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Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

Lois McMaster Bujold

Why we're reading this: Hugo Award Winner 1992

#59 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all time (2011 poll) http://www.npr.org/2011/08 …more
[close] Hugo Award Winner 1992

#59 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all time (2011 poll) http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/1390858...
#70 on Locus Magazines Best SciFi novels of the 20th century http://www.locusmag.com/2012/AllCentu...

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What Members Thought

Jul 02, 2013 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1audio, 2fiction, 3series, scifi

Wow! Absolutely wonderful as an audio book & the story was much tighter than the previous one.More great history & expanding internal politics of Barrayar. A lot of tough decisions & some remarkable adventure. There are also some shining moments, especially by Cordelia.

Two of the things I loved; Cordelia goes off & completes her own adventure much to Aral's dismay & delight. He tells her not to do that to him again. She simply tells him to make sure she doesn't have to again. It was perfect!

The ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Aug 13, 2017 Scott Firestone rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, space-opera

Five years, and six books, into the Vorkosigan Saga, Lois McMaster Bujold went back and filled in a bit more of the history. Shards of Honor was the story of Miles' parents meeting and falling in love. Barrayar is the story of Cordelia coming to live with Aral on Barrayar, and her attempt to navigate a warlike society so unlike her own, and start a family.

The first half of the book is a slow burn. Cordelia is experiencing Barrayar for the first time, along with us the readers, so details and in ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2015 Matthew Clanahan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sff, own-kindle

When I decided to read the Vorkosigan Saga in internal chronological order (much thanks to Rachel at kalanadi), I decided to bypass the [mostly unrelated] novelettes, Dreamweaver's Dilemma and Falling Free, and jump directly into the lives of Aral and Cordelia in Shards of Honor and Barrayar. My friend, Jonathan, who has read the entire series, almost talked me into jumping directly into Miles Vorkosigan's story with The Warrior's Apprentice.

After reading Shards of Honor and liking it--but not ...more

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Aug 20, 2008 Jim rated it liked it

Shelves: scifi, 3series, 2fiction, 1paper

I read this in paper format too long ago to review, but later listened to it as an audio book. That review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
...more

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May 07, 2014 Shhhh... Books rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, scifi, adult

Eeeeeeeeeeeee! THIS WAS AMAZING. OH MY GOD. THE LEVEL OF BAMF made me so happy--I can't even--oi, so where to start...

Things I LOVED:

1. I'm not going to spoil but Cordelia is so awesome in this. She's dealing with a misogynist society and yet she takes in all in stride and SPANKS its buttocks stinging red--without being shrill or whiny or annoying. When she opens the bag and throws "it" on the table... I don't think I've ever LOST IT over a novel like I did when reading that moment. My id explod Eeeeeeeeeeeee! THIS WAS AMAZING. OH MY GOD. THE LEVEL OF BAMF made me so happy--I can't even--oi, so where to start...

Things I LOVED:

1. I'm not going to spoil but Cordelia is so awesome in this. She's dealing with a misogynist society and yet she takes in all in stride and SPANKS its buttocks stinging red--without being shrill or whiny or annoying. When she opens the bag and throws "it" on the table... I don't think I've ever LOST IT over a novel like I did when reading that moment. My id exploded in Freudian glee!
2. Vorkosigan takes a back seat in this but he's still awesome. It's fantastic that even though he's under enormous pressure he's still not afraid of his wife's strength. He may find it hard to deal with at times, but he's just so BAMF about it.
3. Bothari was a great character. Like Cordelia, I am simultaneously afraid and deeply protective of him. She more or less describes him as having a loving pit bull that could break it's chain the moment it stops puppy-gazing you.
4. The realism with Miles's birth and Count Vorkosigan's prejudice. It made me route for the baby even more. And the final scene in the novel with the horses *heart sigh*

Complaints...

1. I sort of wished there was a space for the Vor class names. As in Vor Kosigan and Vor Rutyer - I had a hard time keeping the names straight, though at this point, it would have been hard for McMaster Bujold to start changing them obviously. It's just confusing.
2. While it made perfect sense that Cordelia would fight like hell for her child, I found it also weird that she didn't have guilt over possibly bringing him into a society prejudiced against genetic defects - given that even as a Betan, bringing in a child with genetic defects would be considered unthinkable. Even with such guilt, I would have expected her to fight like hell, but I was surprised it wasn't there?
3. At the end of the novel, I wanted Cordelia to feel even more maternal toward little Gregor--BECAUSE I DID. Her reaction to him at the end is an aunt's, and not really one that would be a primary caregiver's whose job it would be to love the tar out of that little boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Like why didn't she think about him coming to the wedding for 15 minutes BEFORE he sneaked in? I am curious to see how Gregor turns out in later novels, of course. I suspect the author was restrained by keeping his development consistent. ...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I picked up the series in the middle (Mirror, Mirror), and have gone back to the beginning - it's great to see where it all started!

This is great space opera, but also wonderful character-driven literature. ...more

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