Echoes of Honor (Honor Harrington, Book 8) – David Weber
Title: Echoes of Honor
Series: Honor Harrington, Book 8
Author: David Weber
Genre: Science Fiction
An alternate title for this book could be “The Return of Honor”. Basically what this book covers is how, in the time that Honor Harrington has been away, the Peeps have finally begun to get their military organized. With the RMN (Royal Manticoran Navy) still trying to recover from their latest thrust into Peep territory, the PRH (People’s Republic of Haven) sets out on a mission to strike at the RMN where it is most vulnerable.
Honor and her other escapees, are stuck on a prison planet. They not only have to overthrow the SS goons (I mean guards…sorry) in charge, but then, to properly escape with all the other prisoners, they must capture, intact, several vessels capable of carrying near a quarter of a billion people.
The book is divided into alternating books, each covering either what Harrington and her fellow escapees are up to, or what is going on in the rest of the universe at large. Though this organization makes Weber’s normally shifting focal points a little more understandable, it limits the time spent on Honor – which, in my mind at least, is who is the central character of the book.
This organization also contributes to a “double climax” wherein the events in the universe at large come to a boiling point and finally erupt in several confrontations, and then climatic final fight for Harrington and all those following her. Even so, the ending of the book was actually very sudden. I would recommend having the next book of the series (Ashes of Honor) on hand, because it picks up within a month or so of the conclusion of this one.
The pace overall was very strong and steady, only lagging in a few places. The characters are pretty well done here as well, though I had enjoyed spending a more time with Harkness in the last book, and his character takes a little more backseat in this one.
In conclusion, this is yet another Harrington novel I recommend whole-heartedly. I would actually recommend this as the second part of a pair (Echoes of Honor coupled with Honor Among Enemies). Excellent science fiction as well as a strategic or military book.
Worldview: Secular
Age Recommendation: Mainly has violence and language, which make me hesitate to recommend this for anyone not in High School.
Hi Zach,
Just been reading some of your comments on the Honor Harrington series and I must say I share your appreciation of those books. Read most of the series in the past few years and started to reread them these christmas holidays.
If you like David Weber, you may also like the books by David Feintuch (the … Hope series, about a space naval officer with very high moral standards and obligation to duty) or the books by Elisabeth Moon (Vatta’s war series or the Serrano’s series, featuring daredevil/fun female spaceship captains).
Thanks again for your reviews. I will check out some of the other authors you like.
Thanks! I’ll have to put that on my list off books to get – sounds really interesting. Off the top of my head, I’d say if you enjoy Weber, to definitely check out McDevitt and Meluch – extremely well-written sci-fi. McDevitt is more mystery based while Meluch is similar to Weber’s without being as technical or political.