially fleet action in the Honorverse, he is one of the best authors today. Since I know how much I like his books when he sticks to this, the near total absence of this just added to the disappointment of this book.
I do not know what Eric Flint actually brings to the table for this book but it was obviously nothing good as far as I am concerned. I do not know if the comical nonsense around “Queen Berry” towards the end came from Flint or Weber but it just made my disappointment of this book worse.
Technically it is a very well written book. Weber know how to write and how to build a story and a scenario. That is really the only reason I gave this book two stars instead of one.
reasie's review
1.0
I liked the title and the pulpy cover, but in hindsight, I should have maybe read more than the back jacket flap before buying.
This book is AWFUL. I forced myself to read the first 10 chapters just in the hopes that it would eventually stop being solid back-to-back butler-maid dialogue, but alas, it wasn't to be.
I mean, literally, every scene consists of two people telling each other things they should both already know so the reader can get the exposition. (Also the backstory from the previous series of novels. There goes my "well, it's a book one, so it should be okay" theory.)
At one point a man addresses his hostess at a party, who is said to be a top ranking politician and is therefore an adult, and says something along the lines of "You don't understand anything beyond your own backyard! We live in a constitutional monarchy. Our population is X. There are X inhabitable worlds and X number of governments and now I'll give you a simplistic overview of the political situation."
Sadly, that is not as exaggerated a paraphrasing as you might think.
This book is AWFUL. I forced myself to read the first 10 chapters just in the hopes that it would eventually stop being solid back-to-back butler-maid dialogue, but alas, it wasn't to be.
I mean, literally, every scene consists of two people telling each other things they should both already know so the reader can get the exposition. (Also the backstory from the previous series of novels. There goes my "well, it's a book one, so it should be okay" theory.)
At one point a man addresses his hostess at a party, who is said to be a top ranking politician and is therefore an adult, and says something along the lines of "You don't understand anything beyond your own backyard! We live in a constitutional monarchy. Our population is X. There are X inhabitable worlds and X number of governments and now I'll give you a simplistic overview of the political situation."
Sadly, that is not as exaggerated a paraphrasing as you might think.
chutten's review
1.0
Eurgh. The characters really didn't work for me, especially in their personal interactions with other characters. I liked Cachat and Zilwicki and the rest better the less I read of them. And the concept of switching out the Princess with nanotechnology never made sense.
kejadlen's review
4.0
This required a little more suspension of disbelief compared to the usual Honorverse books, but it's well worth it. It was nice to get the story of events that occurred in the "past" (for me, since I read this after reading all the way through to At All Costs in the main Honorverse series).
katmarhan's review
3.0
Way too many coincidences and hard to imagine alliances, no matter how temporary, in this story. Yes, I know it's science fiction, but it really strained the bounds of believability on so many levels.
Having said that, however, I did enjoy it and the story moved right along. I had some trouble keeping all the conspirators and their changing allegiances straight, but it wasn't boring.
Interesting to see how this will fit into the larger Honor Harrington series.
Having said that, however, I did enjoy it and the story moved right along. I had some trouble keeping all the conspirators and their changing allegiances straight, but it wasn't boring.
Interesting to see how this will fit into the larger Honor Harrington series.