Torch of Freedom

At heart, this is the tale of a Mesan (think: slavers) attack on Torch (think: former slave colony) using the remnants of the Peep (read: Soviet Union hardcore) fleet as a proxy. There's a story thread with Victor Cachat and Anton Zilwicki (two of my favorite characters in this--or any--story) doing some (effective and decidedly brutal) field work, and a family rescued from a dismal-but-interesting life on a largely abandoned space station/resort. This leaves out a host of complications we've been watching since co-author Eric Flint joined the party; we can see a bigger war developing, but perhaps Cachat and Zilwicki have set it back a bit.

This story heavily overlaps both At All Costs and Storm from the Shadows in the Honorverse show more timeframe, and has scenes in common with both. A partial cost is that the first half of the book occasionally seems like a rehash. And, as has become common in this series, there's probably too much going on.

That said, I really like this book, and I suspect it actually coheres as a stand-alone novel.

This review has also been published on a dabbler's journal. show less

There are a lot of reasons to enjoy reading David Weber. The pulpiness of his story lines, the honest appeal of his characters, the sheer bravado of their actions, the unimaginable lengths he will go to to have Age of Sail naval battles in a science fiction setting.

For me, above and beyond all of that is the banter. I can't help it, I love the little back and forths that make it into so many of the conversations. And yes, it occasionally feels like the same two or three characters over and over again, but who cares? It's wonderful and fun, and makes me laugh out loud. Or at least grin while trying to restrain a fit of giggles.

Torch of Freedom is now exception. It's a spy novel of the cheesiest caliber, and it's glorious! It picks up show more about a year before the end of Storm from the Shadows (which was mildly confusing - they really should start putting a timeline into the books now that they're juggling three separate series), and focuses around Anton Zilwicki and Victor Cachat. That's a pretty loose focus, at least until the very end. You spend a lot of time with a host of other characters, some familiar from previous books and some (like the folks from the amusement park IN SPACE) brand new.

In case it isn't obvious, I had a great time reading this one.

If you haven't read anything by him, I highly recommend browsing through the baen.com free library. And then going off and picking up Torch of Freedom in hardcover. The CD in the back has everything he's published through Baen in a multitude of electronic formats. show less

Yeesh. It took me ages to figure out _most_ of the plots and counterplots going on in here - I'm pretty sure I missed some. And there's at least one set up in Storm from the Shadows that didn't get resolved here - I guess it's waiting for Mission of Honor. It didn't help that the timeline for this book starts well before the end of the previous one. There are events being set up here that we already saw the end of from a different perspective. Let's see - Mesa, on at least two levels - or three, if you count the Mesa-based opposition; Cachat and Zilwicki; the ex-State Sec people, which is part of Mesa's plotting too; the Maya sector and Erewhon, with the bonus of the amusement park clan; Torch, though that's mostly personal plotting show more rather than grand plans. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few of the plotters that show up...I couldn't possibly keep track. Oh, the whole thing with Torch's wormhole, too. No Harrington - well, except for the meeting with Cachat and Zilwicki (I did mention the backtracking in the timeline? Very confusing). Ruth and a glimpse of Michael as the only Wintons. And so on. A cast of thousands, many of whom we meet for the first time shortly (weeks to minutes) before their deaths. One spectacular space battle, with lots of 'I didn't know they had _that_!' in it. Not so much politics, quite a bit of spywork, but mostly plotting and planning enough to make my head spin. That may be why I couldn't remember the details of Crown of Slaves - I suspect this one is going to go fuzzy very quickly, too. But good story, excellent characters, exciting events, and, despite my befuddlement, absorbing plots (and plot, too). All four (so far) of the Honorverse books, plus one mainline book out and one to come, are really one story in (lots of) parts. Flint's attitude toward the 163x universe shows up here - all the lines affect one another, it's no longer just The Adventures of Honor Harrington. Which is good, despite being a stretch for the readers. show less

This 21 hour episode in the Honor Harrington universe takes place mainly away from Manticore. There is some overlap and repetition of events in other books in the series including the assassination attempt on Queen Berry on Torch. But this one focuses more on that assassination attempt and on Anton Zilwicki's and Victor Cachat's investigation into the causes.

Zilwicki and Cachat end up going to Mesa to see if they can find proof of Mesan involvement. While on Mesa we learn more about the aims of the Mesan Alignment and spend time with Jack McBryde and Herlander Simoes.

Jack McBryde is the head of security for the Gamma Center where Herlander works. He becomes Herlander's friend when he is told to watch him carefully. Herlander is a show more astrophysicist who has done work on the Alliance's secret streak drive. He is also a grieving father whose daughter was culled by the Mesan Alliance Long-Range Planning Board when her genes didn't meet the LRPB's standards. Watching Herlander's grief is enough to give Jack second thoughts about the aims and goals of the Mesan Alliance and lead him to want to defect along with Herlander.

Meanwhile, back on Torch, military forces are being gathered. The Mesan Alliance has recruited left over Havenite State Security forces to try to take over Torch. If they can't take it over, they are to destroy the planet even though it is a violation of the Eridani Edict which forbids attacks on inhabited planets. The forces against them are led by Admiral Luis Rozsak who is from the Solarian League Navy and who is Governor Barregos' top military advisor. They are doing an end run around the Solarian League and building up their own forces in secret from the League.

This was an excellent episode in the series and makes me eager for the next book since quite a number of plot threads were left dangling. show less

This 21 hour episode in the Honor Harrington universe takes place mainly away from Manticore. There is some overlap and repetition of events in other books in the series including the assassination attempt on Queen Berry on Torch. But this one focuses more on that assassination attempt and on Anton Zilwicki's and Victor Cachat's investigation into the causes.

Zilwicki and Cachat end up going to Mesa to see if they can find proof of Mesan involvement. While on Mesa we learn more about the aims of the Mesan Alignment and spend time with Jack McBryde and Herlander Simoes.

Jack McBryde is the head of security for the Gamma Center where Herlander works. He becomes Herlander's friend when he is told to watch him carefully. Herlander is a show more astrophysicist who has done work on the Alliance's secret streak drive. He is also a grieving father whose daughter was culled by the Mesan Alliance Long-Range Planning Board when her genes didn't meet the LRPB's standards. Watching Herlander's grief is enough to give Jack second thoughts about the aims and goals of the Mesan Alliance and lead him to want to defect along with Herlander.

Meanwhile, back on Torch, military forces are being gathered. The Mesan Alliance has recruited left over Havenite State Security forces to try to take over Torch. If they can't take it over, they are to destroy the planet even though it is a violation of the Eridani Edict which forbids attacks on inhabited planets. The forces against them are led by Admiral Luis Rozsak who is from the Solarian League Navy and who is Governor Barregos' top military advisor. They are doing an end run around the Solarian League and building up their own forces in secret from the League.

This was an excellent episode in the series and makes me eager for the next book since quite a number of plot threads were left dangling. show less

Yes, I am fascinated by the Honorverse and this book was perfect for me. I got to discover more behind-the-scenes action and information whilst reading a coming-of-age story with other stories of spies, intrigue, plotting, and treacherous villains.

At this point I can only recommend the series for fellow fans as there is too much going on for this to be a starting point. (If you are new, start with David Weber's On Basilisk Station.) But for fans, this is a really good story with lots of background filled in.

I loved Torch of Freedom! Not five star loved, but definitely four star loved. This is the second book in the Honorverse: Wages of Sin series that follows the ex-slave planet of Torch, led by newly crowned Queen Berry Zilwicki and her Manticorian spook father Anton and his Havenite spook colleague and friend, Victor Cachat, as they travel to the evil slaver planet of Mesa to snoop around and try to find out what Mesa is up to. They find out a lot, find a high-level scientist defector who is ready to leave with a high-level security defector too, who gets caught. Before he actually falls into Mesan security hands, he blows up a nuke and nukes Mesa’s Gamma Center, headquarters to their R&D, leaving them and everyone else to think show more Zilwicki and Cachat did it and died in the process. Later, we find out that they escape and make their way to Haven to turn their defector over to the authorities, where he can prove Mesa was responsible for starting the war between Manticore and Haven and where Haven’s government will try to end the war with Manticore.

Eric Flint adds some nice stuff to this book, including some humor and dialogue, as well as some good plotting elements. This book is also truly essential if one wants to learn details about some of the later Honor Harrington books in which these details are kept out. I’m already reading the third one; the series is that good. Like I said, not the best Weber. But pretty good, quite entertaining, and easily a four star book. Recommended, if reading the Honor series. show less