SFF

A Call to Arms

by David Weber
& others. Baen. (Manticore Ascendant, Bk. 2). Oct. 2015. 384p. ISBN 9781476780856. $26. SF
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Weber and Timothy Zahn's second volume in the early history of the Honorverse picks up ten years after the end of Call to Duty. Travis Long has completed college and officer training and is settling into his new role as an officer, but at heart he's still the rules-and-regulations-loving guy readers met in the first book. Life in the Royal Manticoran Navy is quiet, as Manticore is still a backwater star system that receives little traffic and the navy hasn't fought an actual battle in decades. Funding and support is at an all-time low, with most ships operating undermanned and underarmed.
VERDICT Honorverse fans will see the upcoming crisis points, but Zahn and Weber (and coauthor Tom Pope) do a strong job foreshadowing for newcomers. Although the second in the series, this title will work well as an entry point for new readers, pleasing longtime followers. With an enjoyable mix of action and exposition, this volume has less of the detail and worldbuilding found in Weber's solo works, yet the groundwork is clearly laid for at least one sequel.
Reviewed by Jessica E. Moyer , Aug 01, 2015
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