Rating: 
Summary: Committees of the Galaxy
Review: War of Honor
by David Weber
2002 Baen Press
ISBN 0-7434-3545-1(Includes CD.) I love the Honor Harrington series. I've read them all, some more than once, and I've given them away as presents too. Having said that, this is not the best of the bunch. War of Honor is 864 pages long (868 counting the nice glossary) and there are three pages of maps which I am not counting. Of those 860+ pages, 600+ are devoted entirely to . . . committee meetings. Committee meetings on Manticore held by the enemies of Honor who are still running the government. Committee meetings on Haven, where Admiral Theisman & Co. have thrown out the old dictatorship and installed a constitutional democracy (restored the original one, actually). Committee meetings where they plot to avoid war. Committee meetings where they maliciously manipulate events to cause a new war. Committee meetings on top of committee meetings. What's bad is that all the committee members tend to talk alike, using the same grammar and turns of phrase, no matter if they are on Manticore or Haven. (It's easy to forget which is which, without referring back to the character's names and titles.) What's worse is that Honor is not in most of them -- 600+ pages without Honor Harrington, only talk, talk, talk and more talk. I would gladly dispense with 90% of the committee meetings pages and settle for their gist. The result would be a 320+ page novel which features Honor Harrington and space battles (Admiral Harrington gets a whole fleet this time), with just enough committee stuff to add spice to the stew, and no action scenes shortened by one word. If one wanted a 600 page history of how nations inadvertently drift into war, let me recommend one of the excellent historians who have studied this topic, Barbara Tuchman for instance. All in all, it is an Honor Harrington novel, and I willingly (more or less) plowed through the mountain of chaff to get the wheat hidden in there. Weber shines when he writes action, and it's in there somewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Much Work For Too Little Return
Review: David Weber's books are generally fun to read and go rather quickly. Sadly, this book was more of chore than a diversion. The Honor Series used to be about naval action with politics thrown in. War of Honor changes the mix and makes it a book about politics with a little naval action. I was more impressed with the CD that had all of the previous novels in various ebook formats. I can only hope Weber gets back on track with the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: More Political Than Action Based
Review: Let me say right off the bat that I truly enjoyed this book. However, I'm not certain that I would recommend it to something just starting to read in the Honorverse. This is much deeper and political than action orientated, yet just as engrossing. Catching up with the various people in the Mantie and Peep worlds was wonderful, but with the addition of the Sollies, Andies, and Sillies, I keep going "now, who are they with again?" What was really creepy was that I was reading this while listening to the news and hearing almost exactly the same type of situation on both, just narrowed down to one planet. Politicians pontificating, wars on the verge, boats pulled over when too near the wrong country...decent people trying to win despite the efforts of the crooked. Weber may be getting too realistic for his own good. I must commend Baen for the CD-Rom included with the book. The art alone was worth the look, but to have the entire series of books at my computer fingertips? Exquisite!
Rating: 
Summary: A Future Past
Review: I have to say that this book is one of my top three favorite Honor Harrington novels. Webber crafts a scifi tale that can be easily linked to events in the past without sounding like a history lesson. His characters continued to grow in new and unexpected ways that keep your attention through out the novel. This book is a set up story for future novels, and sets into motion the events that will drive the series in the future. Not to say it is lacking action or interest, but that action is more character driven then warfare. IT is a perfect set up, and I recommend it. READ IT
Rating:
Summary: Quantity, Not Quality
Review: The Honor Harrington books have been renowned for their action. This volume is nothing but talk, talk, talk. It's conclusion is disappointing, for it leaves key elements hanging. In 861 pages Weber could have wrapped up the story line more conclusively. I predict that future Harrington novels will be "co-authored", so that Weber can make money without the effort of actually writing the books.
Rating:
Summary: Over written, a reader's slog.
Review: I have read every one of Weber's books too include, sadly, this one. He has always had a tendency to bog down in the backstory and character development, but this time he has surpassed himself for sheer over-writing. The book is over 800 pages in length, and the first sign of real naval action comes after page 700. In fact, the entire thrust of Harrington as a naval action officer, comes as an afterthought. Frankly, if I wanted heavy reading with Byzantine politics and plot lines, I would have purchased a book on the history of the Holy Roman Empire. If Mr. Weber's editor and publisher pushed for this type of work, Mr Weber should take them on a trip to the woodshed. If not, then he needs to do something to alliviate the tiresome boredom of the first 700 pages in any future efforts.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best work...
Review: I enjoyed this book, however it is not even close to his best work. This book seems to go much more into the politics of the universe, rather than the action for which the Harrington Series is known. One thing I noticed was that Weber reserected two characters that died in a previous installment, Scotty Tremaine and Horace Harkness. I remember how sad I was to see them die in Ashes of Victory. But bringing them back seemed pointless since he barely used their characters. Major flaw.
Rating:
Summary: David Weber just keeps getting better and better
Review: I loved this book, I couldn't put it down and I hated to come to the end of it. It's true that there is a lot more talking in this one than in previous "Honorverse" novels but Weber keeps up the pace. The entire storyline is gripping and good to the last sentence and there are excellent action scenes. The conversations between Honor and her,um, friend, Hamish Alexander, are interesting and dynamic as always. David Weber is terrific at opening up new horizons for his characters and I am eagerly awaiting his next novel.
Rating: 
Summary: War of Honor is in search of an editor.
Review: The quality of the read suffers hugegly from an apparent inability of the publisher to speak harshly to a hugely talented author. I read the preview online sections of the PRIOR book while flying to England and was thrilled at the talent succintly and marvelously expressed. When I returned home and purchased tbe book, I was devastated. P>This book could have been pared to two quality chapters. What's wrong. Perhaps readers have to rate it, like it is. The book was not good enough to be considered second rate. Characters were extraneous and irrelevent. Huges sections were not remotely pertinent to any interesting thread. Themes were repeated without quality development. P>There were great themes here interspersed widely with drivel.Jodanesque in the extreme. Presumably we must face the ultimate slowdown of development because we will purchase. The book is set in a big universe and we have not yet heard from each and every sentient being in the universe with their own meaninless and redundent thread. This book has potential of maximum stars and reaches one. We have a great respect for this author's talent, but it is not reached in this book. Sad but true. Lets hope this beating is not necessary again.
Rating:
Summary: War of Honor- fair
Review: While I did enjoy War of Honor it was not the best book in the series. I felt it could have been edited more tightly. The plot was a trifle contived. The characters were less vivid than usual. It was equal to several of the others but not as dramatic as the best. I would give it 3.5 stars. Wait for the paperback. I have read all of the Honor Harrington series and consider myself a fan but he has done better in the past and hopefully will do better in the future.
| 
