Rating: 
Summary: Space Opera at its best!
Review: Gripping space battles, political intrigue and a heroine with true grit. This first book in the Honor Harrington series will get you hooked! Honor Harrington earns the respect of her crew while leading them against impossible odds
Rating:
Summary: A must read!! Once you start, you wont want to stop...
Review: An amazing read! Weber has hit a true home-run, the characters
are vivid and memorable. You can't help but cheer as Honor
Harrington defies incredible odds. The story-telling remains tightly focused through-out!
Rating:
Summary: Impossible situations demand impossible solutions ...
Review: I had seen the "Honor" series from David Weber in book stores for quite some time, but I never quite got around to reading any of the books until I recently purchased a copy of On Basilisk Station. I settled in for what I thought would be a slow enjoyable read. Right from the opening pages, the tone and pace of the book was set. Newly assigned to a larger space command, Honor Harrington finds herself punished for doing her best in a difficult situation. Basilisk Station is the end of the line in the Navy - only the worst of the worst go there. In the course of the story Honor screws up in reverse - she does the impossible. I was expecting a good book, not a great book. This was fabulous - I couldn't put it down. I would strongly recommend/suggest it for anyone looking for a lot of excitement!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Character, Rip-Roaring Battles, and Si-Fi Technology
Review: "On Basilisk Station" is the first of the Honor Harrington series and one of the best. The series is reminiscent of the Horatio Hornblower novels, even to passing similaries with the Nepolionic war episodes of those novels.
Raised on a heavy gravity planet, Honor is not your average woman, but she is a great character. She is taller than most men and as strong as many, though she doesn't look it. She has unlimited courage and a great ability to grasp the immediate situation and devise the best tactics to meet it, whether controlling a squadron of ships or in a person-to-person fight. She is a real hero...er, heroine, in every sense. A lot of fun. (On occasion, one might hope that her enemies will be able to bring more that ten-to-one fire power against her at times, just so they will have a fighting chance. Naw!)
Weber creates a universe of empires, monarchies, etc. No alien beings. Honor serves a kingdom of planets based loosely on the British empire, with even a Queen Elizabeth III. The main opposition is a People's Republic collection of planets, based loosely on the Soviet Union and revolutionary France. Weber does a good job depicting the economic and technological consequences of these different social orders. He also shows the stupidity of aristocratic privilege in politics. But doesn't offer a better alternative. In depicting the People's Republic, he accepts the common, but false notion that an honorable individual can serve as a high level officer in the military of a corrupt government, which is engaged in dictatorship against its own people and attempting to conquer others. After all, he is simply being patriotic, and it is not his fault that the government doesn't deserve him.
Weber exhibits a belief in God, but this plays no part in the lives of the good characters. It is brought out only because, beginning with the second book, he shows the evils and stupidities of fundamentalist religion, especially with its attitudes toward women and as a cause of hatred and justification of mass killing.
Actually, he goes overboard with his own politically correct view of women's place in society. I think he probably counts his characters to ensure an equal number of men and women in every rank and job in the military and government. Whatever one thinks of the relative average abilities and psychologies of men and women, it is silly to go so far as to think that they will ever have all the same interests and seek all the same careers in all the same numbers.
Another mixed positive-negative element is Honor's semi-intelligent, empathic, six-legged bobcat. A species found on her planet; some of which form bonds with certain humans. Sort of gives Honor a super power of insight with its reactions to those around her. This is minor, and thus fun, in the early books, but gets heavier and stupider in later books. Not enough to make me stop looking forward to sequels though.
Rating: 
Summary: Ultimately unreal, But fun
Review: I'm reviewing from the point-of-view of someone who enjoys science and gaming.
Wormholes, hyperdrive, 6-legged telepathic space kitties, lots of tech based on the manipulation of gravity, and, of course, sailors and marines, all play prominent roles in Weber's universe.
The author has contrived a physics and technology of space flight that makes space battles exciting and tactically interesting. He attempt to "play by the rules" of physics, throwing in some speculative future science ones. Communication and sensors are limited by the speed of light, spaceships (mostly) by the familiar physics of Newton, and weapons, computers, and other gadgets to advanced versions of things that really exist right now, with the exception of a large family of devices based on a future breakthrough in the understanding of space and gravity.
For example Honor Harrington's ship, the Royal Manticoran Navy light cruiser _Fearless_, masses 88,000 tons, is powered by magnetically confined fusion, and, via its gravity-manipulating "impeller" propulsion system, capable of about 600 Gs acceleration. The danger of hitting the little bits of stuff contaminating the vacuum of space limit the maximum speed these spaceships to 60-80% the speed of light. Although never mentioned in the text, this would keep relativistic effects such as time dilation minimal (clocks slowed down 60%, etc.).
A side-effect of the ubiquitous impeller drives are powerful defensive shields that have unavoidable gaps directly fore and aft, so the Napoleonic naval tactic of "crossing the T" remains an important strategy, giving spaceship combat a 19th century naval feel, with a touch of 21st century stuff like missiles and electronic counter measures. I get the impression that Weber either has experience in military tactics, or, like myself, has played at least a few naval of sci-fi war games. His fiction seems pre-tailored for adaptation to a tactical simulation game, and has, unsurprisingly, been for at least one major game system.
Make no mistake - this is space opera, not hard science fiction. Its imaginative science is meant to enable its plot (which has mostly to do with honor, bravery, and soldiering), not teach physics. In addition to the usual plausibility problems associated with "hyperspace drive", it suffers from a common sci-fi problem I term "energy optimism". To accelerate a spaceship to half the speed of light - which Weber's ships routinely do - requires energy equivalent to 25% of their mass. Hydrogen fusion is about 0.7% efficient. So _Fearless_ would have to carry an impossible 30 times its own mass in hydrogen to pull of this feat, unimpressive as it is by space opera standards.
These science shortcomings aside, Weber avoids most of the physics absurdities of Star Trek and mysticism of Star Wars. I found myself bored at times chewing through long discourses on the nature of military command, but was rewarded at length with its gripping and viscerally exciting space battle finale.
Rating:
Summary: Weber is the Patrick O'Brian of space
Review: I normally don't go in much for science fiction military thrillers. I picked this book up after seeing the Honor Harrington series well reviewed. Weber writes naval military thrillers set in space. The character Honor Harrington, who is introduced in this first volume of the series is a really engaging character. She is intelligent, aggressive, and a born leader. The story is character driven unlike most military thrillers. However Weber does write really engaging action scenes that keep you rapidly turning paged. Two snaps up.
Rating:
Summary: Honoring Honor
Review: Need a hero? Would you like that hero to really care about everyone under their command, but resolutely commit to doing the right thing, even though it may mean the whole crew may die in the attempt? Would you like that hero to receive such respect from those under their command that they will literally and willingly give their lives for the cause? Would you like that hero to never have to raise their voice in anger, or utter profanity in a misguided attempt to gain the respect of others? Honor Harrington is that kind of person - that virtuous person - who happens to be female, both immensely compassionate and ruthlessly dangerous in battle. I really like Weber's ability to build a number of believable characters, give them real depth, and provide such a vivid contrast between honorable and stupidly selfish people of both genders and many backgrounds. The personal challenges Honor faces are quite real in our own time, and she and those enlightened people who aren't afraid of strong personalities of either gender will find in her a true champion of human decency and justice.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Space Opera
Review: Weber has created a rare thing in this book...a strong female lead. This is a tremendously fun read with lots of character development and wonderful descriptions of military action. I found it to be a very good story and it drew me into the plot. I would reccommend this book to anyone who loves space battles and good character interaction. Sometimes the book bogs down in descriptions of techno-jargon but all in all it moves very well.
Rating:
Summary: On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington Series, Book 1)
Review: I LOVE HONOR!!!!! This is a great series of books. It's kind of like the Horatio Hornblower books - I think Weber must have been a fan - but they have more meat to the stories. And any wonder considering how long the books are. Excellent! This is one of my favorite series. I go back and reread them all the time (or at least my favorite parts). I definately want more! Weber creates a rich, complicated, screw-you-over, just like the real world, universe. It's so like real life. You meet new characters, hate them/love them, and not all of them make it through the battles. If you like sci-fi, you should definately read these books.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction to the Honor Harrington Series
Review: On Basilisk Station is the first novel in the Honor Harrington series. The Star Kingdom of Manticore is relatively small compared to her longtime enemy, the Republic of Haven, which in turn is dwarfed by the Solarian League. Although only having one major Junction, Manticore is rich due to the major trade routes passing through her wormholes. Since so much of her economy is based on trade, Manticore maintains a relatively large Navy. Moreover, Manticore one of the technological leaders in the known galaxy, probably second only to the League. Consequently, the Royal Manticoran Navy usually has a technological edge over any opponents. Now the Star Kingdom is going to need that Navy, for the Republic is having economic difficulties and expansion is an easy way to divert attention and increase revenues. Haven is looking at the Basilisk Junction as the first step. In this novel, Commander Honor Harrington is readying the light cruiser HMS Fearless for the upcoming Fleet exercises. The ship has been the victim of Admiral Sonya Hemphill's new approach to armaments; she has undergone a major refit, tearing out most of the heavy missile launchers and substituting a gravity lance and torpedo tubes. Since Fearless is no longer capable of traditional tactics, Honor concocts new ones and tries them out in the Fleet exercises. Although initially successful, the Aggressors soon learn to handle her tactics and "kill" her ship thirteen out of fourteen times. The initial elation soon dies under the subsequent defeats and the crew of Fearless begins to think that first success was a fluke. Moreover, Admiral Hemphill is extremely disappointed with the success of the Aggressor countertactics and makes her displeasure known. Then the Fearless receives orders to transfer to Basilisk Station. This novel is obviously based on the legend of Horatio Nelson, the legendary Admiral of the British Navy prior to the Napoleonic Wars. The story fairly reeks of machine oil and ozone and the combat tactics are based on real world naval battles. However, the author smoothly merges such tactics into the three-dimensional maneuvering of spatial combat. This story also draws heavily from the political machinations of the French monarchy prior to the Revolution, with Manticore taking the British role. Nevertheless, the plot is only loosely based on history, for no direct equivalent of the Solar League existed in our history, although the USA grew into something like the League during the 19th century. Moreover, Haven is called a republic instead of a kingdom, but the Republic has an aristocracy if not a monarch. Also, the personnel situation onboard the Manticoran and Havenite ships is nothing like that of the late 18th century navies, although press gangs and floggings have little utility in a highly technological service. The character of Honor Harrington is much like that of Forester's Horatio Hornblower, probably because both reflect the same historical person. She is introspective and often doubts her own abilities prior to combat, but reacts quickly, correctly and innovatively while under fire. Her treecat Nimitz is a major divergence from historical accuracy, for he has abilities of which Nelson could only dream. However, treecat talents are not readily apparent in this first novel, but have been explored in the sequels as well as a series of short stories. Highly recommended for Weber fans and anyone else who liked Horatio Hornblower or other naval combat stories in a SF setting.
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