Rating: 
Summary: So What If Honor wasn't severely wounded this time
Review: As I read the previous reviews I was taken by the blood-thirstiness of some of the reviewers. I, for one, vastly enjoyed this book (and all the series preceding it -- including the short story adjuncts). David Weber comes up with people who move you to tears for their way of thinking and for their devotion to doing the "right thing". So what if Honor has gone from LtCmdr to Admiral -- it has taken her 30 years or so and an arm and an eye and the destruction of more ship tonnage that most people can even envision to do so. One of the problems noted by an earlier reviewer concerns Honor's 'rapid' rise through the ranks. In war time that happens, even in real life. In fiction it is even easier -- witness Kimbal Kennison, who went from Lensman Cadet to Governor of an entire galaxy in much less time than Honor took to make admiral. As for where can we go next, how about Honor as First Lord of the Admiralty? She is now a Duchess and an Admiral so has plenty of rank.So, David Weber, keep those HH stories coming and she really doesn't have to lose a body part in every novel for me to enjoy the excitement that surrounds her.
Rating: 
Summary: Not His Best
Review: David Weber is my favorite Sci-Fi writer. I am willing to give him a lot of leway. This book was a bummer from the begining. Honor is featured in the book, along with all the other people you love and hate. The ones you want to get what they deserve do and new bad guys come in for Honor to thwart. Mr. Weber has several directions that he can go in from here. If he continues the series for several books, don't be suprised to see Honor doing most of her battling in the political areana rather than in space with the RMN or GSN. I look foward to the next book to see if this series and Mr. Weber continue to warent my respect. Like I said, ever the optimist....
Rating:
Summary: More please.
Review: I admit it. I read through several of the eighty some reviews of this books and agree with some and disagree with others. I love this series and all the characters. What's up with people who aren't interested in treecat anatomy? It's a fascinating subject and if you are any kind of reader, skim what doesn't interest you and get on to the parts that do interest you. I agree that it is not for the first time reader. Go back and start at the beginning with On Basilisk Station and you will be hooked. The plus you will have is that you won't have to wait a whole year or more for the next in the series to come out. Of course, you will read the existing books in the series in a short period of time, and then you will be left waiting with the rest of us for the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: "Ashes of Victory"
Review: For me the book was no disappointment at all, though as many have mentioned Honor is one step removed from much action in the book. But still, nearly everything that happens is because of something Honor did or taught someone in the past. While I don't expect we're done seeing Honor in space battles, her role will be increasingly thru influence rather than direct action because realistically that's how it works at the higher levels of politics and the navy. Honor has a remarkable little empire of followers on both Manticore and Grayson, and not a few admirers (if reluctant ones) on Haven. I think it will be fascinating to see how she wields this influence and power in coming novels. Her influence on people has always been one of the most interesting aspects of her character for me. I'll leave it up to David Weber where his universe should go, as long as there are more books anyway :). I'm happy being along for the ride for now, and ready for more surprises.
Rating: 
Summary: Barely Qualifies as "Military Science Fiction"
Review: The biggest problem with Ashes of Victory is that regardless of what the intention of the author was, the book is not worthy of the series which it's in. Had this been an independent book, it would have been a complete flop. The entire book has the beginning of several major plots but no plot of its own. Furthermore, there is a enormous disparity between the amount of filler and text on the actual storyline. As an example, consider how we are given an endless amount of detail on tree cats' anatomy, surgical procedurals, political trivia, yet a major occurance such as the change of an entire faction's government has very little coverage. It is probably the worst book in the Honor series that I've read so far.
Rating:
Summary: All Extraneous Material Included.
Review: HH as a supporting character is not the reason I purchased thisbook. All of the previous main characters have become a supportingcast without a leading actor in this release. Instead of 'Long Live the Fighters', the theme of this current novel should be 'I Ain't Gonna Go To War No More'. If you want action, treat the first 485 pages as a forward. This novel may be a method of transition to multiple short stories in a common universe, with various authors providing their flavors to it. My preference is the plain vanilla, HH world the previous 8 novels provided. Trying to keep an extended series interesting over a long period of time is not an easy position to be in. The environment which spawned the original OBS has certainly changed. I hope that Mr. Drake will rethink the current direction this novel is apparently heading towards. Bring back the action and conflicts which spurred many of us to begin collecting this series as soon as 'The Honor of the Queen' was published. The cynical conclusion to this would read, "Yes Virginia, there are reasons why the politicians always win."
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, but where to go from there...
Review: I liked Ashes of Victory. But from what I see from looking at all of theses other reviews, it is either they loved it, or hated it. Now I didn't read all 77 other reviews, nor will I ever, but from the ones I did read about how they hated it they only said that it was because Honor wasn't in it every much, or that there wasn't much action, or too much of one thing. Well people, you can hate it, but understand that this is more of a transition (memo, I am not a good speller) book. I see it as a major changing, which I am sure others do. It is never easy to change how a seris goes, so it will be different. I however take it as it is, and I hope that... no, I know David will do great in the next one. As one person put, they can't wait to see who the next emeny is, as do I.
Rating: 
Summary: Dear Mr. Weber, Have you no soul!
Review: A necessary addition to the HH series. Unfortunately the middle (particulally the HH politics and tree cat anatomy scenes) was very slow. Weber needs to stear away from MAnticorian politics and technical achievement and return to the original theme - the navy. Having said this, I loved himself's Havenite vinettes and action at the end was great. However this is addressed to David Weber --- How could you do that to them? How could you do that to us? Have you no soul? What an absolutely evil and awful ending! I absolutely loved it!
Rating:
Summary: A story of transition
Review: I only recently (about a year ago) discovered Weber's Harrington series. I was instantly hooked when I picked up OBS. Weber is able to create people for us. People of all types live in the pages of this world, and getting to know them is as much fun as learning about the world in which they live. This novel, the ninth in the series so far, is filled with information about this world. But it seems unbalanced somehow. It is said that great literature is defined not by what is added but rather by what is removed from a story. In this case the wrong information seems to have been removed. We get detailed descriptions of minor events, yet major events seem to have been the ones removed. We get whole chapters of filler, yet we miss an entire revolution within one of the empires. There is a great deal of good action towards the end of the book, yet the characters familiar to us are treated as minor extras rather as the main players. Since Honor can no longer be the Starship Captain that she once was, I just hope that some of her students will be brought forward to become her successors in the action sequences. I miss the stories where I can feel the sweat rolling down the captain's cheek as the battle gets tenser and tenser. I see this volume more as a transition point in Honor's universe than a story unto itself. It seems to be written to setup the next set of dominoes. There were many loose threads waving in the wind at the end of this one.
Rating:
Summary: There are reasons prolific writers NEED editors.
Review: Picture yourself stealing hours of short supplied time torevisit what once was an extremely enjoyable universe only to discoverthat it no longer exists. Nothing is left but 558 pages of unending words. Repeat to yourself that if you stay with it just one more chapter, you will find the story. Imagine repeating that until you are within 30 pages of the end of the book and can't believe anymore. Finally, despite your best effort, you break into document skim mode just to end the torture. This might be 20 pages for a good appendix. It is not a novel.
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