War of Honor

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War of Honor
Honor Harrington Books

Author	David Weber
Genre	Military Science Fiction
Publisher	Baen Books
Release date	2002
ISBN 0-7434-3545-1

War of Honor is David Weber's tenth Honor Harrington novel.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Five years have passed since a truce was reached between Manticore and Haven, but there is still no formal peace treaty. Even though neither side wishes to resume fighting, political circumstances in both nations threaten to plunge them into war.

On Manticore, the administration of Prime Minister High Ridge focuses on strengthening its political position. The Royal Manticoran Navy's budget has been cut down to satisfy the new government's welfare projects and political finance schemes. Manticore's allies, most notably Grayson and Erewhon, are infuriated with the new government's rudeness and outright carelessness in foreign affairs. From their seats in the House of Lords, Honor Harrington and Hamish Alexander voice their opposition to the High Ridge Administration's policies, and the government takes actions to discredit the war heroes.

Haven struggles to rebuild after the fall of the People's Republic. President Pritchart's administration faces increasing pressure from certain political factions that demand the Republic to be more assertive in its negotiations with the Star Kingdom. Admiral Thomas Theisman has to restore the Havenite Navy's morale and fighting capabilities after the long war with Manticore and a protracted campaign to conquer the remnants of the old People's Republic.

The Andermani Empire has adopted a confrontational stance with Manticore over the chaos-ridden Silesian Confederacy, and Honor Harrington is sent to the planet Sidemore, located near Silesian space, with a task force. She is ordered to go to Silesia at the behest of the Royal Navy's new management, who wishes to get her out of the political arena. The intention is to keep a close eye on the Andermani and their activities, and the risk of war between Manticore and the Empire is steadily rising.

Tensions also rise between Haven and Manticore. A new terminus of the Manticore Wormhole Junction has been discovered, and several worlds located near the new terminus request annexation into Manticore, triggering fears amongst the Havenites that Manticore is going to go on an expansionist rampage. The Manticoran government's ineptness and the schemes of some members of the Havenite government compounds an already unstable scenario, and President Pritchart orders the Havenite Navy to launch "Operation Thunderbolt": the resumption of combat operations against Manticore.

War breaks out again. In a series of coordinated attacks the Havenites succeed in conquering every system the Manticorans took out from them (except San Martin, which is recognized as a part of the Star Kingdom) and in devastating a critical Manticoran shipyard. Even Honor's fleet is attacked, despite the long distance between Haven and Sidemore, but she succeeds in defeating the Havenite forces. The High Ridge administration falls, and a new government takes over in the Star Kingdom, composed of the men and women that led Manticore through the previous war, but this new war is completely different from the last one.

Now Haven is the technological equal of Manticore and its fleet of modern warships is many times larger than the Manticoran navy. Erewhon has broken out of the Manticoran Alliance and has sided with Haven, handing them the latest technological developments of the Star Kingdom. The Havenites have the initiative and the Star Kingdom is shocked, meaning that Haven may be able to win. However, the Andermani Empire joins the Manticoran side in the new war. But even if Manticore does win, Honor realizes, they may become like their enemies in the process.