For eight bloody years, Commodore Honor Harrington has been in the forefront of the battle between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the vastly more powerful People's Republic of Haven. Now Honor has fallen, captured by the Peep Navy, turned over to the forces of State Security, and executed, her death shown on the interstellar network's nightly news. The Manticoran Alliance is determined to avenge her. Yet their military is over-extended and the People's Republic is poised to take the offensive once more. And neither protagonist is aware of events on a distant, isolated, inescapable prison planet called Hell. Honor Harrington is far from dead. She's going home, and taking her people with her . . . even if she has to conquer Hell itself to do it.