Barrayar

Book Details

71.4% complete

Author(s):

Lois McMaster Bujold

First Pub:

1991

Genre(s):

Science Fiction; Space Opera

First Read:

2019

Times Read:

1 time

Rating:

Chapters:

See 2

20 chapters

Epilogue

Internal ID:

1835

Series:

<- The Vor Game - Mirror Dance ->

The Vorkosigan Saga*

#7 of 16

The Vorkosigan Saga*

A series of science fiction novels and short story collections by Lois McMaster Bujold centering around Miles Vorkosigan and his parents Cordelia and Aral. This is the series in original publication order.

View this series in the book list

1) Shards of Honor
2) The Warrior's Apprentice
3) Ethan of Athos
4) Falling Free
5) Brothers in Arms
6) The Vor Game
7) Barrayar
8) Mirror Dance
9) Cetaganda
10) Memory
11) Komarr
12) A Civil Campaign
13) Diplomatic Immunity
14) Cryoburn
15) Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
16) Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen

Copyright:

Dedication:

For Anne and Paul

First Sentence:

I am afraid.

Last Sentence:

May contain spoilers

"I believe he’ll soar high, dear Captain."

Comments:

Comments may contain spoilers

in Analog

Synopsis not on file
Extract (may contain spoilers)

One aspect of her new life as regent-consort that Cordelia found easier to deal with than she’d anticipated was the influx of personal guards into their home. Her experience in the Betan Survey, and Vorkosigan’s in the Barrayaran military service, had given them both practice with life in close quarters. It didn’t take Cordelia long to start to know the persons in the uniforms, and take them on their own terms. The guards were a lively young group, hand-picked for their service and proud of it. Although when Piotr was also in residence, with all his liveried men including Bothari, the sense it gave Cordelia of living in a barracks became acute.

It was the Count who first suggested the informal hand-to-hand combat tournament between Illyan’s men and his own. In spite of a vague mutter from the security commander about free training at the Emperor’s expense, a ring was set up in the back garden, and the contest quickly became a weekly tradition. Even Koudelka was roped in, as referee and expert judge, with Piotr and Cordelia as cheering sections. Vorkosigan attended whenever time permitted, to Cordelia’s gratification; she felt he needed the break in the grinding routine of government business to which he subjected himself daily.

Cordelia was settling down on the upholstered lawn sofa to watch the show one sunny autumn morning, attended by her handmaiden, when she suddenly remarked, “Why aren’t you playing, Drou? Surely you need the practice as much as any of them. The excuse for this thing in the first place—not that you Barrayarans seem to need an excuse to practice mayhem—was that it was supposed to keep everybody on their toes.”

Droushnakovi looked longingly at the ring, but said, “I wasn’t invited, milady.”

Added: 14-Jun-2015

Last Updated: 20-Nov-2019

Quotes

Children might or might not be a blessing, but to create them and then fail them was surely damnation.

Barrayar
Lois McMaster Bujold

Publications

06-Jul-2011

Spectrum Literary Agency, Inc.

Kindle e-Book

Date Issued:

06-Jul-2011

Format:

Kindle e-Book

Cover Price:

$6.99

Pages*:

352

Read:

Once

Reading(s):

1) 19 Nov 2019 - 12 Dec 2019

Cover Link(s):

amazon.com

Internal ID:

1865

Publisher:

Spectrum Literary Agency, Inc.

ISBN:

Unknown

Country:

United States

Language:

English

From amazon.com:

Cordelia Vorkosigan's plans for a peaceful married life (after all the bloodshed and trials recounted in SHARDS OF HONOR) are shattered when a poison gas attack, intended for her husband Aral, leaves her ill and her unborn child damaged. Resisting enormous pressure to abort her son, Cordelia struggles to keep her unborn child--transferred to a uterine replicator--alive while thwarting plans by a ruthless opponent to murder the young emperor and assume absolute power over all of Barrayar. Once again Cordelia displays her courage and her remarkable combat and leadership skills. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

"... all the virtues we have come to expect from Bujold, including more and more prose that sings."
- The Chicago Sun Times

“Bujold continues to prove what marvels genius can create out of basic space operatics.”
- Library Journal

“Bujold is not just a master of plot, she is a master of emotion.”
- SF Site

“Bujold is one of the best writers of SF adventure to come along in years.”
- Locus Magazine

“A superb craftsman and stylist, Ms. Bujold is well on her way to becoming one of the great voices of speculative fiction.”
- Rave Reviews

“Bujold has a gift, nearly unique in science fiction, for the comedy of manners.”
- Chicago Sun Times

“Superb far-future saga.”
- Publishers Weekly on the 'Vorkosigan' series

Bujold's "work remains among the most enjoyable and rewarding in contemporary SF."
- Publishers Weekly

"Bujold is also head and shoulders above the ruck of current fantasists and well as science-fictionists."
- Booklist.

Lois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children. She began writing with the aim of professional publication in 1982. She wrote three novels in three years; in October of 1985, all three sold to Baen Books, launching her career. Bujold went on to write many other books for Baen, mostly featuring her popular character Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, his family, friends, and enemies. Her books have been translated into twenty-one languages. Her fantasy from Eos includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife series.

Cover:

Notes and Comments:

Book Links

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Author(s) Links

Lois McMaster Bujold - Official Website

Lois McMaster Bujold on Good Reads

Lois McMaster Bujold on IMDB

Lois McMaster Bujold on The ISFDB

Lois McMaster Bujold on Library Thing

Author(s)

Lois McMaster Bujold
Birth: 02 Nov 1949 Columbus, Ohio, USA

Notes:

From the Kindle version of Shards of Honor:

Lois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children. She began writing with the aim of professional publication in 1982. She wrote three novels in three years; in October of 1985, all three sold to Baen Books, launching her career. Bujold went on to write many other books for Baen, mostly featuring her popular character Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, his family, friends, and enemies. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. Her fantasy from Eos includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife series.

Awards

1992	Locus Magazine	Best SF Novel	Winner
1992	Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America	Nebula Award - Best Novel	Nominee
1992	World Science Fiction Society	Hugo Award - Best Novel	Winner

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Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.