Podcast appearances and mentions of star kingdom

This time, we dive right into the final book in the Saganami Island series: Shadow of Victory.This chunky novel weighs in at 756 pages and hit the streets in November 2016. The story covers a date range from February 1921 PD through October 1022 PD. For those tracking dates, you'll realize this is one of those times when David covers events we've already seen, but from a different perspective. There's also some new info in here, too.The major things that happen reflect the continuing exposure of, or for some, the revelation of, the Mesan Alignment. These include the sneak attack on Manticore itself, destroying a significant segment of their economy and military infrastructure. We also see Operation Janus, the Alignment's effort to discredit Manticore by making false promises of military support to oppressed segments of other start nations if they decide to rebel. Then there's the horrific Operation Houdini. These plans are diabolical, especially when taken together. The false promises might embolden revolutions, causing the division and downfall of many when Manticore never shows up with the “promised” support. It would also drain resources from the governments experiencing those revolutions. Additionally, when Manticore appears to renege on promised support (that they never made), it paints them in a light that they can't be trusted to keep their word internationally. Finally, in the context of the hostilities between Manticore and the Solarian League (actually provoked by the Alignment!), Manticore looks like they're acting consistent with the propaganda that paints them as improperly seeking to expand their empire by force, employing their military to engage the Solarians directly and indirectly. There's certainly a lot going on here. We'll warn you now: your hosts didn't particularly enjoy this book. Tune in to find out why and let us know if you agree or not. We rated Shadow of Victory with a 2.5, a 2 and a 3 (out of 5), for an overall rating of 2.5.As always, thank you for listening. Special thanks to those of you who take the time to like and follow us on social media, share this podcast with others, and to even comment on our posts.Next time, we're excited to discuss A Call to Vengeance, book three in the Manticore Ascendant story arc. That's right: we're going to see what happens next with Travis Long, Lisa Donnelly and others as the young Royal Manticoran Navy continues to struggle against emerging mercenary threats to the Star Kingdom while the government struggles with how well to fund the Navy in light of possibly decreasing funds for the navy while increasing funds for the Manticoran Patrol and Rescue Service. Yes, we're about to enjoy some more great storytelling from the dynamic trio of David Weber, Timothy Zahn and Tom Pope! As always, be sure to grab your copy, invite a friend, and join us again next time.

The Blasters & Blades PodcastA fun interview with a man who needs no introduction, the legendary David Weber. We spent an hour talking about nerdy things and then a bit about the military experience. Then we pivoted and spent the second hour and change talking about The Star Kingdom Series that he co-wrote with Jane Linskold about an iconically historic woman in Manticoran lore. I had a blast and now I want to read these books. I think you'll enjoy it too, so listen to us and then read the books! Then join the conversation with us in the comments! Seriously, this was a fun interview, so go check out this episode. Lend us your eyes and ears, you won't be sorry!! Today's Host: JR Handley (Author) (Grunt)We work for free, so if you wanna throw a few pennies our way there is a linked Buy Me A Coffee site where you can do so. Just mention the podcast in the comments when you donate, and I'll keep the sacred bean water boiling!Support the Show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AuthorJRHandley Our LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/blastersandbladespodcast Today's SponsorOn Deadly Ground by Bayonet Books: https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Ground-Heroic-Bayonet-Anthology-ebook/dp/B09GL5CYY4Coffee Brand Coffee Affiliate Support the Show: https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/?ref=y4GWASiVorJZDb Discount Code: PodcastGrunts Coupon Code Gets you 10% offThe Star Kingdom with David Weber: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3ZXFN8C Follow David Weber on social mediaDavid's Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Weber/author/B000APBAFE David's Website: https://www.davidweber.net/ David's Publisher: https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/1952David's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/davidweberauthorDavid's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.weber.5621David's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.m.weber.7David's Twitter: https://x.com/davidweberbooksThe Royal Manticoran Navy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TRMN.ORGThe Honorverse Today Podcast: https://tpenetwork.com/honorverse-today/Follow Baen Books on social mediaBaen's Website: https://www.baen.com/Baen's Twitter: https://x.com/BaenBooksBaen's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaenBooksBaen's Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/BaenBooksBaen's Podcast: https://www.baen.com/podcastBaen's Free Library: https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2012Baen's Merchandise: https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/4930Baen's Bar Website: https://baensbar.net/#scifishenanigans #scifishenaniganspodcast #bbp #blastersandblades #blastersandbladespodcast #podcast #scifipodcast #fantasypodcast #scifi #fantasy #books #rpg #comics #fandom #literature #comedy #veteran #army #armyranger #ranger #scififan #redshirts #scifiworld #sciencefiction #scifidaily #scificoncept #podcastersofinstagram #scificons #podcastlife #podcastsofinstagram #scifibooks #awardwinningscifi #newepisode #podcastersofinstagram #podcastaddict #podcast #scifigeek #scifibook #sfv #scifivisionaries #firesidechat #chat #panel #fireside #religionquestion #coffee #tea #coffeeortea #CoffeeBrandCoffee #JRHandley #NickGarber #MadamStabby #DavidWeber #TheStarKingdom #starwars #jedi #georgelucas #lucasfilms #startrek #trekkie #firefly #serenity #browncoat #wheeloftime #wot #robertjordan #brandonsanderson #gameofthrones #got #grrm #georgerrmartin #ChroniclesofNarnia #CSLewis #Honorverse #HonorHarrington #StarKingdom #Baen #BaenBooks #BaenPublishing #BaenFreeLibrary #BaenBar #JaneLinskold #JaneMLinskold #Babylon5 #Chewbacca #LordOfTheRings #LotR #JRRTolkien #Superman #LouisLane #ClarkKent #GunSmoke #FrankSinatra #HanSolo #HarrisonFord #DirtyHarry #HarryCallahan #ClintEastwood #WilfordBrimly #TableWine #ChicFilA #OnKilling #DaveGrossman #TheDI #JoeFriday #Treecat #HarryPotter #JKRowling #YA #YoungAdult #Novel #HughHowey #CSForester #HoratioHornblower #MasterAndCommander #HoratioNelson #AlexanderCochrane #TomPope #JacobHolo #MarisaWolf #DanButler #LastActionHero #ArnoldSchwarzeneger

Lately there are times it seems we're getting close to the end of our adventure through the Honorverse and then a little reminder like this happens: we're discussing the first book in another four-book story arc! In this episode we're talking about A Call to Duty, kicking off the Manticore Ascendant series. This novel was authored by David Weber, Timothy Zahn and Thomas Pope.You'll remember a while back we read a story by Timothy Zahn that took place early in the life of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, revolving around an interesting character named Travis Long. In this series of books we finally get to read the rest of Travis' story, beginning right here. We also get a very interesting glimpse into the early and formative years of the RMN—essentially watching Travis and the Navy grow up together.Travis' military life begins, almost in desperation as a group of his friends use him as an unknowing wheel man while committing a crime. Travis realizes too late that he's going to be guilty by association and takes refuge in an RMN recruiting office. The recruiter sees goodness and promise in Travis, revealed by his conscience, and signs him up for an enlistment. As we follow him through training and his initial time in the operational fleet, his story reveals a lot about Travis' ethical code, which is both a strength and a potential weakness in terms of his service. The Navy causes Travis to realize and then begin to deal with the fact that while there may be moral absolutes and certain black and white issues, much of the world operates in a very gray space where problems are more complicated than he expected. While he's still immature, certain leaders in his chain of command realize he shows potential to become a commissioned officer and is selected to become a “Mustang”.Your hosts rated A Call to Duty with a 5, 5 and another 5 (out of 5), for an overall rating of 5 from your hosts.Once again, thank you for listening and to those of you who 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 picking up the next book in this anthology set called A Call to Arms, where we get to see what happens next with Mr. Long. Without interruption, we get to continue to enjoy the masterful storytelling of David Weber, Timothy Zahn and Tom Pope. As always, 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!

Now it's time to dive right into the third book in the Crown of Slaves series: Cauldron of Ghosts, co-authored by David Weber and Eric Flint. It won't be a surprise to any of our regular listeners, but this book ties to the previous book we covered based on publication order. That said, this is a particularly tight coupling as this book is often considered a literal and direct continuation of the story in Shadow of Freedom.As a result, we're still seeing events occurring in 1922 PD, now featuring our two super-spies: Victor Cachat and Anton Zilwicki and dealing with what's next for (and with) the Mesan Alignment. Furthermore, we're seeing the reality of the post-war alliance between Manticore and Haven. The reality of this alliance seems to still be almost unbelievable to leadership within the Mesan Alignment as this wasn't a part of what they were trying to orchestrate. It sure seems one lesson in this regard we can apply to the real world is the “law of unintended consequences.” This becomes acute as the new Manticoran-Havenite alliance strives to bring the Alignment out of its comfortable place in the shadows. The overall storyline link here is that our heroes Cachat and Zilwicki are running around on Mesa, trying to help reveal the Alignment. The book is definitely action-packed!Your hosts rated Cauldron of Ghosts with a 5, a 5 and an unusual 4.75 (out of 5), for an overall rating of 4.92 from your hosts.Once again, thank you for listening and to those of you who 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 turning our attention to the Manticore Ascendant series, diving into the first book, A Call to Duty co-authored by David Weber and Timothy Zahn. This book and the associated series take us back to the early years of the Star Kingdom of Manticore and a character we were previously introduced to named Travis Long. We've been looking forward to this series! As always, 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.comOn 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!

We are jumping right into the second book in the Star Kingdom series, this one titled Fire Season. This one's a joint venture between David Weber and the now-familiar Jane Lindskold. Published by Baen, it came out at a comfortable 287 pages in October 2012. In the previous Star Kingdom novel, we met an 11-year-old Stephanie Harrington in part 1, then moved forward in Stephanie's life, approximately 16 months in Part 2. Here in Fire Season, Stephanie is now 14, turning 15 years old.While this is another “treecat novel” and the treecats are featured characters, the story really focuses on Stephanie, her schoolmates, her parents, and several other adults central to her life, and a team of scientists who arrive on Sphinx with a more official charter to study the treecats. We learn a lot more about Stephanie and the changes she's going through as she's maturing from a child into a young adult. Given she's growing up on a frontier world, it's exciting to see just how much she and some of her friends are trusted with and expected to do as they become contributors to the society around them. Or perhaps “societies” would be more accurate since the events of the novel certainly include the treecats. The combination of the impact of fire season along with the visiting scientists leads to an action-packed, dramatic story that adds some beautiful depth to several characters, as well as richness, history and complexity to the Honorverse.One thing we reinforce in the podcast is that while this series is written for young adults, there are no punches pulled in terms of the story. If you tend to shy away from “YA” novels, do yourself a favor and be sure to read all of them in the Star Kingdom series. As you know from our second interview with David Weber, he doesn't avoid complex, heavy or dark issues that need to be a part of the broader story just because some of his books are written for our young adult Honorverse family members. These novels were written for the rest of the more “seasoned” adults out there, too. We're confident you won't be disappointed.We rated Fire Season with a 5, a 4.5 and a 5 (out of 5), for an overall rating of 4.83 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 even reach out through a longer note.Next time on the Honorverse Today podcast, we're back into the main storyline, jumping into the novel A Rising Thunder. As always, be sure to grab your copy, invite a friend, and join us!And yes, the blooper reel this time is from a previous show. We'll let you figure out which one!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!

⏰✨Hey little stars!

Well, we're finally breaking into the Star Kingdom series, starting with the novel entitled A Beautiful Friendship. While they're closely related to each other, don't confuse this novel with the short story by the same name contained in the first anthology we discussed a while back (More Than Honor). The short story and this novel were both written by David Weber, with this novel first published in October 2011 by Baen.The first third (or so) of the novel reprises the original 1998 short story. For those who read “More Than Honor”, this is a quick and very good refresh of the events of Stephanie Harrington and Climbs Quickly's first meeting, and their subsequent “adoption” of each other—the first human-treecat pairing. For those who didn't read the anthology, including the story here is an act of kindness on David Weber's part, ensuring all readers have the necessary backstory to understand what happens after the news of the discovery of another sentient species spreads throughout the Star Kingdom of Manticore. We watch Stephanie and Scott MacDallan (the only other human a treecat has adopted at the time) struggle with how to deal with local attitudes, questions, and curiosities. I think it's safe to say that Stephanie and Scott's protectiveness not only comes from both being genuinely caring people, but also the influenced of their new relationships with their treecats. This isn't the caring or bond that a loving pet owner has with an animal. What we see, and along with the characters don't fully understand, is this relationship between the human people and the treecat people is unique and deep. As a result, they struggle to manage just how much they share about what they know about treecats with the significant influx of scientists visiting Sphynx. Others come too, some with bad intent—and so the story unfolds. As with the original short story, we get to see both sides of the human-treecat relationship as both societies / cultures struggle with how to move the relationship forward. This dynamic would be interesting in general since we're talking about two sentient species, but it's made more complicated by the fact that two pairings have occurred. Like the other story arcs captured within various series, the Star Kingdom storyline informs us about human-treecat relationship and how it sits as a unique and central part of the Honorverse. We rated A Beautiful Friendship with a 5, a 4 and a 5 (out of 5), for an overall rating of a 4.7.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 to even reach out through a longer note.Next time on the Honorverse Today podcast, we're moving straight into the second book in the Star Kingdom series: Fire Season. As always, 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!

“In Fire Forged” is the fifth anthology in the Honorverse, containing three short stories and another technical writing. We see the return of two favorite co-authors: Jane Lindskold bringing us the short story “Ruthless” and Timothy Zahn who hits us hard with his short story “An Act of War”. David Weber brings us the third short story entitled “Let's Dance”, which is really a novella disguised as a short story. Then he brings us home with the technical essay “An Introduction to Modern Starship Armor Design”, brought to us through the character Hegel DiLutorio, a retired officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy.This 311-page collection was first published by Baen in February 2011.The first story is Ruthless by Jane Lindskold.Jane brings us back to the story of Judith, a Masadan refugee rescued by Michael Winton when he was a midshipman. We promised you'd see more of Judith in the future, and here the promise is delivered. Time has passed, Michael is now a young commissioned officer in the RMN, he and Judith are married and have a young daughter named Ruth. There's a plot afoot by George and Alice Ramsbottom, staunch Manticoran isolationists who object to the alliance Manticore formed with Grayson. In an attempt to disrupt this new alliance, they kidnap Ruth with the intent to return her to her Masadan father. They hope that Grayson will question their decision to enter an alliance with Manticore based on an assumption that if Manticore can't even protect one child, they're not a Star Kingdom worth allying with for broader and more significant defense issues. As a bonus, if Michael will act rashly, this may also embarrass the Star Kingdom's reputation broadly. The events in this story take place in 1889 PD, two to three years after the events captured in Jane Lindskold's short story “Promised Land”.Your hosts all gave this one a “thumbs-up”.Next we discussed Timothy Zahn's short story An Act of War. This story takes place around the time as Honor escapes from Hades (approximately 1914 PD). We saw those events in the novel “Ashes of Victory”. When Honor's escape becomes known, this story gives us a glimpse into an arms dealer named Charles who at the same time was trying to sell cloaking technology to Haven. Events unfold when Oscar St. Just is convinced to install this equipment on a ship and for that ship to be used in an unorthodox manner to hopefully fuel a war between Manticore and the Andermani Empire. This would be a good thing from the Havenite perspective. Risky deeds are attempted and things get pretty tense, pretty fast!This one received three “thumbs-up” from your hosts as well!The third story is Let's Dance, written by David Weber. As mentioned, this is more of a novella than a short story. It takes us back to Commander Honor Harrington's first hyper-capable command as she captains the destroyer HMS Hawking (sometime prior to 1900 PD). We see events related to the Manticoran efforts to normalize relationships with Silesia, which have been somewhat tense. She's conducting anti-piracy operations in Silesian territory, intervenes and captures a vessel conducting piracy and in a good-faith gesture, turns the ship and crew over to the local Silesian system governor. A short time later she learns two unsavory things. First, the ship and crew she handed to the Silesians has mysteriously disappeared. Honor has no doubt they were released rather than prosecuted. Second, she learns about a significant Mesan (Manpower, Inc.) slave-trading station through an interesting and unproven source. That source quickly builds credibility by revealing a knowledge of Honor's Beowulfian family and a shared hatred of the slave trade. He quietly discloses he's also a member of the Audubon Ballroom,

When we face the death of our desires—or even death itself—what then? Where now?   Julie Cochran, of our Vestavia community, shows us that in seasons of suffering and surrender, praise can persist.   Following the unexpected loss of her infant daughter, Julie's mindset transformed as she focused on the Word, the Father, and his faithfulness. In this episode, you will learn: A mind renewed by the Word relies on hope and withstands hurt. We name our hard stories "good" when we focus on who God is. Regularly celebrating his faithfulness helps us heal.   Links:  Voyage to the Star Kingdom by Anne Riley Jenn Louthan Interior Design Sarah Beth Hagler Jewelry King Cotton Fabrics Give to StoryTellers Live Become a Patreon Insider  

We've already put out toes in the water of the Wages of Sin series (more commonly known as the Crown of Slaves series), and we'll return to it soon enough. In this episode we discuss the first book in the Saganami Island series, entitled “The Shadow of Saganami”.Events in this novel overlap with and complement, to some extent, events we read about in “Service of the Sword”, “War of Honor” and “Crown of Slaves”. Don't worry though, there is zero redundancy. What David Weber is doing is giving us more depth and breadth than what we already had. Your hosts all felt this could have been two novels on some level. That said, breaking it into two would have damaged what Mr. Weber does for us by keeping the multiple storylines within a single book. For that, we're thankful for this lengthy and satisfying book!With the resumption of hostilities between the Star Kingdom and Haven, the story shifts to the relatively new Lynx Terminus of the Manticoran Wormhole Junction. This junction is located in the economically poor Talbott Cluster. Manticore has offered the benefits of annexation to the systems in the Talbott Cluster, which would benefit all parties involved. It would not necessarily benefit other players on the Honorverse stage. It certainly causes issues and concerns for Mesa, and perhaps, to others. This novel captures the story of the resultant honorable (and less than honorable) maneuvering within the Cluster. We've used the “DIME'' construct to analyze the story as it's unfolded in the previous novels. That continues here, but now we see a very clear shift from a focus on the military instrument of power (the “M”) to a much heavier emphasis on diplomacy and economics (the “D” and “E”). For those of you who have been on this adventure for a while, you'll remember we've anticipated this happening.The book is aptly named. We experience a part of the fatal battle Edward Saganami is known for, and we see why he's regarded as highly as he is within the Royal Manticoran Navy. We get to hear Honor's words to a graduating class at the Academy at Saganami Island, and then we roll into political intrigue, diplomatic (and less than diplomatic) posturing and maneuvering, piracy, terrorism, and even a large and very significant naval battle. The naval operations and ultimately combat requires the RMN officers, women and men assigned to the ships involved to make comparably difficult decisions to those made by Edward Saganami. They're inspired by what they know of him, strive to honor his legacy, and ultimately live in the shadow of this great man. It seems this book has something for everyone!We rated “The Shadow of Saganami” with a 5, a 5 and another 5 (out of 5), for an overall rating of a perfect 5 from your hosts.As always, we truly appreciate the support of everyone who takes the time to wander through the Honorverse with us. Special thanks for those of you who like and/or comment on our posts, and even reach out and send us a note.Next, we're going to return to the “main story line” with our discussion of “At All Costs”. 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!

With this series and novel, our adventure shifts away from the story featuring Honor Harrington as the main character or even seeing her as the focal point. Even so, she's not gone and appears in the periphery quite often. Remember, this “related” storyline doesn't mean we're shifting away from the “main” storyline. As you'll see, we are not. The Wages of Sin series, and this first novel in it, are absolutely a part of the core narrative that is The Honorverse. We've seen the stories in this series foreshadowed and now we're going to see why the Wages of Sin set of books are essential to the main story. By the way, you'll often hear people refer to this series as the Crown of Slaves series rather than Wages of Sin. There's certainly nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, the series is probably more commonly referred to as the Crown of Slaves series.If you like placing each story into a chronological timeline, the events in Crown of Slaves happen while the High Ridge government is still in power, just before the main events captured in the novel War of Honor. While there isn't a lot of emphasis placed on High Ridge and others in the cabinet, Queen Elizabeth and some of the actions revolving around her play a little more of a prominent (but a relatively minor) role. Crown of Slaves was first published by Baen Books in August 2003. This is the series we have previously mentioned was written by the dynamic duo of David Weber and Eric Flint.As we saw mentioned in earlier parts of the story, the Star Kingdom's ally Erewhon has been grieved by the actions and attitudes of High Ridge and the cabinet. Perhaps outside of Grayson, Erewhon may be the most neglected and offended of all of Manticore's primary allies. In an effort to quietly address the problem, and perhaps prevent the loss of a key ally, Queen Elizabeth sends a delegation led by Captain Zilwicki, along with his daughter Berry, and her niece, Princess Judith Winton, to Erewhon. You're going to see a small cast of other familiar characters as well. Within this atmosphere of tension, and significantly amplified by competing agendas outside of the Queen's control, nothing goes smoothly.As suggested by the title of the series, and especially this novel, the focus of the events that unfold relate directly to Mesa and Manpower, Inc., and broadly to the ugly issue of slavery. It shouldn't be a surprise, but the theme is certainly heavy, and the events and language are not “kid friendly”.We rated Crown of Slaves with a 3, a 4 and another 4 (out of 5), for an overall rating of 3.7 from your hosts.We absolutely appreciate the support of everyone who takes the time to listen to our thoughts as we wander through the Honorverse. Thank you! And as always, thanks for those of you who like and/or comment on our posts. Whether you agree with our thoughts, or hold differing viewpoints, your comments are genuinely appreciated and warmly received. We truly enjoy hearing your thoughts on the Honorverse and the show.Next up: we're making a visit to another related storyline as we jump into the first novel in the Saganami Island series: The Shadow of Saganami. Grab your copy 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!

(Be sure to listen all the way through the closing credits. There may be a small surprise...)Time is flying as we work our way through the Honorverse! Here we are on the third anthology in the Worlds of Honor set: Changer of Worlds. It was first published in January 2001, comes in at 469 pages and contains four short stories. As with the previous anthology, the title is apt, given these stories capture key people and events at various times that truly changed the worlds we've grown to know and love in the Honorverse. Three of these stories were penned by David Weber and one by Eric Flint. This is significant for several reasons. Eric's story is our first taste of what's to come down the road. He also collaborated with David on the Crown of Slaves story arc. It's a real treat to read what Eric wrote for us here. It definitely has us looking forward to his other contributions. (There's more to the story behind David and Eric's friendship. We'll discuss this more in a future episode.)An important note: this anthology is extremely important, if not essential, to the second half of the Honor Harrington saga, and particularly important to a full understanding of the upcoming novel War of Honor.The anthology kicks off, and not in a slow way, with Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington, penned by David Weber himself. In this story, we join Midshipwoman Harrington as she and some of her classmates embark on what is traditionally called their “Snotty” cruise aboard the HMS War Maiden, commanded by CAPT Thomas Bachfisch. These cruises are when the Middies get to see the Navy they've been training for so long to serve in as commissioned officers, and for the Navy to see them and put these youngsters through a few trials of their own. Now they're in the fleet, and not the classroom to learn.As readers we see what goes into the formation of officer Honor Harrington about as early as possible. Along the way we see a somewhat familiar set of personalities and predispositions in those around her: toward her (and her youthful looks and her early ability to command); her reputation (through CAPT Bachfisch and an officer onboard who is friends with Pavel Young), and her treecat (with many biases and misperceptions still in place about these “pets” not often seen among the fleet), to name a few. We also get to see CAPT Bachfisch directly influence and shape what will become a part of Honor's command philosophy as she deals with issues and problems—some small and some significant. In this one short story we see snapshots and examples of officership and leadership, command (and how it's not formulaic or one-dimensional), and to some extent the role and place of midshipmen in the Navy.Three “thumbs-up” from your hosts.The second story also was written by David Weber: Changer of Worlds. This was an interesting tangent in that we get a relatively significant glimpse into the inner workings of treecat polity and inter clan relations. The events in the story take place when Samantha and Nimitz visit the Brightwater Clan. The main point of the story, at least on the surface, is to show us what appears to be the initial proposal and discussion that occurs about possibly ending the treecats' “Great Deception” and showing the humans their true intelligence. This also involves a related discussion about establishing the first-ever treecat colony in the Harrington Steading on Grayson.The pressing and unaddressed question related to this: what happens if/when treecats begin pairing with those who aren't aligned with humans in the Star Kingdom? If they're willing to consider colonies, then they must know there will eventually be contact outside of the Harrington Steading and more broadly, the Star Kingdom. The treecats know humans go to war with each other, and that some are deemed to be bad/immoral, not only by other humans, but also by treecats. We're left to wonder how...

After our jaunt over to the first anthology in the Worlds of Honor set, we're back to the main series and discussing book 8: Echoes of Honor. This seemed like two books that were woven together through the way this novel was assembled. At 718 pages, this is the largest novel yet in the series, and was published by Baen Books in September 1998—a year after In Enemy Hands. The events in this book occur just short of a year (approximately 10 months) after Honor and her colleagues destroy the Tepes and head to the surface of Hell; not as prisoners, but as downed pilots surviving behind enemy lines. Some might think Behind Enemy Lines might have made a good title for this book. While it could have, the title David Weber selected has a much more significant relationship to the overarching storyline. To everyone outside of Honor's immediate party, Honor is understandably believed dead. Her public “execution” by the People's Republic of Haven was broadcast for all to see — a deep faked piece of well-done propaganda. Because of this, the echoes of the impact Honor had on the RMN; on Grayson, its Space Navy, and the people of her steading; and specifically on her parents are heard and/or felt. At the start of this story, only we, the readers, know she is still very much alive and relatively well.The novel was put together in a way that the two-pronged story presented itself through the length of the novel as alternating chapters, or technically “books”. Books 2, 4 and 6 were the events associated with Haven's Operation Icarus, as they strike the Star Kingdom at key locations during a Manticoran operational pause. Honor's parents and their stay on Grayson are also significant parts of these books. Books 1, 3 and 5 revolved around Honor's exploits on Hades. She and her people create what is essentially an insurgent movement and take over the prison planet's command center at Camp Charon. Securing a sufficient number of transports, she liberates all who want to depart from Hades. At the end of the book, these two storylines merge when Honor appears at Trevor's Star with her crew and half a million prisoners. The story ends, leaving us to wait and see just how all those who thought they lost Honor will react to the news of her survival. Exciting stuff!We rated Echoes of Honor with three 5s (out of 5), for an overall rating of 5 from your hosts.We extend our thanks and appreciation in the podcast for those of you who have liked and/or commented on our episodes so far, and we'd like to extend our thanks here as well. Your comments are genuinely appreciated and warmly received. Remember, we're fans of the series just like you and we're honored to have a venue to share our experiences and thoughts as we work our way through the Honorverse with other, like-minded people. A special thank you to Mr. David Weber, who we've learned has been listening to us. We definitely appreciate your comments, sir. Please continue to let us hear from all of you!Next up: we're rolling right into the second book in the Worlds of Honor anthology set; the book for which the set is named entitled Worlds of Honor. This book contains stories written by David Weber, Roland Green, Linda Evans and Jane Lindskold. Grab a copy and join in the conversation and the adventure!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!

Trainer David Van Dyke looks at Weona Smartone in the Star Kingdom at Rosehill Gardens today.

Check out this refreshing conversation with former Notre Dame star running back Danny Knott. We ask what it is like to pursue dreams, but yielding to God's ultimate plan and becoming a kingdom builder. 

Our amazing journey through the Honorverse begins now! The first book in the series is titled “On Basilisk Station”. Published in 1993 by Baen Books, it ran 458 pages and leads a series that David Weber originally thought might only be five books or so. For those not familiar, it grew into a 14-book series, with a number of related, spin-off sets of books. All that aside, “On Basilisk Station” is where the adventure begins. For a time reference, this story takes place sometime in the 41st Century (using our calendar). In the book there's a primary timeline used, oriented on an event called Post Diaspora. Based on that calendar, the events take place from 1900-1901 PD. We meet Commander Honor Harrington as the new captain of the HMS Fearless. Her first act as the captain is to take her Battle Cruiser and crew into fleet exercises, armed with a new type of weapon that has taken traditional (and proven weapons) off of her ship. Along with this new weapon, she attempts a new tactic that makes best use of its capabilities. This requires her to place the ship closer than would normally be acceptable to the “hostile” force but allows a great surprise advantage. It works…once, then the fleet quickly adjusts its tactics to account for the new threat. What follows is a successive set of losses for the Fearless, and a demoralized crew who loses confidence (or perhaps never establishes confidence) in their new captain. Following the exercise, the Fearless is assigned to a relatively isolated part of the Star Kingdom, to support a place called Basilisk Station. The assignment is commonly considered a relegation to less-than-important duties, further demoralizing the crew. Making things worse, when Harrington and crew arrive, the local senior officer takes his ship and departs, claiming he needs repairs that can't wait, and leaving Honor in charge. As a loyal and capable officer of the Queen's Navy, she accepts the cards she's dealt, and begins to address long-standing deficiencies in terms of what the Navy is supposed to provide to the local system. She pushes the crew to their limits in many cases but begins to make a positive impact in the system, and with her crew. The result: her successes fuel the failures of a cartel that had grown accustomed to conducting illegal ops. What should have been a boring, quiet, and frankly horrible assignment quickly turned intense. With the relationships Honor had established within the system early on, she confronts the cartel, begins damaging their operations, and draws the attention of the wrath of the cartel's leader, who attempts to intimidate Honor into submission. It doesn't work. Her crew sees her professional loyalty to the Crown and her orders, how she leads, and also relies on her crew to accomplish what quickly became an almost impossible mission. When the dust settles, Fearless has engaged in combat action. As they dealt with the cartel, they also exposed secret operations being conducted by Manticore's enemy, the Peoples' Republic of Haven, in an attempt to eventually take control of the wormhole junction (and therefore trade) through the area. Haven was hiding combat capability in the form of a significantly armed Q-Ship, which Fearless engages. The enemy ship is destroyed and Fearless is critically, perhaps fatally, damaged. Honor and crew receive recognition from the military, and from the Queen as the story ends. In this first book, the stage is set for the epic story that follows. We learn a lot about Honor Harrington and her leadership. We also get insights into her weaknesses and flaws. While very capable, she's not a fictional, perfect officer. We also meet a significant cast of characters, many of whom we'll see in other books as the series continues. Don't worry about memorizing who they are—within a few books, you'll recognize the ones David Weber needs you to focus on and be familiar with. In...

D.J. Butler discusses new Star Kingdom series entry A New Clan with authors David Weber and Jane Lindskold, part two; and Cobra by Timothy Zahn, Part 10. View the podcast in video form at https://www.baen.com/podcastfiles/mp3/video-baen-free-radio-hour-A-New-Clan-Part-Two-Cobra-part-10.mp4 and the Baen YouTube Channel.

D.J. Butler discusses new Star Kingdom series entry A New Clan with authors David Weber and Jane Lindskold; and Cobra by Timothy Zahn, Part 9. View the podcast in video form at https://www.baen.com/podcastfiles/mp3/video-baen-free-radio-hour-A-New-Clan-Part-One-Cobra-part-9.mp4 and the Baen YouTube Channel.

Become a Patron! Help to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/TheCommute Stepping aboard the tour bus today is consummate front man, Keith St. John! Listen in as he talks about gaining the attention of powerful music industry insiders at a very young age--and then turning those opportunities into projects throughout the rest of his career. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, and continues to tour at the top levels of the genre!

As new writers, we can be tempted to put so much into our characters that they become overwhelming. Or maybe you've gotten some feedback and they're flat and boring. Characters are so important to getting readers to connect to good fiction, but there are a lot of misconceptions out there about what makes a good, 'likeable,' character. Let me break down those misconceptions and show my unique Theme-based planning strategy for creating compelling characters, no matter what kind of story you're writing.------Don't forget to download the free Story Planning Guide when I take you through finding your Theme, and using the process of Theme-Based Story Planning to create your characters, world, and story conflicts.You can also sign up for the free Pick Up the Pen Challenge if you want a guided experience talking more about character creation and putting your character on the page.Correction: I referenced Lindsay Buroker's Star Kingdom series, but was really thinking about her Fallen Empire series. Both are great, if you want fun stories and really interesting characters.

Suzanne's mama heart is evident in her story. I'm so grateful she let us enter with her into the joy of being Ethan's mom and the grief of not having him here on earth.Find her website Walking in the Shadowlands here. And their instagram here.Some resources from Suzanne:The Rabbit Listened by Courtney DoerrfelVoyage to the Star Kingdom by Anne RileyAnd Still She Laughs by Kate MerrickTherefore I Have Hope by Cameron Cole (To me, this is one of the best books about suffering and reconciling God's role in it)Other recommended books on suffering: A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser, God's Grace in Your Suffering by David Powlison, When Your Family's Lost a Loved One by Nancy Guthrie)Books that describe personal experience with infant or child loss: Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman, Holding Onto Hope by Nancy Guthrie, I WIll Carry You by Angie SmithThe Joyful Mourning (www.themorning.com) has a webpage, podcast, and an online community for mothers who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. The webpage also has excellent resources for people looking for ways to help a grieving friend. The Amelia Center(in)Complete RetreatAndrew Peterson's Resurrection Letters AlbumEllie Holcomb's Red Sea Road AlbumSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/mandeemcd)

Lindsay Buroker knows how to maximize her reach as an indie author. By writing under multiple pen names across multiple genres, following a rapid release model to generate interest, and running a podcast to help uphold her brand, she continues to expand her audience and influence across the writing landscape. Buroker is a full-time independent author who focuses primarily on the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Among her impressive number of successful series are Death Before Dragons, Dragon Blood, and Star Kingdom. She is also known for co-hosting Six Figure Authors, a podcast dedicated to providing writers with tactical knowledge to help improve their careers. Lindsay’s latest release, Elven Doom, is available now.From Amazon.com:Lindsay is a full-time independent fantasy and science fiction author who loves travel, hiking, tennis, and vizslas. She's written over sixty novels, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list, and has been twice nominated for a Goodreads Readers' Choice Award. She grew up in the Seattle area but has itchy feet and moves every couple of years. She's currently living in Bend, Oregon, and working on the next book.Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.In this episode, you’ll discover:How to utilize the rapid release modelWhen to commit to a genreWhen to use a pen nameHow to approach cowritingHow to structure a day of writingLinks:J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/Lindsay Buroker - https://lindsayburoker.com/Elven Doom by Lindsay Buroker - https://books2read.com/ElvenDoomSix Figure Authors Podcast - https://6figureauthors.com/Supercharge Your Scene - http://superchargeyourscene.comSave Indie Bookstores - https://www.saveindiebookstores.comMusic by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.comContact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ “Muggable” quote by Harley Christensen - https://www.mischievousmalamute.com/*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We go back in time with not only one of the greatest RPGs of all time but really one of the best video games ever made! Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars, the ultra classic from both Nintendo and Square, that really is just as unique as ever. Expanding the Mario Universe and inventing some totally sweet RPG mechanics in the process. A game one can always go back to, time and time again. As long as someone appreciates good ole turn based gameplay.   So come join us as we have tons of fun back in the 7 Star Kingdom. Continuing our #MarioMay super marathon series of hidden gems and Super Mario Bros. classics on another adventure of OMO Podcast.   Old Man Orange is Spencer Scott Holmes & Ryan Dunigan - 2020 - "Young Adults, Old Man Attitude. Talking retro games, classic films and comic good times with a crisp of Orange taste." - www.OldManOrange.com   Send us an email at OldManOrangePodcast@yahoo.com   Support the Show the easy and simple way, by using one of our Amazon Links to make your purchases. Doesn't cost you a penny but sends a little something our way. Thanks!   Mario RPG - https://amzn.to/3cjC709   Grab some comedy with, Pizza Boyz, the sitcom styled Indie Comic series by Spencer Scott Holmes http://amzn.to/2Dsw1Jk via @amazon Comixology http://bit.ly/2w55bI8   More Podcast good times with, Check out Indie Comix Club Podcast - https://comixcentral.podbean.com/

This beautiful, inspired allegory of life after death is written so that a child can understand the story and see the happy ending in the Star Kingdom.  An adult will see much more in this story of trust and faith in  the Star King.   “Inspired by a real-life family, Voyage to the Star Kingdom is a vivid reminder that our stories don’t end with death, and that the King is indeed making all things new.” Anne Riley

Sometimes in life we feel helpless. Where do you turn? What do you do? In this episode of Take Courage, Matt talks about being helpless and talks with a father whose daughter faces a terminal disease. Yet in the midst of struggle, his family not only finds help but as able to help others also. http://thegieselmann5.blogspot.com Miles for Milla - http://miles4milla.org Good Grief- https://www.goodgriefdoc.com/thegriefcenter https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Batten-Disease-Fact-Sheet Voyage to the Star Kingdom - https://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Star-Kingdom-Anne-Riley/dp/1519421532 https://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Star-Kingdom-Anne-Riley/dp/1519421532/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=voyage+of+the+star+kingdom&qid=1555693895&s=gateway&sr=8-1 Nationwide Children’s Hosptial - https://www.nationwidechildrens.org Wiseacre Brewing https://wiseacrebrew.com

Welcome back loyal listeners, readers and kingdom dwellers. It's the last chapter of the One Man Renegade Podcast for 2017 and it's jam packed with fun and entertainment. In this chapter I discuss all the events that took place over the last couple weeks and then I dive deep into Star Wars: The Last Jedi and give my thoughts and review, minor spoilers. Where does it fit in my rankings? Find Out. I then make predictions for UFC 219 and Wrestle Kingdom 12. I then comeback and make my predictions for the NCAA College Football playoffs, cause I almost totally forgot to. Check it out, take a listen and then don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher and follow me on twitter @razorvader. Thanks for ListeningOMRP - Chapter 45 - Star Kingdom: The Last Chapter

Today we are spotlighting Jude Belanger & Charlie Trinh of Hyperator. The Hyperator VR Studio is a full stack development studio that guides our clients through the VR development pipeline from concept to launch. This episode is powered by BetaList.com, where you can discover tomorrow's startups today, and Hack Reactor, the leading coding bootcamp in program quality & student outcomes. Connect with us at wearelatech.com/podcast and tweet @WeAreLATech and @EspreeDevora. What is your ask from the community? Download our game Star Kingdom and have fun!

(click for podcast)Reflecting on the popularity of "Empires" in Science Fiction stories.CoDominium (Niven and PournelleBarrayar (Lois McMaster Bujold)Manticore (David Weber)Do it yourself - build your own space empire with a Free "4X" (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) game:FreeOrion - www.FreeOrion.orgMusic - from the Cylinder Preservation Project:The US Marine Band - Emperor's Manoeuvre