Honor’s Flight is the sequel to Star Nomad, first book in the Fallen Empire series.
Summary
In the last book, Alisa and her ragtag group of crew and passengers had managed to evade the space pirates and even defeat a cyborg. Still trying to get her daughter, she takes the Nomad and the people in it to Perun, a planet still held by Imperial forces as part of the treaty between the Empire and the Alliance. Things get complex from the start with everyone wanting to get the good doctor’s artifact (introduced in the previous book) that he guards as if it were his firstborn son. And they get even worse when she finds out that Starseers, a group with very powerful psychic abilities of all sorts, have taken her daughter. Soon, she’s faced with a series of awful choices, all of them involving her honor, all of them with terrible consequences, and all of them forcing her to re-examine where her loyalties lie. And at the heart of it is a revelation that will shake everything she thought she knew about her late husband and the life they lived together.
Review
Honor’s Flight is a fantastic continuation of Star Nomad. Alisa is still just as snarky, just as mouthy, and just as willing to put herself in harm’s way to protect those around her as she was in the first book. But this time, she’s arrived at her target and her daughter isn’t there. Her devastation is real, palpable, and frenetic. And when she learns what her husband kept from her all those years, her confusion and betrayal are very well done.
I also really loved watching her growing confusion as her feelings increase for the cyborg, Leonidas. Especially when she finds out the depth of their difference of opinion when it comes to the war between the Alliance and the Empire.
Alesandro was a real surprise. Ruthless when it comes to protecting his artifact and bringing back the Empire, his actions serve to drive Alisa in ways she wouldn’t normally act, forcing her to take a good look at herself and who she really is. Combined with her growing respect and love for Leonidas, this causes more than one conflict, including one that made me furious with Alisa. However, she pulled out of it all right.
There are so many revelations in this book that I feel like I’m going to put in spoilers if I say much more. So, I’ll end by saying that if you’re looking for a great adventure with a wonderful examination of loyalty, honor, family, trust, and love, with some romance and a clash between two powerful galactic forces, this book delivers. Highly recommended!
Z. A. Waterstone 