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Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.

Join us in talking discussing all things Honor, including (but not limited to) tactics, favorite characters, and book discussions.
Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by cthia   » Sat Jun 18, 2022 7:00 am

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TheNorthWind wrote:
ThinksMarkedly wrote:
Hello TheNorthWind, welcome to the forum.

I feel the same. Can't wait for more books to come!


Same! And I've heard David doesn't want to do more Honor PoV books anymore but I'd love it if he did.

ThinksMarkedly wrote:
But if you've "only" read 14 books, then you're missing quite a few! I recommend you read both the Crown of Slaves and the Saganami Island sub-series, if you haven't. SI are not really a separate series, since the events are interlinked with the main series; CS was slightly more apart... but that definitely no longer applies to To End in Fire, the fourth CS book.


I still plan to read more! I'm just pacing myself now because I don't want to end up at a point where I have nothing else to read in this universe for a while.

Theemile wrote: After reading the OP's post last week, I realized what I was really jonsing for, Just a simple PoV story focused on a single ship (or squadron) with some intrigue and ship to ship action. A modicum of details concerning the bigger picture just to understand what's really driving events, but the depth of the story following our PoV characters going about their (interesting) day.


Exactly so! My greatest moments of enjoyment I found in the series consisted of when the politics and the relationships set up stakes and a background for that epic fleet action where Honor is sent out to accomplish some strategic goal. I think the best example of that storytelling formula working for me – apart from the early series where Honor had far smaller commands – was the Battle of Lovat in At All Costs.

If I could, I'd want one of those in every book for another ten books, at least. :p

This is where the series really shines. It's what it was built on, what the first several books set up in terms of both theme, lore, and character capability.

And Honor really is practically Holmesian in how she logically does battle. Her tactical brilliance is an important part of what makes the series so enjoyable imo.

I may be waxing brilliance or overexaggerating a bit here, but I just binged the main series and haven't gotten over my initial excitement yet. :)

I am grinning, and I wholeheartedly agree with this entire post. I keep bragging that I was fortunate enough to have begun the series with On Basilisk Station, and in my mind the excitement and legend still lives on. First impressions you see!

I too wish the author would write more PoV of Honor regardless of understandable reasons. I think he attempts to recreate the recipe with Meghan Petersen and Aivars Terekhov and he succeeded. And perhaps he is setting the stage for at least an Honor infused recipe by releasing the fruit of her loins into the galaxy. Perhaps her offspring will be the proverbial chip off the old block.

I will still miss Honor, mind you, but, at least she isn't dead, and since she is alive I will always be hoping for a cameo appearance.

Son, your mother says I have to hang you. Personally I don't think this is a capital offense. But if I don't hang you, she's gonna hang me and frankly, I'm not the one in trouble. —cthia's father. Incident in ? Axiom of Common Sense
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Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by ThinksMarkedly   » Sat Jun 18, 2022 7:07 pm

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TheNorthWind wrote:Same! And I've heard David doesn't want to do more Honor PoV books anymore but I'd love it if he did.


My heart wants more Honor, but my brain understands why he is leaving her in retirement. She's just too senior, so any military matters that involve her have to be massive (q.v. To End in Fire). The only roles she hasn't taken up yet are First Space Lord, First Lord, or Minister of Defence. That may be a way for David to still keep her around and opine on current events, but she's not going to go out with the Grand Fleet, short of finding Darius.

And depending on how long that takes, not even then. Not because she wouldn't be good or she'd be too old, but because someone else equally or nearly good would be much less rusty.

Exactly so! My greatest moments of enjoyment I found in the series consisted of when the politics and the relationships set up stakes and a background for that epic fleet action where Honor is sent out to accomplish some strategic goal. I think the best example of that storytelling formula working for me – apart from the early series where Honor had far smaller commands – was the Battle of Lovat in At All Costs.

If I could, I'd want one of those in every book for another ten books, at least. :p

This is where the series really shines. It's what it was built on, what the first several books set up in terms of both theme, lore, and character capability.


Agreed.

But again, she's too senior for anything with less than 250 superdreadnoughts. We can't have one of those for ten more books.

So we get other characters that can fight with anything from 1 CL to a battle fleet. I think that's a good thing.
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Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by Theemile   » Sat Jun 18, 2022 11:03 pm

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ThinksMarkedly wrote:
TheNorthWind wrote:Same! And I've heard David doesn't want to do more Honor PoV books anymore but I'd love it if he did.


My heart wants more Honor, but my brain understands why he is leaving her in retirement. She's just too senior, so any military matters that involve her have to be massive (q.v. To End in Fire). The only roles she hasn't taken up yet are First Space Lord, First Lord, or Minister of Defence. That may be a way for David to still keep her around and opine on current events, but she's not going to go out with the Grand Fleet, short of finding Darius.

And depending on how long that takes, not even then. Not because she wouldn't be good or she'd be too old, but because someone else equally or nearly good would be much less rusty.

Exactly so! My greatest moments of enjoyment I found in the series consisted of when the politics and the relationships set up stakes and a background for that epic fleet action where Honor is sent out to accomplish some strategic goal. I think the best example of that storytelling formula working for me – apart from the early series where Honor had far smaller commands – was the Battle of Lovat in At All Costs.

If I could, I'd want one of those in every book for another ten books, at least. :p

This is where the series really shines. It's what it was built on, what the first several books set up in terms of both theme, lore, and character capability.


Agreed.

But again, she's too senior for anything with less than 250 superdreadnoughts. We can't have one of those for ten more books.

So we get other characters that can fight with anything from 1 CL to a battle fleet. I think that's a good thing.



So give us Abigale, Gwen, or Helen in the big chair. Let's see more Scotty, Naomi and Ginger doing their thing. Some tale that harkens back to those older, similar tales that we love.
******
RFC said "refitting a Beowulfan SD to Manticoran standards would be just as difficult as refitting a standard SLN SD to those standards. In other words, it would be cheaper and faster to build new ships."
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Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by munroburton   » Sun Jun 19, 2022 5:12 am

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ThinksMarkedly wrote:But again, she's too senior for anything with less than 250 superdreadnoughts. We can't have one of those for ten more books.


Hamish Alexander went from commanding 96 wallers at Third Yeltsin to just 24 at First Nightingale. Hell, Honor herself went from a modest task force at Sidemore to the mostly-paper Eighth Fleet she had until Lovat. The numbers of ships available to command is irrelevant, she could be handed any command that's basically two squadrons stapled together in an emergency.

The real issue(pardon the pun) is that Honor wants to watch her kids grow up. She's unlikely to be explictly offered any spacegoing command, nor to accept one, for the next two decades unless Darius is discovered and/or shit hits the fan.

I wouldn't worry about Honor Harrington becoming rusty. She's got a mini-Saganami Island tucked into her Manticore house and over in Yeltsin, a Protector's Own to play with.
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Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by ThinksMarkedly   » Sun Jun 19, 2022 11:17 am

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Theemile wrote:So give us Abigale, Gwen, or Helen in the big chair. Let's see more Scotty, Naomi and Ginger doing their thing. Some tale that harkens back to those older, similar tales that we love.


In the next two to five T-years, the only one of those likely to command a ship is Abigail. Helen and Gwen were Ensigns when we last saw them, while Abigail was Lt going Lt. Cmdr. and on the tactical track. So I think she's the most likely to get a CL in a book soon.

Scotty was already a Commodore in TEiF and had been the most junior of the officers we met in OBS. So he wouldn't command a single ship. He's likely going to be a Rear Admiral next time we meet him.

Ginger we met a bit later, but she was already Captain, so it's not likely we're going to see her running a single ship in isolation. If she's still CO of a ship, that ship is likely to be an SD or CLAC and thus one of a bigger squadron. She could be Scotty's flag captain.

Naomi Kaplan is one name I hadn't thought of. She didn't get much screen time. But since she was CO of a DD, she's a good candidate to command a CA or BC.

One I had thought of that is the most likely "next Honor" at CA or BC level is Megan Petersen. Like Naomi, she was CO of a DD, but unlike Naomi, we know she's got battle experience and staff experience.
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Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by Theemile   » Mon Jun 20, 2022 9:37 am

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ThinksMarkedly wrote:
Theemile wrote:So give us Abigale, Gwen, or Helen in the big chair. Let's see more Scotty, Naomi and Ginger doing their thing. Some tale that harkens back to those older, similar tales that we love.


In the next two to five T-years, the only one of those likely to command a ship is Abigail. Helen and Gwen were Ensigns when we last saw them, while Abigail was Lt going Lt. Cmdr. and on the tactical track. So I think she's the most likely to get a CL in a book soon.

Scotty was already a Commodore in TEiF and had been the most junior of the officers we met in OBS. So he wouldn't command a single ship. He's likely going to be a Rear Admiral next time we meet him.

Ginger we met a bit later, but she was already Captain, so it's not likely we're going to see her running a single ship in isolation. If she's still CO of a ship, that ship is likely to be an SD or CLAC and thus one of a bigger squadron. She could be Scotty's flag captain.

Naomi Kaplan is one name I hadn't thought of. She didn't get much screen time. But since she was CO of a DD, she's a good candidate to command a CA or BC.

One I had thought of that is the most likely "next Honor" at CA or BC level is Megan Petersen. Like Naomi, she was CO of a DD, but unlike Naomi, we know she's got battle experience and staff experience.


What would be wrong with seeing Scotty with 4 Sag-Cs and and an FSB taking care of business - it's a little Higher level story, but in line with Terekhov in SoS. Ginger could get a BC in a year or 2 and make a name for herself. Megan still has her DD, last we heard, so we have time to see her shine on her way up. Ditto Naomi, she just got her first command recently, so plenty of time for small ship action. Abigale, and helen won't be in the command seat for 10 years or so, but it is coming, and seeing action through their eyes as mid level officers will be fun.
******
RFC said "refitting a Beowulfan SD to Manticoran standards would be just as difficult as refitting a standard SLN SD to those standards. In other words, it would be cheaper and faster to build new ships."
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Re: Finished the last book in the main series. I miss Honor.
Post by ThinksMarkedly   » Mon Jun 20, 2022 2:47 pm

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Theemile wrote:What would be wrong with seeing Scotty with 4 Sag-Cs and and an FSB taking care of business - it's a little Higher level story, but in line with Terekhov in SoS. Ginger could get a BC in a year or 2 and make a name for herself. Megan still has her DD, last we heard, so we have time to see her shine on her way up. Ditto Naomi, she just got her first command recently, so plenty of time for small ship action. Abigale, and helen won't be in the command seat for 10 years or so, but it is coming, and seeing action through their eyes as mid level officers will be fun.


We've already seen Scotty running a CA squadron aboard HMS Alistair McKeon. He's been doing that since 1921 and it was said in TEiF that it was his checkbox before an Admiral promotion. My guess is at this point he'd transfer his flag to a Nike-class BC and command a task group like Jan Kotouč meant to do for Hypatia: one BC, one CLAC, four cruisers.

Megan was already assigned to Honor's staff for the Battle of Galton, so she'd left her DD behind. She'll always remember HMS Arngrim because she's Baroness Arngrim now. But she's not going back to being CO of a DD; her next posting must be a move upwards from that. Honor went from DD to CL, but I suspect Megan will skip the CL and go straight to CA. TEiF also says she's Captain Petersen, though it fails to say if that's junior or senior grade. Honor skipped the Capt (j.g.) rank, so it's possible Megan did too. Either way, even a Capt (j.g.) is too senior to command a destroyer.

I agree that Helen is too far for a command, but Abigail should be a Lt. Cmdr. when we next see her and thus full TO on CA or maybe even BC. Shortly thereafter, I expect her to transfer back to the GSN as XO, then move quickly to CO, or vice-versa.
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