Shards of Honor

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

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)

More romance than my usual sci-fi fare

This was my first audiobook, listened to on a road trip for business. I enjoyed the world building hints, which make me want to proceed a bit further into the series. it is definitely more romance than I'm used to, though.

Scenes and discussions of rape, so beware of this is a concern for you.

Rich and Deep

Great world-building with equally great character development. Cordelia is wonderful heroine--intelligent and calm. Since most of the story is told from her perspective, I was surprised the (male) narrator pulled it off so well. Aral was beautifully-drawn tortured hero. While the romantic element is a foundation of the story, there are no love scenes. The story has a lot of political intrigue and doesn't shun the horrors of war. Much of its depth is realized in the choices the characters make in the imperfect world they inhabit. Some reviews say this is one of the weaker stories in the series. If that's even partly true, I'm in for some seriously gratifying listening because I loved this one.

Loved it.

Characters and setting are top notch. Narrator is pretty good. He doesn't get too animated and that helps sort of draw you in.

Clever, capivating, and makes you want for more!

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

I would and have recommended this audiobook to several friends. I love the whole Vorkosigan series and I can't get enough of them. Each book leaves you wanting more.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shards of Honor?

The most memorable moments are the different creatures that attack them during the trek to safety.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Grover Gardner sounds to me like Edward R. Murrow which brings the story a special feeling. I don't think anyone else could have brought the story to life the way he did.

Any additional comments?

Read the series.

The beginning of one of the best SF series there is

This book sets the pace for the following series of books. The characters grow as the story does.

My most favorite characters ever.

I read Vorkosigan books twice. And then I discovered them on Audible and lost count of how many times I re-listened them. I love the characters, their wittiness and sense of honor, love for each other. The Vorkosigans became a family to me (for a lack of my own) and their values became my own.
I’m looking forward to many more books in this series. Thank you Lois for such a life shaping stories-experience!

Good story that gets better as you go along

This is a nice sf story that emphasizes different things mostly from having a female perspective. There is a military conflict, but the personal relationships are more important. There is a good amount of action, though, but it’s not that glorified and there are many different ways conflict is resolved that are interesting. The story also develops differently than I anticipated.

Author's first book & my absolute favorite of all!

A glimpse into a warrior's mind and the values we call honor and loyalty, blended with a wonderful cast of people and worlds soon to develop into the Vorkosigan Universe series.

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.