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Cordelia's Honor
Somehow Bujold has contrived to write a Space Opera that isn't about battles, a Political Intrigue novel that isn't bogged down in machinations, and (most improbably), a Star-Crossed Lovers romance that doesn't include any of the standard clichés.The woman isn't an ingénue, needing rescue by the world-weary warrior. The warrior doesn't fumble over his declarations of love. Neither of them is searching for someone to make them whole. This kind of parity isn't seen often enough in life, let alone in romantic fiction.Oh, one more little thing: The story happens to be wonderfully written, with a subtle command of the language that makes the book fast-paced without being rushed.
Cordelia's Honor
A friend of mine loaned me separate copies of Shards of Honor and Barrayar, then ended up buying me the two-in-one edition because I was so reluctant to give them back. Since then I have re-read it until it is falling apart. There's no higher praise I can give a book than that. Cordelia's Honor is one of those books that alters your worldview, changes your life, and sits on your top shelf forevermore. It's a love story but it's a lot more than that. It's the story of how two determined people from very different backgrounds meet, fall in love and go on to change their worlds for the better. Cordelia and Aral become like real people you actually know--better still, they become your friends. If you haven't read this story, you don't know what you're missing--it is INCREDIBLE.
Cordelia's Honor
Captain Cordelia Naismith is a strong female hero, and the second part of this two-novel repackaging is particularly noteworthy in giving us a science fiction adventure with a pregnant hero. I first read this book when I didn't realize I was pregnant, and it was the perfect way to start into that great 9-month adventure.The first novel in the volume, Shards of Honor, is a space-adventure-romance which might be described as military science fiction as it might have been written by Jane Austen: two mature, intelligent, and principled characters overcoming differences (rooted in complex social situations) to find a way to be together without compromising their sense of honor.In the second novel, Barrayar, the pregnant Cordelia must use all her courage and ingenuity to bring her baby, the future Lord Miles Vorkosigan, through a planetary civil war alive. She concludes that the only thing to do is to change the world to make it fit for her child -- and all children. I recommend this book (and Cordelia's conclusion) to fans of romantic science fiction & female action heroes. Especially if they happen to be pregnant!
Cordelia's Honor
By Ed BurkheadShards 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.
Cordelia's Honor
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 starsThis 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+ starsBarrayar 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).
Cordelia's Honor
The covers do not do this series justice.I could kick myself for smirking at these books in the bookstore because the covers looked, well er, lame. 20 years later I am very glad to have discovered the series and hope you will too. Cordelia's Honor is the first book of the 12 book series that is still ongoing. I discovered all this by accident when I got a free copy of one of the books. I very quickly realized this was going to be one of the best science fiction series out there and went and bought them all. I got my brother hooked a short time later. In short, the series is what good books *should* be . . . Suspense, great characters that grow and change, incredible realistic descriptions of the future universe that is very plausible. You might even lose sleep reading on until the end. I haven't had books keep me up at night in ages . . . The stories themselves are so tightly written as to make them compulsively readable. The entire series in order is:Shards of HonorBarayar(these two books are also combined into "Cordelia's Honor")The Warrior's ApprenticeThe Vor GameCetagandaEthan of AthosThe Borders of InfinityBrothers in ArmsMirror DanceMemoryKomarrA Civil CampaignDiplomatic ImmunityPlease don't make the mistake of judging by the cover, the series is fantastic and fun to read.