Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Saga Omnibus: Shards of Honor / Barrayar)

Was freaked about a bit by the yellow PROBLEM WITH ORDER when I went to check when it might arrive. But I got an email saying it would arrive by the 18th. It arrived in my mailbox today, so I'm happy. One of my favorite authors, and a replacement book which isn't being sold in bookstores now. So I'm happy even with the wait. Was a pleasure having the seller on top of whatever problem it was.

Honestly, among the best ever. Just read it, and prepare to be hooked.

Book was to be read.

Unlike some reviewers, I recommend that you read this AFTER reading 'The Warrior's Apprentice' and 'The Vor Game.' (collected in 'Young Miles') There are some events described in this book that demystify some things in those books, but I believe it enhances the experience to be just as unaware of Cordelia's history as Miles is when he sets out on his journey into life. After you've read those, come back and read this.It contains two complete novels:'Shards of Honor' is almost like reading a fanfiction novel of the Vorkosigan universe. It's Lois Bujold's FIRST novel, and it has huge structural flaws that show deeply within it. However, it has loads of important details on the back stories of Cordelia, Lord Aral Vorkosigan, and Sergeant Bothari that will help you appreciate what you've read in 'Young Miles.' It also helps to characterize Cordelia, which will help you understand her when you're reading 'Barrayar,' the second novel in this omnibus. Get through 'Shards of Honor' as fast as you can, but don't skip it, either. Trust me; when you get to Barrayar, things will get much better. 'Shards of Honor' is the only reason I didn't give this five stars.'Barrayar' is a fantastic book where a strong female character plays a critical role in some serious space opera regency intrigue. There's a plot to destabilize an Empire, assassination attempts, and a structure and writing style that are just a pleasure to read. It's great, and you'll have lots of fun. It's almost as if 'Barrayar' is Lois Bujold showing Frank Herbert how you REALLY write space feudalism. It's diverting, escapist adventure with just the right dose of maturity to make it great.

I first read Barrayar (the second of the two novels in the this volume), when it was serialized in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact in the 1980's. I have now owned everything in the VorKosigan saga for some time... I have multiple copies of many (inherited from my Father). I owned this in paperback (and still have Cordelia's Honor in paperback) but I must have lent this to someone and it was not returned, so I did not have Barrayar. So when I went looking to buy it it again, I was stunned to find that used Hardbacks in this series are basically collectors items. (they appear to be out of print). I started buying her hardbound volumes as they were released maybe a decade ago. I'm glad to have this again, and in hardback. Reread it several weeks ago. Bujold is Soooooo good!

By Ed Burkhead Shards of Honor: This book tells about how two really capable people met, fell in love, "fought" on oposite sides of a war, and handled the end of the war. As is obvious from the title, honor and doing one's duty is high in the theme of the book. But it also includes a lot of humor, pathos, struggle, etc. You will begin to really like the characters in these stories. Barrayar: The couple, now married and pregnant, have assumed the job of being regents for the planet's child emperor. The child's emperor's vulnerability tempts a rebellion which must be overcome. Bujold has created fictional characters I care about. If only they were real I would dearly love to move in with them and be part of their family. In spite of their faults, or more often because of them, their accomplishments approach super-human -- as they fall on their faces. Though most all of the story in both books included in this volume is really engaging, let me summarize with this: near the end of Barrayar, stoic me both leaked actual tears then laughed out loud while reading a single page. These, followed by "Warrior's Apprentice," and the rest of Bujold's books are now my 1st choice to recommend to anyone. Shards of Honor and Barrayar are chronologically 1st and 2nd in the lives of the characters. Feel free to read Warrior's Apprentice first if you choose.

One of the things I love best about this multi-planet, clashing cultures, two books in one volume space opera is that its main character is a mature, take-it-as-it-comes thirty-something not an excitable, inexperienced sixteen. In Shards of Honor Cordelia Naismith is the captain of a survey ship from the peaceable, democratic Beta Colony, where the climate is harsh and desert-like, but she soon meets Aral Vorkosigan of the war-like Barrayar when she becomes his prisoner. Sort of. Vorkosigan is supposed to be the leader of the Barrayaran military mission, but there’s been a mutiny so he and Cordelia are partners as much as they are adversaries, hiking towards a supply base with a badly injured crew member Cordelia refuses to leave behind. The second book, Barrayar, continues the story of Cordelia and Aral and no aspect of storytelling--character evolution, world building, sci fi coolness, or high action plot--is scrimped on in either book. It's a totally captivating set of novels.

That's not hard to work out. "Honor" is an American spelling and so the title gives one a clue. Its lazy by the publishers though.

Not for me, read it quite a while back and nothing stands out about this book.

This book is actually 2 in 1, so you get great value for money. Not a thick novel however the font is quite small and close together and page margins are minimal, so lots to read!The first (no spoilers) deals with a Space exploration survey team captain, Coredlia of the title, on a newly discovered wild world dealing with enemy soldiers and intrigue upon intrigue. The second book is about Cordelia on a foreign planet, married to a powerful Lord...the couple get involved in high powered politics and civil war, intrigue and espionage.You will tell from the above that this novel does not contain huge space battles, or even big futuristic battles dirtside. The novel is more about Cordelia and her experience of the events. It is never a boring read and it is from a feminine viewpoint which does fascinate me as a man.Personally I think this book should be recommended reading for all adolescent boys, to make them more aware of how the other half of the population think about certain things.However, I am only marking this book as 4 stars out of 5.Partly because it contains some very cliche characters (the quiet self tortured but loyal aide, the estranged couple that the main characters chuckle about because their shattered love is so easy to fix if only they knew how they felt about each other, etc etcPartly because although never boring the novel never really gets exciting either. Cordelia is in the midst of hugely important events but the author manages to reduce the situation down to her really wanting a bath, which I would have to call male chauvinism if the author was not a woman!

I bought this book a year or so ago when the Miles Vorkosigan series of books was first recommended to me. I was reluctant to pick it up because usually I'm not that fond of SF-books (strange really considering I'm a dedicated fan of B5, ST and SW...) but once I did I couldn't put this volume down."Cordelia's Honor" is the omnibus edition of the 2 parter "Shards of Honor" and "Barrayar" which describe how Miles' parents, Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan, met, fell in love, married and finally had him. Both books are written from Cordelia's point of view which shows extremely well how her feelings towards her erstwhile captor Aral subtly change throughout "Shards of Honor" and how she tries to adapt to life on the warrior planet Barrayar with its backward attitude towards women and anything that's not perfect. Granted, there are moments, especially in "Barrayar", where she comes across as some sort of super-woman who just has to come, see and conquer any trouble she encounters but Bujold nevertheless manages to keep her human with every failure and virtue attached to the word. I especially loved the way the romance between Cordelia and Aral remained quite understated, there are no overt declarations of love but nonetheless you as the reader know and understand that the 2 characters share a deep affection, love and respect for each other and the cultures they each come from (which couldn't be more different). I think that's the way such deep feelings have to be handled. It doesn't always need words for the reader to grasp the author's intention as long as the meaning and the actions speak a clear language.There are 2 scenes in the book I especially would like to mention. First, of course, the fate of Sergeant Bothari which is only hinted at in "The Warrior's Apprentice" which I read prior to this book only to reread it again when I finished "Cordelia's Honor"... As despicable as his actions during the failed invasion of Escobar are I do feel sympathy - not for what he did but for how much he was damaged by what he was forced/drugged to do.And the second instance is of course the "failed" assassination attempt on Aral which caused Miles' handicap. Again it's not so much the words Aral says but in the description of his expression, tone of voice and actions that tell of his pain. And I won't even begin about Cordelia's fight to have Miles transfered into the uterine replicator...The only regret I have about this book is that I've already finished reading it - but since I'm in the habit of reading my books twice of 3 times at least that's but a half-regret. *And* I still have quite a couple of books left in the Vorkosigan-saga.If you wish to start with this series of books, be sure to pick up this one first. It sets the ground, introduces some of the key players on Barrayar (one of the reasons I reread "Warrior's Apprentice" after finishing this one) and is, plain simple, a wonderful book full of interesting characters that are allowed to retain their humanity with all its failures, and a romance that's handled beautifully in its subtlety.

Lois Mcmaster Bujold ist eine fantastische Autorin, mehrfach mit dem Hugo und Nebula dekoriert und noch öfter nominiert. Ihre Charaktere sind interessant und gut geschildert. Hier Cordelia und Aral, die aus gegensätzlichen Kulturen stammen. Zum einen das demokratische und liberale Beta, in dem Geschlechtsumwandlungen und Klonen zur Tagesordnung zum anderen der Hinterlandplanet Barrayar, ein feudalistischer Planet auf Expanisonskurs. Cordelia als Captain eines betanischen Forschungsschiff wird auf einem neu zu kategorisiendem Planeten versehentlich zurückgelassen. Aral, ist ebenfalls auf sich gestellt, gemeinsam machen Sie sich auf den Weg zu einem Lager...Unterschiedliche Vorstellungen prallen aufeinander, mit einem guten Sinn fürs komische ohne die Personen und Ihre Überzeugungen lächerlich zu machen. Politische Intrigen, Kampfaktionen, ein beschwerlicher Weg auf einem unerforschten sehr fremdartigen Planeten. Packend und überraschend. Shards of Honor und den Nachfolgeband "Barrayar" in dem Cordelia sich mit ral auf Barrayar befindet, erhielt einen Hugo Award. Sehr empfehlenswert, wer Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Georgette Heyer, Laurell K. Hamiltons Anita Blake mag, sollte sich daran mal versuchen. Zum Einstieg ist auch Warriors Apprentice mit Miles Vorkosigan als Hauptfigur zu empfehlen, der ebenfalls einen Hugo erhielt...auch dies nur in einem Sammelband zu erhalten: Miles, Mayhem and Mystery...