Honor Harrington - Should I pick it up?

[The Glyphstone]

Frankly, I love the Andermanis. Sure, they're culturally Germanic, but ethnically they're primarily Chinese. Their founder was a mercenary who believed he was Fredrick the Great reincarnated, and his descendants all ranged from mildly quirky to outright deranged - Gustav VI was deposed when he tried to have his prized horse rose bush declared Chancellor, his younger sister Gustav VII had herself legally declared a man to settle the otherwise nasty dynastic war that would have followed (and was one of the best rulers the Empire ever had, to boot). They're less the 'Prussians IN SPAAAAAAAACE' than they appear to be, though you are still in the books where C.S. Forrestor and Hornblower remain extremely strong influences on the setting.

[Cikomyr]

I get it. Plus, i am sure they are awesome. The little i have seen (and heard about) points to awesome third parties and allies, with fun interaction.

I just find Weber's lack of subtlelty grating. As in Grated Cheese. But still fun! ^_^

[The Glyphstone]

I don't see it as a lack of subtlety so much as a fake-out. You've noted the direct parallels between Manticore+Britain, Haven+France. They're pretty blatant analogues both culturally and socio-politically as far as the story goes. But then you get to the Andermani, who are Germanic and seem equally blatantly telegraphed as the Prussian analogue to the above, except they don't fit the socio-political angle. Prussia and Britain were on-and-off allies, but never really enemies or even rivals, through most of the 18th century, part of the big intertangled mess that was European politics. Whereas Manticore and the Andermani have been longtime rivals over their respective influence in the Silesian Confederacy, to which RL history lacks any appropriate analogue (there was an actual region called Silesia, but the British never had any territorial or trade connections to it), so the analogy starts to crumble.

[gomipile]

--snip--

To be fair, the fact that the region which the Andermani and Manticorans both share a big interest in is literally called Silesia might have warned you about that.

Also, the Andermani characters in the books are mostly great.

[Cikomyr]

To be fair, the fact that the region which the Andermani and Manticorans both share a big interest in is literally called Silesia might have warned you about that.

Also, the Andermani characters in the books are mostly great.

I have no idea what Silesia is the equivalent of. Italy, perhaps? It was covered in civil strife and yet was a rich trade location, traditionally within the German sphere of influence. If we have Haven conquering Silesia anytime soon, that might actually be it.

[The Glyphstone]

The real-life Silesia was a fairly insignificant chunk of the Polish/German border - rich in minerals, and nowadays an industrial center, but in the 17th century it had nothing worth noting. Its fictional counterpart doesn't really have any effective real-life historical analogue, like I noted - the closest you can get might be the Italian city-states, and that's grasping at straws; the Italian peninsula wasn't unified, but its individual city-states were more or less functional, which the Silesian Confederacy....isn't. But it's the best we'll get if we need to find one.

[Rodin]

The real-life Silesia was a fairly insignificant chunk of the Polish/German border - rich in minerals, and nowadays an industrial center, but in the 17th century it had nothing worth noting. Its fictional counterpart doesn't really have any effective real-life historical analogue, like I noted - the closest you can get might be the Italian city-states, and that's grasping at straws; the Italian peninsula wasn't unified, but its individual city-states were more or less functional, which the Silesian Confederacy....isn't. But it's the best we'll get if we need to find one.

Silesia's always struck me as being like the New World in the time period - or at least, like the fictional version of such. Pirates everywhere, the nations are all Banana Republics, and the big nations around them only care when their trade starts getting affected. I'm not that familiar with the actual history of 1800s South/Central America so I'm not sure how true to life it is, but the Silesia in the books very much fits the setting of a pirate movie.

[The Glyphstone]

Silesia's always struck me as being like the New World in the time period - or at least, like the fictional version of such. Pirates everywhere, the nations are all Banana Republics, and the big nations around them only care when their trade starts getting affected. I'm not that familiar with the actual history of 1800s South/Central America so I'm not sure how true to life it is, but the Silesia in the books very much fits the setting of a pirate movie.

You know that's a pretty fair point, though I'd move the locus inward to the Caribbean and Central America. North America was more or less stable between America and British Canada, and South America was firmly under the thumb of the Portuguese and Spanish, but the Age of Piracy didn't really come to an end until the 1830's and the Caribbean was very much as you're envisioning it up till then.

Sadly, I don't believe Prussia ever had any territorial ambitions in the New World.

[Gnoman]

Silesia's always struck me as being like the New World in the time period - or at least, like the fictional version of such. Pirates everywhere, the nations are all Banana Republics, and the big nations around them only care when their trade starts getting affected. I'm not that familiar with the actual history of 1800s South/Central America so I'm not sure how true to life it is, but the Silesia in the books very much fits the setting of a pirate movie.

I think the Silesian Confederacy is the US-analogue of the early series.

[Cikomyr]

I think the Silesian Confederacy is the US-analogue of the early series.

If they end up allying with Haven, they sure can be just that.

Although i never seen Prussia having views on the Us

[Douglas]

If they end up allying with Haven, they sure can be just that.

Although i never seen Prussia having views on the Us

Silesia having a sufficiently coherent, united, and effective foreign policy as to actually ally with someone? Are you trying to make me laugh?

I really don't see Silesia mapping to the US, it's far too fractured and riddled with corruption and piracy. It might have the size for it, though I'm not sure about even that, but nothing else.

[Cikomyr]

First impression of Citizen Commander Caslet:

I like him a lot. His passionate speech about stopping the murderous pirates really hits home that he is another very decent Haven military commander.

[Rodin]

First impression of Citizen Commander Caslet:

I like him a lot. His passionate speech about stopping the murderous pirates really hits home that he is another very decent Haven military commander.

Caslet is fun, I think you'll like him a lot. He also brings along Shannon Foraker, who's another fan-favorite.

[Gnoman]

First impression of Citizen Commander Caslet:

I like him a lot. His passionate speech about stopping the murderous pirates really hits home that he is another very decent Haven military commander.

Caslet's pretty neat. You don't get to see him very much in the previous book (him and Foraker are on-screen just long enough to realize that some of Grayson's SDs were pulled out, and then to spot Harrington's trap just a little too late) but in this one you get to see a good bit of his character and behavior.

[Cikomyr]

Awww.. Stacy Hauptmann is so cute.


Man she is SO dead.

[Douglas]

Awww.. Stacy Hauptmann is so cute.


Man she is SO dead.

Any bets on what kills her and when?

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She's actually still alive, as I recall.

[The Glyphstone]

Any bets on what kills her and when?

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She's actually still alive, as I recall.

Joining the Navy, probably. That's the quickest way to death in an Honor Harrington novel, apparently.

[Douglas]

Joining the Navy, probably. That's the quickest way to death in an Honor Harrington novel, apparently.

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She doesn't seem the type to go for that, I think.

Also, my post was more intended as a "fake spoiler" aimed at Cikomyr, implying that he's right about her being so dead when she actually isn't.

[The Glyphstone]

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She doesn't seem the type to go for that, I think.

Also, my post was more intended as a "fake spoiler" aimed at Cikomyr, implying that he's right about her being so dead when she actually isn't.

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I know. I've read up to CoG and she hasn't died. I was just playing along.

[Cikomyr]

Thats one beautiful wall of spoilers you are having there.

I hope the discussion is motivating

[The Glyphstone]

What's your read on the Lower Decks B-plot? Is it improving the book to have Aubrey's story intertwined with Honor's, or would it have been better off as a short story/novella in one of the anthologies?

[Rodin]

Thats one beautiful wall of spoilers you are having there.

I hope the discussion is motivating

Talking about the impending doom of beloved characters behind spoiler tags is half the fun of a thread like this!

[Rakaydos]

Speaking of impending doom, Has Nimitz gotten lucky yet?

[gomipile]

Speaking of impending doom, Has Nimitz gotten lucky yet?

Spoiler: Mission of Honor

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I'm not fully caught up, but he's had some very traumatizing things happen to him as of Mission of Honor.

[Rakaydos]

Spoiler: Mission of Honor

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I'm not fully caught up, but he's had some very traumatizing things happen to him as of Mission of Honor.

Spoiler: book 6

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I was actually talking about Samantha.

[Cikomyr]

What's your read on the Lower Decks B-plot? Is it improving the book to have Aubrey's story intertwined with Honor's, or would it have been better off as a short story/novella in one of the anthologies?

So far, its somewhat useless. A distraction that has no bearing on anything else outside of itself.

If there is an interaction, somehow, eventually between Audrey and the main plot, then i will be a bit happy. Otherwise, i will think it had been a waste of space.

[Cheesegear]

Otherwise, i will think it had been a waste of space.

Nailed it. I like Wanderman well enough, but his should have been a short story, not taking up space.

[Cikomyr]

For the record, segments based on Wanderman are a bit.. boring.

But i absolutely love the scene focused on Ginger. NCO relationships, struggle and responsibility. That alone was worth the story arc. I hope we get to see more of NCOs in the future.

Wanderman himself is just bland at the moment.

Edit: did i ever told you guys how much i love Webster as a character? From book 1, i am always happy to see him appear.

He is awesome.

Edit 2: aaaaand Act 2: Enters Harkness. Suddenly, Aubrey's side of the story doesnt sound so bad after all.

[The Glyphstone]

Harkness does make anything he's involved in more interesting, that's for sure.

[Rakaydos]

Harkness does make anything he's involved in more interesting, that's for sure.

Spoiler: book 7

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even treason.