Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Omnibus, #1)

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Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication order) omnibus #1)

by Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 5,788 ratings · 325 reviews

In her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada. Discovering deception within deception, treachery within treachery, she was forced into a separate peace with her chief opponent, Lord Aral Vorkosigan - he who was called "The Butcher of Komarr" - and would consequently become a...more

Paperback, 600 pages

Published September 7th 1999 by Baen (first published 1986)

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Sep 27, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jonathan by: Marjorie Baldwin

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-challenge, science-fiction

4.5 Stars

Cordelia's Honor is a fascinating novel, or rather a fascinating omnibus, having been split down the middle. Well not the precise middle but that middle we mortals all mean when we say middle. The middle that's a little to the left. However either way this novel was split into two novels, a sort of conjunctive novel, and as such I will discuss my reaction to the two different stories.

Shards of Honor
4 Stars

This novel flings its readers directly into the action, causing the two romant...more
4.5 Stars

Cordelia's Honor is a fascinating novel, or rather a fascinating omnibus, having been split down the middle. Well not the precise middle but that middle we mortals all mean when we say middle. The middle that's a little to the left. However either way this novel was split into two novels, a sort of conjunctive novel, and as such I will discuss my reaction to the two different stories.

Shards of Honor
4 Stars

This novel flings its readers directly into the action, causing the two romantic interests of this space opera to be flung together quickly and decisively. Aral Vorkosigan and Cordelia Naismith are two intriguing characters, however their romance proved to be unbelievable (a little fast paced and rushed). It was a bunch of teasing, flirting and then suddenly they were in love? I didn't really buy it that much. In fact the major problem that prevented me liking this book as much as I could was the pacing. At times it was too quick, at times it was too slow. I did like the plot - which involved a war between two cultures in space and, of course the romantic elements, and some close calls where some very gruesome things almost happened to Cordelia. But it was all okay because this is a fictional novel and nothing bad happens to characters in fiction right (unless you're G.R.R Martin or Cormac McCarthy - nothing but bad seems to happen to you then).

Barrayar
5 Stars

It was easy to see why Barrayar is the winner of a Hugo for best sci-fi of the year. As science fiction goes this was magnificent. It had the science fictional gadgets, it had the characters, it had the setting, it had conflict and it had political intrigue. The speed of the plot was far more even and the character interactions and romantic angles more levelled and believable. As for the plot, well this novel focused on the culture shock experienced by Cordelia in a different world as well as a power vacuum created by the loss of a ruler. As such a kind of 'game of thrones' begins (without so many character deaths as G.R.R Martin) and Cordelia proves why she is one of the strong women of fiction. The relationships between characters in this novel were perhaps the highlight for me. I loved Kou and Drou, I found Aral and Cordelia to be one of the best relationships in fiction, not just science fiction, and I loved the complexity of Bothari as a character. He's the insane character kept in check by meds (and the strength of Cordelia's personality).

Ultimately this is an omnibus that must be read by all sci-fi fans. I particularly encourage the first novel for space opera and romance lovers and I particularly encourage the second for anyone who just loves a good sci-fi read. It certainly is one of the best character driven sci-fi novels I've read and I will read more of the Vorkosigan Saga.(less)

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Sep 05, 2009 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Beyond Reality Book Club Series Miles Vorkosigan

Shelves: fiction, hugo-winner, science-fiction, space-opera, award-winners, read-in-my-40s

Since this is an omnibus edition of two separate books, I reviewed each book on it's own merits.

My review of Shards of Honour contains spoilers so you are warned before you click on this link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

My review of the Hugo winning Barrayar avoids spoilers so no warning necessary before clicking on this link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Taken together, Cordelia's Honor encompasses the entire story arc of Miles' parents from their unlikely introduction...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy-sci-fi

Edit: April, 2010. I went back and wrote reviews of the two individual books because I just can't do them justice in this combined review. So. Here is Shards of Honor and Barrayar

----------------Original Review--------------------------

Cordelia's Honor is actually two books: Shards of Honor and Barrayar. The first is the story of two career officers, on different sides of a possible war and from very different cultures, who are thrown together in the wilderness of a new world and must make their...more Edit: April, 2010. I went back and wrote reviews of the two individual books because I just can't do them justice in this combined review. So. Here is Shards of Honor and Barrayar

----------------Original Review--------------------------

Cordelia's Honor is actually two books: Shards of Honor and Barrayar. The first is the story of two career officers, on different sides of a possible war and from very different cultures, who are thrown together in the wilderness of a new world and must make their way together back to civilization. It's a science fiction book. There are battles and various planets and space ships, but I love this book because it's a story about two honorable adults who fall in love. They aren't children, Aral and Cordelia, - no Romeo and Juliet here - and their relationship is built around their respective responsibilities. The question Bujold asks and answers is how should adults live honorable lives and find the way to do the right thing? And if they do, will they also be able to find personal happiness. I've read the book a dozen times and I am always inspired by these characters and their struggle.

The second book, Barrayar takes the anti-war theme begun in the first book home, into a civil war, with the causalities all around our main characters. I love this story because it's about a woman (the wonderful Cordelia) who is able to examine the militaristic society she's in from an outsider's perspective. It gives the story a critical perspective about war and the not-so-justifiable justifications that people come up with for their violent actions.

The other thing I like about Bujold books is that they're funny. They make me laugh, out loud, even on airplanes and other embarrassing locations. I just enjoy reading them. Cordelia's Honor is a great example of a book that I enjoy reading but also tackles some difficult subjects, without overwhelming me with them. And every time I read the book, it makes me want to read the entire series again, as I am enjoying myself so much.
(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, need-to-get

5 stars for the omnibus edition, because these books really belong together, and because of her insightful afterword. I can tell this will be a volume I re-read multiple times.

4 stars for Shards of Honor
Cordelia is a wonderful character, and watching her relationship with Aral develop is a real pleasure. The contrast between Barryan and Betan world-views is a major element, with the awful price of honor the major theme. My only complaints are that in telling this story, Bujold is a little too e...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Jared Millet rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: space-opera, science-fiction, romance, inner-worlds-book-club

Shards of Honor

The first of the Vorkosigan books surprised me by being more of a romance novel than I was expecting, but I don't begrudge it. It was actually refreshing to read a romance plot that didn't fall into the overused "Pride and Prejudice" formula. Bujold doesn't waste any time trying to make us think her heroine despises the hero, and he doesn't waste the whole novel bending heaven and earth to impress her. They both have their own lives and their own problems - namely that they're mi...more Shards of Honor

The first of the Vorkosigan books surprised me by being more of a romance novel than I was expecting, but I don't begrudge it. It was actually refreshing to read a romance plot that didn't fall into the overused "Pride and Prejudice" formula. Bujold doesn't waste any time trying to make us think her heroine despises the hero, and he doesn't waste the whole novel bending heaven and earth to impress her. They both have their own lives and their own problems - namely that they're military officers from enemy planets. And yet the novel doesn't fall into the Romeo & Juliet formula either. Instead, you get two characters who are attracted to each other, know it, and want to be together, but duty to their respective cultures keep them apart until both of the homeworlds they cherish turn against them in one way or another.

It probably sounds like I'm spoiling the book, but I'm really not. The problem was that almost nothing in the novel came as a surprise aside from a few shocking coincidences and points of political intrigue. But the characters were so engaging (and Bujold so successful in making me care about them) that a predictable storyline can be forgiven.

Barrayar

Now this one I'm on the fence about, which is odd since it won the Hugo. (I just checked the slate for that year and WTF - it beat Stations of the Tide? Uh, no - I don't think so.)

As a novel it works better than Shards: the plot is more coherent, the characters are better drawn, their motivations are more consistent. I think my problem was that it wasn't science-fictional enough. Shards had space battles, a futuristic society, and settings on two non-earthlike planets. The world of Barrayar, on the other hand, is just 18th century Prussia with ray guns and flying cars. Furthermore, the political intrigue this time around just wasn't intriguing. In Shards, the Barrayaran emperor's final plot was wonderfully Byzantine and Machiavellian. Barrayar, on the other hand, has nothing but a run-of-the-mill attempted coup with antagonists who are neither complex nor particularly competent.

Two things save it: 1) Cordelia's main concern isn't for winning the war, but for protecting her unborn son. To her, the war is only secondary. 2) Piotr Vorkosigan, Cordelia's father-in-law, the only character with shades of gray. Everyone in the book is clearly on one side of the conflict or the other, but Piotr - while loyal to the "good guys" - is also a danger to Cordelia.

Anyhow, the books are both well-written and I'm told that if I enjoyed these even a little I should love the Miles Vorkosigan books that come after.(less)

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Feb 19, 2009 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Science Fiction Fans, Women

Recommended to Stephanie by: Lisa, Idahospud

I like science fiction. I read a lot of it. Cordelia’s Honor, on the surface, seems a standard science fiction novel with just a dash of romance. It has the customary interstellar war, political intrigue, and, of course, high-tech gadgets that we’ve come to expect from our sci-fi. What makes this book special is its title character, Cordelia Naismith.

Cordelia is not the clichéd woman you see in most science fiction. She doesn’t just cling to the arm of her leading man (which would be easy to do,...more

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Sep 20, 2009 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

Hardly great literature, but a fun read.

Almost not science fiction. Bujold sets most of his tale(s) on the planet whose "backward" culture and technology reads a lot like contemporary earth, maybe even overlaid with nineteenth century attitudes.

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Sep 05, 2009 Elijah Kinch Spector rated it 4 of 5 stars

Every now and then a certain thing that I haven't yet read, watched, or otherwise experienced at all, will suddenly get itself lodged in my brain by way of a hook that I cannot even identify, and stay there, forcing me to get around to it very soon.

I can't say what it was, beyond the normal "I haven't read any Bujold" thing, that suddenly drew me to the Vorkosigan series, nor what it was that makes me especially interested in the two books combined here, when a lot of people say they're inferior...more Every now and then a certain thing that I haven't yet read, watched, or otherwise experienced at all, will suddenly get itself lodged in my brain by way of a hook that I cannot even identify, and stay there, forcing me to get around to it very soon.

I can't say what it was, beyond the normal "I haven't read any Bujold" thing, that suddenly drew me to the Vorkosigan series, nor what it was that makes me especially interested in the two books combined here, when a lot of people say they're inferior to most of the series, but I enjoyed them very much, so that's a good sign.

Shards of Honor and Barrayar, the two books that make up Cordelia's Honor, were pretty obviously written at different times, and this is evident in both good and bad ways for each book. Shards of honor is faster paced, giving us basically three separate action plots, all in the space of about 250 pages, that its character-driven story can weave its way through. While Barrayar is, overall, better-written and more polished (within the first few pages I suddenly had characters I already knew described physically for what felt like the first time), but paced so that I spent a good chunk of the book wondering when something was finally going to happen--even though I couldn't put it down.

In an afterword, Bujold explains that it was originally meant to be one book anyway, for the most part, and that makes a bit more sense. It means there really were a fuck-ton of plots crammed into one book, but along with a few long sections made up purely of character growth. When one comes right down to it, that's really what these books are (or this book is), character driven science fiction, with all the trappings and great ideas of the genre, but with personalities at the center. Maybe this is why some reviews I've seen complain that this "isn't real sci-fi" or "it's really a romance novel" or what have you.

And there are some great characters here--people say that these books are weaker than most of the series, and I'm excited to see how this is the case, considering that I can't imagine myself caring about Miles the way I've cared about his parents and their friends. We'll see, I guess. It was great to find something so compulsively readable--I hadn't torn through a book like that in quite awhile.(less)

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Jul 26, 2008 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2008, science-fiction, re-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I first read this book about 8 years ago, and it remains one of my all time favorites.

Cordelia's Honor is actually a compilation of two of Lois McMaster Bujold's earlier books, Shards of Honor and Barrayar. It is part of the Vorkosigan saga, but I had not read any of the others when I first read this one. The book is told from the point of view of Cordelia Naismith, Captain of a Betan Survey ship. While on survey, her crew is attacked by a band of Barrayans, led by none other than Aral Vorkosiga...more I first read this book about 8 years ago, and it remains one of my all time favorites.

Cordelia's Honor is actually a compilation of two of Lois McMaster Bujold's earlier books, Shards of Honor and Barrayar. It is part of the Vorkosigan saga, but I had not read any of the others when I first read this one. The book is told from the point of view of Cordelia Naismith, Captain of a Betan Survey ship. While on survey, her crew is attacked by a band of Barrayans, led by none other than Aral Vorkosigan, aka The Butcher of Komarr.

In truth, Vorkosigan, is actually the victim of a conspiracy to kill him and frame him for the attack on the Betans. As Cordelia travels with him to safety, she gets to know and admire him. Both of them are military people for whom responsibility means everything. Unfortunately, they’re on opposite sides of a brewing war.

Romance and science fiction rarely blend smoothly. You either end up with the same old romance story just set in outer space, or a science fiction story with really bad romantic scenes. Cordelia’s Honor is the exception; it is the perfect harmony of both.

What makes this book so successful is the characterization. I read a lot, but Bujold has written some of the most engaging, realistic characters I’ve read in a long time. Especially Cordelia. I loved Cordelia, I want to be Cordelia. She’s witty, strong, smart and, well for lack of a better term, a kick butt heroine. She is not content to huddle quietly and wait for her man to rescue her from the bad guys. Nope; she gets up and blasts them with her stunner without so much as a by your leave. This is not to say she’s one of those annoyingly all men are idiots types either. She’s attracted to Vorkosigan, not afraid to admit it and rather likes the idea. Even better, Cordelia is not a young, sexy spacebunny in a tight suit. She’s in her 30’s, a little on the tall side and just a regular looking woman. Did I mention I loved her?

As easy as it is to see why Vorkosigan would fall for Cordelia, it’s just as easy to see why she falls for him. No studmuffin himself, Vorkosigan is in his 40’s and just barely taller than Cordelia (which makes him short for a man) Though on the outside he’s all business, inside he’s a honorable man who is reluctantly dragged into the political messes of his world. He finds he can open up to Cordelia, and does so with refreshing ease. Too many SF heroes (and romance heroes for that matter) are of the breed that would rather get a root canal than express their emotions or communicate. He’s also a great foil for Cordelia’s dry wit, giving as good as he gets.

Bujold doesn’t stop at the main characters either. The small cast of secondary characters, such as the mentally interesting Sergeant Bothari, is three dimensional and as intriguing as the main characters. You care about all of them, no matter how small their actual part in the story.

The first half of the book, (Shards of Honor) covers the developing relationship between Cordelia and Vorkosgian through their trek on the survey planet and the Betan/Barrayan war. The second half (Barrayar) starts shortly after their wedding and covers Cordelia’s acclimation to life as Lady Vorkosgian and the political wrangling after Aral is named Regent for the child emperor. I found this part of the book dragged in places. I would have preferred less political intrigue and more Cordelia/Vorkosigan, but still Barrayar is one of the best of the genre (and it won the Hugo award for best novel).
(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Estara rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: character-driven sf who enjoy strong females

Recommended to Estara by: auto-buy author

Shelves: ebook, re-read, read-in-2011, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 19, 2012 Ratforce added it

Shelves: strong-female, romantic, mccaffrey-anne, science-fiction, setting, weber-david, science-fiction-military

Try the Vorkosigan adventure novels by Lois McMaster Bujold for a series that offers strong female characters, a romantic tone and a strongly built setting similar to works by Anne McCaffrey. Shards of Honor is the first in the series, and can be found in Cordelia's Honor.

Fans of David Weber’s Honor Harrington series should definitely take a look at Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga. Both series are chock full of space adventure, military action, and a touch of romance. The first book in t...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Darbus rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Before I begin, allow me to puke in a corner. Now that I'm done with that, here's what I thought. It wasn't all it was cracked up to be, that's for sure. I have a lengthy list of complaints. To begin with, there were countless grammatical errors. Honestly, Bujold, it's possible to use more than one comma in a sentence, get verb tenses correct, and use pronouns to increase clarity. I'm not going to give it one star, just based on the fact that there are books that are a lot worse.

The characters/...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Andy Love rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

I recently read this (having read the two novels that it is composed of several years ago) and was delighted to find that I could fall right back into the story without hesitation. I've enjoyed all of the Vorkosigan novels, but haven't reread these earliest two (earliest by internal chronology - "Shards of Honor" is Bujold's first novel, but "Barrayar" is her seventh) in some time; I was happy to see that they fit so well with the later books in the series (I saw many examples of items and issue...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Pepper Thorn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a long time fan of both Bujold and her most popular character, Miles Vorkosigan, so I enjoyed this book immensely. It's the surprising backstory to the rest of the series. It tells the story of how Miles' parents got together despite being literally world apart and how Miles ended up with his unusual condition. And I found it surprising for several non-story reasons.

First, being backstory I assumed that Cordelia's Honor had been written after the series became popular, as a sort of fill in...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Mirka rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-protagonist, scifi, read-in-2012, female-writers

I picked this up because the series seems to be everyone's favourite and because I can never say no to scifi with a female protagonist, but unfortunately both Shards of Honor and Barrayar ended up being disappointing.

There was some intresting worldbuilding in the books, but as a whole the focus was too much on the romance and relationships between flat and one-dimensional characters with confusingly similar names. I had to periodically check Wikipedia to see which character Cordelia was currentl...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Lc rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable, though I greatly preferred Barrayar to Shards of Honor (this book is actually two novels in one volume). Shards of Honor certainly wasn't bad, and I was drawn quickly through the entire story, but I felt like it was mis-sold by the description on the back--here I was expecting the exciting adventure of a heroine thrown into a situation she must take charge of and overcome, and instead I found myself mostly reading a romance between Cordelia and Aral. She spends most of her time onscre...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Alisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Contains Shards of Honor and Barrayar - the two books together tell the story of Miles Vorkosigan's parents and how Miles came to be. The rest of the series is about Miles. It's not necessary to read these first -- Miles' books stand on their own and some people don't like these as much as the rest of the series -- but at some point in time, it'd be good to give them a whirl. Personally, I loved them, but I tend to warn people that Miles' parents fall in love with each other /very/ quickly witho...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Janine Southard rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Cordelia's Honor is part of the Vorkosigan space opera series and is comprised of two of Bujold's earlier novels - Shards of Honor and Barrayar. Unlike most of the Vorkosigan series, the main character here is not Miles (of the accidental mercenary fleet), but his mother. Back in the day. Being a Miles lover, I was a bit skeptical before I started reading, but I'm converted and feel the Cordelia love.

Shards of Honor is a romance novel that has space opera in it so that the author won't feel sill...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Amber Millter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Perhaps it's just the books I've been grabbing lately, but I've had a hard time finding lead female characters I like. They're either whiny, weak, and wishy washy or they're buttkicking Alpha females that make Demi Moore's GI Jane look like a pushover (I don't know many people like that in real life, and the ones I do... I can't stand. I'm not sure why there are so many proliferating the pages of fiction).

Cordelia is a strong competent character without being able to beat the snot out of platoon...more Perhaps it's just the books I've been grabbing lately, but I've had a hard time finding lead female characters I like. They're either whiny, weak, and wishy washy or they're buttkicking Alpha females that make Demi Moore's GI Jane look like a pushover (I don't know many people like that in real life, and the ones I do... I can't stand. I'm not sure why there are so many proliferating the pages of fiction).

Cordelia is a strong competent character without being able to beat the snot out of platoons of men single-handedly. She's smart and likable and I wish there had been more books written through her eyes.

Shards of Honor 3.5 stars

This is the first adventure and our introduction to Cordelia and Aral. I enjoyed the characters from the first pages (this is the most important thing for me as a reader) but I could tell it was the author's first book. There's less complexity than many of those that follow in the series, and some parts dragged (like when Cordelia is back home dealing with the family and therapist). I did like the "shards of honor" theme though and the issues Aral was wrestling with. He's probably a little too perfect of a male lead but this gave him depth and made me cheer for these characters to get together. By the end of the novel, I definitely wanted to read on. Which was easy to do since the next book started on the next page!

Barrayar 5+ stars

Barrayar is the one that won the Hugo and I can see why. It deals with a lot of issues you just don't see much in SF. Like the protagonist being pregnant, for one. Cordelia's mission in this one is to keep her unborn son safe, and thanks to the unstable political situation she really has to fight to achieve it. The victory is hard won, and I will read this again just to get to the spot with the shopping bag delivery (fellow readers will know what I'm talking about).

A wonderfully original story, a strong supporting cast, and a satisfying conclusion. 5 stars.

*In response to the reviewers who gave these books low ratings because it was more romance than science fiction, I'd actually agree (not that this diminished my enjoyment of the book). I recommend this series for people who like fantasy adventures and space opera such as Star Trek. It doesn't hurt if you like romance (there's nothing bigger than a kiss on the page but Shards of Honor, in particular, is first and foremost about two characters falling in love). (less)

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Dec 03, 2010 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Do not judge this book by the cover!!!! It is so lame (the cover not the book). Surprisingly this book containing two separate published books was fantastic (it won a Hugo - I should not be amazed). The author takes an unusual but entertaining approach to her characters: "So what's the worst possible thing I can do to this guy? And then (I) do it." Over and over again the characters are put into awful circumstances and left to act in a way consistent with his/her values.

This book has an amazing...more

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Jul 03, 2009 Carl rated it 3 of 5 stars

An enjoyable start to Lois McMaster Bujold's space opera series, but not as engaging as her Miles books which followed. This particular book is a collection of two novels about Miles' parents. The second book in particular (Barrayar) dragged for me through most of it, but both are very credible bits of sci-fi which are very character heavy despite being labeled "military S-F" by many. And so far, with these books, I'm enjoying the fact that they engage with the military side of things in an ente...more

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May 27, 2010 g rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: redheads

I only read Shards of Honour . I probably would have loved this book ten years ago (especially since the heroine is a redhead), but now...eh. It reminds me of what I remember about Margaret Weis's Star of the Guardians series (which I loooved at the time), though the romance is not as dramatic and desperate--it's actually rather appealingly understated. But I'm more of a fantasy girl than a sci-fi one, with one or two notable exceptions ( Dune , Ender's Saga ). Anyway, an entertaining, two- or t...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-space-opera

It is a good thing that these two books are joined in one volume. The first book, Shards of Honor is by far the weaker book; however, when taken with Barrayar, it works.

Honor sets the stage by introducing the reader to Aral and Cordelia. These two would be lovers are from different, quasi warring, planets - Barrayar (a.k.a. Sparta) and Beta (a.k.a. Athens). I found Honor to be the weaker novel. The major problem I had was I just didn't by the fact that Aral and Cordelia were in love, deeply in l...more It is a good thing that these two books are joined in one volume. The first book, Shards of Honor is by far the weaker book; however, when taken with Barrayar, it works.

Honor sets the stage by introducing the reader to Aral and Cordelia. These two would be lovers are from different, quasi warring, planets - Barrayar (a.k.a. Sparta) and Beta (a.k.a. Athens). I found Honor to be the weaker novel. The major problem I had was I just didn't by the fact that Aral and Cordelia were in love, deeply in love. I just didn't buy it. I brought the sense of the companionship they had while on planet. I brought that they were alike. I could even by Aral's first quick proposal because of the culture he comes from. Cordelia's reaction and Aral's love I just couldn't buy. It's true that Bujold drops hints (shot, sentences) that say Cordelia is attracted to Aral, and considering the situation it would hardly be surprising. But love? Love enough to leave your home and go some place completely different? Didn't buy it. The other problem is Cordelia who in a section of the book seems to be a completely different person. She becomes stupid for several chapters in row, too stupid to be chalked up to simply, understandably, stress. The best part of the book, for me, was the epilogue that featured none of the main characters and focused on the cost of war in a harsher degree than the rest of the book. I felt more for those characters, in particular Boni, then I did for Aral and Cordelia.

Barrayar is completely different. From the first paragraph, it is quite easily to tell the writing is far more polished. Cordelia and Aral not only seem more real here, but so does their relationship. I couldn't buy them falling in love in the first book, but I brought them as an united married couple in the second. As Bujold herself and several other reviewers have pointed out, the theme of motherhood runs throughout this second novel. I found, however, the most touching and affecting part to be the conversation between Cordelia and Bothari. Bothari's struggles and concern, his repentance even, were more touching than his caring of the children. Perhaps because at the end, he seems more devoted to Miles than to Elena or perhaps because I don't have children myself. With Bothari, Bujold gives the reader a different kind of victim. She also more fully addresses rape here than in Barrayar, both books combining quite well in looking at the ramifications. Bujold does a good job using both Bothari and Kou to explore the mental and physical effects of war on members of a Spartan society.

I have to say, though, I do wonder about books like Barrayar. This isn't a comment just on Bujold but on other writers as well. I always feel strange when reading a book or watching a movie where a woman leaves a place where she has power to go and live in a totally new society where she doesn't have very much. Bujold does it with Cordelia, Marion Zimmer Bradley did it to a degree with her Darkover novels (and no, I'm not talking about the Free Amazons; I'm talking about Magda). While Bujold does show the reader Cordelia's anger or dislike of some of the rules and gives us Drou who is "wasted" or precieved as wasted in the society, I never feel that the examination of Cordelia's reaction goes as far as it could. I have yet to read a book that really does so, and I have to wonder why such fiction appeals because it does. But would I want to give up my right to vote, my right to wear what I want, my right to anything because of love? I can only think of two books that tackle the idea of a role reverse in such a situation - The Ruins of Isis and The Gate to Women's Country. (less)

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Nov 12, 2011 Katie M. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone, sci-fi fans, female geeks

Shelves: in-space, science-fiction

People had been recommending the Vorkosigan series to me for years, but I kept putting it off. Foolish me. This book is fantastic.

Cordelia Naismith is exactly the sort of heroine I wish we saw more of: brave, resourceful, witty, and generally badass, but not some cardboard cutout drained of the emotions and flaws that make a character human. I adore her. I also like her relationship with Aral Vorkosigan, which is full of romance but very clearly a relationship between equals who respect each oth...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Greymalkin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 20, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

um. i'm conflicted about this. i haven't read any of the other Bujold books set in this world. the premise is kind of annoying in itself.. she's a pilot of a technical spaceship who falls for a warring captain and leaves everything she knows to become his consort(not a spoiler.. it's on the cover). in some way this makes sense. she's not fitting in on her world. in another way, i think it does her a disservice that she's a strong and successful woman who suddenly drops it all for love? or you co...more

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Jun 20, 2009 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books, fiction, sci-fi

This is an omnibus edition containing the first two (chronologically speaking) books in the Miles Vorkosigan Sci-Fi series: Shards of Honor and Barrayar. Shards of Honor tells the story of how Miles' parents (Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkisigan)meet and through unlikely circumstances fall in love. Barrayar narrates the first year of Aral and Cordelia's marriage, and the birth of Miles in midst of a civil war. Both books are also good inroductions to the planet and culture of Barrayar.

I am emba...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Ariel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended

This, Young Miles, and Miles, Mystery, and Mayhem are actually omnibus editions of the first six books of the Vorkosigan Saga, a sci-fi series that actually really lives up to the hype. Her worldbuilding is to die for - the sort of thing where I wonder "how the hell did she come up with that and make it work?" - and the main character, Miles? Okay, he is awesome. Hilarious and clever and sort of a genius Harry Potter minus the Dark Lord, his character alone is enough to make me overlook the slig...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jon by: Amy Lee

Shards of Honor was a bit oddly structured, feeling like a collection of three related shorts moreso than a novel in its own right (which it wasn't originally intended as, anyhow.) Complicated by "not much of a plot," more of a character study of Cordelia. Still very gripping, a testament both to the quality of the writing and the strength of the character. The key romantic setup felt, not forced exactly, but somewhat nonobvious. So much of that was in subtext, though. Again, weakness and streng...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Libby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: year-of-women, sci-fi

I very much enjoyed these early books in the Vorkosigan saga, despite the fact that there are plenty of new-author moments that occasionally jarred me from the narrative. These human civilizations feel very much designed to showcase the characters rather than showcase the author's world-building. Fortunately, this works very well for these books because the main characters, the titular surveyor-turned-soldier from Beta Colony, Cordelia, and Barrayan soldier-lord Aral Vorkosigan, are utterly enga...more

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About Lois McMaster Bujold

One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold burst on to the scene in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of her tremendously popular Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including two Nebula Awards for Best Novel (Falling Free and Paladin of Souls), four Hugo Awards for Best Novel (Paladin of Souls, The Vor Game, B...more

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“The rule for finding plots for character-centered novels, which is to ask: 'So what's the worst possible thing I can do to *this* guy?' And then do it.” — 19 people liked it

“All great human deeds both consume and transform their doers. Consider an athlete,or a scientist, 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. The demands of motherhood especially consume the old self, and replace it with something new, often better and wiser, sometimes wearier or disillusioned, or tense and terrified, certainly more self-knowing, but never the same again.” — 2 people liked it

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Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication order) omnibus #1)

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