Weber, David. War of Honor. It is almost impossible for me to understand how Weber can create so many well-rounded characters and keep track of all of them. I've written several reviews of others in the Honor Harrington series, and I'm still enjoying them.
One thing that differs in War of Honor is the increased time spent on the political aspects. All of the political maneuvering, misunderstandings, deliberate misleading, and actual editing of diplomatic missives reveal what must be some of the problems involved in real diplomacy. Pretty scary.
However, all of the political machinations get a bit overwhelming. The book is over 800 pages long...that's a lot of politics. It reads much slower than the others in the series. I'm a pretty dogged reader, but I'm not sure that this one would appeal to everyone.
I love this series and enjoyed catching up on all of the characters, both major and minor, and I will definitely continue, but I do hope for more action and less politics.
Fiction. Space Opera. 2002. 861 pages.
I have to admit to not having read any David Weber. My only connection with hinm at all is an embarrassing memory. I was in Barnes and Noble one day and was in a super hurry, looking for a specific book for a gift or something that I needed to get in, get out, and get back to work. An older gentleman initially thought I worked there and started asking me if I ever read David Weber. I nicely explained that I didn't work there. He proceeded to want to tell me about Weber and I told him that I really didn't have time and had to go. I was polite, but I felt like shit...still do when I think about it. Here was a guy that was essentially just an older version of me--a guy who liked books and wanted to share about a favorite author--and I didn't give him the time of day. I hope to always remember this feeling so I don't repeat that mistake. I should actually pick up some Weber to read as penance. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness, you've been busy catching up! I'm glad to see you're back to posting. I'm a little overwhelmed with the backlog of book reviews I need to do, too. And, not knowing the order in which I read them (because of my missing calendar) is turning me into an even worse fruitcake than normal. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this author either. And 800+ pages with a lot of political discussion is way beyond me. Maybe I'll look into on of the others.
ReplyDeleteCarl - Oh, incidents like that do linger. I'm sure the man understood and forgot about it immediately, and yet you have recorded it as a lost opportunity. Don't do Weber as penance, though. If you ever get around to him, just enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteBookfool -- I have a few more to get reviewed, and I'm finishing off 3 that I'm reading now pretty quickly. I know the order I read mine, but in the reviews, I'm just taking them off the stack and doing them that way. :( Sorry about your calender - how frustrating!
Framed - I'd start with the first Honor Harrington. But, be warned, these are strictly military (starship navy) adventures. I love the way Weber manages to make the characters real and describe the ships and tactics so thoroughly.