TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual AssaultAna’s Take:So, this is my first ever encounter with the works of Lois McMaster Bujold and I fear it was probably the wrong place to start. Shards of Honor is, as far as I understand, the author’s first book, the one that starts the Vorkosigan Saga even though it takes place before the main character of the series, Miles, is even born ( Shards is the story of how his parents met).First of all: It is of utmost important to note that, unlike many readers, I have come to read this novel without the strong influence or expectations of having read any of the other (purportedly much better) novels in the series.Please bear with me as I try to organise my jumbled thoughts on this book.As for the good: I like this brand of Romantic Military Science Fiction; I was interested in the mix of plotlines that are divided between the conflict and differences of Barrayar and the Beta Colony such as they are and the romance between Barrayar’s Aral Vorkosigan and Beta’s Cordelia Naismith. I like the two characters’ and their slow burning (well, more or less) romance. Above all, I loved the sturdy, practical character of Cordelia who is both the main character and sole viewpoint narrator. It is Cordelia’s narrative that kept me going – I liked her voice (even though it made me laugh that she, as well as many characters in the novel, saw her as a more “mature”, old character when she is only 34) and her non-frills attitude and enjoyed very much to see her save the day multiple times.With that said, I was wholly…unmoved by the novel. In a really strange way, it felt longer than it actually was and parts of it were extremely boring even though the high stakes nature of the plot – in fact the transition between the time Cordelia and Aral meet and their next encounter was awkward to the extreme.I thought at least one plot development to be disturbing and off-putting in its execution: the super prolonged torture, sexual assault that Cordelia suffers in the middle of the novel which serves nothing at all apart from being a lazy way of showing how Horribly Villainous, the villain is. It was a harrowing scene for the main character but which felt weirdly hollow in the development of said character; all the more disturbing was how the aftermath of that attack was explored at length but only when it came to one of her abusers. He himself was also a victim but the fact that he managed to break free of his conditioning ONLY to save the heroine of this novel made me very uneasy. This appeared to me as not only a throwback to Old Skool Bodice-Ripper Romance but also to Old School Science Fiction in which the female characters Suffer Sexual Perils For Being Female.Finally, we have Aral's HONOR: And that is the extent of his character development.Which brings me to my last point. The romantic relationship and its sudden development required a lot of suspension of disbelief. The plausibility (or lack of) of it plays a huge part because you have to believe that a character like Aral – supposedly this SUPER honoured man with a top level position – would start SHARING SECRETS within a couple of days of meeting an enemy. OK, so we are talking about survival as he and Cordelia are Trekking For Their Lives but still. He asks her to marry him after knowing her for five days and in spite of the fact such a sudden, spur-of-the-moment relationship is against the beliefs of his culture and its social mores. I am all for Love Conquers All but….five days?Is this the product of its own time? Do the stories in the series get better? Will I read the Miles books? I think so, or else Thea will never forgive me.Thea’s Take:You know, rereading books is a funny thing.I am a huge fan of Miles Vorkosigan. I love his voice, his clever thinking, his father’s honor and his mother’s wry humor, and his blending of Betan and Barrayan morals. Miles is and I think will always be one of my favorite characters in the canon of science fiction (or even fiction, overall) and I firmly stand by that statement.That said, when it comes to Shards of Honor… Ana’s not wrong. Upon rereading this particular Cordelia adventure – I adore Cordelia, by the way – it doesn’t really stand up to the test of time. And a lot of that is because of the shitty sexual assault (which DOES 100% seem like a reflection of this particular era of old school sci fi), and because when i try to approach this book without the inevitability of Miles in my mind, Aral and the romance do fall somewhat… flat.So let’s tackle the latter issue: inevitability. It’s hard for me to divorce myself from expectation (of Miles) and focus only on this solo story as it stands on its own. I suspect people who know Miles, who have an understanding of Barrayans and Betans and the nuances of these different societies will be more interested in Shards of Honor than someone coming in fresh. (For background, I started with the Young Miles anthology and worked my way forward through The Mountains of Mourning before going back to read Shards of Honor and Barrayar.) But divorce myself from expectation I must, and through the lens of encountering this world for the first time… yeah, I see where Ana is coming from. Aral is overly preoccupied with HONOR! The romance that unfolds is fast – because the audience already knows it will happen – although I would argue that the building attraction and relationship between Cordelia and Aral is a nice slow burn. I do very much like that both Cordelia and Aral are older protagonists with their own past histories and baggage (er, well, Aral mostly) – and I love that they go across their own cultural and societal norms to be together. Even if it is a little unbelievable.Mostly, I love Shards of Honor because of Cordelia. She’s funny and smart, as well as both empathetic and pragmatic (she has no hesitation or problem firing when she knows she has to fire, for example). There’s a particular scene where she and Aral are talking about the nature of command and management and she glibly says that she’s able to deal with annoyance better than most, which undoubtedly has helped her own standing as an officer – and that is one of the reasons why she’s so damn awesome. I love that Cordelia is the hero of these stories, that her voice is the defining narrative viewpoint for the pre-Miles books, and I know I said I wouldn’t do it but you can really see that Miles gets his gumption and cleverness from his awesome mother.These praises said… there are negatives, too. The sexual assault scene is particularly awful and absolutely reads as old school ‘torture the woman in the way evil male villains torture women.’ Beyond that, the plot is also weirdly protracted and unfocused – granted, the focus here is on the relationship between the two protagonists, but given how so many of the other stories in Miles’ universe have a true central conflict and sense of pacing, I’m surprised at how loose and lacking urgency Shards of Honor is upon rereading.Ultimately, I’m torn. I always recommend that people start with The Warrior’s Apprentice (in Young Miles) or Cordelia’s Honor (Shards of Honor and Barrayar) if they prefer a female protagonist but… now I’m rethinking that recommendation. Maybe I need to reread Barrayar to make the final decision.(P.S. Ana, there WILL be blood if you do not give Miles a try before giving up.)Lively discussion going on here
The Vorkosigan Saga is one of those series I’ve been meaning to read for a while. And, in fact, I read Cryoburn last year for the Hugo Awards voting. Going back to the beginning and reading the series in order has been a task long overdue, so let’s get this party started.I love space opera. Technically speaking, Shards of Honour and its sequel, Barrayar, which I read in omnibus form, is probably more planetary romance. It is the first of a two part story of Cordelia Naismith falling in love not only with Aral Vorkosigan but with the planet of his birth, Barrayar. Cordelia leaves everything she knows behind to be with Aral—not that the alternatives are much better, thanks to her celebrity but suspect status after her participation in the defence of Escobar.So, since I love space opera, Lois McMaster Bujold had a home-field advantage here. I love the intrigue that goes along with this type of science fiction. Because, let’s face it: if humanity does spread out among the stars one day, this is what we’ll be like. We’ll be divided and insular, petty and always bickering. Empires are difficult—as Barrayar demonstrates—and politics and diplomacy in the vacuum of space are always swift and unforgiving. The reactionary culture of Barrayar and the progressivist nature of Beta Colony both seem like possibilities for space colonies in the far future. Bujold also deals with the question of why Barayar doesn’t just go settle an uninhabited world ripe for the picking: the network of wormholes connecting all these worlds is what makes them valuable.Shards of Honour doesn’t really deal with the Barrayar–Beta politics, however, except through the interactions of their embodiments in Aral and Cordelia. Ever since their first meeting on the surface of that survey world, two things are obvious: firstly, they are meant to be together; secondly, they will forever be the symbols of their upbringings—so I’ll leave you to guess what their union means for Barrayar.Which brings me (finally) to my opinion of—and problem with—Shards of Honour. Cordelia and Aral are forced together by circumstance … and then he proposes marriage. Like you do. It is the ultimate contrived setup; Cordelia doesn’t fall in love with Aral so much as end up thrown together with him enough times to decide she might as well marry him. Everything about this story is so driven and obviously constructed towards getting Cordelia to Barrayar and married to Aral Vorkosigan, and it really frustrates me. I’d like to just embrace this book and love it unconditionally, because I love the characters … but I can’t ignore what is, if not lazy, extremely indulgent plotting.Cordelia is an awesome main character. She’s smart and determined. She knows what she wants and will stick to her guns until she gets her way. In many ways, Cordelia is the perfect interface between Beta Colony and Barrayar. While she represents the non-warrior, curious nature of the Betan culture, she is actually far more of a warrior than most other Betans we see in this book. She might not always carry a gun and salute, but Cordelia is a tactician. She can scheme, and she can act and react with the best of them. It gets her out of trouble (and, yeah, into trouble) numerous times.As much as the setup between Cordelia and Aral frustrates me, I like Aral too. Bujold does a good job making him a complex person. The Betans call him the Butcher of Komarr. He is the ultimate scapegoat and monster—until Cordelia meets him and discovers that, while he is Barrayan, he is a reasonably nice guy. For Aral, it’s all about doing what is honourable—but unlike some of his comrades, who allow the excesses of their aristocratic upbringing to corrupt them, Aral is all about his duty to the empire.In many ways, it’s that conflict between personal gratification and service to one’s government/nation that underlies all of Shards of Honour. Cordelia essentially betrays Beta Colony to be with Aral (though she might not see it that way). Aral has to make some tough decisions about his personal loyalty in order to do what he thinks is right for the empire. And the biggest question, the conflict that this book ultimately resolves, is whether Aral and Cordelia can be together and be loyal to their own personal ideals as well as Barrayar. Beta Colony and Barrayar end their war before Cordelia marries Aral—I wonder what will happen next time war starts up?Shards of Honour is a good novel on its own, but it is one that begs for more. I’m happy I read this as part of the omnibus. The transition into Barrayar is seamless. This really feels like the prologue to the latter book, which is where Bujold gets down and tackles the really interesting ramifications of Aral and Cordelia’s interstellar romance.Intrigue and romance, war and murder and the conflict between honour and personal desire … Shards of Honour hits all the right notes for an interesting story. Oh, and there are spaceships and wormholes and nerve disruptors as well! Science fiction in name and set dressing, this is really just an action-adventure novel and a romance story wrapped up into one. It’s well worth reading—but don’t stop here.My reviews of the Vorkosigan Saga:Barrayar →
What do You think about Shards Of Honour (2003)?
Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my FINISHING THE SERIES! list.I loves me a good series! But I'm terrible for starting a new series before finishing my last - so this reading list is all about trying to close out those series I've got on the go.Somehow, Shards of Honor didn’t hit the sweet spot in the same way as every other Vorkosigan Saga novel that I’ve read. It’s good – this is a very comfortable three stars, about a 3.3 – but I still ended up a little disappointed because she’s since set the bar so high.I’ve been reading the series in a totally higgledy-piggledy order, but this was the first, and like with some of my favourite long running series, it feels strange to go back to the beginning. The Colour of Magic doesn’t read anywhere near as smoothly as something like Night Watch. Likewise, Storm Front lacks the confidence of Changes. So it's no surprise that Shards of Honor takes far fewer risks than Mirror Dance. Please don’t take this to suggest in any way that this is a bad book – it’s not – please, read it, love it, join me in wearing a little Vorkosigan liveried cheerleaders outfit! It’s a fantastic series. For a debut, it sure ain’t bad. But they get better from here on in, that’s all. This is the story of how Aral and Cordelia, Miles’ parents, met and fell in love, back in the midst of Barrayar’s failed invasion of Escobar. From a space-opera point of view, there’s some great scenes here, in particular I’m thinking of: the vampire balloons and predatory crabs (hostile creatures on an alien planet), the action scenes as Cordelia saves Aral’s ship from a mutiny and escapes back to her own in one fell swoop, the political intricacies of the invasion, and the whole chain of events around Elena’s conception (simultaneously disturbing and pathetic). The contrast between Barrayar and Beta is played out very well, and there are some great cameos from established players – we get to see Kou and Illyan when they were young and there’s even a scene with Mayhew (the pilot from The Warrior’s Apprentice). This is all good, fun, eminently readable stuff and definitely essential reading for anyone (like me) who came in further down the tracks.But it suffered (for me) from a lack of real tension. Miles is always fighting this massive uphill battle, he always takes on challenges way, way out of his league – and wins! That’s why we love him. In Barrayar, Cordelia is stuck on a new planet, trying to understand, adapt, and flourish amid a revolution – again, huge challenge. While the odds here may be stacked against Aral and Cordelia’s relationship, these are two hugely competent adults, both fighting for the same thing – the situation is complex, but it never felt beyond them – I was never surprised by their achievements. And while Cordelia definitely has some great moments of wry humour, she spent a lot of this book with her head in a spin, and doesn’t deliver as many insightful/analytical zingers as in Barrayar, or her appearances in latter books. My final complaint is the rape/torture aspect of the plot – it just felt a little cheap, a sort of ‘perfect way to demonstrate evilness in the baddie’, rather than an integral part of Cordelia’s own journey. Just my two-cents. Shards of Honor is a bit cheesey, a touch patchy, but still a lot of fun and well worth the read. I picked up my copy second hand for less than the price of a sandwich – b-b-b-bargain!After this I read: Drood
—Clouds
Lepa i zabavna SF prica i fin pocetak za odlicnu seriju sa puno mogucnost ali malo mi fali "velicine" u ovome, space opera feel ili nesto malo vise u stilu Honnor Harington. S druge strane iako dosta jednostavna, prica dotice dosta ozbiljne teme iu na momenat ume da bude mracna sto priznajem nisam ocekivao.Glavni likovi su zabavni za citanje ali su nekako suvise ispravni u svojim postupcima. Nije da mi smeta ali malo odskace od ostatka likova (dobrih ili losih). Ali dovoljno su dopadljivi da cu rado nastaviti sa serijalom.
—Daniel
I listened to the Blackstone Audio app. The narration is decent, but not outstanding. A pleasant male voice, probably a baritone. Given the 3rd-person POV was mainly the heroine's, a female voice would have served better, IMO. 3.5 stars for this space opera / romance, written under the guise of sci-fi, even though there is very little scientific innovation beyond the odd species in the opening chapters -- big bloodsucking balloon-like creatures, and some novel carnivores and herbivores. Of course, the series includes space ships, jumping through wormholes, and fierce battleship weapons.At its core, this is a "clean" romance (despite a filthy sexual offender) amidst a backdrop of interplanetary war. The heroine is taken captive and -- under dangerous circumstances -- falls in love with her noble captor. The feeling is fully reciprocated. The two must face various problems (some quite intense and creepy) and are separated several times across the book. For fairly long stretches, they are apart. I was impatient during these separations, especially since the interplanetary espionage and warfare was not interesting to me. Also, Bujold did not provide any sufficiently developed and sympathetic secondary characters to follow when the leads were apart. (There are sympathetic secondary characters -- especially that one poor bastard -- but they mainly serve as props, used to help characterize the two protagonists as compassionate, loyal, and strong.)I liked the heroine, Captain Cordelia Naismith. Not a whiner, she makes tough decisions, never taking the easy route if it will cause an innocent to suffer. Commander Vorkosigan falls for her quickly, as we eventually learn: Later, lying warm in the darkness in Vorkosigan's room in the Count's townhouse, Cordelia remembered a curiosity. "What did you tell the emperor about me?" He stirred beside her, tenderly pulling the sheet over her bare shoulder... "Hmm? Oh. He wanted to know what I saw in you. I told him," he paused a bit and continued almost shyly, "that you poured out honor all around you, like a fountain." (Hence the title.) Cordelia is admirable, but I did not like the fact that she only returned to Vorkosigan when life on her planet became untenable. I felt she kept him hanging too long. He deserved better. (However, she makes up for it.)I really liked the hero, Lord Aral Vorkosigan, starship commander and sometimes Admiral of noble birth. Unfairly dubbed "The Butcher of Kommar," he is honorable yet flawed, both needy and protective. He also keeps a few secrets. Expect to be surprised.This is the first of a long and popular series. According to reviews, the author improves her craft with subsequent books. I will read another. (I did. The series does improve. See update below.)=====================About the series: The Vorkosigan Saga is space opera with some romantic bits here and there. As science fiction it's not outstanding, but interesting enough. In terms of innovations, the series mainly hinges on advanced biomedical technology, including cloning and other types of genetic engineering (no longer fiction). Bujold does a nice job with characterization and plot development. Her pacing is good, too. I grew to love young Miles Vorkosigan (Cordelia and Aral's son), who first appears as a young man in The Warrior's Apprentice, and as a young boy at the end of Barrayar.The series contrasts the militaristic, intolerant, feudal planet of Barrayar against the enlightened and generally progressive planet of Beta Colony. This cultural dichotomy is fairly suspect, but interesting. It serves a purpose.Reading tip and a little history: Many last names sound the same. On planet Barrayar, noble sir-names begin with Vor, as with Vorkosigan, Vorbarra, Vorpatril, etc. "Vor-" is a prefix that means "warrior-lord" or something similar. This naming system began about 600 years ago, after Barrayar's wormhole to Mother Earth collapsed and the Period of Isolation began, transforming (and regressing) advanced Barrayar into a feudal system of government. Barrayarans are descendants of Russian, English, French, and Greek colonists. Some photos that describe the entire series: http://pinterest.com/merriank/barraya...======= My reviews of this series (*favorites): Shards of Honor review*Barrayar review*The Warrior's Apprentice reviewThe Vor Game reviewCetaganda reviewThe Mountains of Mourning reviewLabyrinth review*Borders of Infinity reviewBrothers in Arms reviewMirror Dance review*Memory review*Miles in Love: Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Winterfair Gifts review*Komarr reviewDiplomatic Immunity reviewCaptain Vorpatril's Alliance reviewCryoburn review
—Kathleen
