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I just finished the eARC version of _Mission of Honor_, the latest in David Weber's Honor Harrington series.
It's an interesting volume, because Weber has fundamentally changed the underlying universe. The original premise was set against the background of impending conflict and then all out war between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the neighboring Republic of Haven. Honor is modeled after both C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower and the real Admiral Lord Nelson, and the series was essentially the Napoleonic Wars translated into space. The series follows her naval career from Midshipman to Admiral, peer of the realm, and close friends and advisor the planetary rulers of two star nations. The original intended ending had Honor dying in a climactic battle, ala Nelson at Trafalgar.
For various reasons, that notion got altered, and after discussions with collaborator Eric Flint, Weber has shifted focus over the last few books, to bring the war with Haven to a conclusion without killing off Honor and providing a different set of bad guys to be the villains of the piece. In the process, he's vastly expanded the scope of the action, which will now include the enormous Solarian League that Manticore and Haven were on the borders of, and provided hooks to devote stories of their own to secondary characters in the Harrington books.
I don't consider _Mission or Honor_ perfect: it has sections that would have benefited from editing, as they seem to be there only to remind us of the existence of minor characters from the previous book or so, and Weber has characteristic phrases that are due for "David, it's time you found another way to say that." notes. But it's got typical Weber pacing and building suspense, and the sort of implicit in what came before but unexpected ending that leaves you going "Whoa!"
It's a stirring read, and a worthy installment in what may be the best SF series being written.
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Dennis
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