In this thrilling second installment of the Honor Harrington series by David Weber, the protagonist, Honor Harrington, has recently prevented the ruthless People’s Republic of Haven (PRH) from striking a decisive blow by defeating their sneaking attempt to wrest the important Basilisk Terminus of the Manticoran Wormhole Junction away from the Manticoran’s before a formal war had even been declared.

Now high in both the government’s and Naval Admiralty’s esteem, Honor is sent to Grayson – a backwards planet which holds the dubious honor of being in a strategic bottleneck for the upcoming war with the PRH. Accompanied by her mentor and a staff of negotiators and politicians, her task is to secure an alliance with the Graysons at any cost. However, Grayson happens to be a theocracy dominated by a religion whose tenets are downright patriarchal and women are viewed as delicate creatures unable to hold their own in society and who must be protected.

Honor makes a strategic withdrawal from the system with half of the task force’s strength after being hounded off Grayson by religious bigots. Little does she know that that PRH, also known as the “Peeps,” also have designs on the system and ally themselves with Grayson’s sister planet, Masada. That planet just happens to be populated by fratricidal religious zealots intent on the destruction of Grayson.

Honor’s job is to bring back an alliance with the Graysons. How can she do it if the powerful PRH Naval Units assist Masada in destroying them? This novel is truly riveting, and is filled by charismatic and believable characters and stunning plot turns and tragedies. Grade: A

– Thomas Adair, WNHS-TV