In 1997, David Weber returned with another thrilling novel set in his Honorverse. This time, Honor's captured by the enemy and her only hope of rescue lies in a dicey bit of betrayal from a friend and that not all Peeps are evil. Synopsis: Honor Harrington's career has its ups and downs. She's survived ship-to-ship battles, assassins, political vendettas, and duels. She's been shot at, shot down, and just plain shot, had starships blown out from under her, and made personal enemies who
will stop at nothing to ruin her, and somehow she's survived it all. But this time she's really in trouble. The People's Republic of Haven has finally found an admiral who can win battles, and Honor's orders
take her straight into an ambush. Outnumbered, outgunned, and unable to
run, she has just two options: see the people under her command die in a
hopeless, futile battle... or surrender them-and herself-to the
People's Republic of Haven. There can only be one choice, and at least the People's Navy promises to treat their prisoners
honorably. But the Navy is overruled by the political authorities, and
Honor finds herself bound for a prison planet aptly named "Hell" ... and
her scheduled execution. Put into solitary confinement, separated from her officers and her
treecat Nimitz, and subjected to systematic humiliation by her jailers,
Honor's future has become both bleak and short. Yet bad as things look,
they're about to get worse ... for the People's Republic of Haven.
The novel opens with Cordelia Ransom arguing with Oscar Saint-Just and Rob Pierre about letting Esther McQueen have a seat on the Committee. Honor Harrington, accompanied by her armsmen and part of Nimitz's clan, land on Grayson and later talk shop with Hamish Alexander. Citizen Admiral Thomas Theisman, Citizen Commander Warner Caslet, and Commissioner Denis LePic also talk shop on the borders of the Haven Republic. Honor, on board HMS Prince Adrien--with Alistair McKeon--head out to protect cargo ships going to the Adler system. Ester McQueen begins to settle into her role and use it as a way to pull a coup. Meanwhile, Citizen Rear Admiral Lester Tourville plans to take the fight to the Adler system. Cordellia Ransom arrives at Barnett system to oversee Theisman and tells him she plans to dispense with the Deneb Accords--something Theisman happens to value. At Clairmont, Vice Admiral of the Red Dame Madeleine Sorbanne received word that Tourville's taken Adler and nothing can save Honor's two ships. At Adler, and after a short fight, Honor orders McKeon to surrender.
Tourville dispatches a message to Theisman, unaware that Ransom is there. Theisman, Caslet, LePic, and Ransom arrive to take Honor prisoner and have her killed to some trumped up charges for the incident at Basilisk (HH1:OBS). Ransom orders Nimitz killed but Citizen Lieutenant Shannon Foraker lies by saying that if Nimitz dies, then so does honor which Dr. Fritz Montoya corroborates. It's a lie that everyone but Ransom and her goons knows is a lie. Ransom takes the senior officers and Honor, with Caslet to the Cerberus system to execute Honor. Faking to switch sides, Senior Chief Petty Officer Horace Harkness sabotages Ransom's ship and rescues the officers and Caslet and Honor. During the fight to escape, armsman Jamie Candless sacrifices himself to ensure Honor gerts away. Harkness, as they flee in a damaged pinnace, has a second pinnace bring up its impeller wedge in the hangar, which destroys Ransom's ship and Ransom. Tourville, on his own ship, erases the records of what happened, stating that Honor deserved better than to be disintegrated in Ransom's ship. In the epilogue, Honor, with destroyed implants and missing an arm, wakes up on Hades with Harkness, Tremaine, McKeon, Caslet, Fritz, Nimitz, LaFollet and a few dozen others, saying that the Peeps are outnumbered here.
All in all, a very decent novel with enough action and world-building to satisfy any number of sci-fi lovers. Weber continues to show his masterful characterizations with any character no matter how great of small. A wonderful addition to the Honorverse.
