It’s past five in the morning. I’ve been up reading for almost the last four hours because I wanted to finish War of Honor. It’s good. The pace is much slower than I remember previous Honor Harrington books being, but things do move along.
Reading all of the Honor anthologies before this book is highly recommended.
Spoilers
As usual, the end of the book is very open for more. Also as usual, I’m left with the feeling of, “Okay, what now?” Giancola needs to be removed from office. Unfortunately, that’s probably not going to happen until late into the next book, at best. And what of Honor, Hamish, and Emily? Emily seems more accepting of a three-way relationship now (or, at least, of Hamish having relationships with two women). Can Honor do the same? Can Hamish balance two relationships? (If he can’t, I fear Emily will be the poorer, given the newly forged empathic bond between Honor and Hamish.)
Hm. Other thoughts. I knew from the dust jacket that there’d again be escalations of hostility. (I hate those things; they can spoil a lot. Don’t even get me started on the ones for Archangel.) I was, however, left guessing for much of the book about whether it would be with the Republic of Haven or the Andermani Empire.
It was very hard to read about the political manuverings of the High Ridge government. Sadly, I’m too willing to believe that their actions were plausible. It just turns my stomach to see people behaving in that manner. (Have I mentioned that I get very involved in the books I read?) Giancola, too. Watching his political machinations, just for personal political gain, drive two governments to war with each other was rough.
A lot of people died. This has happened in other Honor Harrington books, too, but I noticed it more this time around. That gets depressing.
On the whole, the book was enjoyable. Good writing of the sort that Weber does well—consistent science, detailed military encounters, well-written politics, and a larger-than-life Honor.