Book Review: Honor Harrington: War of Honor SPOILERS!

In 2002, David Weber published the tenth novel in the epic Honor Harrington saga. This time, peace is the word, but can it be maintained? Synopsis: No one wanted another war. Thomas Theisman didn't. After risking his life and a fresh round of civil war to overthrow the Committee of Public Safety's reign of terror and restore the Republic of Haven's ancient Constitution, an interstellar war was the last thing he wanted. Baron High Ridge didn't. The Prime Minister of Manticore was perfectly happy with the war he had. No one was shooting anyone else at the moment, and as long as he could spin out negotiations on the formal treaty of peace, his government could continue to milk all those "hostilities only" tax measures for their own partisan projects. His Imperial Majesty Gustav didn't. Now that the fighting between the Star Kingdom and the Havenites had ended, the Andermani Emperor had his own plans for Silesia, and he was confident he could achieve them without a war of his own. Protector Benjamin didn't. His people had made too deep a commitment to the Manticoran Alliance, in blood as well as treasure, for him to want to risk seeing it all thrown away. And Honor Harrington certainly didn't. The "Salamander" had seen the inside of too many furnaces already, knew too much about how much war cost. Unfortunately, what they wanted didn't matter....

The novel opens with several people in different places noting certain things (the Andermani note increased pirate activity in the Silesian Confederacy; Admiral Lester Tourville notes unusual merchantmen; the crew of Manticoran Space Station Hephaestus discovers a way to crack the Seventh Terminus). On Grayson, Lady Dame Steadholder Honor Harrington and Captain Michelle "Mike" Henke talk politics. On Nouveau Paris, President Eloise Pritchard complains about Manticore's High Ridge government dragging their feet about the peace terms to Admiral Thomas Theisman. Back at Saganami Island, Honor once again embraces the role of mentor and, during a shooting practice, meets up with Admiral Hamish Alexander (White Haven) and they talk politics over lunch. The Andermani point out the pirate activity in Silesea to the Manticorans. Reginald Houseman and Edward Janacek (the current First Lord of the Admiralty) talk about retiring naval ships; High Ridge continues to drag his feet with the peace talks and furthers his personal campaign to screw over the Star Kingdom of Manticore, the San Martino's, the Graysonites, the Republic of Erewhon and he and his cronies agree to slander both White Haven and Honor, by saying that Hamish is cheating on Lady Emily Alexander (Lady White Haven) with Honor.

Honor meets with Hamish and William "Willie" Alexander and discuss High Ridge's wrecking proposals; Willie tells them both about High Ridge's plan to eliminate them publicly will come from slander-journalist Soloman Hayes and that it will say that Honor and Hamish are having an affair. Despite their outrage, there seems to be nothing for them to do to counter the lies. Everyone in the House of Lords believes it. Janacek learns that the Andermani Empire is moving on Silesea. Admiral Theisman and Vice Admiral Shannon Foraker discuss the stalled peace talks and the possibility of war. Hamish tells Honor that Emily would like to meet her and help both of them through the political shit-storm; the treecat Samantha (Nimitz's wife) adopts Hamish. Upon meeting, Emily tells Honor that she knows how she (Honor) and Hamish feel toward each other; after a few hours, and with patience and planning, Emily helps them to fight back. At a party, Emily verbally kicks the journalists in their collective balls for daring to suggest that her good friend Honor and her (Emily's) husband are sleeping with each other. High Ridge, Countess New Keiv, Elaine Descroix, Earl Stefan Young (12th Earl of North Hollow), and Janacek--along with Lady North Hollow--agree to hot Honor on her emotional side and send her back to the Silesian Confederacy and hope she gets killed.

Honor gets the old team back together and goes to find out what Andermani Emperor Gustav XI wants with the Silesian Confederacy. Honor learns from Protector Benjamin IX that the Peeps have an operation called Bolthole and that the Erewhonese are considering jumping ships and allying with the Peeps. Theisman and Pritchard discuss Jason Giancola screwing her on what's really happening in the Silesian Confederacy. Francis Jurgensen spies on Bolthole and reports this. High Ridge and his cronies debate what to do and settle for calculations of how much money they can slowly siphon back into the military and naval budget. Negotiations continue spiraling to disaster as the High Ridge government refuses to move fast enough. Theisman puts Operation Thunderbolt into action. During a session of the Lords, the majority demand through White Haven to know what Pritchard's peace agreements were about and Countess New Keiv is pissed that she was forced to answer. New Keiv complains to High Ridge and cronies. After one disastrous battle in the Silesian Confederacy, and Andermani Admiral Grafschaft Sternhafen's denial of Honor's report, Admiral Herzogtum Rabenstrange berates Sternhafen for his (Sternhafen's) and Captain Gortz's stupidity. With tensions mounting all around, Giancola continues to sabotage the peace talks. Honor finds evidence of Peep infiltration in Silesea.

High Ridge and his cronies aren't pleased with Honor's report or Pritchard's final demand. White Haven visits Janacek under orders from Queen Elizabeth and demands to find out what the Royal Manticoran Navy plans to do about the Havenite presence in Silesea; Janacek tells him to "fuck off" and "go to Hell!" White Haven threatens to go to the media and Janacek tells him that reinforcements aren't possible; White Haven storms out. Current First Space Lord Admiral Simon Chakrabarti also demands that something happen at Sidemore Station which Janacek dismisses--even going so far as to insult the Grayson Space Navy. Chakrabarti resigns in protest to the refusal to do anything. Once more, High Ridge and company refuse Pritchard's terms rather provocatively. The Graysonites agree with White Haven on the politics as does Elizabeth. Giancola tries to talk Pritchard down from war, but she won't have it; Giancola suddenly realizes that he and Yves Grosclaude have royally fucked up. Anton Zilwicki and his wife Cathy Montaigne confront Lady Earl North Hollow--who is none other that Elaine Komandorski--and force her to flee the Star Kingdom of Manticore and give her a three day head start before they inform the local authorities and the Audubon Ballroom. Doing so requires that she destroy the North Hollow files.

Honor goes to meet Rabenstrange and tells him everything she's gathered. Rabenstrange passes the intelligence data to Emperor Gustav. The Graysonites charge through the Manticore Wormhole Junction to back up Trevor's Star's ships. High Ridge berates Janacek for stupidly rejecting Grayson help and admits that he can't tell how this will play out. War breaks out at Grendelsbane Station and the Second Havenite-Manticoran War starts. High Ridge informs Queen Elizabeth of this and she flatly refuses to back him in combining political forces. Tourville's forces are ambushed trying to destroy Honor's forces at Sidemore Station when the Protecter's Own jumps in and open fire. Tourville, after sustaining heavy losses, flees. After Silesea and Grendelsbane, Elaine Decroix, New Keiv, High Ridge, and North Hollow resign form their posts and from the government--Janacek commits suicide. White Haven's government takes over. In a surprising turn of events, the Erewhonese--thanks to the policies of High Ridge--break from the Star Kingdom of Manticore and join with the People's Republic of Haven and the Andermani Empire joins forces with the Star Kingdom. At the end, Emily--with help from Samantha--encourages Honor and White Haven to love each other and stop beating around the bush.

All in all, a great novel that really captures both sides trying to find peace while being retroactively screwed over by their own people. Wonderful prose, great characterizations, and nice acknowledgement of Crown of Slaves and a subtle nod to The Shadow of Saganami. David Weber continues to bring imagination to the series at large. Bravo.