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Honorverse: Star Kingdom #1
Begegnung auf Sphinx
>>Weber schreibt hochgradig unterhaltsame Space Opera!<< Booklist
Stephanie Harrington lebt auf der Koloniewelt Sphinx. Lebensmittel sind knapp, und in den Gewächshäusern kommt es immer wieder zu Diebstählen. Stepahnie begibt sich auf die Jagd nach dem Täter und stößt dabei auf eine unbekannte Spezies: eine sechsbeinige Baumkatze. Augenblicklich freundet sie sich mit dm Tier an. Doch schon bald stellt sich heraus, dass diese Katze weit mehr als nur ein Tier ist ...
Die Vorgeschichte zu Honor Harrington - für Fans und Neueinsteiger!
Stephanie Harrington lebt auf der Koloniewelt Sphinx. Lebensmittel sind knapp, und in den Gewächshäusern kommt es immer wieder zu Diebstählen. Stepahnie begibt sich auf die Jagd nach dem Täter und stößt dabei auf eine unbekannte Spezies: eine sechsbeinige Baumkatze. Augenblicklich freundet sie sich mit dm Tier an. Doch schon bald stellt sich heraus, dass diese Katze weit mehr als nur ein Tier ist ...
Die Vorgeschichte zu Honor Harrington - für Fans und Neueinsteiger!
414 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2011
253 people are currently reading
2,255 people want to read
About the author
David Weber
374Ìýbooks4,476ÌýfollowersDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews
March 4, 2017
2 Stars for the audiobook.
OK, I didn't actually listen to the whole book. At about 10% from the end I picked up my epub version and scanned the last few chapters - because I was bored and tired of the book. I should have done this earlier, but I was reading and enjoying another book at the time. If I had switched I might have gave it 3 stars. There was too much talk and information dumping about politics, history and such. Oh, I know it was essential to the story, but in the audio version it didn't hold my interest. The narrator was fine, so that wasn't the problem. I was wondering if it would hold the interest of a 10-15 year old? But obviously from the ratings this book has, I'm a minority opinion.
I did like Stephanie, Climbs Quickly, her parents and later the Zivoniks and MacDallan. I have read at least the first couple of Honor Harrington books, but it was a million years ago. I did like Honor and the premise, but not enough to read much more of the series.
OK, I didn't actually listen to the whole book. At about 10% from the end I picked up my epub version and scanned the last few chapters - because I was bored and tired of the book. I should have done this earlier, but I was reading and enjoying another book at the time. If I had switched I might have gave it 3 stars. There was too much talk and information dumping about politics, history and such. Oh, I know it was essential to the story, but in the audio version it didn't hold my interest. The narrator was fine, so that wasn't the problem. I was wondering if it would hold the interest of a 10-15 year old? But obviously from the ratings this book has, I'm a minority opinion.
I did like Stephanie, Climbs Quickly, her parents and later the Zivoniks and MacDallan. I have read at least the first couple of Honor Harrington books, but it was a million years ago. I did like Honor and the premise, but not enough to read much more of the series.
March 3, 2023
Well i am starting this HUGE multi-series set. I found a list on the internet giving the chronological order to read all the different series of books. This is the first of that reading list. Nice young adult SiFi story. Good start to the Honorverse universe. Recommended
November 1, 2022
It appears I'm reading things out of order, 'cause this book is the prequel to another series written by Weber. Anyhow... whilst I did like reading this I don't think I liked it enough to keep reading the entire series.
June 23, 2013
(Review originally posted on )
If you’re a fan of David Weber’s Honor Harrington series, as I am, chances are good that you have a special fondness for Honor’s treecat Nimitz. I also suspect that you’ve probably wondered about how treecats started bonding with humans.
Weber has, in previous books, hinted at how it all started, as well as written that treecats run in the Harrington family, but until A Beautiful Friendship we didn’t have much more than that.
Fortunately, we now have A Beautiful Friendship, and it explains a lot more about how the bonding process started, and how the treecats earned the protected status they enjoy in Honor’s day. Of course, I am sure there is more to come, but the start of the story is better than nothing, right?
A Beautiful Friendship follows the first bonded pair from both perspectives. Stephanie Harrington, an obvious ancestor of Honor, encounters the treecat called Climbs Quickly by his clan, and something marvelous happens to both of them. Once they realize what’s happened, then comes the struggle of being the first bonded pair, understanding the previously-undiscovered treecats, not to mention the sentient treecats� attempts to understand what they call “two-legs�.
Fortunately, their friendship, along with the help of the other bonded pairs that occur early, paves the way for each species to be instrumental in helping the other, thus setting the foundation for the close association � at least between some pairs � that treecats and humans share in Honor’s time.
If the only exposure you’ve had to Weber’s writing has been the Honor Harrington books, this will come as a little bit of a surprise, as there’s no huge space battles, and very little fighting of any kind involved in it. But it still shows a master of the writing craft at work, giving us characters, both human and non-human, that we can identify with and wish the best for.
If you want to know more about treecats and their society, I can’t recommend A Beautiful Friendship highly enough.
If you’re a fan of David Weber’s Honor Harrington series, as I am, chances are good that you have a special fondness for Honor’s treecat Nimitz. I also suspect that you’ve probably wondered about how treecats started bonding with humans.
Weber has, in previous books, hinted at how it all started, as well as written that treecats run in the Harrington family, but until A Beautiful Friendship we didn’t have much more than that.
Fortunately, we now have A Beautiful Friendship, and it explains a lot more about how the bonding process started, and how the treecats earned the protected status they enjoy in Honor’s day. Of course, I am sure there is more to come, but the start of the story is better than nothing, right?
A Beautiful Friendship follows the first bonded pair from both perspectives. Stephanie Harrington, an obvious ancestor of Honor, encounters the treecat called Climbs Quickly by his clan, and something marvelous happens to both of them. Once they realize what’s happened, then comes the struggle of being the first bonded pair, understanding the previously-undiscovered treecats, not to mention the sentient treecats� attempts to understand what they call “two-legs�.
Fortunately, their friendship, along with the help of the other bonded pairs that occur early, paves the way for each species to be instrumental in helping the other, thus setting the foundation for the close association � at least between some pairs � that treecats and humans share in Honor’s time.
If the only exposure you’ve had to Weber’s writing has been the Honor Harrington books, this will come as a little bit of a surprise, as there’s no huge space battles, and very little fighting of any kind involved in it. But it still shows a master of the writing craft at work, giving us characters, both human and non-human, that we can identify with and wish the best for.
If you want to know more about treecats and their society, I can’t recommend A Beautiful Friendship highly enough.
October 7, 2012
Perhaps the Beginning of a Beautiful Series?
Published in 2011 by Baen
So, David Weber decided to make a Young Adult (YA) series.
Yes, a sci-fi author known best for his highly-descriptive military sci-fi works characterized by very long conversations is entering a field where too much violence and too much conversation are both problematic. Well, I thought, this should be interesting.
Weber expanded a short story that first appeared in an short story collection More Than Honor from 1998 as part of the extensive Honor Harrington series. Eleven year old Stephanie Harrington is the main character in A Beautiful Friendship and she is an ancestor of Honor Harrington.
Stephanie lives on the planet Sphinx, a fairly new colony that is part of a star kingdom called Manticore. Stephanie's family has moved to the planet because their skills are needed but Stephanie is bored by frontier life. However, she is intrigued by a mystery that is being reported across the planet...
Read more at:
Published in 2011 by Baen
So, David Weber decided to make a Young Adult (YA) series.
Yes, a sci-fi author known best for his highly-descriptive military sci-fi works characterized by very long conversations is entering a field where too much violence and too much conversation are both problematic. Well, I thought, this should be interesting.
Weber expanded a short story that first appeared in an short story collection More Than Honor from 1998 as part of the extensive Honor Harrington series. Eleven year old Stephanie Harrington is the main character in A Beautiful Friendship and she is an ancestor of Honor Harrington.
Stephanie lives on the planet Sphinx, a fairly new colony that is part of a star kingdom called Manticore. Stephanie's family has moved to the planet because their skills are needed but Stephanie is bored by frontier life. However, she is intrigued by a mystery that is being reported across the planet...
Read more at:
October 23, 2014
This was a fun read about Stephanie Harrington, Honor's ancestor who first formed a bond with the treecats when she was about 13. It covers about 1.5 years, maybe 2 of her life in 3 separate story arcs, although they look like one novel. If you enjoyed reading about Honor & Nimitz, you'll probably like this because only the names & the age have changed. Even the parents & friends seem pretty similar in most ways.
The story all takes place on Sphinx &Nimitz is about the same. Honor Stephanie is just a bit younger on the outside, but still the same, too. I really liked it, especially the scene where they cement their bond in danger & willing sacrifice. Weber does that so well.
I just can't give the book more stars because there wasn't anything new. Nothing. Only a few trimmings were & that just doesn't count. It would probably be a great introduction to the series for a younger reader, though.
The story all takes place on Sphinx &
I just can't give the book more stars because there wasn't anything new. Nothing. Only a few trimmings were & that just doesn't count. It would probably be a great introduction to the series for a younger reader, though.
February 1, 2015
I enjoyed this story immensely. A spunky, intelligent young heroine who uses her head to solve her problems. A sentient, psychic, six-legged alien cat. A distant world. And a believable villain out to enslave the newly discovered sentient Treecats as 'pets' all made for an immensely enjoyable read. I have already purchased Book 2 of this series to read.
Now for the not-so-good ... as somebody who reads a decent chunk of Young Adult fantasy-based novels, this is a commendable attempt by David Weber (who has long been one of my favorite authors for both epic fantasy as well as his Honor Harrington series) to reach out and re-invigorate young women's interest in something besides sparkly vampires. I love-love-love Stephanie Harrington and her Treecat Lionheart, and am so excited to now hand this book to my 13-year-old and 11-year-old daughters. However, a lot has changed in the way teens now expect to digest a Young Adult book, mainly they prefer the intimacy of first-person POV. This book head-hopped a lot and pulled in a lot of irrelevant backstory that would have been better communicated by SHOWING exclusively from Stephanie's head. I am so happy David Weber is reaching out to introduce a Teen audience to some awesome, kick-butt science fiction role models, but worry that to a Young Adult audience the archaic way it's written (third-person POV, lots of head-hopping, too much backstory, not always in Stephanie's head, body and heart) might turn off the very audience he's trying to reach.
In any event, I'm one of those parents who'd practically sell my soul to get my teenage daughters reading 'I can do it' science fiction instead of 'I'm waiting for a boyfriend' paranormal fantasy, so I have overlooked the book's glaring, archaic writing style and bought all three books in the series. The verdict: READ.
Now for the not-so-good ... as somebody who reads a decent chunk of Young Adult fantasy-based novels, this is a commendable attempt by David Weber (who has long been one of my favorite authors for both epic fantasy as well as his Honor Harrington series) to reach out and re-invigorate young women's interest in something besides sparkly vampires. I love-love-love Stephanie Harrington and her Treecat Lionheart, and am so excited to now hand this book to my 13-year-old and 11-year-old daughters. However, a lot has changed in the way teens now expect to digest a Young Adult book, mainly they prefer the intimacy of first-person POV. This book head-hopped a lot and pulled in a lot of irrelevant backstory that would have been better communicated by SHOWING exclusively from Stephanie's head. I am so happy David Weber is reaching out to introduce a Teen audience to some awesome, kick-butt science fiction role models, but worry that to a Young Adult audience the archaic way it's written (third-person POV, lots of head-hopping, too much backstory, not always in Stephanie's head, body and heart) might turn off the very audience he's trying to reach.
In any event, I'm one of those parents who'd practically sell my soul to get my teenage daughters reading 'I can do it' science fiction instead of 'I'm waiting for a boyfriend' paranormal fantasy, so I have overlooked the book's glaring, archaic writing style and bought all three books in the series. The verdict: READ.
February 5, 2013
I picked this book up at Half Price Books because I wanted something with more substance than the books I've been reading lately. I was tired of young adult books and I wanted some grown up science fiction. The joke's on me. A Beautiful Friendship could definitely be read by young adults because Stephanie Harrington is only 12-14 years old through the course of the book.
I love the Honorverse. I especially enjoy the relationship between Honor and her treecat, Nimitz. I really was looking forward to learning how treecats and humans made first contact.
This novel covers the discovery of treecats on Sphinx. Because the main character is 12 years old, the adventures she gets into are limited by her general neighborhood. As usual for a book, Stephanie is a superior human being. as such, she doesn't interact with the world and her peers quite normally. Having a treecat for a best friend helps her adjust to the differences.
As I read, I was struck by the similarities between the bond between treecats and humans and the bond between Heralds and Companions in the books by . I think I'd like to read more about the growing bond between Stephenie and Lionheart.
PS: Part of this book have been published before but this book continues the story.
I love the Honorverse. I especially enjoy the relationship between Honor and her treecat, Nimitz. I really was looking forward to learning how treecats and humans made first contact.
This novel covers the discovery of treecats on Sphinx. Because the main character is 12 years old, the adventures she gets into are limited by her general neighborhood. As usual for a book, Stephanie is a superior human being. as such, she doesn't interact with the world and her peers quite normally. Having a treecat for a best friend helps her adjust to the differences.
As I read, I was struck by the similarities between the bond between treecats and humans and the bond between Heralds and Companions in the books by . I think I'd like to read more about the growing bond between Stephenie and Lionheart.
PS: Part of this book have been published before but this book continues the story.
July 23, 2014
I got and read in a sitting the YA Honorverse A Beautiful Friendship, based on the story with the same name and recounting the first contact between treecats and humans on Sphinx; the first part which was the story expanded was great as the original story was, the second which continues after the first contact was more conventional - various moneyed and powerful interests do not like treecats or the idea of treecats being protected and "given" vast pieces of land said interests want, others want to do good but only bumble and fumble, others have even more sinister goals and it's up to Stephanie Harrington, Climbs Quickly and an assorted cast of helpers, humans and treecats to thwart the bad guys and put the good but bumbling guys on the right path so to speak - but still engaging and I am curious where this series goes next since it stops at a good point but DW seems to want to break into the YA market too
Despite its YA label, the book is not that different from the usual Weber offerings and basically only that the main human character (Stephanie Harrington of the first Sphinxian Harrington generation some 500 years before the main series) is a 13-14 year old justifies the label, though DW wrote other stories with YA as main characters, so it's more of a marketing strategy than anything
FBC review below:
INTRODUCTION: The Honorverse occupies a special place in my affection. I have been a huge fan since I have discovered the first several books in 1994 and I have been rereading the series books quite a lot across time. Today the series is still my #1 ongoing one and each new novel is a highly, highly anticipated one. I find myself visiting Baen's Webscriptions 5 times a day when I know there is the possibility of a Honorverse e-arc for sale.
When the novelization of the short story "A Beautiful Friendship" as the start of a new YA series was announced, I was a little mixed for several reasons - while I really liked it, I am leery of prequels and I also thought the scope of this series will be limited in many ways unless the author does a complete rewriting of the early Manticoran history in contradiction with what we know from almost 25 Honorverse volumes. On the other hand, the YA label did not bother me since Mr. Weber has written several Honorverse stories with YA as main protagonists and they were all interesting and entertaining.
Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl, until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: There are three aspects about "A Beautiful Friendship" that I will talk about: who is the audience of the novel, the Honorverse fan or someone new to the series, how does the novel integrates with the original story and where does it stand in the detailed universe created by the author?
Before that I will just note that "A Beautiful Friendship" is a normal Weber novel, YA label aside, so the same exuberant, talkative and flowing style, the occasional info dumps and the meticulous world building combine with his usual characters: the competent heroine or hero, the bumbling villain or the able villain who just may be on the wrong side for generic - eg born into a dictatorship and a "patriot" - rather than personal flaws. Also as expected treecats star quite a lot in the novel, though their role in the main story of the Honorverse has been important too.
I read A Beautiful Friendship in a sitting and it entertained me end to end, so I would say that even if you are a huge fan of the Honorverse and read the original story several times as I previously did, you will enjoy the novel. This being said, I think that a newcomer to this superb sfnal universe will enjoy it even more since he or she will stay in suspense about the main plot of the book to the end, will discover the world of Sphinx and will wonder about the future fate of the treecats in an occasionally merciless human universe. All points that are known to any fan of the series and proving again that prequels have intrinsic limitations that even the ablest author won't be able to go around.
To my surprise, the first part of "A Beautiful Friendship" which corresponds to the original story has been expanded to include much more detail about the treecat clans before "first contact" and about Stephanie's life, so it offered lots of new and interesting nuggets and I think that Mr. Weber did a great job integrating the original text with the new stuff. This part was as excellent as the earlier short story and it is a major highlight of the novel even for people who have read the short story.
The second part which continues after first contact was more conventional - various moneyed and powerful interests do not like treecats and/or the idea of treecats being protected and "given" vast pieces of land said interests want, others want to do good but only bumble and fumble, while others have even more sinister goals and it's up to Stephanie Harrington, Climbs Quickly and an assorted cast of helpers, both humans and treecats to thwart the bad guys and put the good but bumbling guys on the right path so to speak.
This part was still engaging and while it ended at a very good point, I am curious where this series goes next. It is true that the "big picture" scope is limited by what we know from the main series that takes place some 500 years later, but who knows since David Weber is extremely good at twisting and turning the story around even when you think you know what's what. So I expect to be surprised!
Overall, A Beautiful Friendship (A+) was a positive surprise for me and my fears outlined in the introduction never really materialized except for the prequel limitations which meant that a lot what happens, has to be in a certain way. Of interest to both younger and older readers, the Honorverse fan and the casual or new Weber reader, A Beautiful Friendship is an entertaining end to end romp.
Despite its YA label, the book is not that different from the usual Weber offerings and basically only that the main human character (Stephanie Harrington of the first Sphinxian Harrington generation some 500 years before the main series) is a 13-14 year old justifies the label, though DW wrote other stories with YA as main characters, so it's more of a marketing strategy than anything
FBC review below:
INTRODUCTION: The Honorverse occupies a special place in my affection. I have been a huge fan since I have discovered the first several books in 1994 and I have been rereading the series books quite a lot across time. Today the series is still my #1 ongoing one and each new novel is a highly, highly anticipated one. I find myself visiting Baen's Webscriptions 5 times a day when I know there is the possibility of a Honorverse e-arc for sale.
When the novelization of the short story "A Beautiful Friendship" as the start of a new YA series was announced, I was a little mixed for several reasons - while I really liked it, I am leery of prequels and I also thought the scope of this series will be limited in many ways unless the author does a complete rewriting of the early Manticoran history in contradiction with what we know from almost 25 Honorverse volumes. On the other hand, the YA label did not bother me since Mr. Weber has written several Honorverse stories with YA as main protagonists and they were all interesting and entertaining.
Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl, until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: There are three aspects about "A Beautiful Friendship" that I will talk about: who is the audience of the novel, the Honorverse fan or someone new to the series, how does the novel integrates with the original story and where does it stand in the detailed universe created by the author?
Before that I will just note that "A Beautiful Friendship" is a normal Weber novel, YA label aside, so the same exuberant, talkative and flowing style, the occasional info dumps and the meticulous world building combine with his usual characters: the competent heroine or hero, the bumbling villain or the able villain who just may be on the wrong side for generic - eg born into a dictatorship and a "patriot" - rather than personal flaws. Also as expected treecats star quite a lot in the novel, though their role in the main story of the Honorverse has been important too.
I read A Beautiful Friendship in a sitting and it entertained me end to end, so I would say that even if you are a huge fan of the Honorverse and read the original story several times as I previously did, you will enjoy the novel. This being said, I think that a newcomer to this superb sfnal universe will enjoy it even more since he or she will stay in suspense about the main plot of the book to the end, will discover the world of Sphinx and will wonder about the future fate of the treecats in an occasionally merciless human universe. All points that are known to any fan of the series and proving again that prequels have intrinsic limitations that even the ablest author won't be able to go around.
To my surprise, the first part of "A Beautiful Friendship" which corresponds to the original story has been expanded to include much more detail about the treecat clans before "first contact" and about Stephanie's life, so it offered lots of new and interesting nuggets and I think that Mr. Weber did a great job integrating the original text with the new stuff. This part was as excellent as the earlier short story and it is a major highlight of the novel even for people who have read the short story.
The second part which continues after first contact was more conventional - various moneyed and powerful interests do not like treecats and/or the idea of treecats being protected and "given" vast pieces of land said interests want, others want to do good but only bumble and fumble, while others have even more sinister goals and it's up to Stephanie Harrington, Climbs Quickly and an assorted cast of helpers, both humans and treecats to thwart the bad guys and put the good but bumbling guys on the right path so to speak.
This part was still engaging and while it ended at a very good point, I am curious where this series goes next. It is true that the "big picture" scope is limited by what we know from the main series that takes place some 500 years later, but who knows since David Weber is extremely good at twisting and turning the story around even when you think you know what's what. So I expect to be surprised!
Overall, A Beautiful Friendship (A+) was a positive surprise for me and my fears outlined in the introduction never really materialized except for the prequel limitations which meant that a lot what happens, has to be in a certain way. Of interest to both younger and older readers, the Honorverse fan and the casual or new Weber reader, A Beautiful Friendship is an entertaining end to end romp.
July 30, 2021
2.5 rounded up. I was terribly disappointed with this book - my expectations were very high as the concept for the book was so cool. Actually the story was a good one, but I found the writing and delivery pretty boring. It was quite dated although it was only written 10 years ago.
October 18, 2011
Baen Books just posted an interview with David Weber on his views on YA storytelling and this book which is apparently the beginning of a new series in the Honorverse: This prodded me into picking up this book. I'd been ambivalent since I stopped reading the Honor Harrington series at the Crown of Slaves book since it was getting too grim and close to total war. I'm a fan of most of his other books, except for his most recent books which are too focused on war for my liking.
I just finished reading A Beautiful Friendship and I did enjoy reading it but it's based on several short stories by Weber and his friends, and does not include some information from those stories that I feel should have been included, particularly from the story The Stray. I suspect that someone who had not read some of the other Honorverse books might have been at sea without that backgrounding. This worries me because I think it could appeal to younger readers who want science fiction not fantasy to read.
It's sparked my desire to reread the Honorverse books on my bookcase so that's nice and I will want to read the sequel. All in all I do rate this four stars but with my above-mentioned quibbles...
I just finished reading A Beautiful Friendship and I did enjoy reading it but it's based on several short stories by Weber and his friends, and does not include some information from those stories that I feel should have been included, particularly from the story The Stray. I suspect that someone who had not read some of the other Honorverse books might have been at sea without that backgrounding. This worries me because I think it could appeal to younger readers who want science fiction not fantasy to read.
It's sparked my desire to reread the Honorverse books on my bookcase so that's nice and I will want to read the sequel. All in all I do rate this four stars but with my above-mentioned quibbles...
November 30, 2012
I really enjoyed this book.
The young female protagonist, Stephanie Harrington, was likeable and strong-minded. I loved how crafty she was with her parents with whom she still had a nice relationship with. I found it easy to relate to Stephanie who yearned to explore the fascinating new planet her family had just moved in to and how she didn't do very well with kids her own age because they were, according to her, all idiots.
The treecats were interesting creatures. I always love stories that explore alien societies and it seemed like a good choice that the treecat clan was introduced both through Climbs Quickly's eyes and by showing Stephanie try to understand them as an outsider who interacted with the species for the first time. Humans seemed interesting and strange through the treecats' eyes too.
The point of view keeps changing between characters and I never found that confusing or the story hard to follow. I'd say it was wonderful to first read a chapter from Stephanie's point of view and then see how Climbs Quickly reacted to and thought about it in a chapter from his point of view, too.
I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy YA books, scifi, strong female protagonists and stories about aliens and creatures.
The young female protagonist, Stephanie Harrington, was likeable and strong-minded. I loved how crafty she was with her parents with whom she still had a nice relationship with. I found it easy to relate to Stephanie who yearned to explore the fascinating new planet her family had just moved in to and how she didn't do very well with kids her own age because they were, according to her, all idiots.
The treecats were interesting creatures. I always love stories that explore alien societies and it seemed like a good choice that the treecat clan was introduced both through Climbs Quickly's eyes and by showing Stephanie try to understand them as an outsider who interacted with the species for the first time. Humans seemed interesting and strange through the treecats' eyes too.
The point of view keeps changing between characters and I never found that confusing or the story hard to follow. I'd say it was wonderful to first read a chapter from Stephanie's point of view and then see how Climbs Quickly reacted to and thought about it in a chapter from his point of view, too.
I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy YA books, scifi, strong female protagonists and stories about aliens and creatures.
February 14, 2018
2018 re-read. Exceptionally good.
July 5, 2023
Quick, fun read! Stephanie to the rescue! I really liked The People and the names they gave humans!
2023 reread - BOTM for space opera group! Good fun reading!
2023 reread - BOTM for space opera group! Good fun reading!
October 12, 2012
Originally reviewed on
Stephanie Harrington, the many-times over great-grandmother of Honor Harrington, is 12-terran-years-old and frustrated. Her family has freshly relocated from the major planet of Meyerdahl to the relatively uninhabited planet Sphinx in the Manticore system—well, uninhabited by humans, but home to a number of species of dangerous alien wildlife. Sphinx’s relatively small human population wouldn’t be a problem if Stephanie were allowed to explore the woods surrounding her new home or if her parents weren’t so busy working all the time, but alas, she’s placed under house arrest alone.
Left to her own devices, Stephanie decides to tackle a seemingly innocuous mystery—celery stalks are disappearing from greenhouses all over the planet—and takes it upon herself to catch the intrepid thieves. What she finds, however, will change everything: an intelligent, tool-wielding, feline species. More than that, this new ‘treecat� species is eloquently telepathic and can form bonds with humans—like the one that forms between Stephanie and her celery thief, a treecat whom she names Lionheart (but is known as Climbs Quickly to his kind).
Stephanie’s discovery, though marvelous, comes with dire consequences for the treecats. The hotly contested creatures are pursued by greedy politicians, unscrupulous scientists and humans who mistakenly think of the ‘cute� treecats as pets and not a sentient species. Climbs Quickly’s clan is also wary of the two-legs that have taken over their planet and the danger they could present for the treecat population overall. It is up to Stephanie, her family, Climbs Quickly and his allies within the treecat clan to define the bond between the two species protect the future for generations to come.
I have a major confession to make: I have never read an Honor Harrington book. Before A Beautiful Friendship, in fact, I’d never read a David Weber title. This is a horrid deficiency in my SFF reading, worthy of gasps of indignation and chucked rotted produce. BUT, fellow science fiction fans, let me assure you this is a deficiency that I intend to rectify immediately because Weber’s A Beautiful Friendship, the first in a new prequel series set in the Honorverse, is freakin� fantastic.
I can safely say that A Beautiful Friendship is an excellent crossover science-fiction yarn that offers something for everyone—adventure-seekers, fans of political and military science fiction, animal lovers, young readers yearning for a central pair of awesome heroes. Weber gives precocious heroine Stephanie and treecat hero Climbs Quickly strong voices that are as fantastically engaging as they are clearly distinct—Stephanie with her impetuousness and passion, Climbs Quickly with his more seasoned and wary instincts. I love that A Beautiful Friendship shows not just the human side of the ensuing tensions, but treecat politics and interactions as well. The different treecat clans, customs and mores are all fascinating; for all that Climbs Quickly and his ilk are six-legged telepaths, treecats are not that different from the two-legged humans who have taken to their home planet. As the stakes get higher over the course of this first novel—with a whole universe of books involving the descendents of Stephanie and Climbs Quickly spanning distant star systems to come—I cannot wait to see where Weber steers this pair of unlikely friends next.
Even though I’m just discovering the Honorverse, I can safely say that Stephanie and Climbs Quickly are wholly deserving ancestors of Honor and Nimitz. Bring it on, Fire Season.
In Book Smugglerish, a resounding 8 out of 10.
Stephanie watched the intruder vanish with a sense of wonder which only grew as the creature disappeared. It was small, she thought—no more than sixty or seventy centimeters long, though its tail would probably double its body length... The celery snatcher might look like a teeny-tiny hexapuma, yet that net was proof the survey crews had missed the most important single facet of Sphinx. But that was all right. In fact, that was just fine. Their omission had abruptly transformed this world from a place of exile to the most marvelous, exciting place Stephanie Harrington could possibly have been, for she’d done something tonight which had happened only eleven other times in the fifteen centuries of mankind’s diaspora to the stars.
She’d just made first contact with a tool-using, clearly sentient, alien race.
Stephanie Harrington, the many-times over great-grandmother of Honor Harrington, is 12-terran-years-old and frustrated. Her family has freshly relocated from the major planet of Meyerdahl to the relatively uninhabited planet Sphinx in the Manticore system—well, uninhabited by humans, but home to a number of species of dangerous alien wildlife. Sphinx’s relatively small human population wouldn’t be a problem if Stephanie were allowed to explore the woods surrounding her new home or if her parents weren’t so busy working all the time, but alas, she’s placed under house arrest alone.
Left to her own devices, Stephanie decides to tackle a seemingly innocuous mystery—celery stalks are disappearing from greenhouses all over the planet—and takes it upon herself to catch the intrepid thieves. What she finds, however, will change everything: an intelligent, tool-wielding, feline species. More than that, this new ‘treecat� species is eloquently telepathic and can form bonds with humans—like the one that forms between Stephanie and her celery thief, a treecat whom she names Lionheart (but is known as Climbs Quickly to his kind).
Stephanie’s discovery, though marvelous, comes with dire consequences for the treecats. The hotly contested creatures are pursued by greedy politicians, unscrupulous scientists and humans who mistakenly think of the ‘cute� treecats as pets and not a sentient species. Climbs Quickly’s clan is also wary of the two-legs that have taken over their planet and the danger they could present for the treecat population overall. It is up to Stephanie, her family, Climbs Quickly and his allies within the treecat clan to define the bond between the two species protect the future for generations to come.
I have a major confession to make: I have never read an Honor Harrington book. Before A Beautiful Friendship, in fact, I’d never read a David Weber title. This is a horrid deficiency in my SFF reading, worthy of gasps of indignation and chucked rotted produce. BUT, fellow science fiction fans, let me assure you this is a deficiency that I intend to rectify immediately because Weber’s A Beautiful Friendship, the first in a new prequel series set in the Honorverse, is freakin� fantastic.
I can safely say that A Beautiful Friendship is an excellent crossover science-fiction yarn that offers something for everyone—adventure-seekers, fans of political and military science fiction, animal lovers, young readers yearning for a central pair of awesome heroes. Weber gives precocious heroine Stephanie and treecat hero Climbs Quickly strong voices that are as fantastically engaging as they are clearly distinct—Stephanie with her impetuousness and passion, Climbs Quickly with his more seasoned and wary instincts. I love that A Beautiful Friendship shows not just the human side of the ensuing tensions, but treecat politics and interactions as well. The different treecat clans, customs and mores are all fascinating; for all that Climbs Quickly and his ilk are six-legged telepaths, treecats are not that different from the two-legged humans who have taken to their home planet. As the stakes get higher over the course of this first novel—with a whole universe of books involving the descendents of Stephanie and Climbs Quickly spanning distant star systems to come—I cannot wait to see where Weber steers this pair of unlikely friends next.
Even though I’m just discovering the Honorverse, I can safely say that Stephanie and Climbs Quickly are wholly deserving ancestors of Honor and Nimitz. Bring it on, Fire Season.
In Book Smugglerish, a resounding 8 out of 10.
December 26, 2012
I am pretty DO NOT WANT when it comes to science fiction, preferring to keep things contemporary, but I do like animal stories, so when a friend recommended this I agreed to give it a go. My biggest fear was that the animals being sentient would take away all the qualities that make animals so enjoyable to read about in the first place, but one chapter from Lionheart's POV and that was gone; I was in love with treecats. And so the babble mode begins:
For starters, Stephanie was an immediately likable character. Every other author should take notes on how to write an independent and adventurous female character I can love.
Thanks to the style of writing some parts from adult perspectives, I immediately became super attached to her parents as well. That was an excellent writing choice and part of what made the whole book so engaging; it was really refreshing to see perspectives outside the Harrington household and kept my interest piqued.
But most of all, I LOVED the near instant bond between grown-up treecat and young girl. To be fair, seriously injuring a character is the fastest way to make me love her. Injure some(thing) else trying to protect the first person, and I will bond with them for life. The only thing I'm mad about is the huge time jump from that point to 2 years later; I wanted to see more of their early days with each other!
The only time my interest would start to drift was when it came to politics or explanation of how this planet/nearby planets differed from our Earth or similar "how stuff works in the future" detail. Whenever this happens in sci-fi, my eyes start crossing and my brain tunes out the mumbo-jumbo. Yes, yes, I'm sure you've created a very complicated universe full of backstory and specialized creations but BLAH BLAH TALK AT ME ABOUT THE CHARACTERS AND EMOTIONS AGAIN. I will only grudgingly allow that I have never read any other books by David Weber, and since I haven't, I should probably appreciate getting a condensed summary of everything a newcomer might need to know.
Forty pages from the end, I was sucked up by the action and suspense, couldn't wait for more and I was praying it wouldn't end on a cliffhanger. Fortunately, it doesn't - the story here is nicely concluded, which is such a genuine rarity in sci-fi series I don't know what to do with myself - yet it still leaves me hungering for more adventures, as it feels like we've barely gotten started. It is rare for me to think that any book has enough material to keep going for even one more novel, but this one definitely has a whole series in it. Or at least a couple of sequels.
For starters, Stephanie was an immediately likable character. Every other author should take notes on how to write an independent and adventurous female character I can love.
Thanks to the style of writing some parts from adult perspectives, I immediately became super attached to her parents as well. That was an excellent writing choice and part of what made the whole book so engaging; it was really refreshing to see perspectives outside the Harrington household and kept my interest piqued.
But most of all, I LOVED the near instant bond between grown-up treecat and young girl. To be fair, seriously injuring a character is the fastest way to make me love her. Injure some(thing) else trying to protect the first person, and I will bond with them for life. The only thing I'm mad about is the huge time jump from that point to 2 years later; I wanted to see more of their early days with each other!
The only time my interest would start to drift was when it came to politics or explanation of how this planet/nearby planets differed from our Earth or similar "how stuff works in the future" detail. Whenever this happens in sci-fi, my eyes start crossing and my brain tunes out the mumbo-jumbo. Yes, yes, I'm sure you've created a very complicated universe full of backstory and specialized creations but BLAH BLAH TALK AT ME ABOUT THE CHARACTERS AND EMOTIONS AGAIN. I will only grudgingly allow that I have never read any other books by David Weber, and since I haven't, I should probably appreciate getting a condensed summary of everything a newcomer might need to know.
Forty pages from the end, I was sucked up by the action and suspense, couldn't wait for more and I was praying it wouldn't end on a cliffhanger. Fortunately, it doesn't - the story here is nicely concluded, which is such a genuine rarity in sci-fi series I don't know what to do with myself - yet it still leaves me hungering for more adventures, as it feels like we've barely gotten started. It is rare for me to think that any book has enough material to keep going for even one more novel, but this one definitely has a whole series in it. Or at least a couple of sequels.
July 6, 2020
My Thoughts:
I'm glad I stumbled upon this book because it was a good read! Compelling story telling quality, beautiful world building, and likeable characters. Even though the plot is pretty basic, it was a solid plot. Not one of those flaky plots that require the characters to be "too stupid to live" to create a dilemma. I hate those!! Anyway, several chapters into the book and I was buying the second and third books in this series already. I am only hoping that this "trilogy" would finish and not end up like Robert Jordan's never ending Wheel Of Time. **fingers crossed**
Another plus for this book is the narration. The words are clear. The voice quality is not grating to the ears. And Khristine Hvam's interpretation of the book is just right, in my way of thinking. Kudos!!
So why, 4.5 and not 5?... because this might be a good read, but not up to Ilona Andrews' standards. Or Carol Berg's Lighthouse dou's category. But still, that does not change the fact that this book is a very good read!
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I'm glad I stumbled upon this book because it was a good read! Compelling story telling quality, beautiful world building, and likeable characters. Even though the plot is pretty basic, it was a solid plot. Not one of those flaky plots that require the characters to be "too stupid to live" to create a dilemma. I hate those!! Anyway, several chapters into the book and I was buying the second and third books in this series already. I am only hoping that this "trilogy" would finish and not end up like Robert Jordan's never ending Wheel Of Time. **fingers crossed**
Another plus for this book is the narration. The words are clear. The voice quality is not grating to the ears. And Khristine Hvam's interpretation of the book is just right, in my way of thinking. Kudos!!
So why, 4.5 and not 5?... because this might be a good read, but not up to Ilona Andrews' standards. Or Carol Berg's Lighthouse dou's category. But still, that does not change the fact that this book is a very good read!
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
October 11, 2011
Stephanie Harrington is bored and annoyed. Those two qualities lead her into taking dangerous chances on the frontier planet Sphinx. When her hang glider crashes and she is attacked by a hexapuma, she is saved by Climbs Quickly, a sapient "treecat" who has bonded with her because of her strong "mind-glow". Both are severely injured but their bond enables them to survive and flourish. Xeno-biologists from all over converge on the planet to study the cross-species friendship. Of course, a villain arrives to exploit the treecats. He is foiled through the continued efforts of Stephanie, Climbs Quickly and their assorted friends and relatives. I enjoyed this story very much except for the measurements in metrics for which I have no reference points. I have always liked stories about intelligent aliens since reading Andre Norton's books in the 1950's. She pioneered the cute little animals who are probably smarter than we are theme. This book has been touted as the first in a series. I eagerly await the next one.
October 9, 2020
YA, science fiction. In the same universe as the Honor Harrington series, but takes place earlier. The main character is 12-14 yo female. It not perfect, but I enjoyed reading it. It reminded me somewhat of H Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy. Small cute fuzzy sapients and the humans can't hear them talking, and at least some humans are going to want to either exterminate them or trap them to sell for pets, etc.
February 16, 2017
An enjoyable story although it was a bit disjointed in places (I think because this novel was originally a couple of short stories).
The big plus for me is that although the story is a bit long winded in places it is nowhere near as bad as the author’s more recent books.
The big plus for me is that although the story is a bit long winded in places it is nowhere near as bad as the author’s more recent books.
April 10, 2012
Decent young adult science fiction fantasy book. Think of it as a light Speaker for the Dead. With cute cat creatures I'm sure most young girls will want.
September 23, 2013
Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl . . . until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!
Yet Stephanie is a young woman determined to make discoveries, and the biggest one of all awaits her: an intelligent alien species.
The forest-dwelling treecats are small, cute, smart, and have a pronounced taste for celery. And they are also very, very deadly when they or their friends are threatened . . . as Stephanie discovers when she comes face-to-face with Sphinx’s most lethal predator after a hang-gliding accident.
But her discoveries are only beginning, for the treecats are also telepathic and able to bond with certain humans, and Stephanie’s find --- and her first-of-its kind bond with the treecat Climbs Quickly --- land both of them in a fresh torrent of danger. Galactic-sized wealth is at stake, and Stephanie and the treecats are squarely in the path of highly-placed enemies determined to make sure the planet Sphinx remains entirely in human hands, even if that means the extermination of another thinking species.
Unfortunately for those enemies, the treecats have saved Stephanie Harrington’s life. She owes them . . . and Stephanie is a young woman who stands by her friends.
Which means things are about to get very interesting on Sphinx.
Another in the Weber 'Honorverse' book, this particular book branches off into its own series, with the third book, "Treecat Wars" being released October 1st, 2013. This is clearly a David Weber book, his style almost instantly recognizable. With his strong world building skills the book stops being words on a page as it pulls the reader into the story within the first few paragraphs.
The newly colonized world of Sphinx has humans of all types. With gravity denser than Earth’s Sphinx provides a more of a challenge for non-modified humans. This doesn’t mean that modified 'genies' don’t face their own challenges, mostly of prejudice and fear from the non-mods. Stephanie Harrington is a genie, and pretty much an off the charts genius, making her a double threat. And she has no tolerance for fools, making her pretty unpopular with the majority of kids within her age group. And that can be tough since Sphinx currently hosts a total population of about two million, which means very few kids. Especially when you consider how spread out the colonists are across the planet.
The family dynamic is so realistic that they could be anyone's family. All the classics are there too, from love, respect, fun, to Stephanie's mini-rebellions and occasional whining. Being as smart as she is, Stephanie has learned how to read her parents - and they in turn are pretty good at reading her. A prime example of a smart soon to be teenager, if she says she won't do something she is totally trustworthy, however if she can find a loophole to squeeze through she’ll take advantage of it.
With each season on Sphinx lasting fifteen months its no wonder everyone gets cabin fever during the winter. Stephanie more than most as she is an outdoor person by nature, with her career plans mapped out to some degree. Stephanie wants to be a Forest Ranger and explore this new planet. After all, back on Meyerdahl she had been about to enter the Junior Forest Service Program. But then her parents were requested to move to Sphinx - a desperately under populated planet urgently in need of people with their particular skill sets. Her father Richard is a xeno-veterinarian and her mother Marjorie a highly regarded plant geneticist, making them uniquely qualified for Sphinx, and highly desirable ‘commodities,� keeping them constantly busy.
In an effort to help assuage her daughter's cabin fever Stephanie's mom sics her on the mystery of what has been happening to the Terran celery that keeps disappearing in very small amounts from various freeholders� gardens. Thus begins Stephanie's - and the known universe's - relationship with treecats. The relationship that Stephanie develops with Climbs Quickly a.k.a Lionheart and the rest of his clan is beautiful. It is also a comment on how humans should treat indigenous lifeforms, in direct contrast to how we do treat indigenous populations; particularly those that are perceived to be in our way. And in this case, like most, land is the problematic issue. If word gets out that a sentient species has been and still is living on the planet prior to the arrival of the human settlers the value of the ‘optioned� land could plummet. And the investors are willing to do a lot to ensure that doesn’t happen. Weber shows how as a species we tend to repeat our mistakes time and again, and it appears that he is setting us up to witness another Trail of Tears all over again, if not a more upfront wholesale slaughter of the treecats just so humans can protect their investment.
The culture that Weber has created for the treecats is fantastic. With it he is shows all the similarities between the two species, as well as the differences. Based upon history we already know who will come out on the bottom in that ‘relationship.� Treecats seem to mostly lack the violent tendencies and general capacity for sleazy behavior that humans share. This may have to do with their method of communication, for it is really impossible to lie when others can read your emotions behind the statements. Or Weber may just be using it to point out shortcoming of humans, with deceit, greed, and dishonesty being prime examples.
Once again Weber balances action, world building, and character creation perfectly. The three pieces are woven into a pattern that looks familiar, but it still remains to be seen how things will ultimately play out. Especially with Stephanie, her parents, and their loyal friends ready to do pretty much anything they can to protect the treecats. This book is a fantastic read, and a great introduction to Weber’s work if you’ve not yet had the pleasure of entering any of his worlds. While the series is listed as both Science Fiction/Fantasy and Teens/YA I feel it should also be listed as Middle School Level. It is certainly no more frightening than any of the Harry Potter books - less frightening I'd say, with one or two exceptions. Plus it teaches some very important lessons, the kind that you are never too young to begin learning.
August 8, 2014
Bookworm Speaks!
A Beautiful Friendship
by David Weber
****
David Weber…one of the High Lords of Sci-fi and a King of Space Opera.
The Story: The main character is ancestor of the famed Honor Harrington, Stephanie Harrington who is a first generation colonist to the planet Sphinx of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, is not happy with her current situation being moved from another, more exciting planet. This all changes when she meets and bonds with a native life form called a Treecat which may be sentient. The ramifications of this discovery will change both the Harrington family and the planet Sphinx forever.
The Good:
What makes this book so good is how relatable it is despite taking place so far into the future. It belongs to a category that bookworm likes to call “Background Science Fiction� as it deals with the people in the background. Its not a story about a teenage prodigy overthrowing a corrupt regime or a team of fighters trying to save the galaxy, its about a teenage girl who has stumbled upon something and tries to make the best of it while trying to live her life. Its what made the television series Firefly so appealing, in that it has an everyman factor to it. Something the majority of an audience can find a connection to. This made much more impressive when considering David Weber’s background as military historian, which generally does not deal with the common folk all that much.
What also makes this book relatable is the characterization of Stephanie. Bookworm has said before that righting accurate teenagers can be very hard but the author pulls in off very well. Stephanie does come off as being smarter and more mature that her compatriots but it is stated in the text that Stephanie is smarter than the average person and the pioneer setting of the planet Sphinx lends to her maturity. In the beginning, she does act a lot like a teenager would in a similar situation.
The character of Lionheart the Treecat is also how this book shines. For those who are unfamiliar with the Honor Harrington Series, tree cats are the companions of characters from the series including the titular character. Treecats are sentient and very intelligent but we never actually hear them communicate until later in the series. In this book we are given a first hand account of their thought processes. This greatly establishes the tree cats and Lionheart as a main character rather than a side character as Nimitz of Honor Harrington often became. Lionheart thinks in terms that are familiar but a sufficiently different to drive home the “alieness� of his nature.
The Flaws: The main flaw is common with many of the Honor Harrington series: There is ton of background information in this story and the author loves to share it. Expositions or plot dumps are a mainstay of David Weber and some would say of a lot of science fiction in general. Infodumps are passages of text that explain certain details about what is going on in the story. Some readers find them interesting and add another layer of detail to the story, but some may find them distracting and take away from the actual story.
Also accompanied by the exposition are references to events that do not appear in the text. This in of itself is not unusual in that a lot of times in fiction there are references to unseen events i.e. The War, the Noodle Incident. But it seems very important the way the characters refer to these events, which lead to other short stories. It can make things pretty confusing.
The narrative itself can be a turn-off as well. In a manner of speaking, the text does not tell a consistent story. The entire plot takes place over several months and years with events happening in between the chapters unseen by the audience. On one hand, this is to the stories benefit as the expanded timeline allows a deeper exploration into the ramifications of the discovery of the Treecats but other readers may find it a bit too much to swallow at once.
Final Verdict:
A worthy addition to any Space Opera library even though it doesn’t take place in space!
Four out of Five Stars.
A Beautiful Friendship
by David Weber
****
David Weber…one of the High Lords of Sci-fi and a King of Space Opera.
The Story: The main character is ancestor of the famed Honor Harrington, Stephanie Harrington who is a first generation colonist to the planet Sphinx of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, is not happy with her current situation being moved from another, more exciting planet. This all changes when she meets and bonds with a native life form called a Treecat which may be sentient. The ramifications of this discovery will change both the Harrington family and the planet Sphinx forever.
The Good:
What makes this book so good is how relatable it is despite taking place so far into the future. It belongs to a category that bookworm likes to call “Background Science Fiction� as it deals with the people in the background. Its not a story about a teenage prodigy overthrowing a corrupt regime or a team of fighters trying to save the galaxy, its about a teenage girl who has stumbled upon something and tries to make the best of it while trying to live her life. Its what made the television series Firefly so appealing, in that it has an everyman factor to it. Something the majority of an audience can find a connection to. This made much more impressive when considering David Weber’s background as military historian, which generally does not deal with the common folk all that much.
What also makes this book relatable is the characterization of Stephanie. Bookworm has said before that righting accurate teenagers can be very hard but the author pulls in off very well. Stephanie does come off as being smarter and more mature that her compatriots but it is stated in the text that Stephanie is smarter than the average person and the pioneer setting of the planet Sphinx lends to her maturity. In the beginning, she does act a lot like a teenager would in a similar situation.
The character of Lionheart the Treecat is also how this book shines. For those who are unfamiliar with the Honor Harrington Series, tree cats are the companions of characters from the series including the titular character. Treecats are sentient and very intelligent but we never actually hear them communicate until later in the series. In this book we are given a first hand account of their thought processes. This greatly establishes the tree cats and Lionheart as a main character rather than a side character as Nimitz of Honor Harrington often became. Lionheart thinks in terms that are familiar but a sufficiently different to drive home the “alieness� of his nature.
The Flaws: The main flaw is common with many of the Honor Harrington series: There is ton of background information in this story and the author loves to share it. Expositions or plot dumps are a mainstay of David Weber and some would say of a lot of science fiction in general. Infodumps are passages of text that explain certain details about what is going on in the story. Some readers find them interesting and add another layer of detail to the story, but some may find them distracting and take away from the actual story.
Also accompanied by the exposition are references to events that do not appear in the text. This in of itself is not unusual in that a lot of times in fiction there are references to unseen events i.e. The War, the Noodle Incident. But it seems very important the way the characters refer to these events, which lead to other short stories. It can make things pretty confusing.
The narrative itself can be a turn-off as well. In a manner of speaking, the text does not tell a consistent story. The entire plot takes place over several months and years with events happening in between the chapters unseen by the audience. On one hand, this is to the stories benefit as the expanded timeline allows a deeper exploration into the ramifications of the discovery of the Treecats but other readers may find it a bit too much to swallow at once.
Final Verdict:
A worthy addition to any Space Opera library even though it doesn’t take place in space!
Four out of Five Stars.
June 18, 2012
Stephanie Harrington moved out to the frontier plant Sphinx. She isn’t happy to be there since her parents keep her home bound for the most part, and she doesn’t get along with most the kids her age. Her mother gives her a mystery to keep her occupied. Celery keeps getting stolen out of gardens. This leads Stephanie to discover a sentient race she calls treecats. When Climbs Quickly is accidentally spotted by Stephanie he feels her ‘mind glow.� He actually kind of falls into it bonding the two of them.
This is a YA science fiction that reminds me a lot of Lackey’s Valdemar stories, and Fuzzy Nation. It takes place in Weber’s Honorverse. The story is broken into two sections. The first, Unexpected Meetings tells the story of when Stephanie and Climbs Quickly meet, and how he comes to live with her. The second, With Friends like These is a story about someone coming to exploit and steal some of the treecats.
I really enjoyed the first story, which I have heard was published before, but I haven’t looked up where, or anything like that. The treecats are telepathic and empathic. Emotions lead the way to how Stephanie communicates with Climbs Quickly. The treecats call the humans two-legs, and stay hidden from sight, but the celery stalk the humans grow helps their mind glows (how telepathic they are). Climbs Quickly tries to steal some of the Harrington’s celery. Stephanie catches him. That is when they bond. He can feel wherever she is. Stephanie in turn can feel the same. She hang-glides out toward his location when bad weather knocks her towards the ground. Stephanie ends up hurt, trapped in the wilderness. The bond between two-leg and treecat is tested when a predator comes around.
The buildup in the first story is fantastic, but all of that disappears when the second half starts. Instead of continuing the story it starts as if it were its own self-contained story. It even takes place a year or two later. I think it hinders the book as a whole. The second part starts out very slow with a ton of backstory that is told to the reader. We are told a fantastic backstory for another character who bonded with a treecat. I am hoping this story has appeared somewhere before, because if not, it is just a load of telling that bogs the story down right in the middle of the book. The story itself does pick up in the last 100 pages when something actually starts to happen. There is also a fair about of politics which I didn’t mind, but I have seen it done well, and this doesn’t add to the story one way or another. It becomes repetitive, and hard to slog through.
While I am sure that many people who follow the Honorverse may really enjoy this, I don’t think it is going to pick up many Young Adult readers. I think compiling two stories into one book hurt the story far more than helped it. While I really enjoyed the first part of the novel, the second one took a long time to grow legs of its own, and by the time it did, I didn’t care for it as much. On the other hand Stephanie is a bright young girl that is fun to read, as is Climbs Quickly, who can sometimes turn into a third parent for her. I don’t know if I will be getting the next in the series, I may have to wait until some reviews for it pop out.
This is a YA science fiction that reminds me a lot of Lackey’s Valdemar stories, and Fuzzy Nation. It takes place in Weber’s Honorverse. The story is broken into two sections. The first, Unexpected Meetings tells the story of when Stephanie and Climbs Quickly meet, and how he comes to live with her. The second, With Friends like These is a story about someone coming to exploit and steal some of the treecats.
I really enjoyed the first story, which I have heard was published before, but I haven’t looked up where, or anything like that. The treecats are telepathic and empathic. Emotions lead the way to how Stephanie communicates with Climbs Quickly. The treecats call the humans two-legs, and stay hidden from sight, but the celery stalk the humans grow helps their mind glows (how telepathic they are). Climbs Quickly tries to steal some of the Harrington’s celery. Stephanie catches him. That is when they bond. He can feel wherever she is. Stephanie in turn can feel the same. She hang-glides out toward his location when bad weather knocks her towards the ground. Stephanie ends up hurt, trapped in the wilderness. The bond between two-leg and treecat is tested when a predator comes around.
The buildup in the first story is fantastic, but all of that disappears when the second half starts. Instead of continuing the story it starts as if it were its own self-contained story. It even takes place a year or two later. I think it hinders the book as a whole. The second part starts out very slow with a ton of backstory that is told to the reader. We are told a fantastic backstory for another character who bonded with a treecat. I am hoping this story has appeared somewhere before, because if not, it is just a load of telling that bogs the story down right in the middle of the book. The story itself does pick up in the last 100 pages when something actually starts to happen. There is also a fair about of politics which I didn’t mind, but I have seen it done well, and this doesn’t add to the story one way or another. It becomes repetitive, and hard to slog through.
While I am sure that many people who follow the Honorverse may really enjoy this, I don’t think it is going to pick up many Young Adult readers. I think compiling two stories into one book hurt the story far more than helped it. While I really enjoyed the first part of the novel, the second one took a long time to grow legs of its own, and by the time it did, I didn’t care for it as much. On the other hand Stephanie is a bright young girl that is fun to read, as is Climbs Quickly, who can sometimes turn into a third parent for her. I don’t know if I will be getting the next in the series, I may have to wait until some reviews for it pop out.
March 15, 2019
4.5/5
Just like the title says, this story was a BEAUTIFUL. FRIENDSHIP. If you want a story about a beautiful, unconditional,Ìýpowerful bond between a cat and a person, this story is for you ;)
I freaking LOVED the treecats!!! They were 10000% of why I loved this book so much. I freaking LOVED Climbs Quickly/Lionheart!! Oh my lawd I loved him. *cries* Loveloveloveloooove (how many times can I say love without sounding redundant? But I can't help it, IT'S TRUE OKAY.) I couldn't get enough of him. I wish I had a Climbs Quickly of my own T.T
I loved the shit out of the first half, it's been a long time since I felt such pure enjoyment while reading a book. I looked forward to Stephanie and Climbs Quickly meeting and was highly emotionally invested in their bond and their friendship. There were some scenes where it was just so endearing that my heart couldn't handle it, I actually shed a tear!! Plus there was a certain part where I was actually sobbing, guys. RIGHT IN THE FEELS.
I don't think I could rave enough over how much I absolutely loved the world in this book and the treecat clan. The idea of a sentient, telepathic,ÌýempathicÌýalien race of tree-dwelling cats just screams "Jessi book" haha! I knew I would love this one and I was most certainly not wrong. I can't wait to dive into the next installment and see more of my favorite little treecat!
The only real reservation I had about this book, and the ONLY reason it didn't get a 5 star review was that there were LONG stretches of straight internal dialogue or informational jargon - for paragraphs on end -that it got a bit boring in the last half. I just wanted some more treecat action! Some of itÌýwas building the world, yes, but there was a lot in there that was just plain unnecessary. I don't need two full pages detailing what they had for a meal, thank you.
Boring parts aside, this book was truly a hidden gem!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review .
October 28, 2020
This was a great science fiction story that should appeal to both boys and girls. Stephanie Harrington comes to the planet Sphinx with her parents. She is twelve. She is disappointed to leave her home planet of Meyerdahl but is eager to explore her new home. However, her parents aren't so eager for her to explore because Sphinx is largely a wilderness with at least two major predators - hexapumas and peak bears - who would find Stephanie very tasty.
Climbs Quickly is a member of an intelligent native species. They have been watching the newcomers to assess their level of threat but haven't exposed their existence. His people are divided between wanting to make contact and wanting to flee deeper into the unexplored interior to get away from the strange two-legs. They are a telepathic and empathic, tool-using species. They also have a weakness for celery.
When Stephanie's mother puts her on the case of the celery thefts she is hoping to distract her from her desire to explore the dangerous wilderness. But Stephanie unexpectedly discovers Climbs Quickly and somehow bonds with him.
Later he rescues Stephanie from attack by a hexapuma after her glider crashes into the forest and she is badly hurt in the crash. In fact, they save each other from the hexapuma as they must fight it off until his clan arrives. In the fight, Climbs Quickly is badly hurt. Stephanie manages to contact her father - a veterinarian - who manages to save Climbs Quickly.
The story is filled with wonder as these two intelligent species try to learn to communicate with each other. They also have to deal with a lot of politics. There are many who don't want to admit the existence of an intelligent species on the planet because it would ruin their plans to sell the land. There are others eager to capture these new creatures either to sell to zoos and private collectors or to dissect to see if they can learn the secrets of their telepathy. Stephanie and her parents need to gather allies to keep their new friends safe from the dangers.
This was an exciting story. Stephanie is a smart and strong character. It is also fascinating to see the human invaders through the treecat's perceptions. I think students who like adventure will like this story. They will also be led to Weber's Honor Harrington series which deals with one of Stephanie's descendants and also has treecats.
Climbs Quickly is a member of an intelligent native species. They have been watching the newcomers to assess their level of threat but haven't exposed their existence. His people are divided between wanting to make contact and wanting to flee deeper into the unexplored interior to get away from the strange two-legs. They are a telepathic and empathic, tool-using species. They also have a weakness for celery.
When Stephanie's mother puts her on the case of the celery thefts she is hoping to distract her from her desire to explore the dangerous wilderness. But Stephanie unexpectedly discovers Climbs Quickly and somehow bonds with him.
Later he rescues Stephanie from attack by a hexapuma after her glider crashes into the forest and she is badly hurt in the crash. In fact, they save each other from the hexapuma as they must fight it off until his clan arrives. In the fight, Climbs Quickly is badly hurt. Stephanie manages to contact her father - a veterinarian - who manages to save Climbs Quickly.
The story is filled with wonder as these two intelligent species try to learn to communicate with each other. They also have to deal with a lot of politics. There are many who don't want to admit the existence of an intelligent species on the planet because it would ruin their plans to sell the land. There are others eager to capture these new creatures either to sell to zoos and private collectors or to dissect to see if they can learn the secrets of their telepathy. Stephanie and her parents need to gather allies to keep their new friends safe from the dangers.
This was an exciting story. Stephanie is a smart and strong character. It is also fascinating to see the human invaders through the treecat's perceptions. I think students who like adventure will like this story. They will also be led to Weber's Honor Harrington series which deals with one of Stephanie's descendants and also has treecats.
July 20, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, about a teenage girl living on a recently colonized world, who develops a bond not-quite-accidentally with a "treecat"--the six-limbed arboreal, cat-like sentient natives of the planet which, up until then, had managed to keep themselves hidden from the alien bipeds (Humans).
I always enjoy stories about interspecies friendships, and this one is exceptionally beautiful, as aptly described by the title. Of course, the mental bonding is nothing new. Anne McCaffrey used it with her fire-lizards and dragons. I believe Alan Dean Foster used it in Midworld. But, it's something I enjoy reading about in science fiction and fantasy stories. I love how the Humans and the treecats each have their own names for the same things, which is certainly believable. And how the treecats' give their own names for certain Humans.
Unfortunately, the book is not perfect. While the story is sound, the writing could use a little help. The all-knowing narrator, for example, makes the reading a little jarring when one is reading from a certain character's POV and then you suddenly have this voice that jumps into explain something that the POV character wouldn't know, and the voice tells you the character doesn't know. This especially becomes bad in the climax. Also, the instant jumps from one character's POV to another character's without a break. I can handle a few of these jumps, but it happens a little too often in this book. Thought, this never happens between characters of different species, thank goodness. Finally, the adverbs. Yikes! This book would give even the moderately adverb-phobic writer a seizure! A lot of unnecessary adverbs and a lot of clunky-sounding passages.
But, I do love the story of friendship--a friendship that defies the language barrier. So, despite the errors, I count this book among my favorites, and eagerly await the next two.
I always enjoy stories about interspecies friendships, and this one is exceptionally beautiful, as aptly described by the title. Of course, the mental bonding is nothing new. Anne McCaffrey used it with her fire-lizards and dragons. I believe Alan Dean Foster used it in Midworld. But, it's something I enjoy reading about in science fiction and fantasy stories. I love how the Humans and the treecats each have their own names for the same things, which is certainly believable. And how the treecats' give their own names for certain Humans.
Unfortunately, the book is not perfect. While the story is sound, the writing could use a little help. The all-knowing narrator, for example, makes the reading a little jarring when one is reading from a certain character's POV and then you suddenly have this voice that jumps into explain something that the POV character wouldn't know, and the voice tells you the character doesn't know. This especially becomes bad in the climax. Also, the instant jumps from one character's POV to another character's without a break. I can handle a few of these jumps, but it happens a little too often in this book. Thought, this never happens between characters of different species, thank goodness. Finally, the adverbs. Yikes! This book would give even the moderately adverb-phobic writer a seizure! A lot of unnecessary adverbs and a lot of clunky-sounding passages.
But, I do love the story of friendship--a friendship that defies the language barrier. So, despite the errors, I count this book among my favorites, and eagerly await the next two.
September 12, 2012
I got a printed copy of this book originally to send to my grand daughter for her 11th birthday. I thought she might like it because of favorable reviews I had read, because it was a YA book, because of the "tree cat" characters (she likes the Owls of Ga'Hoole books) and because the main human character is 11 years old (although she ages to 14 during the story). However, knowing that my grand daughter's parents like to know what kinds of books she is reading, I decided to get an audiobook version to listen to myself first.
Although the story was easy enough to read for an 11-year-old who loves to read, it seemed to me it would possibly be a little boring or tedious for the pre-teen. Perhaps the science fiction quality would not necessarily appeal to young readers who are not experienced in reading sci-fi genre; this might be the "boring" factor. Besides, I thought the cover artwork was a little creepy. The tree cat, as depicted on the cover, was not at all a cuddly alien creature that the reading of the text might imply. I know that young people especially, but also adults, are often influenced in their mental visualization by the cover art.
For me, though, this story had a number of elements that reminded me of another book I read recently, "Fuzzy Nation", a re-writing by John Scalzi of H. Beam Piper's "Little Fuzzy." The similarities are in the idea of human exploitation of a non-Earth planet for its monetary/mineral values, the lack of recognition of the intelligence and sapience of some indigenous creatures, and the efforts of some to protect those creatures.
So, this book was OK, but not great. I won't be sending it to my grandchild unless she exhibits a future interest in reading sci-fi books. Grandchild #2 might like it when he gets older, because he loves stuff about space and the universe.
Although the story was easy enough to read for an 11-year-old who loves to read, it seemed to me it would possibly be a little boring or tedious for the pre-teen. Perhaps the science fiction quality would not necessarily appeal to young readers who are not experienced in reading sci-fi genre; this might be the "boring" factor. Besides, I thought the cover artwork was a little creepy. The tree cat, as depicted on the cover, was not at all a cuddly alien creature that the reading of the text might imply. I know that young people especially, but also adults, are often influenced in their mental visualization by the cover art.
For me, though, this story had a number of elements that reminded me of another book I read recently, "Fuzzy Nation", a re-writing by John Scalzi of H. Beam Piper's "Little Fuzzy." The similarities are in the idea of human exploitation of a non-Earth planet for its monetary/mineral values, the lack of recognition of the intelligence and sapience of some indigenous creatures, and the efforts of some to protect those creatures.
So, this book was OK, but not great. I won't be sending it to my grandchild unless she exhibits a future interest in reading sci-fi books. Grandchild #2 might like it when he gets older, because he loves stuff about space and the universe.
May 27, 2012
"A Beautiful Friendship" is a young adult science fiction adventure novel. I liked David Weber's early novels in his Honor Harrington series. His later novels were very slow paced with most of the action happening "off screen," so I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel. While I'm pleased that this novel didn't suffer from the same problems, the second half was a bit more slow-paced than I think most young adults would tolerate. The book also felt a little disjointed. Weber basically took previously published short stories from the "Worlds of Honor" collection and filled them out a little for this novel. So if you've read those stories, the most exciting events in this novel won't come as much of a surprise.
The characters were engaging and had realistic dilemmas to deal with--how to deal with prejudice, greed, etc. The world-building was excellent without slowing the pacing as much as in some of his adult novels. The suspense was created mainly by physical danger to Stephanie and Climbs Quickly, but also from some relationship tensions between Stephanie and those she felt might be a threat to the treecats.
Obviously, there were "evolved, alien species" in this story. There was no sex. There was a minor amount of explicit bad language. Overall, I'd say that this book would most appeal to fans of Honor Harrington, but they're also the ones who probably have already read the short stories that make up the backbone of this novel. However, I'm looking forward to future novels in this series.
The characters were engaging and had realistic dilemmas to deal with--how to deal with prejudice, greed, etc. The world-building was excellent without slowing the pacing as much as in some of his adult novels. The suspense was created mainly by physical danger to Stephanie and Climbs Quickly, but also from some relationship tensions between Stephanie and those she felt might be a threat to the treecats.
Obviously, there were "evolved, alien species" in this story. There was no sex. There was a minor amount of explicit bad language. Overall, I'd say that this book would most appeal to fans of Honor Harrington, but they're also the ones who probably have already read the short stories that make up the backbone of this novel. However, I'm looking forward to future novels in this series.
June 11, 2014
I am wavering on the stars. I liked it, but I think it feels cobbled together.
I listened to the audiobook. The reader had slight tendency to make the females whiny, but it wasn't so bad I had to stop listening.
It may be just my personal preference, rather than a flaw in the book, but I find it very jarring when third person omniscient narration shifts to new character not previously introduced. Because this book started as three stories, these major characters aren't introduced until the 1/3 and 2/3 points. Once I have become really tightly attuned to one POV, finding myself suddenly inside a stranger's head is a bit disconcerting. If the POV shifts throughout the story, it is less disorienting.
I did find the treecats' repeated statements of "oh, why can't we communicate with those two legs" a bit irritating. And Stephanie's "oh, I am just reading their body language". I mean, really. If the treecats are as complex thinkers are the narration implies, surely they have the ability to use objects as symbols? "This stone is me, this stone is another treecat. Look, other treecat is falling from a tree." This doesn't require that any actual words be exchanged.
Overall, great setting. Sphinx is an interesting world, well elaborated. Good offshoot from the Honor Harrington series, probably for a younger audience.
I listened to the audiobook. The reader had slight tendency to make the females whiny, but it wasn't so bad I had to stop listening.
It may be just my personal preference, rather than a flaw in the book, but I find it very jarring when third person omniscient narration shifts to new character not previously introduced. Because this book started as three stories, these major characters aren't introduced until the 1/3 and 2/3 points. Once I have become really tightly attuned to one POV, finding myself suddenly inside a stranger's head is a bit disconcerting. If the POV shifts throughout the story, it is less disorienting.
I did find the treecats' repeated statements of "oh, why can't we communicate with those two legs" a bit irritating. And Stephanie's "oh, I am just reading their body language". I mean, really. If the treecats are as complex thinkers are the narration implies, surely they have the ability to use objects as symbols? "This stone is me, this stone is another treecat. Look, other treecat is falling from a tree." This doesn't require that any actual words be exchanged.
Overall, great setting. Sphinx is an interesting world, well elaborated. Good offshoot from the Honor Harrington series, probably for a younger audience.
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