ThinksMarkedly wrote:Shannon_Foraker wrote:I say it's a retcon, in my opinion.
1. Prolong doesn't mess things up that much.
2. Sonja is unlikely to be cthia's niece in the Honorverse (to gain the rank while being 20 years younger, even with the Hemphill's political connections). She's smart, but I feel very stupid compared to cthia's niece.
Not trying to brag, just explaining my perspective below (skip italics in this post if you don't want to read it).
I only have the experience of being 1 year ahead in two classes and doing kindergarten part-time in preschool, as well as knowing how to read things like Juneie B Jones books in preschool or kindergarten (somewhere around there). She (the niece) is light-years beyond even me.
I'm unsure. I think she had the opportunity to advance faster than Hamish. She was related to Janacek and thus had the clique of patronage available to her. It's possible it was used to advance her even without her knowledge, as a way of currying favour with Janacek.
But her personality was most likely holding her back. She (and Hamish) had a history of temper and butting heads, and most likely not only against each other. So her file probably had quite a few remarks from other officers who thought she was a hot-head. Nowhere near strong enough to stall her career, but it might have sufficed to stop the promotions board from giving her promotions too quickly. And her adherence to and leadership of the jeune école might not have helped her in the eyes of the more traditional officers.
Plus, her actual accomplishments inside Project Gram and under Vice Admiral Adcock were classified. It's very hard to get promotions when you can't show anything for your record.
When did Adcock become a Vice Admiral? He made a big deal in the Google Preview of House of Steel that I looked at about promotion, and ended up becoming Commodore Adcock, because Gram was an acting Commodore's slot.
Also didn't the Alexanders have connections as well? I haven't checked I Will Build My House of Steel again, and only read it once (and only the Google preview part, which wasn't all of it).