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Expanded Honor
Toll of Honor
A NEW SOLO NOVEL IN DAVID WEBER'S NYT BEST-SELLING HONORVERSE
“It is our duty to pay for our liberty with our own blood. The freedom that we shall win through our sacrifice and exertions, we shall be able to preserve with our own strength.” —Subhas Chandra Bose
Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo has come home from the Battle of Hancock station wounded in both body and spirit. She will need months to regenerate her lost leg, but how long will it take to heal her heart?
She’s come home to find that her wounds, her ship’s brutal damage, the deaths of so many friends, were the fault of an arrogant, aristocratic coward who broke and ran in the face of the enemy. Who left her ship to pay the price for his craven desertion under fire. And whose powerful political allies are determined to protect and preserve him at any price.
They have held hostage the declaration of war until Lord Pavel Young escaped the consequences of his cowardice. They didn’t care what it cost the Navy. They didn’t care what it cost the entire Star Kingdom of Manticore. Their tactics have cost the Royal Navy the priceless initiative as revolution and military purges wrack the People’s Republic of Haven, and that lost window of opportunity will cost the Star Kingdom seventeen years of bloody warfare and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Now Young is free to seek vengeance on the people he feels have “wronged” him. People like Paul Tankersley and Honor Harrington. Paid duelists, smear tactics, hired assassins in public restaurants . . . nothing is beneath Pavel Young. But Captain Harrington can look after herself, and Pavel Young is about to face the fury of the woman the newsies call the “Salamander.” Yet who will save the Star Kingdom from the repercussions of his actions?
Women and men like Brandy Bolgeo are about to pay the toll for the Star Kingdom of Manticore’s honor.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for David Weber and the Honor Harrington
“ . . . everything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.” —Science Fiction Age
“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” —Anne McCaffrey
“Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.” —Locus
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . . ” —Publishers Weekly
Praise for Uncompromising
“ . . . a balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.” —Booklist
Praise for Shadow of
“ . . . a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.” —Daily News of Galveston County
Praise for Mission of
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a
“It is our duty to pay for our liberty with our own blood. The freedom that we shall win through our sacrifice and exertions, we shall be able to preserve with our own strength.” —Subhas Chandra Bose
Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo has come home from the Battle of Hancock station wounded in both body and spirit. She will need months to regenerate her lost leg, but how long will it take to heal her heart?
She’s come home to find that her wounds, her ship’s brutal damage, the deaths of so many friends, were the fault of an arrogant, aristocratic coward who broke and ran in the face of the enemy. Who left her ship to pay the price for his craven desertion under fire. And whose powerful political allies are determined to protect and preserve him at any price.
They have held hostage the declaration of war until Lord Pavel Young escaped the consequences of his cowardice. They didn’t care what it cost the Navy. They didn’t care what it cost the entire Star Kingdom of Manticore. Their tactics have cost the Royal Navy the priceless initiative as revolution and military purges wrack the People’s Republic of Haven, and that lost window of opportunity will cost the Star Kingdom seventeen years of bloody warfare and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Now Young is free to seek vengeance on the people he feels have “wronged” him. People like Paul Tankersley and Honor Harrington. Paid duelists, smear tactics, hired assassins in public restaurants . . . nothing is beneath Pavel Young. But Captain Harrington can look after herself, and Pavel Young is about to face the fury of the woman the newsies call the “Salamander.” Yet who will save the Star Kingdom from the repercussions of his actions?
Women and men like Brandy Bolgeo are about to pay the toll for the Star Kingdom of Manticore’s honor.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for David Weber and the Honor Harrington
“ . . . everything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.” —Science Fiction Age
“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” —Anne McCaffrey
“Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.” —Locus
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . . ” —Publishers Weekly
Praise for Uncompromising
“ . . . a balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.” —Booklist
Praise for Shadow of
“ . . . a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.” —Daily News of Galveston County
Praise for Mission of
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a
617 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2024
About the author
David Weber
358 books4,403 followersDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 25, 2024
A completely unnecessary book but with enough stuff to make it ok but not enough to make it a required reading; similarly the (new) characters are ok but nothing memorable and the old characters are pretty much the same as in the early Honor novels; as a novella in an anthology this would have been great but as a 400+ page standalone novel it's really not worth getting unless one is a series completetist.
May 12, 2024
This long-time fan had a good time with this latest entry in Weber's vast series featuring Honor Harrington.
Weber revisits Field of Dishonor, to look at those events from other points of view in the first half of this book.
The second half gives us a look at some of the Royal Manticore Navy's action that was off-page in Flag in Exile.
He gives us a few new (to me) characters to cheer for (and worry about), as well as a chance to revisit with some favorites who are given more page space than in the earlier books. Oh yeah, he throws in an exciting space battle or two!
I especially enjoyed the opportunity to see the blooming of the romance between Chief Petty Officer Horace Harkness and Royal Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Iris Babcock! Great fun.
Weber revisits Field of Dishonor, to look at those events from other points of view in the first half of this book.
The second half gives us a look at some of the Royal Manticore Navy's action that was off-page in Flag in Exile.
He gives us a few new (to me) characters to cheer for (and worry about), as well as a chance to revisit with some favorites who are given more page space than in the earlier books. Oh yeah, he throws in an exciting space battle or two!
I especially enjoyed the opportunity to see the blooming of the romance between Chief Petty Officer Horace Harkness and Royal Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Iris Babcock! Great fun.
April 6, 2024
Too Much Rehashing Earlier Books
I'm a huge fan of the Honor Harrington series and it's various spin-off books and have read most of them more than once. The author at times has a bad habit of revisiting events already covered in previous books, however.
This book was particularly bad in this respect. Most of the first half of the book was just a retelling of events from Field of Dishonor and large parts of the second half are directly copied from the novella "Travesty of Nature" which leaves very little actual new material in this book. It's a shame as I enjoyed the purported main character of this book and would have really liked to have read more about her.
I'm a huge fan of the Honor Harrington series and it's various spin-off books and have read most of them more than once. The author at times has a bad habit of revisiting events already covered in previous books, however.
This book was particularly bad in this respect. Most of the first half of the book was just a retelling of events from Field of Dishonor and large parts of the second half are directly copied from the novella "Travesty of Nature" which leaves very little actual new material in this book. It's a shame as I enjoyed the purported main character of this book and would have really liked to have read more about her.
February 8, 2024
Great retelling of "Field of Dishonor", (this time outside of Honor Harrington's point of view) in part one and all new material from the first months of the first Manticoran-Havenite war in part two. What's not to like? Fresh, humorous, exciting (even if you know the storyline) - great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2024
Repetitive
Weber gets worse and worse.
Repetitive. Wordy.
Not many tension points. Did I mention repetitive and wordy?
Yup. I did.
Time he retires the HH franchise.
Weber gets worse and worse.
Repetitive. Wordy.
Not many tension points. Did I mention repetitive and wordy?
Yup. I did.
Time he retires the HH franchise.
May 6, 2024
This is the first book in a new side series to the Honor Harrington books, "Expanded Honor."
It is also a _very_ disappointing book.
For one thing, its blurb claims that its main character is one Brandy Bolgeo; and indeed, she seems to be so for the first few chapters: and then she disappears from the narrative for over a hundred fifty pages.
For another...
The book is in two parts. The first part is, to all intents and purposes, a rehash of the fourth book in the main series, _Field of Dishonor_. It gives some new viewpoints to the story, notably that of its two main villains; but, really, iti adds little if any actual actually significant incident to it. I am assuming that these extra points of view of an already-told story are what makes this side series "expanded." If so, I -- who have read all three dozen or so previous books in the "Honorverse" -- can honestly live without it. Essentially, it combines with _Field_ to bring the story up to the high verbosity levels of the later books in the main series.
The second part is, in fact, about Brandy Bolgeo, and largely concerns her deployment, as an engineering officer, aboard HMS _Prince Adrian_, to capture poorly-guarded star systems currently in the hands of the People's Republic of Haven, generally referred to by the Good Guys as the "Peeps." There are a few battle scenes, lots of people get killed, and the eeeevilness of the Republic's "People's Commissioners," political officers assigned to assure the political correctness of military personnel, and especially of military commanders. While this is exploring a new corner, it is still going over what is, at this point, ancient history in the series's continuity, and, again, I don't really see much point to it.
Based on the Author's Note at the end of the book, the "Expanded Honorverse" will consist of "novels dealing with earlier periods in Honor's life and, for that matter, her parents' lives. There are quite a few back story corners I've always wanted to paint in."
And that, I think, is the problem in a nutshell: a series needs to move forward. Going back and "painting in corners" risks losing forward momentum, and boring readers. I may not be a typical reader for Weber's books; I hope for his sake I'm not, because, if I am, he's going to start seeing sales numbers decline.
It is also a _very_ disappointing book.
For one thing, its blurb claims that its main character is one Brandy Bolgeo; and indeed, she seems to be so for the first few chapters: and then she disappears from the narrative for over a hundred fifty pages.
For another...
The book is in two parts. The first part is, to all intents and purposes, a rehash of the fourth book in the main series, _Field of Dishonor_. It gives some new viewpoints to the story, notably that of its two main villains; but, really, iti adds little if any actual actually significant incident to it. I am assuming that these extra points of view of an already-told story are what makes this side series "expanded." If so, I -- who have read all three dozen or so previous books in the "Honorverse" -- can honestly live without it. Essentially, it combines with _Field_ to bring the story up to the high verbosity levels of the later books in the main series.
The second part is, in fact, about Brandy Bolgeo, and largely concerns her deployment, as an engineering officer, aboard HMS _Prince Adrian_, to capture poorly-guarded star systems currently in the hands of the People's Republic of Haven, generally referred to by the Good Guys as the "Peeps." There are a few battle scenes, lots of people get killed, and the eeeevilness of the Republic's "People's Commissioners," political officers assigned to assure the political correctness of military personnel, and especially of military commanders. While this is exploring a new corner, it is still going over what is, at this point, ancient history in the series's continuity, and, again, I don't really see much point to it.
Based on the Author's Note at the end of the book, the "Expanded Honorverse" will consist of "novels dealing with earlier periods in Honor's life and, for that matter, her parents' lives. There are quite a few back story corners I've always wanted to paint in."
And that, I think, is the problem in a nutshell: a series needs to move forward. Going back and "painting in corners" risks losing forward momentum, and boring readers. I may not be a typical reader for Weber's books; I hope for his sake I'm not, because, if I am, he's going to start seeing sales numbers decline.
April 4, 2024
I’ve never given an “Honorverse “ book such a poor rating
This book is 75% a rehash of Pavel Young setting up the murder of Paul Tankersly and Honor’s subsequent duel with Pavel - told from other viewpoints
The last 25% is the Manties attacks at the start of the war with the Havenites featuring old and new characters
So if you have read the original story (which was 5*) then this book is a waste of money
As this is a 1st book in a series I hope the 2nd book does not rehash another previous storyline because if so I for one will not be buying it
This book is 75% a rehash of Pavel Young setting up the murder of Paul Tankersly and Honor’s subsequent duel with Pavel - told from other viewpoints
The last 25% is the Manties attacks at the start of the war with the Havenites featuring old and new characters
So if you have read the original story (which was 5*) then this book is a waste of money
As this is a 1st book in a series I hope the 2nd book does not rehash another previous storyline because if so I for one will not be buying it
May 30, 2024
Other reviewers have it right - this is a complete rehash of events from early in the Honorverse, from slightly different perspectives. Brandy Bolgeo shows up briefly at the beginning, and then again at the end, a bit, but this just hops around all over the place. It doesn't hang together at all - it's very disjointed, and probably should have been another Honorverse collection of short stories, rather than 'a novel'.
Recommended for Honorverse completists, and no one else (and possibly not even Honorverse completists, at that.)
Recommended for Honorverse completists, and no one else (and possibly not even Honorverse completists, at that.)
April 5, 2024
revisiting Pavel Young era
This felt like material he did not include in other books, loosely strung together with a new character.
Kind of weird reading it and knowing so much of the plot and outcomes.
However, I am addicted to the Honorverse so enjoyed it anyway. Probably got more enjoyment from reading-reading all the earlier books last year though.
This felt like material he did not include in other books, loosely strung together with a new character.
Kind of weird reading it and knowing so much of the plot and outcomes.
However, I am addicted to the Honorverse so enjoyed it anyway. Probably got more enjoyment from reading-reading all the earlier books last year though.
January 29, 2024
EARC Version
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2024
What a colossal waste of time. This is essential Honorverse Booked 4b, and is essentially a retelling (from a different perspective) of Field of Dishonor, a book from '94.
It does not advance the meta-plot at all, and honestly doesn't provide new information.
Severely disappointed, even for Honorverse fans this one is skippable
It does not advance the meta-plot at all, and honestly doesn't provide new information.
Severely disappointed, even for Honorverse fans this one is skippable
February 10, 2024
Very little new content, much of the book was a repeat of Field of Dishonor.
April 20, 2024
Having already read sixteen novels in the Honorverse, I expected to enjoy Toll of Honor but I did not expect to be surprised by it. Delightfully, however, Weber’s latest book is more than just surprising; indeed, it recasts how readers understand the Star Kingdom of Manticore from both a structural, and decision-making perspective.
A. Structural Critique
Toll of Honor makes three new points which together represent a structural critique of Manticore’s elites, its government, and Honor herself. To be clear, I don’t think that Weber intended to make these points, but I do think that they are clearly implied by the text.
First, the Manticoran system of government is fundamentally flawed because the aristocracy is corrupt, and has far too much political power. In a world where a competent Queen’s government consistently held the nobility accountable to the rule of law, degenerates like Pavel Young would find it much harder to prosper. Furthermore, in a world where political power was distributed more evenly across the entire population, disgruntled aristocrats would have a much harder time holding up generally popular government policies.
Second, regarding the Young family’s blackmail files, it seems clear that they include materials on aristocrats from across Manticore’s political spectrum, and that their breadth of coverage helps to explain the government’s failure to adequately address Pavel Young’s misdeeds, as well as Honor’s demotion after she legally kills Pavel in the duel. It just doesn’t make sense that serial blackmailers would limit their target set to people who shared their political outlook, and the idea that only conservative aristocrats would behave very badly behind closed doors is risible.
Third, by choosing to pursue justice via legal duels, and then accepting her demotion afterwards, Honor is operating within the framework of a corrupt system, and is implicitly endorsing it. Thus, unlike the earlier books, Toll of Honor offers a serious critique of our great hero. Of course Honor is still a giant, but now she is a flawed giant, and I think that makes her a better, and more realistic character.
B. The Manpower Angle
Toll of Honor revisits an episode from the Haven-Manticore conflict which Weber has already described earlier in the series. But now readers can re-examine those past events in light of some relevant information that we learned in later books. Notably, we now know that the entire Haven-Manticore conflict was caused by Manpower’s machinations, and that both sides were being manipulated. Consequently, while the anti-war faction in Toll of Honor looks bad relative to what the characters know at the time of the book, it looks positively prescient relative to the future knowledge possessed by the reader.
Overall this book is an excellent contribution to the Honorverse.
A. Structural Critique
Toll of Honor makes three new points which together represent a structural critique of Manticore’s elites, its government, and Honor herself. To be clear, I don’t think that Weber intended to make these points, but I do think that they are clearly implied by the text.
First, the Manticoran system of government is fundamentally flawed because the aristocracy is corrupt, and has far too much political power. In a world where a competent Queen’s government consistently held the nobility accountable to the rule of law, degenerates like Pavel Young would find it much harder to prosper. Furthermore, in a world where political power was distributed more evenly across the entire population, disgruntled aristocrats would have a much harder time holding up generally popular government policies.
Second, regarding the Young family’s blackmail files, it seems clear that they include materials on aristocrats from across Manticore’s political spectrum, and that their breadth of coverage helps to explain the government’s failure to adequately address Pavel Young’s misdeeds, as well as Honor’s demotion after she legally kills Pavel in the duel. It just doesn’t make sense that serial blackmailers would limit their target set to people who shared their political outlook, and the idea that only conservative aristocrats would behave very badly behind closed doors is risible.
Third, by choosing to pursue justice via legal duels, and then accepting her demotion afterwards, Honor is operating within the framework of a corrupt system, and is implicitly endorsing it. Thus, unlike the earlier books, Toll of Honor offers a serious critique of our great hero. Of course Honor is still a giant, but now she is a flawed giant, and I think that makes her a better, and more realistic character.
B. The Manpower Angle
Toll of Honor revisits an episode from the Haven-Manticore conflict which Weber has already described earlier in the series. But now readers can re-examine those past events in light of some relevant information that we learned in later books. Notably, we now know that the entire Haven-Manticore conflict was caused by Manpower’s machinations, and that both sides were being manipulated. Consequently, while the anti-war faction in Toll of Honor looks bad relative to what the characters know at the time of the book, it looks positively prescient relative to the future knowledge possessed by the reader.
Overall this book is an excellent contribution to the Honorverse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2024
My favorite part: having this book to remind me why I loved the original series.
What I would change:
It seems that the author's need to fill in the blanks has become necessary in this book. This one at least has characters that I cared about in the original series, unlike Shadows of Victory, where I didn't care enough about those characters to have finished that particular book.
There is a balance authors seem to need to find. Yes, some backstory or fill in some holes is okay. I certainly have enjoyed some of the novellas that filled in how Honor's parents met and various other parts that show what made Honor the person she was. Knowing the backstory of Manitcore meeting treecats brought an added layer and, of course, showed Honor definitely had some of Stephanie's attitude. But.. to go back and revisit from different points of view, didn't add anything deeply for me. IF David Weber had decided to write it 100% from Harkness' point of view or even Tremaine's point of view and stuck with one of them or McKeon's or.. Bolego's - pick 1. Simply pick 1 and create the book around the 1 character. This book is less likely to cause people who never read the original series to pick up On Basilisk Station. You HAVE to know the original series to care enough for the too many focus characters in this book.
David Weber even points to this in the author's note... "Mostly, though, I wanted the opportunity to go back and visit some of my favorite characters from Honor's world..."
I love visiting side characters when they become main characters in their own story. The way this book was created... It was smashing stories together that didn't need to be. Simply allowing the story to have news reports shared would have given a glimpse into the timing, but not drug the story through the muck of lack of focus.
What I would change:
It seems that the author's need to fill in the blanks has become necessary in this book. This one at least has characters that I cared about in the original series, unlike Shadows of Victory, where I didn't care enough about those characters to have finished that particular book.
There is a balance authors seem to need to find. Yes, some backstory or fill in some holes is okay. I certainly have enjoyed some of the novellas that filled in how Honor's parents met and various other parts that show what made Honor the person she was. Knowing the backstory of Manitcore meeting treecats brought an added layer and, of course, showed Honor definitely had some of Stephanie's attitude. But.. to go back and revisit from different points of view, didn't add anything deeply for me. IF David Weber had decided to write it 100% from Harkness' point of view or even Tremaine's point of view and stuck with one of them or McKeon's or.. Bolego's - pick 1. Simply pick 1 and create the book around the 1 character. This book is less likely to cause people who never read the original series to pick up On Basilisk Station. You HAVE to know the original series to care enough for the too many focus characters in this book.
David Weber even points to this in the author's note... "Mostly, though, I wanted the opportunity to go back and visit some of my favorite characters from Honor's world..."
I love visiting side characters when they become main characters in their own story. The way this book was created... It was smashing stories together that didn't need to be. Simply allowing the story to have news reports shared would have given a glimpse into the timing, but not drug the story through the muck of lack of focus.
April 30, 2024
This is the first book in The Expanded Honorverse series which are novels dealing with earlier periods in Honor's life. Therefore, much of the first half is very much a repetition of events written about in other books in the long-running series. It deals with a critical part of Honor's life centering around her disputes with Pavel Young and the death of Paul Tankersley and the way Honor deals with it.
This first part of the book is also concerned with political issues regarding the declaration of war against the Peeps. None of this political maneuvering is helped by Honor's actions in the aftermath of Pavel Young hiring the murder of her lover. Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo is watching these goings on mostly from outside as she is going through regeneration of her lost leg and rehabilitation after the events of the Battle of Hancock. She's an Honor partisan even though she's never met her.
The second half of the book focuses on Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo who is an engineer on the Prince Adrian commanded by Alastair McKeon. Also on board are Scotty Tremaine, Horace Harkness and Sargeant Major Babcock. The Prince Adrian is part of the Sixth Fleet's mission to harass the Peeps and chip away at their superior tonnage while waiting for the Manticore industries to ramp up to war standing.
Around the raids and battles, we get a chance to see the courtship between Harkness and Babcock which has been something fans of the series have wanted since both characters were introduced.
I enjoyed this story especially the second half which contained mostly new material. It has, however, made me want to reread the whole Honor Harrington series of which this is book 20 so that I can go back and spend time in this world and with these characters.
This first part of the book is also concerned with political issues regarding the declaration of war against the Peeps. None of this political maneuvering is helped by Honor's actions in the aftermath of Pavel Young hiring the murder of her lover. Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo is watching these goings on mostly from outside as she is going through regeneration of her lost leg and rehabilitation after the events of the Battle of Hancock. She's an Honor partisan even though she's never met her.
The second half of the book focuses on Lieutenant Brandy Bolgeo who is an engineer on the Prince Adrian commanded by Alastair McKeon. Also on board are Scotty Tremaine, Horace Harkness and Sargeant Major Babcock. The Prince Adrian is part of the Sixth Fleet's mission to harass the Peeps and chip away at their superior tonnage while waiting for the Manticore industries to ramp up to war standing.
Around the raids and battles, we get a chance to see the courtship between Harkness and Babcock which has been something fans of the series have wanted since both characters were introduced.
I enjoyed this story especially the second half which contained mostly new material. It has, however, made me want to reread the whole Honor Harrington series of which this is book 20 so that I can go back and spend time in this world and with these characters.
May 7, 2024
Toll of Honor is not a "normal" Honor Harrington book. In fact, the protagonist (if this book even has one) is newcomer Brandy Bolgeo.
Yes, Honor is "in" this book. But it is more like watching her one step removed. A typical example is a video call Honor makes to her good friend Alistair McKeon telling Alistair what has been going on recently in her life.
The first portion of the new book Toll of Honor recounts a VERY painful time in young Honor's life. It covers Pavel Young from when they first meet at the military academy to the infamous duel (which Honor wins).
This portion of the new book mostly deals with how Honor's friends feel seeing the grief/pain in Honor's eyes (if you had not read the entire Honor Harrington series, Pavel Young has Honor's first love killed in a duel and Honor never forgive him for this).
Book two covers more of the early RMN war against the Peeps.
I will admit that I did enjoy seeing well-loved characters from Honor's military career again, especially Scotty Tremaine and Horace Harkness. And I especially enjoyed seeing the beginning of Honor's time with Andrew LaFollet and her Grayson armsmen.
In the Author's note following the end of this novel, David Weber says this is "the first volume of what we will be calling The Expanded Honorverse series: novels dealing with earlier periods in Honor's life and, for that matter, her parents' lives."
I hope that we might see Brandy Bolgeo again and follow more of her career, but I won't be surprised if we don't.
Recommended for all Honor Harrington series fans who would like to also revisit earlier times in Honor's life. Just not with Honor as our primary protagonist (as was true with the books in her main series).
Yes, Honor is "in" this book. But it is more like watching her one step removed. A typical example is a video call Honor makes to her good friend Alistair McKeon telling Alistair what has been going on recently in her life.
The first portion of the new book Toll of Honor recounts a VERY painful time in young Honor's life. It covers Pavel Young from when they first meet at the military academy to the infamous duel (which Honor wins).
This portion of the new book mostly deals with how Honor's friends feel seeing the grief/pain in Honor's eyes (if you had not read the entire Honor Harrington series, Pavel Young has Honor's first love killed in a duel and Honor never forgive him for this).
Book two covers more of the early RMN war against the Peeps.
I will admit that I did enjoy seeing well-loved characters from Honor's military career again, especially Scotty Tremaine and Horace Harkness. And I especially enjoyed seeing the beginning of Honor's time with Andrew LaFollet and her Grayson armsmen.
In the Author's note following the end of this novel, David Weber says this is "the first volume of what we will be calling The Expanded Honorverse series: novels dealing with earlier periods in Honor's life and, for that matter, her parents' lives."
I hope that we might see Brandy Bolgeo again and follow more of her career, but I won't be surprised if we don't.
Recommended for all Honor Harrington series fans who would like to also revisit earlier times in Honor's life. Just not with Honor as our primary protagonist (as was true with the books in her main series).
August 30, 2024
A digression to start. I really regretted replaying Breath of the Wild immediately before Tears of the Kingdom came out, since they ended up being on the same map. It ruined the exploration of Tears because there was so little new exploring to do.
The first half of this book is the same way - it's probably much better if you have not recently read the original Honorverse books covering the same time period (which, good for me, I hadn't). The first half is an extremely choppy collection of chapters surrounding the duel with Young. It read very well as popcorn reading from the perspective of "oh, yeah, I remember reading this 10 years ago", as a light "I know what is going to happen" but with, I assume, new perspectives. I will note that every character is Absolutely Certain They Are Right...which is supposed to make the antagonist characters look extra evil and stupid but sort of backfires when none of the protagonists ever consider alternate perspectives themselves.
The second half of the book is standard Manties vs Peeps fare. Lots of powered missile envelopes and hyper limits. Again, it's fine popcorn reading; since it's an interquel you either know "oh this person will survive" or if it's a new name you probably don't care anyway. I enjoyed it.
I don't really know why it's two separate books glued together. I'd guess it's a publisher length thing, like how Peace Talks + Battle Ground got mutilated over in the Dresden Files universe.
I'd absolutely recommend against this if you haven't read at least the first half a dozen main Honorverse novels.
The first half of this book is the same way - it's probably much better if you have not recently read the original Honorverse books covering the same time period (which, good for me, I hadn't). The first half is an extremely choppy collection of chapters surrounding the duel with Young. It read very well as popcorn reading from the perspective of "oh, yeah, I remember reading this 10 years ago", as a light "I know what is going to happen" but with, I assume, new perspectives. I will note that every character is Absolutely Certain They Are Right...which is supposed to make the antagonist characters look extra evil and stupid but sort of backfires when none of the protagonists ever consider alternate perspectives themselves.
The second half of the book is standard Manties vs Peeps fare. Lots of powered missile envelopes and hyper limits. Again, it's fine popcorn reading; since it's an interquel you either know "oh this person will survive" or if it's a new name you probably don't care anyway. I enjoyed it.
I don't really know why it's two separate books glued together. I'd guess it's a publisher length thing, like how Peace Talks + Battle Ground got mutilated over in the Dresden Files universe.
I'd absolutely recommend against this if you haven't read at least the first half a dozen main Honorverse novels.
April 9, 2024
Way too much recycling -- anthology hammered into novel form
The last half of the book mostly focuses on developing the stories of a few tangential characters from the middle mainline stories. Simultaneously, adds to the stories of a few important support characters that were not previously fully developed e.g. McKeon). No really significant new events for HH personally or her universe of course. Would have made an OK Worlds of Honor type novella.
But the first 30 percent has very little new material. In fact much of it seems to be verbatim extracts of prior novels with a few opening summary recaps. Only a few scattered paragraphs and pages of introductory material are inserted to provide background context and timing for persons which are the focus of the later half of the book.
After the first third, the book phases more and more into newly published material. Until around the half way point, it's mostly new details and perspectives on events in Honors life that have already been well covered as for their long term impact. Basically more focus on fine personal detail and social trivia.
Really most the book seems like reprints or fleshing out stuff that did not make prior novels in the series -- either unfinished fragments and ideas from old author's notes or edited out of first draft for length or lack of impact. Works best if you read and remember the events of prior novels... Otherwise the continuity and logic between sections tends to be lumpy and disjointed as a standalone novel.
The last half of the book mostly focuses on developing the stories of a few tangential characters from the middle mainline stories. Simultaneously, adds to the stories of a few important support characters that were not previously fully developed e.g. McKeon). No really significant new events for HH personally or her universe of course. Would have made an OK Worlds of Honor type novella.
But the first 30 percent has very little new material. In fact much of it seems to be verbatim extracts of prior novels with a few opening summary recaps. Only a few scattered paragraphs and pages of introductory material are inserted to provide background context and timing for persons which are the focus of the later half of the book.
After the first third, the book phases more and more into newly published material. Until around the half way point, it's mostly new details and perspectives on events in Honors life that have already been well covered as for their long term impact. Basically more focus on fine personal detail and social trivia.
Really most the book seems like reprints or fleshing out stuff that did not make prior novels in the series -- either unfinished fragments and ideas from old author's notes or edited out of first draft for length or lack of impact. Works best if you read and remember the events of prior novels... Otherwise the continuity and logic between sections tends to be lumpy and disjointed as a standalone novel.
May 18, 2024
Bait and Switch! Get this straight! I love the Honor Harrington Series from the very first publication! I have collected and reread all the books! I am a huge Fan! But this sucks!
I found this "expansion" of the Honorverse to be Weber regurgitating Harrington's life. Yet at the beginning, he introduces a new character and situation that would have made for an engaging and worthy heroine in her own right! The introduction of wounded Lieutenant Bolego, as the first protagonist, then she disappears into long maunderings of material we already know about!.
Saying this book is a "Standalone" is a misnomer. I was expecting some NEW material. Weber has shown his age by being unable to offer his fans a new engaging character who could have shown the Honorverse from the Mid-deck viewpoint! I was so disappointed I scanned the novel through the 50% mark and closed out. I was unhappy, and now wary of engaging with the hope that we would see any new characters by Weber fleshed out in the Honorverse worth reading about!
I found this "expansion" of the Honorverse to be Weber regurgitating Harrington's life. Yet at the beginning, he introduces a new character and situation that would have made for an engaging and worthy heroine in her own right! The introduction of wounded Lieutenant Bolego, as the first protagonist, then she disappears into long maunderings of material we already know about!.
Saying this book is a "Standalone" is a misnomer. I was expecting some NEW material. Weber has shown his age by being unable to offer his fans a new engaging character who could have shown the Honorverse from the Mid-deck viewpoint! I was so disappointed I scanned the novel through the 50% mark and closed out. I was unhappy, and now wary of engaging with the hope that we would see any new characters by Weber fleshed out in the Honorverse worth reading about!
May 1, 2024
When I first heard about this book it was titled ’ Honor Harrington 15 - Toll of Honor’. Another ‘proper’ Honor Harrington book was definitely worth looking out for, unfortunately this turned out to be a misnomer and wasn’t what was actually being published.
The book starts with the recovery of ‘Brandy Bolgeo’, I assumed her recovery and subsequent redeployment would be the main storyline and this might be interesting.
However what we got was big chunks of a previous book Field of Dishonor. I enjoyed that book the first time around, but I’m not sure renaming and selling it again was such a great idea.
The second half of the book did follow ‘Brandy Bolgeo’, but this didn’t turn out to be that interesting, I hoped the story would be about Brandy and her development, but she was hardly in the story and the reality was some fairly tedious space battles.
After I finished the book my overwhelming thought was, what was the point!
The book starts with the recovery of ‘Brandy Bolgeo’, I assumed her recovery and subsequent redeployment would be the main storyline and this might be interesting.
However what we got was big chunks of a previous book Field of Dishonor. I enjoyed that book the first time around, but I’m not sure renaming and selling it again was such a great idea.
The second half of the book did follow ‘Brandy Bolgeo’, but this didn’t turn out to be that interesting, I hoped the story would be about Brandy and her development, but she was hardly in the story and the reality was some fairly tedious space battles.
After I finished the book my overwhelming thought was, what was the point!
April 14, 2024
I throughly enjoyed this visit with old friends.
The author takes another look, through fresh eyes and different perspectives of the events that took place in the time period of the duel between Honour Herrington and Pavel Young.
Not all the characters are names that avid Honorverse fans would be familiar with. Some new people are introduced. Some things that have been mentioned but not in any detail get fleshed out.
If you’re looking for fresh content for a story set after Uncompromising Honor you might not enjoy this book as much as I did. But if you’re up for a bit of discovery of “ I wonder if there’s more to the story “ then this book will help you spend an enjoyable time with old friends.
This is a book for my read again shelf, but not until my spouse finishes reading it.
The author takes another look, through fresh eyes and different perspectives of the events that took place in the time period of the duel between Honour Herrington and Pavel Young.
Not all the characters are names that avid Honorverse fans would be familiar with. Some new people are introduced. Some things that have been mentioned but not in any detail get fleshed out.
If you’re looking for fresh content for a story set after Uncompromising Honor you might not enjoy this book as much as I did. But if you’re up for a bit of discovery of “ I wonder if there’s more to the story “ then this book will help you spend an enjoyable time with old friends.
This is a book for my read again shelf, but not until my spouse finishes reading it.
July 23, 2024
I got 74% through the book but then was forced to put it aside for a nearly seven week trip out of town before racing through the rest on the day I got back!
This is an excellent read that takes some of the major events in Honor Harrington’s journey from the POV of other people who were involved. DON’T READ THIS BOOK until you get caught up on the whole series or else you’ll have major spoilers!
I can’t say which events without adding spoilers myself so I’ll just say that we get to see quite a bit more background in several different events that have had a huge impact on Honor or her career that were originally wrapped up in just a few chapters of their respective books.
This is a definite treat for Honorverse fans, as long as you save it for dessert!
This is an excellent read that takes some of the major events in Honor Harrington’s journey from the POV of other people who were involved. DON’T READ THIS BOOK until you get caught up on the whole series or else you’ll have major spoilers!
I can’t say which events without adding spoilers myself so I’ll just say that we get to see quite a bit more background in several different events that have had a huge impact on Honor or her career that were originally wrapped up in just a few chapters of their respective books.
This is a definite treat for Honorverse fans, as long as you save it for dessert!
August 18, 2024
I have to say that as much as I am looking forward to some sort of conclusion to the entire war against the Mesan Alignment, I thoroughly enjoyed Toll of Honor. It was a new perspective on the classic tale of vengence. It brought a bevy of new characters, and some old favorites, into a story about how Honor's choices affected the lives of others, both associated with her and some unassociated with her. It also fleshed out the war between the Crown and The Peoples Republic while not rehashing her battle against that regime. We all know how that war ended, but as in all wars, there are a myriad of people who fight and die from all walks of life. That is one of the things I like about Webers writing of the Honorverse, so much happens in so many directions across their "Prolonge(d)" lives.
August 23, 2024
The first two thirds was a basic retelling of field of dishonor. This was done through different fields of view of the same events. It was a bit of a hard time getting through as i found it boring. The last third was better expanding into what follows for the white-haven fleet after the declaration of war. This is where it gets interesting.
If I could reccomend anything it would be to split this book and incorporate the first bit into an expanded and rewritten field of dishonor "what I would have written if I had then the skills I have now" sort of thing. Then take the 2nd part and expand it to include the battle taking Trevor's star and publishing it as an expansion of the harrington universe
If I could reccomend anything it would be to split this book and incorporate the first bit into an expanded and rewritten field of dishonor "what I would have written if I had then the skills I have now" sort of thing. Then take the 2nd part and expand it to include the battle taking Trevor's star and publishing it as an expansion of the harrington universe
April 18, 2024
Toll of Honor by David Weber is the first book in the new "Expanded Honor" series. This book is set in the time of Honor's feud and duel with Pavel Young. It is told from several different viewpoints than was in the original storyline. It revisits several of the characters who were important in Honor's life and gives a more in-depth background of how the war between Manticore and Haven started. Some of this story is just filler but for the most part it was a great read. It was good to be back with Honor and Nimitz and her many friends and even her many enemies. David Weber never fails to deliver a great story. I highly recommend this book to all fans of the Honorverse and David Weber.
May 1, 2024
3.5 Stars rounded up
The Honorverse series has been one of my favorite all time. I saw this book on the new shelves list and mistakenly thought it was a new book in the mainline series, which hasn't had another book in a while. Instead it is another spinoff series, looking at events from earlier through the eyes of different characters. While there is comfort in going through previous events, the book felt more like scenes that were cut from other books put together to make a short novel. I did enjoy seeing more background on some of the side characters, but I wish there would have been more new material.
The Honorverse series has been one of my favorite all time. I saw this book on the new shelves list and mistakenly thought it was a new book in the mainline series, which hasn't had another book in a while. Instead it is another spinoff series, looking at events from earlier through the eyes of different characters. While there is comfort in going through previous events, the book felt more like scenes that were cut from other books put together to make a short novel. I did enjoy seeing more background on some of the side characters, but I wish there would have been more new material.
April 10, 2024
Massive amount of Easter Eggs and alternate PoV
This book is really for the fans. You should read A Short Victorious War and Field of Dishonor first to understand the first half. The second half is more original material but I felt the ending was rushed. According to the author, he aims to revisit her points in Honor's life and not create yet another spinoff series. I missed the novella that introduced Brandy so I would have to find that. Perhaps Weber might change his mind and write a Brandy centric series.
The problem I have is that Brandy is not a compelling protagonist. She doesn't have anything to make me care about her. No enemies or rivals the way Honor has with Klaus Hauptmann, Reginald Houseman, and Pavel Young. Maybe that will come later...Eager to read the next one
This book is really for the fans. You should read A Short Victorious War and Field of Dishonor first to understand the first half. The second half is more original material but I felt the ending was rushed. According to the author, he aims to revisit her points in Honor's life and not create yet another spinoff series. I missed the novella that introduced Brandy so I would have to find that. Perhaps Weber might change his mind and write a Brandy centric series.
The problem I have is that Brandy is not a compelling protagonist. She doesn't have anything to make me care about her. No enemies or rivals the way Honor has with Klaus Hauptmann, Reginald Houseman, and Pavel Young. Maybe that will come later...Eager to read the next one
April 23, 2024
Weber adds a new fine Liquor to the Honor Shelf, and Brandy Bolgeo is its Name-O!
I was initially hesitant to like this book. It seemed to be an expanded retelling of Honor's early days. But then it grew Treecat legs and the celery juices started flying as the remnants and revenants of my past readings in Honor's Universe began to weave a new pattern from the past threads as old memories took on new life through the lenses of this Toll of Honor.
So Dig in those Claws for a Crash Dive to the Past as Weber Unfolds the Curtains and Reveals the Oz Behind Them!
I was initially hesitant to like this book. It seemed to be an expanded retelling of Honor's early days. But then it grew Treecat legs and the celery juices started flying as the remnants and revenants of my past readings in Honor's Universe began to weave a new pattern from the past threads as old memories took on new life through the lenses of this Toll of Honor.
So Dig in those Claws for a Crash Dive to the Past as Weber Unfolds the Curtains and Reveals the Oz Behind Them!
April 28, 2024
A solid addition. I get that it is harder to write about Honor as she has less direct control over events. Filling in some gaps is a nice way to reconnect with my old friends.
The first half of this book is classic David Weber: people, plot, and action move quickly. I give it a thumbs-up.
The second half of this book is classic David Weber, with lots of explanation and background to made-up physics. Meh.
I would be interested to see what else he can come up with here, but I also want to know how Honor and the Grand Alliance deal with Mesa...
The first half of this book is classic David Weber: people, plot, and action move quickly. I give it a thumbs-up.
The second half of this book is classic David Weber, with lots of explanation and background to made-up physics. Meh.
I would be interested to see what else he can come up with here, but I also want to know how Honor and the Grand Alliance deal with Mesa...
May 29, 2024
4* based on my emotional reaction to the book, because it basically made me want to re-read the whole series and it brought up all the feels of previous installments of the series.
But honestly, it should probably be a 3*: a lot of it is retelling of the older books (30yo books to be exact... damn, I'm old!), with not a lot of new information. The new main character is cool, but actually not very present in the book.
So read it as a nostalgia old school Honorverse cosy blanket book, but do not expect any big revelation.
But honestly, it should probably be a 3*: a lot of it is retelling of the older books (30yo books to be exact... damn, I'm old!), with not a lot of new information. The new main character is cool, but actually not very present in the book.
So read it as a nostalgia old school Honorverse cosy blanket book, but do not expect any big revelation.
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