Shadow of Freedom (3) (The Saganami Island) - Hardcover

Weber, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1451638698 ISBN 13: 9781451638691

Publisher: Baen, 2013

Synopsis

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling phenomenon David Weber delivers book #18 in the multiple New York Times best-selling Honor Harrington series. Honor Harrington’s Royal Manticoran Navy fights space battles alongside planetary rebels as its old rival, the corrupt Solarian League, begins to crumble.

#18 in the multiply-bestselling Honor Harrington series.

Wrong number? There are two sides to any quarrel . . . unless there are more.

Michelle Henke, Queen Elizabeth of Manticore's first cousin, Honor Harrington's best friend, and the commanding officer of Manticore's Tenth Fleet, is just a bit surprised when a messenger arrives from the Mobius System to inform her that the Mobius Liberation Front is prepared to rise in rebellion against the hated regime President Svein Lombroso. She can understand why anyone would want to rebel against someone like Lombroso, but why tell her about it? After all, she has problems of her own, like the minor matter of a life-or-death war against the Solarian League.

Michelle has just handed the "invincible" Solarian League Navy the most humiliating, one-sided defeat in its entire almost thousand-year history in defense of the people of the Star Empire's Talbott Quadrant. But the League is the most powerful star nation in the history of humanity. Its navy is going to be back – and this time with thousands of superdreadnoughts.

Yet she also knows scores of other star systems — some independent, some controlled by puppet regimes, and some simply conquered outright by the Solarian Office of Frontier Security — lie in the League's grip along its frontier with the Talbott Quadrant. As combat spreads from the initial confrontation, the entire frontier has begun to seethe with unrest, and Michelle sympathizes with the oppressed populations wanting only to be free of their hated masters.

And that puts her in something of a quandary when the messenger from Mobius arrives, because someone's obviously gotten a wrong number. According to him, the Mobians’ uprising has been carefully planned to coordinate with a powerful outside ally: the Star Empire of Manticore. Only Manticore — and Mike Henke — have never even heard of the Mobius Liberation Front.

It's a set-up . . . and Michelle knows who's behind it. The shadowy Mesan Alignment has launched a bold move to destroy Manticore's reputation as the champion of freedom. And when the RMN doesn't arrive, when the MLF is brutally and bloodily crushed, no independent star system will ever trust Manticore again.

Mike Henke knows she has no orders from her government to assist any rebellions or liberation movements, that she has only so many ships, which can be in only so many places at a time . . . and that she can't possibly justify diverting any of her limited, outnumbered strength to missions of liberation the Star Empire never signed on for.

She knows that . . . and she doesn't care.

No one is going to send thousands of patriots to their deaths, trusting in Manticoran help that will never come.

Not on Mike Henke's watch.

About Shadow of Freedom:
“This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . .The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.”—Daily News of Galveston

About Mission of Honor, #13 in the Honor Harrington series:

“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel...Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.”–Publishers Weekly 

“This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point...Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.”–Booklist

About David Weber and the Honor Harrington series:

“. . .everything you could want in a heroine .... Excellent ... plenty of action.”–Science Fiction Age

“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”–Anne McCaffrey

“Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.”–Locus

“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .”–Publishers Weekly

About this title

About the Author:

With over seven million copies of his books in print and seventeen titles on the New York Times bestseller list, David Weber is the science fiction publishing phenomenon of the new millennium. In the hugely popular Honor Harrington series, the spirit of C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander lives on–into the galactic future. Books in the Honor Harrington series have appeared on seventeen best seller lists, including those of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today. While Weber is best known for his spirited, modern-minded space operas, he is also the creator of the Oath of Swords fantasy series and the Dahak science fiction saga. Weber has also engaged in a steady stream of bestselling collaborations, including his Starfire series with Steve White, which produced the New York Times bestseller The Shiva Option among others. Weber’s collaboration with alternate history master Eric Flint led to the bestselling 1634: The Baltic War, and his planetary adventure novels with military science fiction ace and multiple national best-seller John Ringo includes the blockbusters March to the Stars and We Few. Finally, Weber’s teaming with Linda Evans produced the bestselling Multiverse series. David Weber makes his home in South Carolina with his wife and children.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Weber’s Mission of Honor (2012) ended with several significant revelations in the Honor Harrington series, most notably a military alliance between Manticore and Haven that resulted in a resounding defeat for the invading Solarian Fleet and Core World Beowulf’s declaration that it ally with Manticore and Haven. Eager series fans may be slightly disappointed that this installment doesn’t immediately pick up on these developments but backs up several months to retell events from the point of view of Michelle Henke, Harrington’s best friend and the commanding officer of the troops stationed in the Talbott Quadrant. Readers should pay close attention to the dates, as this volume covers approximately six months, four of which overlap with Mission of Honor’s chronology. Except for in a few chapters, nearly all the action will be new to fans, including a great deal of unrest in the nearby sectors of the League, unrest that Mesan agents may be stirring up but that draws in Michelle’s 10th Fleet. Readers intrigued by Michelle and other characters introduced in Shadow of Saganami (2004) should be thrilled that they’re getting additional page-time and character development here. With its narrow focus on Talbott and the adjoining systems, this is a rather compact volume for Weber, but once the action gets going, readers won’t be able to stop until the last page. Given an ending that sets up future big developments, fans will soon be clamoring for the next Honorable volume. A must for all sf collections. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Weber is prolific and popular, and his fans constantly clamor for more. No problem, as bloggers confirm that the next volumes are already drafted. --Jessica Moyer

About this edition

• Publisher: Baen
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1451638698
• ISBN 13: 9781451638691
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 448