Military Sub-Genre

Science Fiction
(Military Sub-Genre)

Among science fiction books, there are several sub-genres. The books here, by David Weber (no relation to David the StoryTeller) are all from the "military" sub-genre, meaning that there is usually some sort of a starship fight. However, as this series has developed, the characters have taken on added depth, which is kind of unusual in military science fiction.

The lead character of these books is named Honor Stephanie Harrington, and she is a starship commander. In fact, in many ways she is the best starship commander in the Star Kingdom of Manticore, in whose navy she serves. Part of what makes her so good is her strong sense of duty and, yes, honor. Though these qualities may get her into trouble once in a while, they also tend to help her get out of trouble. Unfortunately, her skill and devotion to her duty to her Queen also make her not a few political enemies.

Even if you do not care much for starships blowing each other to pieces, these books may still interest you simply for the character development that takes place, and the values that Honor espouses and demonstrates would probably make William J. Bennett proud.

As with all these pages, clicking on the book's cover (or graphic if I don't have cover art) or the link at the end of the review will take you to that book's listing on Amazon.com.

So, let's get on with the reviews!

On Basilisk Station by David Weber
David Weber introduces us to Commander Honor Harrington with a bang. She has so many problems in this book that they would probably reduce Captain Picard to tears. Here's a short list: One of her superiors gave her a ship with a new weapon, which worked well once, then turned out to be a dismal failure. So, to keep her mistake out of view, she sends Honor and her light cruiser Fearless are sent to Basilisk Station, where the navy typically sends its screw-ups. Her crew blames her for this, as well as for the fact that she insists on doing her full duty on Basilisk, unlike the previous commanders. Oh, speaking of previous commanders, the Captain she is supposed to be backing up pulls out, leaving her holding the whole bag. The natives on the Basilisk system's planet are smoking stuff that can cause homicidal hallucinations, and the People's Republic of Haven has a plan to take over the system which will pit Honor's little light cruiser against a ship which out-masses it several times over. I know, it sounds bad, but just wait until you see how she manages to solve all of these problems!
Amazon.com: "On Basilisk Station" (paperback)

The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
Honor, newly promoted to Captain for her actions in Basilisk, is given command of a new Fearless, built to replace the old Fearless, which wasn't good for much besides scrap after Basilisk. The new heavy cruiser Fearless becomes part of an escort quadron taking a diplomatic delegation to the star system of Grayson, along with gifts for the Graysons. The only problem is, the Graysons are a rather backward society, and the idea of a woman as a starship commander, much less squadron commander, is rather hard for them to take. But Honor manages to show them that there is a very good reason she's the one leading the squadron when she defends the Graysons from their most deadly enemies. In other words, she gives them a good swift kick in their predjudices!
Amazon.com: "The Honor of the Queen" (paperback)

The Short Victorious War by David Weber
The People's Republic of Haven is in trouble. So, to take pressure off of their domestic troubles, the leaders of Haven turn their attention outward, looking for a war that they can win quickly. The only problem is, the Star Kingdom of Manticore's navy isn't about to let them have it! So Honor, newly made commander of the battle cruiser Nike, enters the fray again, but this time with her crew solidly behind her and the best ship of the Royal Manticoran Navy under her command. The Havenites will never know what hit them!
Amazon.com: "The Short Victorious War" (paperback)

Field of Dishonor by David Weber
Weber takes Honor off of the bridge of her ships and puts her in the middle of a political firestorm. When the love of her life is killed in a legal duel, she returns from her duties on Grayson to seek justice. When her government can't give it to her because of politics, she seeks it herself on the dueling field. This book reveals a lot more depth in all the characters, and shows that Weber doesn't need starships with missile tubes blazing to write a very good book. (Is it just me, or does she look a lot like Michael Jackson on that cover?)
Amazon.com: "Field of Dishonor" (paperback)

Flag in Exile by David Weber
Honor, forced onto the "half-pay" naval reserve lists and into political exile on Grayson, takes up a commission as an Admiral in the Grayson navy. A simple way to keep busy, bringing their fledgling navy up to speed, right? Not hardly. Haven once again has its eyes on Grayson, and there are still factions on Grayson that don't like women in positions of power. Combining these two crises into a wonderful book, Weber shows us that even after everything that has happened to his character in the first three books, he can still find new things about her to surprise us with.
Amazon.com: "Flag in Exile" (paperback)

Honor Among Enemies by David Weber
Because of the strains of the war with Haven, convoy escorts outside the Kingdom have been seriously curtailed. So, of course, the merchants start complaining very loudly! The Admiralty's solution? Bring Honor out of the political cold to lead a "squadron" of freighters which have been heavily armed, to try and cut down on the piracy. However, because the navy is pushed to deploy this squadron, her crew consists largely of cadets right out of the Academy and those troublemakers that were let go by their captains. Something tells me this is not going to be a pleasure cruise!
Amazon.com: "Honor Among Enemies" (paperback)

Science Fiction(Military Sub-Genre)

Science Fiction
(Military Sub-Genre)