Rating: 
Summary: Gets better near the end...
Review: This is, unfortunately, not one Weber's better books. Most of the first half could be summed up as "Honor came home, and everyone was happy to see her." He spends page after page on minutiae, like an entire chapter on the difficulties of teaching treecats sign language, and then neglects details like incredibly important battles and a highly significant coup attempt. Fortunately, he seems to back to his old self near the end of the book (just wait for Shannon Foraker's 'oops!' or Thomas Theisman's little surprise at the very, very end). So, despite my disappointment when I started reading this book, by the time I finished it, I was right back to salivating for the NEXT one! Hurry up, David!
Rating: 
Summary: Bringing it together
Review: IF you have read the previous books from Weber, here is the point where things focus again. This is the nineth book in a series, so tons of stuff is going on, and Weber tries to tie loose ends up, well mostly. The only reason I didn't give him 5 stars is personal preference on what scenes made the book. A lot of things happened, and only so much will fit. The reunion of the escapee's at the beginning was a little too maudlin, and for some that seems to set the tone. But if you skim that part, you get to the meat of the book. And a filling meal it is. Lots of loose ends tied, old villians dead, perhaps new villians on the horizon - who knows? If you read the first eight, then you have to buy this one!
Rating:
Summary: True Honor
Review: Mr. Weber keeps the Honor series fresh and moving in new direction without losing focus on what makes this series exceptional...characters and a "S-F universe" as intricate as any currently in being. Some folks may not be able to deal with a "supposed space opera" that doesn't spend 70% of it's ink blowing up each others ships, but the real strength is all the supporting characters and how they grow and have apparently began to virtually write themselves. ( This could be neccesary as Mr. Weber seems to injure himself almost as often as Honor gets hurt). Yes, there was some rather extreme editing apparent, but since part of the growing appeal of this series is it's shared universe sister books, they is always a remedy for leaving various fights, politic or otherwise off stage a bit more than I prefer. Thsi is wonderful stepping stone to a point in the series where anything now can happen...and Mr. Weber has so many possible new major POV characters, the usual problem of a main characters success itself limiting storylines just doesn't apply...it does seem possible that Honor may be fighting more in the political arena than in Space, similar to Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan. Superior "Science fiction" is always strongest for me when the the tech and violence underpins the various political realities possible to a well in formed imagination, and this is one of the best I have read in a while.
Rating: 
Summary: Another excellent Honor Harrington Book
Review: Less combat action than some of the previous books in this series, but I found it a totally involving book. I continue to find myself really caring about each of the subplots and characters, and only wish there had been more to read. Take this series on from the beginning, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Not the worst but definately not the best
Review: ... for my taste, of course.Unlike some of the other reviewers, it wasn't the changes in Honor's life that bothered me. I really admire an author who has the courage to make substantial changes to his/her characters and their circumstances. The weaknesses of this book have to do with pacing mainly. The repeated love fest awaiting Honor's return was a bit much, but returning "from Hell" is not an everyday occurance so if that had been the only place that the pacing was "off" I could have overlooked it. I don't know if it's getting worse or if I'm just overloading on it, but the endless pages of technical description of the fleet and it's capabilities is beginning to wear on me. I found myself skimming and saying to myself "Yeah, yeah. They outgunned them vastly, then kicked the snot out of them. Get back to the PLOT." If Mr Weber has reached the point where the emphasis is no longer on Honor as an individual commander but now focuses on the development of her as a character and evolution of "things on a grander scale" some of the time spent giving us Bills of Materials of the ships could have been spent exploring the Honor/Hamish relationship. (Like it or not it's gotta be a MAJOR factor in her character but it was treated as a post script.) Some of the time spent describing some of the individual battles after the "turning of the tide" of the Manticore/Haven war could have been spent fleshing out what happened during the attempted coup in Haven. A piece of action that kills off several long running characters and substantially changes the future of Honorverse was covered in what was bascially a conversational aside for heaven's sake. That said, it was still a largely enjoyable book I think most Honor fans will enjoy it and I don't regret ordering it in hardcover. I commend Mr. Weber from taking Honor out of the same-old-same-old. I challenge him to complete the transition and rely less on (LONG)technical descriptions and "off screen" expositions.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing New Installment in this Epic Saga
Review: I was actually counting this. It took until page 331 of this book for space combat to actually occur. Two thirds of those first tedious 331 pages were spent in friendly gabfests between Honor and her friends. I had to grit my teeth and go on hoping that this is just an isolated abberation in Weber's writing style, and that some fantastic combat ahead will redeem this novel. Alas, when combat came, it was a one-sided slaughter. On top of that, several reality-defying events occurred in the political arena. First off people, don't any of you marvel how the Peeps can survive the war despite several coup de tats and purges that decimated their political and military leaders? Honestly if any of the political things that happened to the Peeps happened to a nation in OUR reality while in a major war, that nation would have been promply lost the war (see Russia and Germany in WW1, USA in Vietnam war, and Soviet Union in Cold War). Secondly, I simply refuse to believe that the war hawks in the Manticorian House of Commons would hold a mere 20% of the seats! In most major wars in the history of humanity, a solid majority of the political players in a government were solidly behind the war effort. Bear in mind ladies and gentlemen that the PRH-Manticorian War bears parallels to the Pacific Theater of WW2. The PRH did a first strike on a democratic nation killing tens of thousands of combat personnel. As I recall, the US House of Representatives passed the declaration of war with only 1 dissenting vote. The US Senate passed it unanimously! Imagine, the PRH-Manticorian War has been raging for about a decade. The Manticorian public is also aware of the atrocities the PRH government (but not their military) inflicts to not only captured RMN personnel but their own people. This on top of the fact that hundreds of thousands of Manticorian sailors and marines must have died in the war. I would think that in this situation, being a dove would be suicidal! Further more, it is strange for Weber to hand the Peeps a respite (in form of a truce and an eventual peace treaty) so Oscar Saint-Just can reorganize his government then have Theisman take the reins. Theisman, as Weber describes him, is an honorable man with no political ambition (save when the survival of his fellow military personnel is concerned). A man like that would take advantage of the cease fire and the peace treaty negotiations to end the war permanently AND reform the PRH's political and economic system if only to prevent the circumstances that made him seize the reins of power. I suspect that the rational things above will not happen. Instead, Weber will have Theisman use the cease fire to reorganize the PRN, give their R&D time to catch up with the Manties, and to institute reforms that would take greater advantage of the PRH's superiority in man power and industrial capacity. The war would then be back to square one. I suggest that Mr. Weber take the high road and let the PRH and Manticorians to have lasting peace. It's time to move on. Now, if only Mr. Weber can find a way for the Manticorians (and maybe their newfound allies the Peeps) to fight a war with the titanic Solarian League. I think that it would be quite a challenge for Honor Harrington and company to defeat a nation with not only several times the industrial capacity and manpower Manticore possesses, but also technological parity! One last thing. Why don't Peep warships keep their wedges and sidewalls up all the time? I mean the Peep security thugs kept getting the jump on the PRN because of this. Does keeping wedges and sidewalls up cause strain and wear on a ship's systems that they can't be maintained for indefinite periods of time? I don't remember a constraint such as that being discussed ever in any of the Harrington novels.
Rating:
Summary: Well Done!
Review: "Ashes of Victory" picks up where "Echoes of Honor" left off. In this book, we see Honor Harrington finish turning into a senior flag officer. There is not the action in previous Harrington novels, instead, this is a developmental, possibly the pivotal, novel in the Harrington series. Harrington turns into an advisor to Queen Elizabeth, Michelle Henke, William Alexander [Earl White Haven's brother and Chancellor of the Exchequer] and Queen Elizabeth herself are further developed here, along with a host of others. Weber uses "Ashes of Victory" to tie up a number of loose ends from the past, and to open several new avenues for the future. The treecats finally go public as a sentient species. Other events occur. Having first read "Ashes" on the eWebscription feature of Baen's website [www.baen.com/], I enjoyed re-reading it when my hardcover was delivered. An excellent read, highly recommended. A word to those who are new to the Honor Harrington series: while this book stands by itself, it will make more sense to read the series in publication order. Look for "On Basilisk Station" and go from there. Read and enjoy them all!
Rating:
Summary: Against the Tide
Review: I must admit that I hesitated to buy this book when I saw how large it was. And I also admit that I don't read much "hard science fiction" nowadays. With that out of the way, please let me disagree with the others listed here by stating that I was engulfed in the Harrington universe immediately. I care for more than just Honor, although she first drew me in. I enjoyed the looks at everyone else's lives. Weber is strongest in his characterization and makes you care for the people he writes about. All of them, not just one or two! I look forward to the next episode about the Peeps and the Manties!
Rating:
Summary: Another good Honor Harrington book
Review: I found Ashes of Victory to be another good book featuring Honor Harrington. There isn't quite as much space battle action as some of the preceeding books but the overall view of this universe was expanded and deepened. For those who don't like any political manuvering the expanded amount of this in the book may be a negative factor but I found it interesting. As HH moves up in rank the 'action' seems to be taking place at the command and behind the scenes level more and more. A lot of the direct action involves other long standing characters. Highly reccomended.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars it aint
Review: I have read and reread Ashes of Victory #9 of the Honor Harrington series and is not the same boring plot that you get from the plup books (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. etc.) this looks like a set up for last half of the series. Some will like this book and some will not.
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