At All Costs (Honorverse) (Mass Market Paperback)

Haven President Eloise Pritchart wants nothing more than for the war to end. She releases a POW, who happens to be close to Honor Harrington, with a message for Queen Elizabeth. Eloise wants to meet and discuss terms for peace. Elizabeth is given the choice of when and where. Eloise asks that Honor be included, as well as, the treecats.

Honor Harrington is still close to Hamish and Emily (of White Haven). As Honor begins her return to the front, she learns that she is pregnant. Though all know, in the back of their minds anyway, who the father is, no one dares state it aloud. Since being killed in battle is always a possibility, Honor has her unborn child removed from herself and placed in a tube to mature. (Totally safe.) Those on Manticore and Grayson, depending on how they feel about Honor, are either thrilled to learn about an heir or furious and wanting to use the child as a weapon against the mother.

***** First off let me state that I hope the author creates a whole new series about Torch, its teenaged queen, and its Amazonian people. Such potential exists there. Queen Berry Zilwicki came across much better than Queen Amidala could ever hope to have done.

Honor Harrington is something of "a personal bogeyman" for the Havenites. As always, Honor's reputation for unusual strategies grows, with great reason. If a student is only as good as his or her teacher, then the author, David Weber, is down right scary! The planning, tactical details, and battle executions are unnerving to me. I totally believe Weber to be a genius in this regard.

As my husband or I read ANY book by Weber, we lose a lot of sleep. We no longer bother to inform the other of WHY we look so tired and exhausted. We simply look into the eyes of the other and say, with a voice of pure disgust, " Weber Evil." Those two words say it all. This series has my highest possible recommendation! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Weber has done it again. While ‘The Shadow of Saganami' was a book I found a little disappointing as the characterisations didn’t have the depths of his earlier works, ‘At All Costs’ has taken my breath away. I have to say, the opening chapters had me bawling my eyes out to the bemusement of those around me, ‘It’s only a book,’ they said, shaking their heads. I miss those that have gone in ‘At All Cost’ (no hints I’m afraid, read it!!), Weber was right to address that time marches on and waits for no man (or woman) and the harsh reality that the good die as easily as the bad in war. If you have been disappointed recently by his works in the Honorverse, pick this one up because you’ll either curse him for pulling all your heart strings or hug him for providing an engrossing read and a exceptional addition to the series.

Political intrigue and star battles lace this roller-coaster emotional ride as the Republic of Haven, Manticorans, Graysons and the newly created Torch go further head to head in a war that no one desires, yet unable to prevent. Poignant upheaval lies behind each chapter as Honor seeks to finally organize her life so that all her ties (emotional and political) compliment each other and consolidate her and those around her.

While fans have complained about the ever increasing political angles, it’s a little hard to avoid due to Honor’s eventual rise in rank and growth in all spheres. Everything today is touched by politics, whether we acknowledge it or not, and to steal Weber’s words; ‘…no captain in Her Majesty’s service can be a virgin where politics are concerned…’ Weber has always been more than just battles. His depth of humour, characterisation and deft twists in plot is what makes him a master of Space Opera.