This time we’re looking at the third book in the Saganami Island part of the Honorverse story arc: Shadow of Freedom.

We’re solidly in the year 1922 PD and Admiral Michelle Henke takes care of yet more trouble presented by the Solarian League. This is tied to a scenario set up to make the Star Empire of Manticore look bad in a way that would cost them the trust of independent star systems moving forward. She exercises her command authority in the absence of specific guidance about this unforeseen and non-standard scenario confronting her, and does so in a way that would allow Queen Elizabeth to distance the Star Empire from the actions if necessary. Even so, the plot fails, the Star Empire succeeds, and the story ends in a cliff-hanger when Michelle is then able to turn her fleet’s attention toward an even more substantial threat.

The novel was long and there was so much to talk about that this became one of our lengthier episodes. We also had quite a bit of listener feedback we were able to share as well. Friends, heartfelt thanks to each of you who take the time to enjoy this adventure with us, and additional thanks to those of you who take a little more time to send us your thoughts! We definitely enjoy it when you join us in the conversation around the (virtual) kitchen table.

We rated “Shadow of Freedom” with a 5, a 5 and another 5 (out of 5), for an overall rating of a 5 from your hosts.

Once again, thank you for listening and big thanks to those of you who also take the time to like and follow us on social media, share this podcast with others, and to even comment on our posts.

Next, we’re going to return to the Crown of Slaves series as we dive into the third book in that arc: Cauldron of Slaves, co-authored by David Weber and Eric Flint. If you’re a fan of the adventures of Anton Zilwicki and Victor Cachat, be sure to grab your copy, invite a friend, and join us again next time!

You can find us, and all our episodes at http://honorverse.net, and email us at honorverse@tpenetwork.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Now, let’s be about it!

What a surprise! Due to a quick turn of events we’re able to interrupt our regularly scheduled program for a very special treat. Instead of discussing Shadow of Freedom, we were privileged to have Jane Lindskold join us, along with another visit by David Weber. As far as we can tell, there’s no better reason to interrupt the plan than this. This was the first time we’ve had the chance to enjoy Jane’s company, and the last time we were able to spend time with David was back in episode 22. Grab your favorite beverage, sit down and join us as we talk with Jane and David about their collective storytelling within the Honorverse!

As you listen, remember Jane’s contributions to the Honorverse are significant, including several short stories and novels. Her short stories include:

• "Queen’s Gambit" – a short story in the Worlds of Honor anthology (discussed in episode 10)
• "Promised Land" – a short story in The Service of the Sword anthology (discussed in episode 15)
• "Ruthless" – a short story in the In Fire Forged anthology (discussed in episode 23)

She’s also co-authored four novels with David in the Star Kingdom story arc:

• Fire Season (discussed in episode 25)
• Treecat Wars (discussed in episode 28)
• A New Clan (scheduled for a future episode)
• Friends Indeed (available for purchase soon!)

Jane and David talked briefly about the soon-to-be-released Star Kingdom novel Friends Indeed, mixed in among some great banter and information about these two story-telling power houses: how they met, how David brought Jane into the Honorverse, and how they’ve worked together since. We had time to ask Jane several that came from you, our listeners and fellow travelers as well. Not surprisingly, there were several questions we didn’t get to ask due to time constraints, but also because as the discussion unfolded, some were answered before we could ask them. Schedules permitting, we hope to have Jane on again to cover even more ground with her work.

Be sure to visit Jane’s official website to find out more about the incredible volume of work she’s done, and more about what’s coming. You can find her at https://janelindskold.com

On the next episode we’ll get right back to the normal schedule and discuss the novel Shadow of Freedom, no doubt invigorated by the exciting info and insights we’ve gained from our two most special of guests.

As always, genuine thanks to each of you for listening, and especially folks who have found the time to send us comments—please keep them coming. If you haven’t already done so, consider spreading the word to others who you know are Honor Harrington fans, or to those who might enjoy the Honorverse!

You can find us, and all our episodes at http://honorverse.net, and email us at honorverse@tpenetwork.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Now, let’s be about it!

We move into the third book in the Star Kingdom series: Treecat Wars, by David Weber and Jane Lindskold. Published by Baen, this 376-page gem first hit the street in September 2013. With the brutal fire season over, Stephanie and her friend Anders are heading off to Manticore after being selected to attend Forestry Service ranger school. Stephanie’s story, along with her three friends Anders, Jessica and Karl, is one of two central storylines. The second (and arguably the primary) follows the troubles that fall upon a handful of treecat clans revolving around the displacement of one clan after their lands were destroyed by the fires we read about in the previous book in this set.

Very real and difficult friction emerges between several of these clans as the treecats who were displaced by the fires now struggle to find a new territory that will support them through the upcoming winter. That friction culminates in a literal war between clans. This is remarkable in that prior to this novel the treecats have appeared to us (and to the characters from Stephanie’s time in the Honorverse) as a very homogenous and peaceful people. While they are when compared to humans, this is our first look into the politics of the interaction of treecat clans, specifically when those clans face challenges tied to survival. We even get to see some stark differences in treecat personalities and how those personalities impact clan conduct. In the podcast we even get to discuss the DIME model as we see how it applies to the treecats.

Related, we see some (much less deadly) strife appear among our set of four human friends. While not a surprise, with Stephanie spending several months away from her boyfriend Anders and in training with Karl, her relationship begins to morph as their affection for each other appears to bloom beyond just friendship. Meanwhile, Anders and Jessica are working closely together with the Forest Service to do what they can to address the consequences of the treecat war. That proximity and shared mission results in their friendship also blooming into a much deeper relationship. All this creates the potential for real conflict between these four friends when they’re reunited after ranger training ends on Manticore. There’s even more going on as well, but we’ll leave that for you to enjoy through the book itself.

We rated “Treecat Wars” with a 4, another 4 and a 5 (out of 5), for an overall rating of 4.3 from your hosts.

As always, thank you for listening and big thanks to those of you who also take the time to like and follow us on social media, to comment on our posts or even reach out through a longer note. At the end of this show we truly enjoyed reading many of the comments and questions we’ve recently received. Please keep them coming!

Next time on the Honorverse Today podcast, we’re turning our attention to “Shadow of Freedom” by David Weber. This book is the third novel in the Saganami Island sequence. We hope you grab it, read it, and find a friend to join us on the continuing adventure through the Honorverse!

You can find us, and all our episodes at http://honorverse.net, and email us at honorverse@tpenetwork.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Now, let’s be about it!