CHANGER OF WORLDS: Worlds of Honor #3

Naval SF is the common theme in this solid collection consisting of a short novel, Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington, and three stories, all set in the same universe that Weber (Ashes of Victory) created for his popular series heroine, Honor Harrington. In the novel, Honor is now a midshipman in the Royal Manticoran navy (which sails space, not the sea) on her "snotty" cruise. This trip will determine whether Honor will keep her commission or flunk out of the naval academy as a complete failure. Along for the ride is her constant companion, Nimitz, a tree cat who has bonded with Honor and now is able to share emotions and some empathic ability. Unfortunately, someone who has a grudge against Honor has manipulated the crew roster to include Elvis Santino as her training officer. Besides having the power to ax Honor's career without moving a muscle, Mr. Santino has a real problem with people who are smarter than he is—and that definitely includes Ms. Harrington. The outlook for Honor is bleak, to say the least. Like the novel, the three stand-alone stories, which are only lighted connected to Honor, have the flavor of C.S. Forester's Hornblower books. Readers familiar with David Feintuch's Hope series will also see similarities. Weber gives a real feel for the military chain of command—both the good and bad parts. While some fans may be disappointed because the novel and stories don't interlock, the individual works have more than enough suspenseful action to engross the reader. (Mar.)