Challengesedited by
David Weber
(Baen, November 4, 2025, 335pp, HC and Kindle)
“One Controllable Step” by Marisa Wolf
“Deadly Delusions” by Jane Lindskold
“The Great Condiment Caper” by Jacob Holo with Thomas Pope
“XO” by Daniel Allen Butler
“Crystal Singer’s Song” by David Weber
Reviewed by Rick Cartwright
I rarely do this in a review, but I believe some fair warnings are in order. First, the stories in this book are much longer than anthology readers might be accustomed to. They range from novelette to novella length with “Crystal Singer’s Song.”
This is the eighth Worlds of Honor anthology. The stories are set in the infancy of David Weber’s Honorverse. On one hand, they are more accessible to someone who is not a devotee of Honor Harrington and her world. On the other hand, a first time reader is going to miss a lot of nuance. Gripping hand, this anthology is aimed at the hardcore fan.
Finally, with one glorious exception, these stories deal with some weighty themes that often resolve at serious costs to the characters. If you’re looking for a light read, buy the book, skip to the “Great Condiment Caper” and stop there. Because that story alone is worth the cost of the book.
“One Controllable Step” by Marisa Wolf recounts the story of a team of scientists from off world to research a plague. The tale is both triumphant and heartbreaking. It recounts a defining event in the mythos of Manticore, a horrific plague that nearly destroyed the budding colony.
The group of doctors move from scientific detachment to personal stakes in curing the disease. While this is an excellent read, you need to be prepared for the fact that a lot of the characters that you come to know and love will not make it through.
“Deadly Delusions” by Jane Lindskold is a story about characters fighting their inner demons and a descent into mental illness where dedication is twisted by madness.
It’s also a tale about tree cat bonding and the early interactions between humans and the folk who play a pivotal role in the overall series.
Jacob Holo with Thomas Pope hit it out of the park with “The Great Condiment Caper.” It’s a glimpse at one of the formative events in the professional development of one Ensign Edward Saganami who, shall we say, goes on to do great things in the Honorverse.
This is an absolutely hilarious romp involving the tracking down of a critical item to the morale of the ship. Anyone who has served will recognize a lot of the situations and actions the reader sees in the course of the story. The situation is resolved justly and in a way the miscreants will never, ever forget.
Every career has to start somewhere. Saving Chicken Fingers Friday is right up a junior officer’s alley.
“XO” by Daniel Allen Butler recounts the story of a relatively junior executive officer thrust into command of the HMS Ulyssess, not by battle or catastrophe, but by her capitan’s illness.
The main character works to build the confidence of the crew in her new role while following written orders to keep a low profile and gather intelligence on interstellar slavers.
She finds that sometimes doing what’s right trumps your orders.
“Crystal Singer’s Song” by David Weber wraps up the anthology in a story that can be best described as “Amelia Earhart with treecats.”
Of course, it’s deeper than that. Weber weaves a tale of a cargo pilot knocked off course and crashing on an undiscovered island of treecats. They cautiously befriend each other and merge their lives.
Despite the historical setting, the author expertly frames the story with an appearance by Honor Harrington herself. Old Honorverse hands will find that some of the things that they thought they knew about Weber’s universe aren’t quite right.
Richard learned the fine art of storytelling sitting around kitchen tables, campfires and courtrooms over the years but came to writing later in life after getting out of the legal profession while he could still get his soul back. When he’s not doing reviews for Tangent Online, he writes SF, alternate history, fantasy, and has been accused of creating a PTSD romance.