(WPF) Shards of Honor / Lois McMaster Bujold - 3***

[Book Concierge]

Shards Of Honor – Lois McMaster Bujold
Digital audiobook read by Grover Gardner
3***

Book number 1 in the space-opera series Vorkosigan Saga introduces the reader to this family. Not being a great science-fiction fan, I’d never heard of this series, but a challenge to read something by Bujold led me here.

We have a kick-ass heroine, Commander (later Captain) Cordelia Naismith, who is leading her team on a scientific exploration of a new planet, when they are ambushed. She instructs her crew to leave and save the ship before she is knocked out. When she comes to, she is face-to-face with the infamous Captain Aral Vorkosigan, head of the Barrayaran military patrol that attacked them. But it seems that HIS forces also left and now the two of them are alone.

Well, that’s a pretty exciting beginning, and it certainly captured my attention. I was interested in the world Bujold created, including the many creatures – furry crabs, deadly bubbles. But the adventure is just beginning. Bujold gives us intrigue, politics, war, competing interests and many plot twists that kept this reader turning pages (or listening past bedtime). I loved the dry humor and witty banter between these two. Their individual strengths complement one another, and I enjoyed watching the attraction between them blossom.

What I find most interesting is that this first in the series takes place BEFORE the lead series character is even born! Well, will I read more to find out about Miles? Probably not. But I’m still glad I read this one.

Grover Gardner does a good job of narrating the audiobook. I frequently notice his deep, gravelly voice, especially when there’s a female character, but it made no difference to me this time. Perhaps that is because he made less effort to actually change his voice from character to character in this book. He certainly does a good job of performing “adventure” stories.



LINK to my review

[KateNZ]

The books get better and better, BC!