Shards of Honor

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

It was the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. And Captain Cordelia Naismith of the Betan Expeditionary Force would be forced into a separate peace with her enemy, Lord Vorkosigan.

Shards of Honor is the novel in which Lois McMaster Bujold introduced the science-fiction world to Barrayar and Aral Vorkosigan, Beta Colony and Cordelia Naismith. From this beginning the author has created a multigenerational saga spanning time as well as space.

Bujold is generally recognized as the current exemplar of the character-based science-fiction adventure story.

©1986 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[Bujold] gives [her] characters enough emotional depth, and enough sense, to raise their story beyond cliché." ( Locus)

A great story!

Would you listen to Shards of Honor again? Why?

I have already listened to it twice and am planning to listen to it many times in the future.

What other book might you compare Shards of Honor to and why?

It reminds me a bit of early Heinlein - you are dropped into the society with no explanations and have to pick it up as you go along.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?

Cordelia Naismith - he portrayed her range of emotions very well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Parts of it made me tear up a bit, others made me laugh out loud.

Any additional comments?

This book is part of the Miles Vorkosigan series. It is the first book chronologically, but it is not the first book Bujold wrote. I read the books in the order they were written but am now listening to them in their chronological order in the series. Either way you do it, this is one of the best series in science fiction, bar none.

Eureka!!

Finally, a well written sci-fi book! After reading book after book written by 12 year olds I finally found a well written book! For fans of hard sci-fi, this isn't it. Not much sci, but the fi makes up for it! Excellent characters, and very smartly written. I enjoyed this immensely, and will read others in the series.

not bad

over all not bad, only a few parts that were truly confusing other than the validity of certain parts.

Phenomenal story. Third time around and it keeps getting better.

I wasn’t crazy about this series at the beginning, but after getting through all of them, I have found I enjoy them more and more on each reread. They are rich in excellent characters and profound human insights

An Indiana Jones type of adventure with love

Two people from very different backgrounds and home worlds are thrown together in an Indiana Jones type space adventure. Aral Vorkosigan is an unrefined military leader from an "uncivilised" world called Barrayar while Cordelia Naismith comes from Beta Colony, a place that seems civilised and technologically advanced.

In a time of war, Cordelia must choose between love or patriotism, truth or fame, an uncertain future or celebrity status. Woven through these choices are a quest for true honour that might just be masked as shame.

Lois McMaster Bujold draws you into an enjoyable adventure where you are kept on the edge of your seat - boy meets girl, but are they really going to live happily ever after?
As this novel introduce the parents of Miles Vorkosigan - but not yet Miles - even the final answer stays tentative.

Again Grover Gardner can be congratulated for a solid performance.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and heartily recommends it to anyone looking for a true Indiana Jones type space adventure!

A Good Start of a GREAT series

This is the first in the Vorkosigan series. The writing here is good but not as good as the later books. Nevertheless it is still better than most Sci Fi and well worth reading to set the tone and history of the continuing characters. This is very light Sci-Fi and more like fantasy. The later books become a bit more Sci Fi oriented. This is one of my favorite series in Sci Fi. The series has lots of action, really great characters, lots of fun, interesting concepts, and stories that really hang together well. This first book is a little slow but I recommend it as it adds richness and depth to the later novels.

A great beginning to a great series in novels!

I loved this one. I can't wait for another.
Bujold is an excellent writer and holds her audience in every book and keeps the reader on course (informed on the characters and situations) no matter which one you start to read first.
I love the narrator! Don't change him!

Sweeping Space Opera

This is just solid space opera in the vein of Star Wars with more thought behind the consequences of the actions the individuals take as well as the reactions of those around them.

The first of the Vorkosigan series

I don't think this one is as good as some of the later ones but it is still awfully good. The detail of her universe is wonderful.

SciFi Romance Novel

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is the beginning of the Vorsorkian series. If you like hard core SF you'll truly enjoy this book. I'm a 68 yr old female, who has enjoyed a lot of SF over the years, and I can't remember if I ever read a Romance novel, I don't think so. I personally found Bujold's characters fairly realistic, and she addresses the universal problems prople face.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The heroine, Cordelia, an enticing character, who stands on her own two feet, but finds out that an honorable enemy is a blessing.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite part is where she rolled the pretender's head onto the conference table.