Echoes of Honor

From Honorverse

Echoes of Honor is the eigth book of David Weber's series of novels and short stories chronicling the adventures of Honor Harrington. It was first published in 1998.

Unlike all other Honorverse novels, Echoes of Honor is divided into six "books". Books 1, 3 and 5 describe the unfolding course of the Manticore-Haven war, while Books 2, 4 and 6 focus on the exploits of Honor Harrington and her allies on the prison planet Hades.

Timeframe: February 1912 PD - December 1913 PD

[edit] Cover Summary

For eight bloody years, the Star Kingdom of Manticore and its allies have taken the war to the vastly more powerful People's Republic of Haven, and Commodore Honor Harrington has been in the forefront of that war.

But now Honor has fallen, captured by the Peep Navy, turned over to the forces of State Security ... and executed on the interstellar network's nightly news.

The Manticoran Alliance is stunned and infuriated by Honor's death and grimly resolved to avenge it. Yet their military is over-extended and the People's Republic is poised to take (he offensive once more, this time with a new strategy, new weapons, a new command team, and a whole new determination to win. The war is about to enter a phase of unprecedented ferocity ... and the Alliance is on the short end of the stick.

But even as powerful Peep fleets hurtle towards their objectives, neither they nor the Alliance are aware of events occurring on a distant, isolated, inescapable prison planet called Hell. For what no one knows, not even State Security, is that Honor Harrington is not dead. She and a handful of her people are trapped on Hell, and determined to disprove the Peep boast that no one can ever escape it. Honor Harrington is going home, and taking her people with her ... even if she has to conquer Hell to do it.

[edit] Plot

Honor Harrington is apparently dead, her "execution" being broadcast on holo-disc all over the Havenite Sector. State funerals are held on both Grayson and Manticore, and an empty coffin is buried in King Michael's Cathedral. While the Manticorans are shocked by the news of Harrington's death, the Graysons are completely outraged.

However, the footage was faked: Honor Harrington is still alive and plotting her return. Having survived the destruction of PNS Tepes, Honor and her allies hide on the surface of the prison planet Hades, monitoring the Office of State Security's communications and linking with other prisoners held all over the planet. Eventually they launch a surprise attack, defeating the local Havenite garrison and taking control of Camp Charon.

Meanwhile, the People's Navy under the new and aggressive leadership of Admiral Esther McQueen goes on the offensive and launches Operation Icarus, a series of simultaneous and devastating attacks on Manticore and its allies, even hitting Manticoran territory for the first time in the war. The Manticorans, however, are testing some new weapon systems which may definitively shift the balance in their favor: the LAC Carrier concept is born, and fundamentally changes the doctrine of space warfare.

Back on Hades, now in control of the StateSec facilities, Honor's party travels across the inhospitable planet and frees all remaining prisoners -- including Commodore Jesus Ramirez, the long-lost father of Honor's associate, Tomas Ramirez. Their surviving guards are tried by a military tribunal that sends a considerable number of the before firing squads. When news of the offensive led by Admiral McQueen reach Hades, the former prisoners realize that they cannot count on a Manticoran rescue mission. Harrington and her allies hatch a plan to capture as many Havenite ships as possible by ambushing a support fleet with the planets orbital defense systems. With a sizable fleet of captured enemy vessels, which they call the "Elysian Space Navy", the former prisoners defeat a StateSec armada in the Battle of Cerberus and evacuate the prison planet.

After two years, Honor Harrington finally returns home, along with half a million former political prisoners and POWs. Upon their arrival at Trevor's Star, she sends a message that shocks all personnel stationed there -- including the man she loves -- to the core: "We're home."

[edit] References

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Battle of Cerberus | Seaford Nine System | Shilo System | State Security Naval Forces

[edit] External links

Echoes of Honor in the Baen Free Library

Main Honor Harrington series
HH1	On Basilisk Station	HH7	In Enemy Hands
HH2	The Honor of the Queen	HH8	Echoes of Honor
HH3	The Short Victorious War	HH9	Ashes of Victory
HH4	Field of Dishonor	HH10	War of Honor
HH5	Flag in Exile	HH11	At All Costs
HH6	Honor Among Enemies	HH12	Mission of Honor
Spin off Series
Wages of Sin		Saganami Island
WS1	Crown of Slaves	SI1	The Shadow of Saganami
WS2	Torch of Freedom	SI2	Storm from the Shadows
Anthologies
HHA1	More Than Honor	HHA3	Changer of Worlds
HHA2	Worlds of Honor	HHA4	The Service of the Sword

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