• Shadow of Freedom

  • By: David Weber
  • Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
  • Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,123 ratings)

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Shadow of Freedom  By  cover art

Shadow of Freedom

By: David Weber
Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
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Publisher's summary

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and international best-selling phenomenon David Weber delivers the next book in the multiple New York Times best-selling Honor Harrington series.

There are two sides to any quarrel... unless there are more. Queen Elizabeth of Manticore's first cousin and Honor Harrington's best friend Michelle Henke has just handed the "invincible" Solarian League Navy the most humiliating, one-sided defeat in its entire almost thousand-year history in defense of the people of the Star Empire's Talbott Quadrant. But the League is the most powerful star nation in the history of humanity. Its navy is going to be back – and this time with thousands of superdreadnoughts.

Yet she also knows scores of other star systems—some independent, some controlled by puppet regimes, and some simply conquered outright by the Solarian Office of Frontier Security—lie in the League's grip along its frontier with the Talbott Quadrant. As combat spreads from the initial confrontation, the entire frontier has begun to seethe with unrest, and Michelle sympathizes with the oppressed populations wanting only to be free of their hated masters.

That puts her in something of a quandary when a messenger from Mobius arrives, because someone's obviously gotten a wrong number. According to him, the Mobians’ uprising has been carefully planned to coordinate with a powerful outside ally: the Star Empire of Manticore. Only Manticore—and Mike Henke—have never even heard of the Mobius Liberation Front.

It's a set-up... and Michelle knows who's behind it. The shadowy Mesan Alignment has launched a bold move to destroy Manticore's reputation as the champion of freedom. And when the RMN doesn't arrive, when the MLF is brutally and bloodily crushed, no independent star system will ever trust Manticore again.

Mike Henke knows she has no orders from her government to assist any rebellions or liberation movements, that she has only so many ships, which can be in only so many places at a time... and that she can't possibly justify diverting any of her limited, outnumbered strength to missions of liberation the Star Empire never signed on for. She knows that... and she doesn't care.

No one is going to send thousands of patriots to their deaths, trusting in Manticoran help that will never come.

Not on Mike Henke's watch.

©2013 Words of Weber, Inc. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Shadow of Freedom

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Too Much in common with other books but still fun

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I love David Weber and the Honor Harrington franchise. It seemed to me these books Storm from the Shadows, A Rising Thunder, Shadow of Freedom could have been combined into one. In several cases complete conversations were duplicated from other books. I realize it was during the same time line and there was necessary over lap. Still one or even two longer books would have been better than three with so much duplication. I started to find it hard to pay attention at times as things were rehashed. Of course I did them almost one after another, had I read them as they were released my opinion might be different.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Gold Peak

Would you consider the audio edition of Shadow of Freedom to be better than the print version?

I have them together. I love the audio.. Always my fav.. Put it with e-book and I have the best of both worlds. The book helps lock in the names for my little brain.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadow of Freedom?

The end. She puts all the bad guys in a line and gets it right. Than she goes for it. Great Series.

What about Allyson Johnson’s performance did you like?

She catcher the humor and each personality.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

God bless, Beth. I love you.

Any additional comments?

I have enjoyed " The Honor Harrington " series very much. I also love the " Shadow Of Saganami Companion "series and " The Torch of Freedom". All part of the one. I just wish David Weber could write faster. I hop I live long enough for the end. I find I am ready for it.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I love the Honourverse.... but

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Very Grudgingly yes i would.
Having read 90% of what david has written, having reread the first dozen books of this series so many times i've had to rebuy the paper backs after I've blown the spines.

This is plain filler. About 1/4 of it is pertinent to the actual story arc readers actually care about. WAAAYYY to much introspection is done by characters, having the same thing repeated over and over and over again by 3-4 different characters is just abusive. Especially as most of those characters are one offs we're not going to hear from again. It's like the old "Soap Opera" Mechanism, introduce a character so they can introduce a story point... then they go upstairs to the bathroom and never come down again, EVER! ;)

I think since Jim Baen died the quality of David's books, and a few other Baen books I have read, have become "wordy". Either there's a paid by the word mentality, or the editors aren't doing their jobs in reigning in David's tendency to be verbose in "details". I can't fathom which it is.

Would you recommend Shadow of Freedom to your friends? Why or why not?

very grudgingly

What three words best describe Allyson Johnson’s voice?

good voice crap accents - sorry

Did Shadow of Freedom inspire you to do anything?

pray for new editors, and for David to get his Mojo back.

Any additional comments?

buy an Oxford English Dictionary and learn how to pronounce the more esoteric names of ships that David uses. in-deee-phat-eh-gah-bull... not in-dee-fatigue-able. please for pitys sake, it's frustrating as hell to hear such a good voice foul up the words. And make up your mind what accent you're going to freaking use and stick to it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

You're Killing Me

I have read some of the other reviews and clearly there are those who have not been reading all of the past installments of the Honorverse. I can't wait for these two plot lines to ultimately come together. Tell David to get with it and get the next book out sooner than later.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not Honor Harrington, But Still Worth It.

Some show that David Weber's latest in the Honorverse is "Honor Harrington Book 14", others just say "Honorverse Novel" (#26?), others say Michelle Henke Series Book #3, Saganami Island Book #3, or Talbott Quadrant Book #3. Why not just add Wages of Sin Book #3?

Much takes place during the same time period as the last Honor Harrington book "Rising Thunder" (In fact, while reading at the beginning I kept thinking "have I read this already?") and it is a sequel to "Storm of Shadows" .

Whatever you want to decide, Book 3 or Book 26, like or dislike, it does give more detail and background that I have to assume is preparing for the future of the Talbott Quadrant and the War with the Solarian League and of course Mesa (Mesan Alignment). It seems breaking the story in different series provides clearer story lines for each.

I loved the book and it made me want to go back and read the other 2 Saganami/Tallbot books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another great HH book!

As always, Weber plots a great story with well-developed characters. I re-read and re-listen to the entire series, including the spin-offs, before each new book's publication. Allyson Johnson's voices are perfect for this series, too. I highly recommend Weber's "Safehold" series as well. Keep 'em coming, David Weber!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Tremendous! All I want is more Honorverse!

More Mike Henke, more Cachat, more Zilwiki, more Honor,Nimitz, etc. Meanwhile, looking at other Honorverse books.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

miss listed as a Honor Harrington novel

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Depends, if they had read all the other Saganomi and Harrington series books then maybe but only if you're dying to know what all actually happened in the talbot quadrant, otherwise no. The book does not advance the main story line at all.

Any additional comments?

If you started off with On Basilisk Station and fell in love with Honor Harrington, then just skip this book entirely. This book was long winded and overly complex, with too many new characters, situations and places to keep track of. After the 1st quarter of the book I stopped even trying to remember who was who or keep straight what place had who in it doing whatever they were doing. It was listed as Honor Harrington book 14 so I bought it but that is not the case. It takes place in the Talbot quadrant and Honor isn't in the book. I wasted a perfectly good credit on a story that I had zero interest in and wasn't really a part of the main story.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Garbage, returned for credit

Would you try another book from David Weber and/or Allyson Johnson?

The worst book in this series, terrible narration

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not this series

Would you be willing to try another one of Allyson Johnson’s performances?

No, she is terrible

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom

Any additional comments?

A great series has been ruined

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

more back story information

l am enjoying getting more background on what was happening in the other area. finding out what was going on with Mike and her fleet, when Honor was dealing with the battles in their own region. Just don't like the narrator.

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