A Call to Insurrection (Honorverse/Manticore Ascendant) *Spoilers*

[Crazedwraith]

I don't know if we've still got any Honorverse readers about? I've not read the main series past At All Costs or most of the spinoffs but I do like this prequel series, co written by David Weber with Timothy Zahan and Tom Pope.


This book was released in February and I got it as an e-book. It's the fourth book in the trilogy. Unfortunately it loses a lot of the pop that made the previous books enjoyable. The last book could have served as a very open end to the series. The immediate internal and external enemies of Manticore had been defeated and they'd recovered information that would plausible lead to them discovering who was behind the attacks and deal with them. The supposed main character Travis Long has had his worth more or less recognised and proposed to his love interest.

Obviously though there was a lot of loose ends that could by tied up in Manticore finding the junction and seeing Axelrod off. What makes the book a bit disappointing is that very little of development to that plot line actually happens. There are a couple of plot points related to it early on: the manticorians realise they may have junction and organise a conference to try and consult some experts. (ironically Axelrod experts are among them) and at the end when they recognise Jeremiah Lynn beyond that it feels like the book is treading water a bit.

Certainly there isn't a lot of character development for anyone other that Lynn, who for vaguely defined reasons starts acting against Axelrod's orders by the end of the book (but still in Axelrod's interests or at least that's what he says to himself)

So they are a couple of plotlines. One where Travis, his new wife Lisa and Winterfall go on a diplomatic mission to the Anderman empire only for the first Gustav Anderman to die and they get caught up in a succession crisis/Insurrection organised by Axelrod as a distraction from their invasion of Manticore. The second is a 'mystery plot' involving Chomps who has been fired from Delphi and send on an unofficial investigation of the death of a lord. I put mystery plot in quotes because there is only one possible culprit we see.

Everything just sort of works out for everyone. They negotiate their plotlines without much difficulty. There is a battle or two. There's really little tension in it unfortunately.

And a last couple of random gripes: It's nice that Travis and Lisa are happy sure. But they leap from 'he/she's not my special friend' to engaged and happily married with absolutely no difficulty. Travis is terrible with people and has had no relationships before, Lisa is divorcee and was sort once burned twice shy. I know the series isn't a romance but it feels like the natural progression there is, Lisa wanting a relationship but not an immediate engagement and trying to slow Travis down. Travis taking it as a rejection. Drama ensues, is overcome etc. Instead perfect marriage everyone goes out of their way to support including Andermanni Admiral. It feels very Weber tbf but not in a good way.

The other is the Star Kingdom apparently really good relationship with the Andermanni developing. Which sure a lot can change over the centuries but to my knowledge has never really been acknowledged by the main series. It feels like the tragic irony of their early good relationship with Haven was more fertile ground for exploration.