In June 1993, David Weber produced his second novel in the Honor Harrington series: The Honor of the Queen. At a total of 422 (mass market paperback), this novel does not disappoint. Synopsis: Right Woman, Wrong Place. It's hard to give peace a chance when the other side regards war as the necessary prelude to conquest, and a sneak attack as the best means to that end. That's why the Kingdom of Manticore needs allies against the so-called "Republic" of haven--and the planet Grayson is just the right strategic place to make a very good ally indeed. But Her Majesty's Foreign Office had overlooked a "minor cultural difference" when they chose Honor Harrington to carry the flag: women on the planet Grayson are without rank or rights; Honor's very presence is an intolerable affront to every male on the planet. At first, Honor doesn't take it personally; where she comes from gender discrimination is barely a historical memory, right up there in significance with fear of the left-handed. But in time such treatment as she receives from the Graysonites does become wearing, and Honor would withdraw if she could--but then Grayson's fratricidal sister planet attacks without warning and she must stay and prevail, not just for Honor's honor, but for her sovereign's, for--The Honor of the Queen.
The novel starts off with Captain Honor Harrington at a party--something she dislikes as much as politics--when her former academy instructor, Admiral Raoul Courvosier, tells her about a diplomatic mission to the chauvinistic, male-dominated world of Grayson in the Yeltsin System where the Church of Humanity Unchained is the law and religious zealots appear to run the place while the women are property and have no vote within the Graysonite system. Grayson has problems with its fratricidal sister planet, Masada, in the Endicott System, problems that the Havenites are exploiting, trying to get Masada on their side--though they'd rather have Grayson. Reginald Houseman, a smug and cowardly politician who hates the military, is Courvosiers aide. Honor's role is to escort supplies past Grayson after a few days in the system. Houseman wants to screw the military mission and force Grayson and Masada to put aside their "silly religious difference" and trade with each other instead of fight, something that Honor points out is illogical with the animosity between the two planets. Matthew Simmons of Masada tells Havenite Captain Alfredo Yu about the Manticoran delegates arriving. In Yeltsin, High Admiral Bernard Yanakov greets Courvosier with respect and is repulsed by Honor being a woman in uniform. The Havenites try and exploit this for all its worth. Yanakov lets Benjamin Mayhew IX, Planetary Protector of Grayson, know how the direct view of Honor is blowing downwind.
Negotiations begin and, except for Houseman trying to raise his topic once to no avail, things seem to be going smoothly until the Masadans and their Havenite allies launch a surprise attack from Blackbird and destroy the ships Courvosier and Yanakov are on, killing them. Honor returns from her escort duties and learns of Courvosier's death, something that shocks Honor considering that Courvosier was like a second father to her. Houseman threatens Honor when she refuses to abandon Grayson and slaps him once (Houseman, for the rest of the series, continues to bitch about this). Honor demands to meet with Benjamin, something that doesn't sit well with his cabinet. Benjamin agrees and during their talks, a group of assassins working for someone called "Maccabeus" attempt to assassinate Benjamin and frame the Manticorans. Thanks to an early warning from her telepathic treecat Nimitz, Honor defeats them and ends up with a dead eye and broken face, things that will be fully repaired once she returns to Manticore. Grayson witnesses the events on the news and throws its support behind Manticore. It turns out hat Jared Mayhew, a cousin of Benajmin's, was Maccabeus and behind the whole coup attempt and has since been dealt with.
Admiral Matthews (Grayson) and Honor attack Blackbird and penetrate its defenses. During the roundup of Masadans, Honor, Lieutenant Scotty Tremaine, and Petty Officer Horace Harkness find survivors from the attack that killed Yanakov and Courvosier; the female survivors were all raped and tortured and some even dead. In anger, Honor tries to kill the Masadan base commander but Scotty manages to stop her, saying that Benjamin and therefore Grayson will handle the punishment. Alfredo Yu and a young officer named Thomas Theisman surrender and tell Honor that, though they knew things were bad, they didn't realize things were this bad. Simmons, meanwhile, has stolen a Havenite ship and imprisons the Havenites while taking the ship into battle. Honor faces off against him in space and destroys his ship while Admiral Hamish Alexander, White Haven, of Manticore arrives to help subdue Masada personally and Grayson signs the alliance with the Star Empire of Manticore. As a reward, Benjamin makes Honor a Steadholder of the new city called Harrington Steading and awards her the Star of Grayson. To match this, Manticore makes Honor a Countess, though it's significantly below the rank of Steadholder.
All in all, a great novel in the Honor Harrington series. Full of wonderful characterizations and prose and world building, it drives home the point that David Weber knows excellent sci-fi military drama.
The novel starts off with Captain Honor Harrington at a party--something she dislikes as much as politics--when her former academy instructor, Admiral Raoul Courvosier, tells her about a diplomatic mission to the chauvinistic, male-dominated world of Grayson in the Yeltsin System where the Church of Humanity Unchained is the law and religious zealots appear to run the place while the women are property and have no vote within the Graysonite system. Grayson has problems with its fratricidal sister planet, Masada, in the Endicott System, problems that the Havenites are exploiting, trying to get Masada on their side--though they'd rather have Grayson. Reginald Houseman, a smug and cowardly politician who hates the military, is Courvosiers aide. Honor's role is to escort supplies past Grayson after a few days in the system. Houseman wants to screw the military mission and force Grayson and Masada to put aside their "silly religious difference" and trade with each other instead of fight, something that Honor points out is illogical with the animosity between the two planets. Matthew Simmons of Masada tells Havenite Captain Alfredo Yu about the Manticoran delegates arriving. In Yeltsin, High Admiral Bernard Yanakov greets Courvosier with respect and is repulsed by Honor being a woman in uniform. The Havenites try and exploit this for all its worth. Yanakov lets Benjamin Mayhew IX, Planetary Protector of Grayson, know how the direct view of Honor is blowing downwind.
Negotiations begin and, except for Houseman trying to raise his topic once to no avail, things seem to be going smoothly until the Masadans and their Havenite allies launch a surprise attack from Blackbird and destroy the ships Courvosier and Yanakov are on, killing them. Honor returns from her escort duties and learns of Courvosier's death, something that shocks Honor considering that Courvosier was like a second father to her. Houseman threatens Honor when she refuses to abandon Grayson and slaps him once (Houseman, for the rest of the series, continues to bitch about this). Honor demands to meet with Benjamin, something that doesn't sit well with his cabinet. Benjamin agrees and during their talks, a group of assassins working for someone called "Maccabeus" attempt to assassinate Benjamin and frame the Manticorans. Thanks to an early warning from her telepathic treecat Nimitz, Honor defeats them and ends up with a dead eye and broken face, things that will be fully repaired once she returns to Manticore. Grayson witnesses the events on the news and throws its support behind Manticore. It turns out hat Jared Mayhew, a cousin of Benajmin's, was Maccabeus and behind the whole coup attempt and has since been dealt with.
Admiral Matthews (Grayson) and Honor attack Blackbird and penetrate its defenses. During the roundup of Masadans, Honor, Lieutenant Scotty Tremaine, and Petty Officer Horace Harkness find survivors from the attack that killed Yanakov and Courvosier; the female survivors were all raped and tortured and some even dead. In anger, Honor tries to kill the Masadan base commander but Scotty manages to stop her, saying that Benjamin and therefore Grayson will handle the punishment. Alfredo Yu and a young officer named Thomas Theisman surrender and tell Honor that, though they knew things were bad, they didn't realize things were this bad. Simmons, meanwhile, has stolen a Havenite ship and imprisons the Havenites while taking the ship into battle. Honor faces off against him in space and destroys his ship while Admiral Hamish Alexander, White Haven, of Manticore arrives to help subdue Masada personally and Grayson signs the alliance with the Star Empire of Manticore. As a reward, Benjamin makes Honor a Steadholder of the new city called Harrington Steading and awards her the Star of Grayson. To match this, Manticore makes Honor a Countess, though it's significantly below the rank of Steadholder.
All in all, a great novel in the Honor Harrington series. Full of wonderful characterizations and prose and world building, it drives home the point that David Weber knows excellent sci-fi military drama.
