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On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1)
On Basilisk Station - Honor Harrington, Bk 1
Author: David Weber
Exiled to Basilisk Station by a superior out to ruin her, Commander Honor Harrington must battle corrupt merchants, dangerous smugglers, and aborigines whose drug of choice is a homicide-inducing hallucinogen.
ISBN-13: 9780671721633
ISBN-10: 0671721631
Publication Date: 4/1/1993
Pages: 416
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 81

4.1 stars, based on 81 ratings
Publisher: Baen
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1) on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
For those who need the heads-up, this is very hard science fiction. So hard that the frequent and lengthy science, technology, and weapon-related asides made my eyes glaze over a bit. Necessarily as the first novel in a fairly long series, this does provide a lot of background, fundamental universe structure, and a firm grounding in How Things Work here, and this Weber managed commendably well.

The story itself is a gradual, somewhat grinding buildup to the final ship battle (which, oh man, it's *epic* and well worth the wait), and it almost always feels slightly disconnected from what's going down "on the ground." While at times frustrating, this *works* for the story, as it's told from command central.

I thought, at first, that it lacked much of the interpersonal relations that make characters interesting (apart from a secondary character's ongoing inner conflict) until I caught myself going "duh". The military demands professionalism, not tete-a-tetes, and so much of the character interaction remains very true to what one should expect in that atmosphere. Honor is an undeniably strong and driven female lead, something relatively unusual in hard science fiction, though I admit that I'm still waiting for actual flaws to balance out the character.

If this first novel is anything to go by, the series looks as if it should be quite promising.
reviewed On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 2
A brilliant start to a brilliant series. Honor Harrington is a character who inspires admiration and affection as does her empathic companion, the treecat, Nimitz. Tight science for the technophiles, plenty of action for adventure buffs, complex and multilayered background world promising a rich environment for future development...
I am addicted to this series and its spinoffs... 5 stars from me...
Engsetterlover avatar reviewed On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1) on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading the second in the Honor series. This is written in the same vein as Elizabeth Moon's and Lois McMaster Bujold's novels.
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gmartin64 avatar reviewed On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
Great setup for the entire series..
weyrdesigns avatar reviewed On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1) on + 23 more book reviews
The first and the best of an incredible series - this introduces Honor Harrington and Nimitz and sets the stage for all that comes after. A great story in and of itself, it serves as a terrific foundation for a truly great series. Rip-roaring space opera, with characters that are wonderfully drawn. The battle scenes are great and very believable. Weber has the unique ability to create strong women characters without emasculating the men around her. Honor makes a wonderful role model for any young woman.
reviewed On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Bk 1) on + 46 more book reviews
One of my favorite Honor books as she goes up against the powerful elite and proves her reliability and leads her crew with dedication to serve with integrity.


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