Rating: 
Summary: It's a Bait-and-Switch, Beware!
Review: What a ripoff. This book is hands-down the biggest bait-and-switch I've ever read. It's called War of Honor. Guess how much war we get? In an 850 page book, maybe 50 pages, and I'm being generous. It's the biggest ripoff since Robot Wars, a Silvermoon Production movie that had no robots and no wars.
It's very slow moving and talky. I actually know what he was trying to accomplish, well one of two things actually. He wanted to show the entire setup to a big war starting off, both sides, all the political maneuvering etc. He did an okay job of this. The problem is, it's boring as hell. I don't mind some political intrigue, character building stuff or whatever. But he's slathering it on because he wants to show every little thing. There are many ways he could have compressed the same info down without losing anything, but I can tell he didn't want to do that. He wanted to show every little thing because he's DAVID WEBER and he's damn well earned it after 7 books.
Anyway, on to the bait-and-switch. This was the other purpose of the book, other than lining the author's pockets. Again, what gets me is how blatant he is. He even winks at the reader in the last fifty pages; after 750 pages of setup and 50 of "war", in the 50 page denouement he has another character say to Honor, "This isn't going to be my war, Honor, it's going to be yours." or words to that effect. Actually, I've got the book right here, I'll look it up.
Here it is, page 853, "So I suppose-" he smiled crookedly at her "-that this war is going to be yours, Honor. Not mine."
What gall. If this book was supposed to be the setup, perhaps he should have titled it "Boring Political Prelude to War of Honor".
All I can say is that his next book is going to be his. Not mine.
Rating: 
Summary: Very well done!
Review: I can see why a lot of the "intellectual" crowd didn't like it--not enough exploding spaceships.
If, however, you like depth and meaning to your war, rather than simple explosions and random missile fire, this is what you're looking for. Harrington finally finds meaning and depth, beyond the distraught commander who hates war and is very good at it.
Don't get me wrong, I like the series, but Honor was getting too powerful and unstoppable. This is an intelligent direction for her and it gives new life and meaning to the series. There's a lot more plotting, scheming and feeling around before the action starts, making the battles a focus of the story rather than the reason for it. The buildup was slow, intelligent and gripping, and the battles were as good as Weber's always are. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A splendid military science fiction novel
Review: I've become a fan of David Weber's Honor Harrington series after reading "War of Honor", chroncling Admiral Harrington's latest exploits against the Peeps, the military forces of the Republic of Haven. Admiral Harrington must contend with scandal and political treachery on her homeworld of Manticore, dealing with a corrupt Prime Minister oblivious to potential dangers from the Andermani Empire and the Republic of Haven. And she must resolve her relationship with Admiral Hamish Alexander, Earl of White Haven, realizing that she can't openly admit her love for him, which will have serious social and political reprecussions both on Grayson and Manticore. Meanwhile a resurgent Republic of Haven plots a desperate last minute gambit to force the Star Kingdom of Manticore into signing a long-overdue peace treaty. And there's new trouble brewing within the lawless Silesian Confederacy between warships of the Imperial Andermani Navy and the Royal Manticoran Navy. Weber does a brilliant job in expanding the political and social dimensions of Honor Harrington's universe, giving vivid, often sympathetic portrayals to many of the minor characters from earlier novels. Indeed, the most interesting include those of Admiral Alistair McKeon and Havenite Admiral Thomas Theisman to name but a few. There's plenty of gripping battles in space to satisfy diehard millitary science fiction fans as well as ample doses of political intrigue on Manticore and Haven. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: War of honor
Review: Why is it that almost every sci-fi writer late in a series starts to pad their stories with such ungodly boring fluff, that their books become almost unreadable. Such a great series, up to maybe book 8. I practically skipped (OK, I skimmed real fast) any chapter or section that dealth with the Havenites or High Ridge and his crew. And still did not miss one important fact about the story ARC. When the whole story revolves (and it does folks) around a stupid president who allows a manipulating Sec of State to cut and paste her dispatches on his home PC, you know you're grasping for plotlines. Oh come on, like she never had a clue to check the integrity of her correspondences to a man she HATES. To make this matter worse, literally 400 pages of this very long (and very very long feeling book) are dedicated to pointless "Gee, I can't believe they refused our demands" and "Wow, I can't believe they're demanding that" "Blah Blah Blah" crap that seems to go on endlessly. This isn't Sci-Fi. It's Danielle Steele minus the sex. In other words, it is absolutely the most boring supposed sci-fi novel I have ever read. Oh and 20 or so pages of action at the very end do not, I repeat DO NOT, begin to resemble the reward a reader should get for putting up with this flat 2-dimensional soap opera. The author obviously tried to have too many people/groups/political affiliations in his novel to make all of them: interesting, relevent and practical. We get it already! Please, after the first time Haven rejects Manticore, and Manticore rejects Haven, we understand there'll be no compromis. We get it! We get it! Move along pleaseeeeee.... But the author takes hundreds of pages to do so, and tortures us along the way. The next installment (if there is one), better move faster than this dog, or he's going to lose a sizeable chunk of his fanbase. If you liked this book, fine. Just realize, it wasn't sci-fi., it was the West Wing meets Rand McNally's Road Atlas 2002. So sad. My advice. Read books 1 through 8 and stop there. 9 and 10 are not worth it.
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