Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Baen Books 1999-09-01 (1999), 596 pages
Description
Captain Cordelia Naismith of the Betan Expeditionary Force falls deeply in love with her enemy Lord Aral Vorkosigan and becomes an outcast on her own planet when she decides to marry Aral and live with him in the patriarchal society of Barrayar.
User reviews
LibraryThing member fridaybaldwin
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (wish I could rate it higher)
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Romantic SF
My usual type of read? (yes/no) Yes, very much so!
Plot type: epic romance, galactic space war, incredible world-building
#
I just read this again for something like the 7th time since I first
The amount of content relevant to the rest of the series is probably higher than in any other book of the series, too. Most people don't count the short stories--e.g., The Borders of Infinity, Labyrinth or The Mountains Of Mourning - and almost no one ever counts Winterfair Gifts as though these character-centric stories aren't actually "critical" to the series. Let me tell you, they are--all of them. Miles suffers psychic scars in The Borders of Infinity that he's still suffering from 10 years later in Komarr.
Likewise, the events of Cordelia's Honor are so inherent to the creation and growth of the characters and the galactic history of the universe Lois created in The Vorkosigan Saga, I can't imagine how anyone can get the same experience out of the other 18 books in the series without reading this one first. From the Escobaran War to the Vordarian Pretendership and the introduction of uterine replicators to the planet Barrayar which happens in between those two events, nearly every event in this book is a critical piece of galactic history in later books. I suppose that's just Lois's masterful ability to connect her series books while keeping them functionally standalone as well. I don't know anyone who's done as good a job at series writing as Lois McMaster Bujold (and I'm a big romance novel reader so I read a lot of "series" books--none are done quite as masterfully as this!)
The one caution, of course, is just that: Cordelia's Honor is an epic love story, a romance AND a space opera, while most of the other books in the series are either a space-based adventure OR an SF romance.
The space opera part of Cordelia's Honor is so huge, so complex, that it's hard to talk about in a review--and impossible to do so without spoilering, which I don't want to do. Suffice to say, there are NO events in this book that don't later impact someone somewhere in this universe Lois has built.
On a more basic scale, it's important to see where Miles comes from and to see just how much of EACH of his parents he really is. For instance, in later books, I never remember seeing Aral Vorkosigan behave the way he does in Cordelia's Honor. Instead, once Miles is up and about (i.e., no longer needs to be carried around in a bucket LOL) Aral acts like a father, anyone's father, he is Miles Vorkosigan's father (at long last, years before Miles wists for such a thing).
Aral actually fades into the periphery of Miles's brilliance. I know Lois was trying to show Miles's "hopeless" battle of living in the shadow of the Great Man as though no one could live up to the image of Admiral Count Aral Vorkosigan, but in Cordelia's Honor, he's still "just" Lord Aral Vorkosigan, with his own shadow-of-the-great-man complex to deal with, having General Count Piotr Vorkosigan still barking out orders for everyone's lives (or deaths). Not to mention having to live down the unjustly awarded title of Butcher of Komarr.
It's amazing to read Aral as a 44-year old man behaving just exactly like Miles does later (as a 20 something). It's not so much a sense of Miles imitating his father, as it is watching the "original" and thinking "Oh, that's where Miles gets it from." Aral will have settled down to being a home body and hard-core politician by the time Miles could imitate him and at that point, Miles is far more interested in imitating his Aral's father-the-Count, General Count Piotr Vorkosigan.
So in Cordelia's Honor, we see Aral as he was, before politics tempered him, before war destroyed his soul, before personal attacks hardened his heart to all but his family. The events of this book explain the why's and wherefore's of Aral's growth into the father Miles knows later--and in a wonderful way. Plus, who doesn't love Cordelia's outrageous and accidental sense of humor, making fun of Barrayar not to mention Barrayarans? :-) In Cordelia's Honor, we read the root of her views, while she's still oh-so-Betan as to be literally dumbfounded by the Barrayaran ways.
The love affair between Barrayaran Aral and Betan Cordelia is not really an "opposites attract" story but the culture clashes are startlingly funny the way Lois presents them. The "in jokes" that run through the series (Rule Number 7, Sir or Drou and Kou on the settee in the Library) are nearly as significant to the other books in the series as are the mortal wounds suffered by all.
From Emperor Gregor's life-changing before he's old enough to tie his own shoes to Miles's life being threatened by his own grandfather and saved (repeatedly) by the ever-loyal Bothari before Miles has even managed to get out of the aforementioned "bucket," Cordelia's Honor is the foundation of facts, fictions and fabulous people upon whom the richness and splendor of this series is based. The Bothari character, by the way, takes on a significance and depth in Cordelia's Honor that is referenced but never quite understood in later books. After having read this one, not a single later book of the series will fail to remind you Bothari's existence--without his presence in the books at all after The Warrior's Apprentice.
As Lois Herself has said, Aral Vorkosigan is the center of the series's universe. Cordelia is the center of Aral.
Highly recommend this book as one of the most important of the series as well as one of the most densely-packed stories ever written (in this series or any other). It's not just packed with a lot of story, it's neatly, tightly, and well packed with a solid solid, solid enough to form the basis for this incredible series. This is my #1 favorite of the 19 stories of The Vorkosigan Saga, followed by Memory and Mirror Dance, tied for #2.
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Romantic SF
My usual type of read? (yes/no) Yes, very much so!
Plot type: epic romance, galactic space war, incredible world-building
#
I just read this again for something like the 7th time since I first
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"discovered" the series in December of 2005, so I guess I've read it, on average, once a year for 6 years running. I remain astounded each time I read this book at just how much story Lois has managed to jam-pack into this duology. I tend to the think of the duology as "one, long book" (which Lois admits it actually was when she first started out, before she chopped off the first dribs and drabs of Barrayar in order to sell Shards of Honour on its own).The amount of content relevant to the rest of the series is probably higher than in any other book of the series, too. Most people don't count the short stories--e.g., The Borders of Infinity, Labyrinth or The Mountains Of Mourning - and almost no one ever counts Winterfair Gifts as though these character-centric stories aren't actually "critical" to the series. Let me tell you, they are--all of them. Miles suffers psychic scars in The Borders of Infinity that he's still suffering from 10 years later in Komarr.
Likewise, the events of Cordelia's Honor are so inherent to the creation and growth of the characters and the galactic history of the universe Lois created in The Vorkosigan Saga, I can't imagine how anyone can get the same experience out of the other 18 books in the series without reading this one first. From the Escobaran War to the Vordarian Pretendership and the introduction of uterine replicators to the planet Barrayar which happens in between those two events, nearly every event in this book is a critical piece of galactic history in later books. I suppose that's just Lois's masterful ability to connect her series books while keeping them functionally standalone as well. I don't know anyone who's done as good a job at series writing as Lois McMaster Bujold (and I'm a big romance novel reader so I read a lot of "series" books--none are done quite as masterfully as this!)
The one caution, of course, is just that: Cordelia's Honor is an epic love story, a romance AND a space opera, while most of the other books in the series are either a space-based adventure OR an SF romance.
The space opera part of Cordelia's Honor is so huge, so complex, that it's hard to talk about in a review--and impossible to do so without spoilering, which I don't want to do. Suffice to say, there are NO events in this book that don't later impact someone somewhere in this universe Lois has built.
On a more basic scale, it's important to see where Miles comes from and to see just how much of EACH of his parents he really is. For instance, in later books, I never remember seeing Aral Vorkosigan behave the way he does in Cordelia's Honor. Instead, once Miles is up and about (i.e., no longer needs to be carried around in a bucket LOL) Aral acts like a father, anyone's father, he is Miles Vorkosigan's father (at long last, years before Miles wists for such a thing).
Aral actually fades into the periphery of Miles's brilliance. I know Lois was trying to show Miles's "hopeless" battle of living in the shadow of the Great Man as though no one could live up to the image of Admiral Count Aral Vorkosigan, but in Cordelia's Honor, he's still "just" Lord Aral Vorkosigan, with his own shadow-of-the-great-man complex to deal with, having General Count Piotr Vorkosigan still barking out orders for everyone's lives (or deaths). Not to mention having to live down the unjustly awarded title of Butcher of Komarr.
It's amazing to read Aral as a 44-year old man behaving just exactly like Miles does later (as a 20 something). It's not so much a sense of Miles imitating his father, as it is watching the "original" and thinking "Oh, that's where Miles gets it from." Aral will have settled down to being a home body and hard-core politician by the time Miles could imitate him and at that point, Miles is far more interested in imitating his Aral's father-the-Count, General Count Piotr Vorkosigan.
So in Cordelia's Honor, we see Aral as he was, before politics tempered him, before war destroyed his soul, before personal attacks hardened his heart to all but his family. The events of this book explain the why's and wherefore's of Aral's growth into the father Miles knows later--and in a wonderful way. Plus, who doesn't love Cordelia's outrageous and accidental sense of humor, making fun of Barrayar not to mention Barrayarans? :-) In Cordelia's Honor, we read the root of her views, while she's still oh-so-Betan as to be literally dumbfounded by the Barrayaran ways.
The love affair between Barrayaran Aral and Betan Cordelia is not really an "opposites attract" story but the culture clashes are startlingly funny the way Lois presents them. The "in jokes" that run through the series (Rule Number 7, Sir or Drou and Kou on the settee in the Library) are nearly as significant to the other books in the series as are the mortal wounds suffered by all.
From Emperor Gregor's life-changing before he's old enough to tie his own shoes to Miles's life being threatened by his own grandfather and saved (repeatedly) by the ever-loyal Bothari before Miles has even managed to get out of the aforementioned "bucket," Cordelia's Honor is the foundation of facts, fictions and fabulous people upon whom the richness and splendor of this series is based. The Bothari character, by the way, takes on a significance and depth in Cordelia's Honor that is referenced but never quite understood in later books. After having read this one, not a single later book of the series will fail to remind you Bothari's existence--without his presence in the books at all after The Warrior's Apprentice.
As Lois Herself has said, Aral Vorkosigan is the center of the series's universe. Cordelia is the center of Aral.
Highly recommend this book as one of the most important of the series as well as one of the most densely-packed stories ever written (in this series or any other). It's not just packed with a lot of story, it's neatly, tightly, and well packed with a solid solid, solid enough to form the basis for this incredible series. This is my #1 favorite of the 19 stories of The Vorkosigan Saga, followed by Memory and Mirror Dance, tied for #2.
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LibraryThing member humouress
Shards of Honour : This seems to be the first novel written in the Miles Vorkosigan saga (in a slightly darker tone), and is the story of how his parents, on opposite sides in an interplanetary war, first met. Although it would seem that, especially given Aral Vorkosigan's terrifying reputation,
Cordelia Naismith is a strong, and honourable, heroine. Even though she works for Survey, rather than a military unit, she can think on her feet in combat situations. As a slightly older (33) heroine, she is well matched with a slightly older (44) hero - sometimes cast as an anti-hero. Vorkosigan is also honourable, although conflicted by duty.
This story is full of action, space battles, interplanetary politics, intraplanetary politics, honour, humanity - not forgetting romance. Very nicely written. I wouldn't mind seeing more Cordelia / Aral Vorkosigan stories.
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they should be enemies, they find that they are attracted to each other's sense of honour, and that they do not always share the same point of view as their respective home planets' governments.Cordelia Naismith is a strong, and honourable, heroine. Even though she works for Survey, rather than a military unit, she can think on her feet in combat situations. As a slightly older (33) heroine, she is well matched with a slightly older (44) hero - sometimes cast as an anti-hero. Vorkosigan is also honourable, although conflicted by duty.
This story is full of action, space battles, interplanetary politics, intraplanetary politics, honour, humanity - not forgetting romance. Very nicely written. I wouldn't mind seeing more Cordelia / Aral Vorkosigan stories.
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LibraryThing member hailelib
While I read a couple of the Vorkosigan books some time ago, I never got around to this one. I'm glad the group read pushed me to pick this up. Cordelia's Honor sucked me right in and I just kept on reading when the first book reached an end since all I had to do to start Barrayar was turn the
Recommended.
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page. I also liked the author's afterword about how the books came into existence.Recommended.
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LibraryThing member surreality
Omnibus edition, contains Shards of Honor and Barrayar
Plot: Very straightforward for Shards, with a predictable outcome and not too many twists and side plots. Things get a lot more complex in Barrayar, with political maneuvering, society subplots and a lot more tension.
Characters:
Style: Shards shows that it's a first try, with occasional bumps along the way and the prose not nearly as dense and atmospheric as in Barrayar. Situational humour, some very good one-liners and an almost permanent air of irony in the writing. Fun to read.
Plus: Good plots, good prose. Breaking the occasional taboo.
Minus: Shards suffers from first-novel-naiveté. Plot progress is quite predictable at times.
Summary: Two good stories, told very well, though there is a marked contrast between the two since they were published with quite a few years and other books inbetween them.
Plot: Very straightforward for Shards, with a predictable outcome and not too many twists and side plots. Things get a lot more complex in Barrayar, with political maneuvering, society subplots and a lot more tension.
Characters:
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Characterization is a little clumsy in Shards, with quite a few stereotypes sneaking in. It's much smoother in Barrayar, which also has a far larger cast and more complex characters. Interactions are well sketched and nicely done, motivations are in most cases logical. Style: Shards shows that it's a first try, with occasional bumps along the way and the prose not nearly as dense and atmospheric as in Barrayar. Situational humour, some very good one-liners and an almost permanent air of irony in the writing. Fun to read.
Plus: Good plots, good prose. Breaking the occasional taboo.
Minus: Shards suffers from first-novel-naiveté. Plot progress is quite predictable at times.
Summary: Two good stories, told very well, though there is a marked contrast between the two since they were published with quite a few years and other books inbetween them.
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LibraryThing member timelord117
My first venture into the writings of Bujold since she was recommended to me earlier this year. The book was "OK", and yet I have to say I LOVED it.
The character's were fun, even if some where a little flat in the beginning, but towards part two the secondary characters get a pit more fleshed out.
There were some spots of humor that caught me completely off guard, esp. when Cordelia "mimed" a conversation her husband and Koudelka were having across the room... *giggles*
Not as well written as I was expecting from Bujold's reputation, That being said, I went out and bought the next book (Young Miles) and will continue to read and enjoy the Vorkosigan Saga.
The character's were fun, even if some where a little flat in the beginning, but towards part two the secondary characters get a pit more fleshed out.
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I have to say the plot was very diverting and I enjoyed getting lost in Barrayar. It moved along at a brisk pace, and I never felt it drag, or the need to skip pages.There were some spots of humor that caught me completely off guard, esp. when Cordelia "mimed" a conversation her husband and Koudelka were having across the room... *giggles*
Not as well written as I was expecting from Bujold's reputation, That being said, I went out and bought the next book (Young Miles) and will continue to read and enjoy the Vorkosigan Saga.
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LibraryThing member sunny_jim9
This is the first novel I've ever read from Lois McMaster Bujold. I decided to go at the highly recommended Vorkosigan saga in chronological order beginning with Miles' parents. Wow! Cordelia is one great heroine. I'm looking forward to getting to know Miles, but I'm almost sad at this point in
All the characters and the world really stayed with me. Cordelia is a tough and courageous leader without being "male". I laughed out loud at a couple of scenes... that moment when Cordelia does the voice-over for Aral and Kou while they're conferencing to let Drou enter an all male practice martial arts tournament... or when Cordelia acts as a go between for Kou and Drou... hysterical!
The scene towards the end of "Barrayar" when Cordelia barges into the war council room and says she "went shopping"... and Cordelia standing toe to toe with Count Piotr over Miles... all of it made for an incredible ending. Really satisfying! I'm sold on this series and this writer!
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time that the rest of the series isn't about Cordelia. All the characters and the world really stayed with me. Cordelia is a tough and courageous leader without being "male". I laughed out loud at a couple of scenes... that moment when Cordelia does the voice-over for Aral and Kou while they're conferencing to let Drou enter an all male practice martial arts tournament... or when Cordelia acts as a go between for Kou and Drou... hysterical!
The scene towards the end of "Barrayar" when Cordelia barges into the war council room and says she "went shopping"... and Cordelia standing toe to toe with Count Piotr over Miles... all of it made for an incredible ending. Really satisfying! I'm sold on this series and this writer!
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LibraryThing member therhoda
This Omni-bus is the first two Barrayaran books in one. You meet the family so to speak. Got to love those crazy Barrayarans.
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Shards of Honor (Started slow and ended slow. Great action and surprises. Smart/believable answers to delemas. Good character dynamic between the lovers.)
-
Barrayar (Too mushy and boring. Action was good, characters are good if a bit stereotypical.)
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Barrayar (Too mushy and boring. Action was good, characters are good if a bit stereotypical.)
LibraryThing member amf0001
One of my favorites of the entire series, brings Cordelia, Mile's mother, to life.
LibraryThing member allanr
OK, this was my introduction to Vorkosigan saga and those 'crazy Barrayarans', but not my introduction to Bujold. Regardless of what other sources might tell you, "Barrayar" is the real beginning of the story of Bujold's most unique of heros 'Miles Naismith Vorkosigan'. (if some other bibliography
If you did not know this is an omnibus edition of two previously released books, "Shards of Honor and "Barrayar"
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says the first Miles book is "Warrior's Apprentice", they're wrong) An argument can be made that "Shards of Honor" is the first book, but only in the sense that SoH is a prequel to "Barrayar".If you did not know this is an omnibus edition of two previously released books, "Shards of Honor and "Barrayar"
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LibraryThing member patitaylor
A gift from a wonderful friend, I am enjoying this light, serious, funny series immensely.
LibraryThing member myfanwy
The book is really composed of two books: Shards of Honor and Barrayar which detail the relationship of Cordelia and Vorkosigan as they go from enemies to lovers to parents. As I settled in to read the first book (Shards) I found it generally entertaining, but fairly predictable. For the first 50
Then I got to the second book. It follows the same characters though on a different planet and in a different phase of their lives. I didn't realize it at first, but it also had a very different tone from the first book. It was ... tighter. The plot moved apace, the political intrigue was sufficiently complicated, and characters were faced with decisions where there was no good choice. Even better, a plan of action went neither perfectly nor perfectly wrong. Things went in their favor or worked against them in a suitably random fashion. I also really enjoyed watching Cordelia. She was a female character who retained her femininity while also functioning as a capable leader. Cordelia was averse to combat, but stubborn in her opinions and fought for what she believed was right. And of particular interest since so many friends of mine are pregnant at the moment, she was pregnant for most of the book. I found it fascinating! (Should I have been more fascinated with the politics?) It was all in all a very enjoyable read, fast-paced, complex, and unexpected at turns.
Then I read the afterword. I hadn't realized that the books in this series were written entirely out of order. Shards was in fact Bujold's first and unsuccessful novel, complete with predictable tropes. Barrayar was her third award winning novel (Hugo), and it shows. Reading the two together is very instructive in showing how an author can still be good even if the first attempt at writing doesn't have all of the elements there yet. Which means that any of us who have considered being writers shouldn't feel bad that our first attempts are less than glorious.
Bujold also wrote a note about writing Barrayar and how it's focus was exploring the facets of parenthood. I loved her description of parenthood:
"All great human deeds both consume and transform there doers. Consider an athlete, or a scientist, or an artist, or an independent business creator. In service of their goals they lay down time and energy and many other choices and pleasures; in return they become most truly themselves. A false destiny may be spotted by the fact that it consumes without transforming, without giving back the enlarged self. Becoming a parent is one of these basic human transformational deeds. By this act, we change our fundamental relationship with the universe -- if nothing else, we lose our place as the pinnacle and end-point of evolution and become a mere link.... It's not by chance that Barrayar was dedicated to my children, who were my teachers in learning about this part of becoming human."
I couldn't have said it better myself. I feel like Bujold is not just a good author, but now I want to have her over for dinner! After reading these, I feel I ought to read more of the series, though perhaps after the 15 books on my "short" list!
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pages there are only two main characters who are obviously going to get together in the end. The planet gives them random tests (just like the fireswamp) which bring them closer together. Later in the book there is a rape scene (why is there a rape scene in so much female sci-fi/fantasy?) and the Captain (Cordelia) escapes with her spunk and spitfire intact. It all seemed very much par for the course. There were a few moments, but nothing to make it stand out from any other fantasy.Then I got to the second book. It follows the same characters though on a different planet and in a different phase of their lives. I didn't realize it at first, but it also had a very different tone from the first book. It was ... tighter. The plot moved apace, the political intrigue was sufficiently complicated, and characters were faced with decisions where there was no good choice. Even better, a plan of action went neither perfectly nor perfectly wrong. Things went in their favor or worked against them in a suitably random fashion. I also really enjoyed watching Cordelia. She was a female character who retained her femininity while also functioning as a capable leader. Cordelia was averse to combat, but stubborn in her opinions and fought for what she believed was right. And of particular interest since so many friends of mine are pregnant at the moment, she was pregnant for most of the book. I found it fascinating! (Should I have been more fascinated with the politics?) It was all in all a very enjoyable read, fast-paced, complex, and unexpected at turns.
Then I read the afterword. I hadn't realized that the books in this series were written entirely out of order. Shards was in fact Bujold's first and unsuccessful novel, complete with predictable tropes. Barrayar was her third award winning novel (Hugo), and it shows. Reading the two together is very instructive in showing how an author can still be good even if the first attempt at writing doesn't have all of the elements there yet. Which means that any of us who have considered being writers shouldn't feel bad that our first attempts are less than glorious.
Bujold also wrote a note about writing Barrayar and how it's focus was exploring the facets of parenthood. I loved her description of parenthood:
"All great human deeds both consume and transform there doers. Consider an athlete, or a scientist, or an artist, or an independent business creator. In service of their goals they lay down time and energy and many other choices and pleasures; in return they become most truly themselves. A false destiny may be spotted by the fact that it consumes without transforming, without giving back the enlarged self. Becoming a parent is one of these basic human transformational deeds. By this act, we change our fundamental relationship with the universe -- if nothing else, we lose our place as the pinnacle and end-point of evolution and become a mere link.... It's not by chance that Barrayar was dedicated to my children, who were my teachers in learning about this part of becoming human."
I couldn't have said it better myself. I feel like Bujold is not just a good author, but now I want to have her over for dinner! After reading these, I feel I ought to read more of the series, though perhaps after the 15 books on my "short" list!
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LibraryThing member Coelacanth
If I had picked up this book in a bookstore, rather than coming to it via a friend’s recommendation, I’d never have bought it. It has the ugliest, most ridiculous cover ever seen. Though filled with wild, operatic action, this is a character driven story of the best sort. I will definitely be
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buying more of her books (despite the covers). Show Less
LibraryThing member rpuchalsky
Bujold's first try at the Vorkosigan universe, a set of two connected novels. Unfortunately, there are repeating elements that make me wish that they'd been unconnected, or, better, that an editor had gotten Bujold to toss most of the first half. But most of the elements that make this series so
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popular are there, minus the masochistic fantasy of Miles Vorkosigan's breakability. Show Less
LibraryThing member SKR
The beginning of the Vorkosigan Saga. Disturbing, romantic, intelligent, and imaginative, Bujold shows us even here how well she understands the inconsistencies and passions of humanity in all their brave foolishness.
LibraryThing member lalawe
This is actually a omnibus of two books - Shards of Honor and Barrayar. Shards was the author's first book, and it shows sometimes in the predictable plot and rote characters. However, this doesn't stop it from being a highly enjoyable read. Barrayar revolves more around political intrigue and
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moral issues, though it doesn't take away from the core issue of the relationship between Aral Vorkosigan and Cordelia Naismith. In an afterword, the author states that she intended the book to revolve around the theme of parenthood. How far should you go to protect your child? Is it right to bring a child into a world full of death? Show Less
LibraryThing member WinterFox
Having let this book languish on my shelf for years and years, I sorta regret not reading it sooner; mostly, I did it because a friend lent me the second omnibus, and I felt I should read the one I owned first. I do think it helps to start at the chronological beginning in many cases, if you
The plot arc goes over the two novels in this edition, anyway, so reading them together in the omnibus worked quite well; I find space opera usually works best read in rapid succession, anyway. The first book, Shards of Honor, follows a Betan survey captain over the course of a couple of missions that don't go quite the way they're supposed to, and her meetings with an enemy captain/admiral that have a lot of impact on her life. The second, Barrayar, has much more in the way of political machinations and such on that planet, with rich themes of becoming a parent and views of romance underneath.
The two books weren't written back to back, and it shows; the writing isn't as crisp in Shards of Honor, nor is the plotting quite as tight, but the characters are already very strong, and it was still a quite enjoyable read. Barrayar was a delightful fast read, though; the characters there really drew me in, and the story was very interesting. I like machinations quite a lot, really.
Anyway, this is worth reading, I'd say, if you enjoy the genre at all. It's the start of a fairly long series, but these are self-contained enough, you could stop here if you wanted and not feel left out.
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can.The plot arc goes over the two novels in this edition, anyway, so reading them together in the omnibus worked quite well; I find space opera usually works best read in rapid succession, anyway. The first book, Shards of Honor, follows a Betan survey captain over the course of a couple of missions that don't go quite the way they're supposed to, and her meetings with an enemy captain/admiral that have a lot of impact on her life. The second, Barrayar, has much more in the way of political machinations and such on that planet, with rich themes of becoming a parent and views of romance underneath.
The two books weren't written back to back, and it shows; the writing isn't as crisp in Shards of Honor, nor is the plotting quite as tight, but the characters are already very strong, and it was still a quite enjoyable read. Barrayar was a delightful fast read, though; the characters there really drew me in, and the story was very interesting. I like machinations quite a lot, really.
Anyway, this is worth reading, I'd say, if you enjoy the genre at all. It's the start of a fairly long series, but these are self-contained enough, you could stop here if you wanted and not feel left out.
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LibraryThing member DNWilliams
'Cordelia's Honor' reveals where Miles' got his strength. Along with his manic personality. Cordelia and Aral's romance is anything but typical, as to be expected. And Cordelia's introduction to Barrayar is about what you'd expect, what with the coup and civil war and beheading. Bujold's ability to
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weave events and characters together is amazing. She never fails to deliver. Show Less
LibraryThing member Darla
***** Shards of Honor.
Commander Cordelia Naismith of the Beta Colony is on a scientific expedition on an alien planet when she and an ensign return to find their camp destroyed and the crew that didn't escape to their ship killed by the Barrayarans. They're attacked, Cordelia falls into a ravine,
Turns out, he's not the bloodthirsty villain he's been portrayed as, and he's in as much danger from at least some of his own people as she is.
They get to know each other--and fall in love--as they work together to bury the dead, care for the ensign (who'd been hit with a nerve disruptor), survive in unfamiliar terrain, and eventually recover his command.
I didn't entirely believe the romance, but had to take it as given. I did, however, believe the respect and admiration between them, and that was enough.
Shards of Honor was appropriately titled, as so much of the conflict for both of them has to do with honor. They're a wonderful couple of star-crossed lovers, both strong and honorable, and in impossible situations.
There are intriguing characters and hair-raising adventures, as well as painful and emotional decisions. I was very pleased with my introduction to All Things Bujold.
***** Barrayar.
This book comes next chronologically, but was published several years after Shards of Honor, and after other books in the same series.
Cordelia and Aral are now married, living on Barrayar, and expecting their first child. All is well, despite some culture shock on Cordelia's part, until the emperor dies and Aral is named Regent for the child emperor, and they're plunged into political intrigue and danger.
An attempt to poison them affects the growth of their unborn child and leaves Aral sterile. Cordelia opts to use the Betan technology left behind--a uterine replicator--to continue the pregnancy outside her body, and hires a medical scientist to perform experimental treatments on the baby, now named Miles, to save him.
The rest of the story is one page-turning adventure after another, as a pretender attempts to sieze the throne, kill Aral, and kill or kidnap the young emperor. But when Miles in his uterine replicator is taken and held hostage, Cordelia can't afford to play politics any longer.
All the great characters from Shards of Honor are back, and there's a lovely secondary romance--not a simple or easy one, of course. There's more worldbuilding, in the form of Cordelia's complaints and observations about the differences between Barrayar and the Beta Colony. Mostly, though, it's just en engrossing story full of adventure and characters I cared about.
Commander Cordelia Naismith of the Beta Colony is on a scientific expedition on an alien planet when she and an ensign return to find their camp destroyed and the crew that didn't escape to their ship killed by the Barrayarans. They're attacked, Cordelia falls into a ravine,
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and wakes up to find herself a prisoner of "the Butcher of Komarr," Captain Aral Vorkosigan.Turns out, he's not the bloodthirsty villain he's been portrayed as, and he's in as much danger from at least some of his own people as she is.
They get to know each other--and fall in love--as they work together to bury the dead, care for the ensign (who'd been hit with a nerve disruptor), survive in unfamiliar terrain, and eventually recover his command.
I didn't entirely believe the romance, but had to take it as given. I did, however, believe the respect and admiration between them, and that was enough.
Shards of Honor was appropriately titled, as so much of the conflict for both of them has to do with honor. They're a wonderful couple of star-crossed lovers, both strong and honorable, and in impossible situations.
There are intriguing characters and hair-raising adventures, as well as painful and emotional decisions. I was very pleased with my introduction to All Things Bujold.
***** Barrayar.
This book comes next chronologically, but was published several years after Shards of Honor, and after other books in the same series.
Cordelia and Aral are now married, living on Barrayar, and expecting their first child. All is well, despite some culture shock on Cordelia's part, until the emperor dies and Aral is named Regent for the child emperor, and they're plunged into political intrigue and danger.
An attempt to poison them affects the growth of their unborn child and leaves Aral sterile. Cordelia opts to use the Betan technology left behind--a uterine replicator--to continue the pregnancy outside her body, and hires a medical scientist to perform experimental treatments on the baby, now named Miles, to save him.
The rest of the story is one page-turning adventure after another, as a pretender attempts to sieze the throne, kill Aral, and kill or kidnap the young emperor. But when Miles in his uterine replicator is taken and held hostage, Cordelia can't afford to play politics any longer.
All the great characters from Shards of Honor are back, and there's a lovely secondary romance--not a simple or easy one, of course. There's more worldbuilding, in the form of Cordelia's complaints and observations about the differences between Barrayar and the Beta Colony. Mostly, though, it's just en engrossing story full of adventure and characters I cared about.
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LibraryThing member deltatiger
Bujold's Vorkosigan series is quite possibly the best space opera in print. This is the earliest book in the series' chronology, and I think it's one of the best. I loved the characters, they felt "real" in the sense that their reactions seemed genuine and reasonable under the circumstances they
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were in, not forced simply to make the plot move. And the plot does move! I thoroughly loved this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member argusscoopski
I love this series. It has such great flow.
LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
This is an omnibus of two books - the first, 'Cordelia's Honor' is an excellent blend of romance and science fiction which touch on some interesting feminist themes during Cordelia's personal journey from a member of a progressive, equitable society to a more regressive, heirarchical and
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militaristic one. The second book is slightly weaker. It starts off on a strong note, and it widens the cast and sets up the world of Barrayar which will be familiar to people who have read other works in the Vorkosigan universe, but is slightly uneven in pace and tone in its later part. Its still eminently readable though. Overall this is a book worth pursuing, even if, like me, you have not really delved into the miles corkosigan universe. Show Less
LibraryThing member dkmoore
Don't judge a book by its cover. Bujold's books w/ Baen all have these bizarre romance novel looking covers that don't really represent the books' content very well. I really liked this book, even though I didn't like the follow-on books about the protagonist's son all that much. The character
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development is very good, the plot moves along with decent suspense and some nice twists that aren't easily predictable, and does a good job exploring the tensions between two very dissimilar cultures via the main characters. Like much good sci-fi (IMHO), this is character-driven not technology-driven. Show Less
LibraryThing member michaelcruse
Contains the previously published Shards of Honor and Barrayar.
LibraryThing member leahsimone
My first Bujold and it won't be my last. I liked her very accessible style of writing which is refreshing for science fiction. I've read some SF that is very dense with little character development. I enjoyed Barrayar at bit more than Shards of Honor but most likely because by the time I got to
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Barrayar I was so emotionally involved. Bujold is all about the characters and I am hard pressed to pick a favorite. I think it's going to be Miles even though he was only present for one chapter. Can't wait to read of his adventures. Show Less
Subjects
Original language
English
Original publication date
1991 (Barrayar)
1986 (Shards of Honour)
1996-11 (omnibus)
Physical description
596 p.; 6.88 inches
ISBN
0671578286 / 9780671578282