Rear Admiral Michelle Henke was commanding one of the ships in a force ledy by Honor Harrington in all-out space battle. The odds were against the Star Kingdom forces, and they had to run. But Michelle's ship was crippled, and had to be destroyed to prevent superior Manticoran technology from falling into Havenite hands, and she and her surviving crew were taken prisoner. Much to her surprise, she was repatriated to Manticore, carrying a request for a summit conference between the leaders of the two sides which might end the war. But a condition of her return was that she gave her parole not to fight against the forces of the Republic of Haven until she had been offically exchanged for a Havenite prisoner of war, so she was given a command far away from the war's battle lines. What she didn't realize was that she would find herself on a collison course, not with a hostile government, but with the interstellar syndicate of criminals known as Manpower. And Manpower had its own plans for elimating Manticore as a possible threat to its lucrative slave trade, deadly plans which remain hidden in the shadows.
From Booklist
This splendid continuation of the Honor Harrington saga takes its departure from both The Shadow of Saganami (2004) and At All Costs (2005). The Mantie commander on the spot (very much so, since she begins the novel as a Havenite POW) is HonorοΏ½s old subordinate, now an admiral, Michelle Henke. She is paroled to take home a proposal for peace talks between Manticore and Haven. In rapid succession, a Mantie officer attacks a planet protected by the Solarian League that is actually a base for the interstellar genetic-slavery oligarchy Manpower, Manticore annexes a cluster of systems and declares itself an empire, and the Solarian League gets trigger-happy. This all kicks everything up to the grand strategic level, where Honor is coping with new motherhood as well as her responsibilities as Empress ElizabethοΏ½s most trusted advisor. IsnοΏ½t that enough for one heroine to have on her plate? Not if she is Honor Harrington, although more and more she has the loyal and competent assistance of a cast of scores, a listing of whom some, at least, may have welcomed. Weber prefatorily indicates changes in the long-term plans for the saga, which has achieved critical and popular success to a degree that is beginning to rival those of some fantasy and alternate-history competitors. However changed, and whatever may befall Honor, more enthralling reading awaits, apparently for ever more readers. --Roland Green
About the Author
David Weber is the science fiction phenomenon of the decade. His popular Honor Harrington novels are New York Times best sellers and can't come out fast enough for his devoted readers. He has also begun a top-selling epic SF adventure series in collaboration wiith John Ringo, with four novels so far: March Upcountry, March to the Sea, March to the Stars and We Few. His Wind Rider's Oath, another New York Times best seller, continues his popular Bahzell fantasy adventure series.q