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Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication order) #7)

by Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)

4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 · rating details · 8,641 ratings · 244 reviews

With this second book in the Vorkosigan series the former space ship captain Cordelia Naismith marries her former enemy, Admiral Lord Aral Vorkosigan, and lives with him in aristocratic splendour and danger on his home planet of Barrayar.

It is a difficult time, the old emperor is dying, and a bloody civil war over the succession occurs. Cordelia is the protagonist of this...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published December 1st 2003 by Gardners Books (first published 1991)

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May 05, 2013 mark monday rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: futuristik, x-vorkosigan-saga

Barrayar continues and completes the story of former survey ship Captain Cordelia Naismith and her husband Aral Vorkosigan, Regent of Barrayar. it is pretty enjoyable. is Bujold becoming one of my favorite scifi authors? i'm surprised at that realization. her style is not particularly striking, often rather plain and unadorned. i don't usually gravitate to those sorts of writers - the straightforward ones. but her themes, her careful way with characterization, her undramatic recognition of the c...more Barrayar continues and completes the story of former survey ship Captain Cordelia Naismith and her husband Aral Vorkosigan, Regent of Barrayar. it is pretty enjoyable. is Bujold becoming one of my favorite scifi authors? i'm surprised at that realization. her style is not particularly striking, often rather plain and unadorned. i don't usually gravitate to those sorts of writers - the straightforward ones. but her themes, her careful way with characterization, her undramatic recognition of the complexity, fallibility, and occasional heroism of the human species are all things that this usually impartial robot observer finds himself genuinely responding to, with uncharacteristic human warmth.

characterization is clearly Bujold's major strength and this novel supplies ample opportunity for intriguingly multi-leveled characters to shine. in particular Bothari - poor Bothari! - so damaged by life and the terrible things done to him that he has become a person who will take on the persona of whoever he is needed to be. his need for someone to guide him, his craving for validation and for purpose... made so palpable by Bujold.

the first half of the novel is pretty intimate in scale. it mainly concerns various domestic issues (and by "domestic" i mean "in & around the home" rather than "homeland") as Cordelia acclimates to the overly formal, high-strung, and resolutely warlike Barrayaran culture. it feels odd and a little wrong to use the words domestic and intimate when describing a (low-key) space opera whose first half includes two assassination attempts and various other dramatic incidents. but that is the feeling i got and it worked really well. the reader gets to know Barrayar in an unhurried fashion, just like Cordelia. and the reader continues to understand Cordelia in that same deliberate, slowly unfolding sort of a way. i liked the lack of hustle & bustle and i appreciated the calm, unrushed pace.

it all changes in the second part. and so swiftly! from slow acclimatization right into a fast-moving adventure narrative, things happening pell-mell... a flight, a rescue, a secret journey, confrontations, deaths, a raging fire... my gosh, a head gets cut off and carried in a bag to be dramatically tossed onto a boardroom table! awesome. it was incredibly satisfying to see how well Cordelia adapted to her new world, how easily she is able to win others to her side, how passionate and furious and even murderous she can get when dealing with people who have attacked her loved ones. Mother Bear! yet she still stays herself - compassionate, warm-hearted, saddened & angered by the small-mindedness of others. she's an awesome character. and this is a satisfying book.(less)

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Apr 14, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy-sci-fi

Women talk about loving The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because of Lisbeth. All of the other problems with the book, like its English translation, can be overlooked because this one character, so central to series, connects to us on a level that is difficult to explain; it's too special, too personal, for most of us to talk about. Every woman I know (possibly every person, but I'm only willing to generalize so much) who reads has that feeling like she is out of place among others. The rest of so...more Women talk about loving The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because of Lisbeth. All of the other problems with the book, like its English translation, can be overlooked because this one character, so central to series, connects to us on a level that is difficult to explain; it's too special, too personal, for most of us to talk about. Every woman I know (possibly every person, but I'm only willing to generalize so much) who reads has that feeling like she is out of place among others. The rest of society knows things and feels things that she doesn't understand. The rules don't make sense. Things happen that don't surprise others but she feels like they came from nowhere and now they are crying, screaming for attention, and she is unprepared. All of us readers fall back on our intelligence, our simple, analytical abilities, that let us assess the situation, develop a plan, understand the risks, take on the case, whatever it is, but we do it with our brains, not emotions, and that's one of the reasons Lisbeth appeals. The other is that at a certain point, the brain isn't enough and the emotions have to come in as well: courage, anger, love, fear. All of them. The struggle with their balance is what I look for in my favorite characters; it is what Meyer may have created in Bella Swan (although her writing is so terrible she hasn't been able to properly articulate it), and why it is so hard to explain why we (a few of us adults and millions of screaming girls) love her, or Lisbeth, or Cordelia.

I have a totally irrational love for Cordelia. This character, who exists in a fairly cheesy sci-fi series, is one of my favorite women of all time. She leaves everything for a man, something that I don't usually approve of, but with her, I think it makes sense. She is intelligent, strong willed, tall (extra points Bujold!), mature, capable, compassionate, and sometimes a complete emotional wreck. She is the woman I would want to be if trapped in a situation that I didn't understand, where everyone else seems to know the rules, and I have to get the team together and save the day. It's hero worship, I know, and it's silly in some ways, but all of us go into these types of situations, and how many role models do we really have? Sure, it's not a different planet caught up in a civil war, but it is the office, and that's bad enough.

Lois McMaster Bujold is one of those authors who doesn't just tell me a story (my usual reason for hanging out in the sci-fi section, honestly). Cordelia's experience on Barrayar is about women's role in society, dealing with traditional values, adoption (or not) of technology, and the ever present theme that no war is justifiable. For space opera, it's pretty fascinating to see a pacifist theme. She also examines what these pressures do to men, from Cordelia's perspective. I prefer the outsider looking on view of this world. Telling us the same story from within would not have worked.

I don't want to suggest that this book is a shiny gloss of space opera on top of a lot of heavy political dialog. Bujold didn't go into this book with some burning message. I think she wrote about what she knew: being a mother, being an outsider, living in a society that doesn't make sense, being smart. She wrote about it in the form that she likes: space opera/romance/fantasy. And that's what it is. The honesty of all that is what makes the book so special, and makes Cordelia so wonderful. I'm gushing. I can't help it. She rocks.(less)

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May 04, 2013 Clouds - (¿head-in-the?) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-series, locus-sci-fi, hugo, science-fiction, reviewed

Christmas 2010: I realised that I had got stuck in a rut. I was re-reading old favourites again and again, waiting for a few trusted authors to release new works. Something had to be done.

On the spur of the moment I set myself a challenge, to read every book to have won the Locus Sci-Fi award. That’s 35 books, 6 of which I’d previously read, leaving 29 titles by 14 authors who were new to me.

While working through this reading list I got married, went on my honeymoon, switched career and became...more

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Apr 20, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

many thanks to eh and elizabeth etc, because i would never never never have read a book with a cover like this, but i did it for youse, and it has been wonderful, really.

but so if i am understanding this correctly (and i hope that i am not) ms. bujold created one of the most interesting and likable-while-still-being-flawed characters ever and then abandoned her to write books about this character's son?? and all the rest are about him??

so lame.

because i loved this book. i love cordelia. i love...more

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May 19, 2013 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: space-opera, fiction, reviewed, audio

4.5 stars. Chronologically, book two in this nicely-paced, militaristic space opera / romance, set centuries in the future on planets peopled by various descendants of Earth (two planets are Barrayar and Beta). I liked this book more than Shards of Honour. In sum, Cordelia and Aral Vorkosigan take no prisoners, protecting their marriage, their unborn son, and the empire.

Plot, major spoilers hidden: At the end of book one, Cordelia and Aral married. Now, as this book begins, the newlyweds are liv...more

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May 05, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Space Opera Fans

Shelves: fiction, novels, science-fiction

In Barrayar Cordelia and Aral of Shards of Honor have married and she's settled on his world of Barrayar, and the novel deals with her struggle to come to terms with the values of his world as well as the complications and dangers of the Byzantine political intrigues which threaten their unborn child--Miles Vorkosigan--who becomes the subject of the later novels--and in my mind that's when things really become interesting and this series distinctive. Like Shards of Honor, this is an entertaining...more

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May 26, 2011 Angela James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, space-opera, my-faves

Loved this--so much more than Shards of Honor. I felt it was much deeper and more dramatic, with a lot more emotional tension. In this one, I particularly warmed up to Cordelia and was glad to see her suffer both insecurities and doubts, go a little mad from all of the strain, but then also rise to her challenges.

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Apr 13, 2008 Melinda rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: moms

My dh went to Iraq, I was expecting, and in the course of events I found this book at a thrift store. It is amazing. I found it life-sustaining at a time when I really, really needed help. I can keep going!

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Aug 16, 2012 Mei-Lu rated it 2 of 5 stars

Barryar is chronologically the second Vorkosigan novel. I love Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion books and I've been hearing about how great the Vorkosigan novels are. They follow the adventures of main character Miles Vorkosigan, who is an unconventional hero in a futuristic world. Supposedly, you can read the Vorkosigan novels out of sequence, but I read one and felt I was missing references. So I ordered Shards of Honor through my local library. Not only is Shards of Honor the first Vorkosigan b...more Barryar is chronologically the second Vorkosigan novel. I love Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion books and I've been hearing about how great the Vorkosigan novels are. They follow the adventures of main character Miles Vorkosigan, who is an unconventional hero in a futuristic world. Supposedly, you can read the Vorkosigan novels out of sequence, but I read one and felt I was missing references. So I ordered Shards of Honor through my local library. Not only is Shards of Honor the first Vorkosigan book, it was also Bujold's first book ever and it showed in the writing. I wasn't in love with the main character (Cordelia - Miles' mother) or the storyline, so I chose not to continue with the series at that time.

However, since abandoning the series, I've read more great reviews of other novels in the series so I thought I'd give the series another try. Even though I didn't particularly like Barrayer all that much, I'm glad I read it because finally, finally Miles has been introduced and he is undoubtedly an interesting character.

The events of Barrayar take place immediately after the events of Shards of Honor and if you don't read the first book before reading this one, I don't see how you can avoid being hopelessly lost. In the first book, Miles' parents Aral and Cordelia meet, fall in love and get married. And, oh yeah, they're on opposite sides of a war, Aral has a reputation as a war criminal and that love story plays out amongst a complicated story of politics and war. Barrayer assumes you've read and remembered Shards of Honor and since I didn't, I was a little lost remembering all the characters and what had happened to them in the first book. I'm sure this confusion contributed to my tepid feelings towards Barrayar. On top of my confusion, I found the first half of this book boring. It's all about the politics of the titular planet. The planet is ruled by an emperor, the emperor has died, Cordelia's husband is going to be regent for the new five year old emperor, blah blah blah. I'm sure knowing all this detail will be useful for any future reading I do in the series but it took me a long time to invest in the political structure of this fictional planet. Finally, some rebel aristocrats try to seize power and then the story finally gets interesting about midway through. Once the action ramps up, the book becomes much more entertaining and of course all that exposition finally pays off. It's just that I hadn't come into the book with the emotional investment in the characters or world that a fan of the first book might have. I have to say, even when the action kicked in, I wasn't particularly emotionally invested in the outcome of the story. I didn't hate or even dislike this book - I found it mildly entertaining. Because I loved the Chalion series and I liked what I read about Miles when he finally shows up, I'm definitely going to give the third book in this series a try but I'm not exactly enthusiastic about the series or the world.(less)

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Oct 05, 2009 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This book started off pretty slow. I had a hard time being motivated to pick it up. But then it got really good and actiony, and I had a hard time putting it down. I'm excited to read the rest of the series, but I want more Cordelia, I'm not sure how much I care about Miles right now. I have a feeling Cordelia and Aral pretty much disappear after this, and may never be heard from again. Bummer.

This is the kind of science fiction I like, where the character development is really there, and it's n...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Minh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Continuing almost directly on from Shards, the novel finds Cordelia and Aral becoming immersed in Barrayan politics. With Aral standing as Regent for the young 4 year Greggor, Aral increasingly finds himself the target of personal attacks.

When one attack hits their home, Cordelia is the victim as she discovers the cure to a gas attack is deadly to developing bones, and the young Miles she is currently pregnant with. In an effort to save him, young fetus is transferred into an uterine replicator...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Jordi Vicens rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20thcentury, english, science-fiction

The Vorkosigan Saga

It's been a long overdue read of mine this series. I've been wanting to read it for a long, long time.

I was quite prejudiced when it came to start reading it because I thought I wouldn't like it at all.

Actually, it reads quite well, in a Golden Age of Scifi spaceopera way. It has all the elements I got to love in a spaceopera when I was a teen: Long saga, intelligent characters, a cohesive universe... Oh! I would have loved it very much back then.

Nowadays? I haven't loved it t...more The Vorkosigan Saga

It's been a long overdue read of mine this series. I've been wanting to read it for a long, long time.

I was quite prejudiced when it came to start reading it because I thought I wouldn't like it at all.

Actually, it reads quite well, in a Golden Age of Scifi spaceopera way. It has all the elements I got to love in a spaceopera when I was a teen: Long saga, intelligent characters, a cohesive universe... Oh! I would have loved it very much back then.

Nowadays? I haven't loved it that much. I mean, it reads well, it's allowed me to evade from other much more dense readings I've been doing in this same period, but it lacks the complexity and depth I've come to love as an adult in books and sagas. That being said, I liked it as I said earlier. There's something to be said in favour of books that read in two or three sittings.

Barrayar

This is the second book in the series and in it we find Cordelia adjusting to Aral's world. And it takes some adjusting for her as the social rigidity, the militaristic oriented society and its politics are very alien to her (and to the reader I might add).

It's also worth noting that Barrayar is quite on the brink of a Civil War as Emperor Ezar finds himself on his dying bed and his grandson, 5 year old Greg, is in no position to assume regency. Despite Aral not wanting to get involved in his world politics, he finds himself outmanouvered by Ezar and his master spy plotting and has to accept to become the infant emperor regent to try to avoid the Civil War that is the most likely outcome from Ezar's passing.

Aral being part of the progressive (in Barrayar terms) faction and, most importantly, him being the third in line of succession to the throne is a pivotal point of Ezar's plan to avoid the War. However, the conservative faction will still try its hand and it'll be up to Aral and Cordelia (with the help of those not involved in the conservative plot) to avoid a further radicalization of the Barrayese society. In these struggles they suffer one of many attempts to end Aral's life that permanently damages their unborn child's bone structure.(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who already know how hymens work

Recommended to Holly by: Mom, okay?

Shelves: sf-fantasy

So this is the second half of Cordelia's Honor. I don't have a lot to say, it won't be very long. It was the better half of the two in that there was less gushy romance, but also there was waaaaay too much set-up for the eventual adventure. I enjoyed the conservative .v. liberal thing she did there, and I found the writing a lot more smooth.

Things I earmarked:

-1- This scene where Cordelia thinks about the social rules surrounding what are appropriate subjects in different groups was pretty grea...more So this is the second half of Cordelia's Honor. I don't have a lot to say, it won't be very long. It was the better half of the two in that there was less gushy romance, but also there was waaaaay too much set-up for the eventual adventure. I enjoyed the conservative .v. liberal thing she did there, and I found the writing a lot more smooth.

Things I earmarked:

-1- This scene where Cordelia thinks about the social rules surrounding what are appropriate subjects in different groups was pretty great until it turned into a weird sex scene where her and her dude made sly references to things on the list of rules she came up with. I can see what she was going for here, but man it was smug.

-2- This scene where Kou tries to kill himself and then Cordelia is sad at him and somehow magically he is never suicidal or even depressed again! If only I had known that I just had to cry at depressed people about my own stupid rich-person problems and they would be cured. Man, I could have saved a lot of people.

-3- "I got my implant, and my hymen cut, and my ears pierced, and had my coming-out party..." What. The. Fuck. In case there was any confusion because sometimes people get all their ideas about anatomy from books, hymens don't need to be cut, that would just make everything painful. Are they giving the girls epesiotomies as well, in preparation for childbirth? This one sentence almost ruined the entire book for me. I am amazed it was written by a woman. Did someone cut her hymen? I seriously hope not. Also, ears pierced? AGH This was followed a few minutes later by:

-4- "Ah yes, the barbaric Barrayaran custom of introducing their women to sex with the pain of unanaesthetized defloration." Did Lois have sex for the first time with a horrible rapist or something? My god, sex does not require anaesthesia. Also, defloration? AGH WOMAN STOP IT

There was another page I marked, but I don't know why, so that's about it. The hymen thing super bothered me. In fact, I finished the book a week ago and I've been worried about it every day since. Stop having horrible sex, people.

(less)

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Dec 15, 2012 Steelwhisper rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This and Shards of Honour were a long time on my off-GR-TBR pile, in fact, those two books winked at me from my "not read" shelf straight across from my desk.

I'd had so many recs (about as many as for A Game of Thrones) for this series that I at one time bought two 1-pence-ex-library versions and set them aside for reading. I am in a reading spree at the moment, but these two will be all I ever read of Bujold.

Maybe you have to be younger than 25, or like certain TV/movie SF/Fantasy formats or...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Elly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bibliotheekboek, leesclub

Deze Nederlandse vertaling heb ik met een leesclub gelezen en besproken. Een hele ervaring om met een aantal niet-sf lezers zo'n boek te bespreken. Allereest is het geen natuurwetenschapsfictie, maar meer maatschappijwetenschapfictie: wat is de invloed van technologie op een maatschappij. De protagoniste Cordelia Vorkosigan, is net geimmigreerd op de planeet Barrayar om te trouwen met een militair-buiten-dienst, als die tot regent benoemd wordt. Zij is afkomstig van de zeer egalitaire, democrati...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Coredlia Vorkosigan is adjusting to life as a Vor Lady which is complicated greatly by the fact that her husband Aral is the Regent for the boy Emperor Gregor. Within weeks of this appointment old Emperor Ezar dies and now the power struggles begin.

Aral tries to keep order but within days a sonic grenade just misses Aral's ground car, then a soltoxin canister is tossed into her bedroom nearly killing them both and causing her to have her unborn child transferred to a uterine replicator and trea...more Coredlia Vorkosigan is adjusting to life as a Vor Lady which is complicated greatly by the fact that her husband Aral is the Regent for the boy Emperor Gregor. Within weeks of this appointment old Emperor Ezar dies and now the power struggles begin.

Aral tries to keep order but within days a sonic grenade just misses Aral's ground car, then a soltoxin canister is tossed into her bedroom nearly killing them both and causing her to have her unborn child transferred to a uterine replicator and treatment to prevent serious deformity.

The final blow is the attempted coup of Count Vordarian who unsuccessfully tries to kidnap little Gregor which sets up a dangerous game of cat and mouse for Cordelia and the prince, assisted by Bothari and Aral's father Piotr - who is not happy about the possibility of a "mutant" grandson and heir. The Barrayarans are not fond of defects.

Cordelia is pushed to the limit when Miles' replicator is taken hostage and she plans a daring raid to get it back and ends getting more than she bargained for.

Protagonist Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan
Antagonist Count Vordarian

What I liked The excellent pace, the terrific characters, the superb telling of the Vor society, and the one liners - especially at the end.

What I didn’t like A few inconsistencies, like one person being able to carry the replicator back to safety, it would be a fragile and at the same time heavy object and bulky. None of this detracts from the story however.

Final Comments This is the second book in the series chronologically and it really explains how Miles got to be the way he is and also introduces us to his cousin Ivan and explains the relationship of Koudelka and Drou. And all these are things that make the following books deeper and richer. It also lays a lot of the groundwork for The Vor Game. McMaster wrote this after the first couple of Mile books to do just that I suspect but it is fun to read it before those and one could argue that if you are reading the Miles series for the first time, reading the books chronologically has a lot of merit.
I really love going back and reading these books because the prose is outstanding and they are just plain fun to read.
(less)

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Jul 21, 2012 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, romance-spans-multiple-books, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn, heroine-can-kick-ass

A lot of people think that Barrayar is the superior of the two books chronicling the adventures of Aral and Cordelia Vorkosigan (the other, and first, being Shards of Honor - the two book should not be read out of order). And Barrayar is really good. But it includes a lot of plot elements that do not appeal to me personally, and regardless of the book's objective quality made it less fun for me to read.

For example: I have a really strong, totally irrational phobia about pregnancy. I'd explain bu...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am so sad to finish the Escobaran War/Vordarian's Pretendership plot arc. This and the last book I read were originally written as one book and now are published in a one-volume anthology called Cordelia's Honor. This is all that Bujold wrote using her original characters of Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan-- these two books. The rest of her science fiction books focus on their son, Miles. I wish she had more because I am in love not only with these characters, but with their life and tim...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Andreas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Behind the rather tacky cover is an omnibus edition consisting of McMaster Bujold’s debut novel “Shards of Honor” and its immediate chronological sequel “Barrayar”. The latter won the Hugo in 1992. These chronicle the adventures of Cordelia Naismith from the time she first meets her future husband, Lord Aral Vorkosigan, when she is his prisoner of war. At the end of the “Shards of Honor”, she goes to Vorkosigan’s home planet of Barrayar to become his wife. Barrayar is quite different from her ow...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Barrayar is the continuing story of Cordelia and Aral Vorkosigan, and it picks up immediately where Shards of Honour left off. This story primarily focuses on the political struggles on the planet of Barrayar, but it also touches on the living conditions for a very poor group called the caravansei (spelling), and general differences between the Barrayar and Betan planets. If you go beyond the storyline, there are some interesting observations about parenthood, and the lengths parents, especially...more

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Mar 18, 2010 Lighthearted rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, romance

Barrayar picks up where Shards of Honor ends: Aral Vorkosigan, Cordelia Naismith’s husband, has accepted the role of Regent. For the next 16 years he will look after young Prince Gregor and rule in Gregor’s stead. For the next 16 years, Aral and Cordelia will have to watch their backs carefully: Barrayar is a contentious society on the brink of civil war.

Cordelia supports Aral in his new role—and Aral supports her as she struggles against Barrayar’s rigid rules for class, gender and disability....more

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Jun 05, 2009 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jon by: Jamie

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

I read this as part of the omnibus edition Cordelia's Honor. Barrayar is an impressive, richly layered, multifaceted sequel well deserving of the Hugo award it received in 1992.

I warmed to Cordelia as she struggled with the culture shock of her adopted Barrayaran world. Her observations contrasting life on Beta with the sometimes barbaric and backward Barrayar society lent credibility to her actions.

Even though the first book, Shards of Honor, had more traditional science fiction elements, lik...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jan 11, 2013 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-audible

The second book in the Vorkosigan saga, Barrayar picks up almost instantly after Shards of Honor. This book is chock full of political intrigue, machinations - honestly, is Machiavelli required reading on this planet? - and murder.

Bujold throws a little romance, social commentary, and ethics into the mix. Also, it's just a great adventure.

The worlds and culture of Barrayar and Beta are wonderfully sketched out. Beta a truly egalitarian society - where access to information is a constitutional r...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Leons1701 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Though chronologically the second of the Vorkosigan books, this was written a good bit later, when Bujold was a more experienced writer. More so than Shards of Honor, this book makes it clear just why Bujold originally thought the series was going to be about Cordelia. Not only is she the driving force behind the men that will reshape Barrayar, but when she is driven to act herself, she can be pretty darn effective and quite ruthless. She has the qualities of a great character herself, and in so...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Lorena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

I finished the first one and cracked open (well, if you can "crack open" on the Nook) the second book on the same night, so it really felt more like I was reading one looooong book. One long, good book!

This second one was a good mix of slow introspection and non-stop action. The characters second-guessed themselves, acted bravely, grew a little, were strong, embraced their future.

I hesitate to still brand this "space opera" because while there are ships, and interstellar travel, the majority o...more

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Apr 10, 2010 new_user rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-scifi

Ninety-two must have been a bad year in scifi-- or else, ninety-one was an especially good one because I think I might have chosen Shards of Honor over Barrayar for the Hugo. Granted, Barrayar was more sprawling and ambitious -a coup in the palace!- but Shards had more emotional appeal for me.

I liked both characters better in Shards. Cordelia was not forever condescending to the Barrayarans. Realistic, perhaps, to point out Cordelia's difficulties in adjusting to Barrayar. Some immigrants never...more Ninety-two must have been a bad year in scifi-- or else, ninety-one was an especially good one because I think I might have chosen Shards of Honor over Barrayar for the Hugo. Granted, Barrayar was more sprawling and ambitious -a coup in the palace!- but Shards had more emotional appeal for me.

I liked both characters better in Shards. Cordelia was not forever condescending to the Barrayarans. Realistic, perhaps, to point out Cordelia's difficulties in adjusting to Barrayar. Some immigrants never adjust as completely or happily as others. However, since we're reading from Cordelia's perspective, Barrayar was full of "primitive" peoples and she "just wanted to go home" much of the time. Meanwhile, Cordelia succeeds at everything and never does wrong (as I said before, I think this novel suffered for having been written after she had already established Cordelia as, I imagine, a near legendary figure in other books). I have a limit for condescension. Plus, she just started sounding like the annoying guy on the bus tour, "I don't like it here, I wanna go back." It was like reading with a personal Droopy.

Similarly, Aral undergoes a huge personality change in this book. He weakens considerably, and I'm not sure I buy it, but I'm not denying I'm biased since I loved him so much in the first book. I think his weakness is a vehicle for the author to demonstrate Cordelia's heroism at points (without giving too much away, see her "procedure" in the hospital and Aral's marked unconcern for his wife's health, all other questions notwithstanding). This did not seem in keeping with his unconventionalness and passionate need for her from Shards. Bujold may have had a different vision for Aral following the end of Shards, and the rest of the books are written in this vein, that's my guess.

A friend suggested that this book is best read after reading the other books in the series, as many of the observations that Cordelia makes in Barrayar are evidenced in the books following Miles Vorkosigan. After witnessing the effect of Barrayaran politics on Miles in Warrior's Apprentice, The Vor Game, and Cetaganda, one can read Barrayar and see Cordelia's words as prophetic rather than needlessly whining. Bujold has not only established a running commentary on Barrayaran politics in Miles' books, but she has also established her characters as they will be for the rest of the series, including in Barrayar! They are not as they were in Shards. So I would not recommend reading Barrayar immediately after Shards. Read in order of publication; follow the author's vision. Perhaps skip to Warrior's Apprentice or read Cordelia's books only after Miles' series. For continuity's sake.

For me, the change in characters between one book and the next was too much and the tone would have been much more in keeping had I read Miles' books -and the precedent set there- first, I'm sure. Also, minus a thousand points for making the female protagonist seem like a hero only at the expense of the male lead (i.e. making him an ass!). Why does he have to be lowered before she can be a hero? Men are doomed to disappoint? I do not approve.(less)

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Aug 16, 2010 Brendan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fiction, scifi, politics, book-club

What’s a pirate’s favorite planet?

Some of you smartypants might say ‘Jupitarrr‘ but you would be wrong. It’s the space planet modeled on medieval Europe, full of intrigue and murderous Counts. Can you say Barrayar?

The second book (chronologically) in the Vorkosigan saga, Barrayar follows up from Shards of Honor, telling the story of Cordelia’s journey to Aral’s dangerous planet, his appointment as Regent to the Emporer, the attempted coup, and the damage that happens, early on, to their baby, Mi...more

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Dec 07, 2012 David Sven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Barrayar is the sequel to Shards of Honour. As much as I enjoyed the first book, Barrayar is noticeably more polished.

There are no space battles this time round, but the political intrigue is really ramped up in the first half of the book as Aral and Cordelia Vorkosigan find themselves in the role of Regent of the Barrayan empire and protectors of the child emperor Gregor. The death of the former Emperor Ezar leaves a power vacuum that threatens to tear the planet as well as the new Vorkosigan...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Melinda Le Baron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, adventure, aliens, beautiful-3d-characters, beautifully-written, women-with-weapons, men-with-weapons, violent, war, political, futuristic, high-society, high-tech-weapons, highly-technilogical, science-fiction, military, mystery, murder, space-opera

Bujorld has done it again. Another fabulous novel about Cordelia and Aral, except this time she deceives him - but it's for a good cause.

THE PLOT: Cordelia and Aral are now married and living on Barrayar. He becomes Regent for Gregor who is only a child. He will be regent for at least 16 years until Gregor comes into his majority, unless something else happens. Well, something else does happen in this novel, someone tries to take away the Regency. Unfortunately, Cordelia and Aral's fetus is tra...more Bujorld has done it again. Another fabulous novel about Cordelia and Aral, except this time she deceives him - but it's for a good cause.

THE PLOT: Cordelia and Aral are now married and living on Barrayar. He becomes Regent for Gregor who is only a child. He will be regent for at least 16 years until Gregor comes into his majority, unless something else happens. Well, something else does happen in this novel, someone tries to take away the Regency. Unfortunately, Cordelia and Aral's fetus is trapped in the area controlled by the ursurper. Remember never get between a mother tiger and her cub. Many things happen in this book. Running and hiding, much propaganda on both sides, murder, when there seems no other option, Cordelia goes commando, helped by some household staff without Aral's knowledge or permission. After all, she was a Captain on Beta, and had her own experience in the military, so she knows what she is doing. You would never expect what happens in this book. The plot is twistier than a hedge maze. At the end, it all comes together in a coherent fashion, though quite unexpectedly. There is surprise everywhere, especially in Aral's staff.

THE CHARACTERIZATION: Again, Ms. Bujold has used her magic to make every single character seem astonishingly real. Even the secondary and tertiary characters have attributes and details that are common in the main players in other books. I do believe that she has a rule, that if she sets a character in a novel, that they have to be fully three dimensional, no matter what their parts are. This makes the novel much richer for the reader and is the hallmark of a great writer. Aral and Cordelia are both such fully fleshed out characters that they seem like they could be neighbors or relatives. Their staff's are the same - fully human in only the way Bujold can write them. Especially Bothari who's so troubled yet so loyal to Cordelia he'd so anything for her. He's almost an enigma, and yet he's so faithful and only sometimes scary, considering his past life as a torturer for the Prince who had some seriously nasty habits.

WORLDBUILDING: This time the whole book stayed on Barrayar. We got to explore more of the customs, the planet, the countryside, the people, the everyday living, the Counts and their place in the aristrocracy. It was all simply fascinating. This was the part of the detailed worldbuilding that Bujold seems to excel at. From the way the black market works to the look and layout of the palace, she puts in all sorts of details that make up one gigantic jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces fit together to form one gigantic whole. They all make sense. They all work together to form a cohesive picture of a society that's transitioning from isolation into a galatic milieu. A lot of their traditions go back hundreds of years - some make sense, some do not, and it is Arals's job to lead the planet forth into a future of prosperity, which is why he is with the progressive party. Some traditions die hard, just as people do. Bujold understands all this, and has included all the details into forming the world of Barrayar. It is a masterpiece of worldbuilding.

THE DIALOGUE: Bujold is a master of this too. The Counts are formal when they are together, or in formal situations. When at home, they are cranky and demanding. The formality is always demanded at Court and at the Council of Counts, as well as at social function such as balls and other get togethers. When they are home, unless there are visitors, the dialogue is informal, unless it is between the Counts and the staff, then we're are back to formal again. In the Vorosigan household, they tend to be a little more lax then some Counts. I think this has happened because of Cordelia's Betan attitudes. She just doesn't believe in aristocracy. It is a myth - a fiction built out of thin air. so they are less formal with their staff at home. But all the dialogue rings true in every circumstance - not a note out of place. As an example: when Gregor gets bored in the Council of Counts, he may start to fidget or yawn, wanting to be anywhere but there. He may make some comment to try to end the session, but they know what he is doing, so they placate him, and go on.

THE ENDING: The ending of the book came as quite a surprise. Remember what I said in the beginning, you never come in between a mother tiger and her cub. Just remember that when you read this book. Maternal instincts are strong. They can override any risk to yourself. In the end carnage results. Bad things happen and Bothari is along for the ride. Will Cordelia be able to get her fetus in time? Will Bothari flip out and kill everyone in sight? Will Aral find Corderlia before she can do anything and bring her back home? Will the Ursurper take her prisoner, demanding ransom for her and the fetus, making Aral's position untenable? Will Cordelia be shot in her attempt to get the fetus and die trying, killing the fetus in the process? All these questions will be answered in the book.

The upshot is, that I would recommend this book to anyone who can read English. It is a study of a planet that is in the stages of transition, between on old fashioned traditional aristocracy, to a galactic democracy. Of course, there is trouble along the way - but it makes for fascinating reading. If you like politics, military reading, thrillers, science fiction, historical fiction then this book is for you. It may take place in outer space, but change the details and it could be Earth if we had been contacted in our own history by aliens. Think about it that way. This could be Earth in the past, trying to cope with coming up to speed with the fact that there was a whole galaxy out there that had technology way beyond us. Meanwhile, we had just transitioned away from cavalry in the military and had a long way to go. There would not only be an arms race, but transportation would be a big factor on the ground and from planet to planet. There is a lot in this book to think about. I suggest you buy it and read it. This is such a treat.(less)

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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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“My home is not a place, it is people.” — 63 people liked it

“But pain... seems to me an insufficient reason not to embrace life. Being dead is quite painless. Pain, like time, is going to come on regardless. Question is, what glorious moments can you win from life in addition to the pain?” — 49 people liked it

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