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!

Beginnings is the sixth (and second to last) book in the Worlds of Honor anthology set. It contains five short stories, penned by four talented authors: David Weber, Charles E. Gannon, Timothy Zahn, and Joelle Presby. Each of these stories brings us to interesting and important beginnings for many events that we’ve become familiar with in the Honorverse but have often gone with little or no explanation.

This collection of writings comes in at 377 pages and was first published by Baen in June 2013.

Charles E. Gannon brings the first story to us: By the Book.

In this story we join the crew of Earth Union Customs Patrol ship Venerated Gaia commanded by Lieutenant Lee Strong in 250 PD. Their mission: board and recover a hijacked ship named Fragrant Blossom, a ship they’ve located and seized near the Sol System asteroid belt. Once the ship is captured and under their control, a series of non-standard events results in Lieutenant Strong coming into contact with an administrator working for the Outbound Operations Administration, a somewhat quiet and shadowy man named Perlenmann. Mr. Perlenmann seems to have been effectively benched professionally and is sent to his current post on Jupiter’s moon Callisto, primarily due to what those holding (somewhat authoritarian) political power deemed to be his radical views. It’s from this position of relative obscurity we learn that Mr. Perlenmann is an influential member of an organization plotting to bring the current political elite and their parties to their knees by causing an economic collapse across the Earth Union and Sol system. He recruits Lieutenant Strong to deliver the necessary computer program, causing a catastrophic collapse, which results in the related loss of power of the controlling political parties and the disintegration of the Earth Union. With the passage of time, the collapse is eventually referred to as the Economic Winter of 252 PD. When the economy recovered as a much freer and open economic system, it spawned powerful growth that enabled the remarkable beginning of the movement of humanity out of the Sol system and into the stars.

Your hosts gave this story two ‘thumbs-up” and one “neutral” vote.

Next we discussed Timothy Zahn’s short story A Call to Arms.

We move forward in time now, over a thousand years, to 1543 PD. Following the recovery from the Economic Winter of 252 and the subsequent expansion, we see a Solarian Axelrod Corporation plan unfolding to attack the Manticore System through the use of mercenaries. At the same time, we join a young Lieutenant Travis Long onboard the HMS Phoenix. When he writes up a subordinate for substandard performance, he finds himself the one who’s in trouble and he’s transferred to a different ship, the HMS Casey. It turns out the poor performer is from a politically and militarily powerful family. What appears to be bad news for Lieutenant Long turns into a blessing as the mercenaries arrive in the Manticoran system. Now confronting the enemy, his strength as a tactician shines as he’s key in defeating the threat. The “misstep” while onboard the Phoenix quickly and quietly moves to the background as his new captain nominates him for the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. He also learns a powerful lesson from Captain Heissman about being aware of and getting used to the existence of internal politics within the RMN.

Of note, this story is the beginning of more time we’ll spend with Lieutenant Travis Long. Our introduction to him here sets up seeing a lot more of him in the “Manticore Ascendant” series of novels, by the dynamic writing duo of David Weber and Timothy Zahn.

This one received “thumbs-ups” from each of your hosts, with a bonus “two thumbs up” from Raul.

Beauty and the Beast is the third...