Book Log 46/2010 - Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honour

[jacey]

Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honour
IN: Cordelia's Honour compilation.

A re-read for me – third time, I think. The first time was without any knowledge of the Vorkosiverse, Lois McMaster Bujold's series of books and novellas about Miles Vorkosigan, his family and connections, plus a couple of independent novels set in the same universe. The second time (2009) was a re-read to pick up on all the things I'd missed first time round and this time... it was a comfort read. This is Cordelia Naismith meets Aral Vorkosigan, the love of her life, but to say that the path of true love doesn't run smooth is an understatement. Cordelia and Aral are on opposite sides in a war. He's Barrayaran – part of a militaristic culture run by nobility. She's Betan, egalitarian and forward-thinking. He's a soldier who's already got the reputation of being 'The Butcher of Komarr' from a previous wartime exploit, she's a peace-loving, civilised survey commander. He's having rouble with certain factions within his crew, she's managed to get isolated from hers, all apart from one who's so badly injured he becomes a millstone around her neck.

This looks, at first, like it's going to be a get-me-out-of-here novel, but that first element resolves, Cordelia escapes and later, as the war develops, falls into the clutches of the Barrayarans again and this time Aral might not be able to save her.

When the war, or its end, forces them apart again Cordelia is used and abused by her own side as they firstly use her as a media hero and abuse her because they fear she's been turned into a spy. They're willing to take her apart, piece by piece, to find something that isn't there. The less they find, the harder they look. Finding her own side more dangerous than the Butcher of Komarr, Cordelia sets about escaping again.

Comments

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I love this book. In many ways, it's the section at the end in which her own well-meaning people try to help her that makes it so original.

But I just love the way in which Cordelia and Aral find the things that they respect in one another. They both recognise integrity and value it.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Agreed. It was as if several different types of books had been rolled into one, so there's the get-me-out-of-here story combined with the milSF, the big plot twist and then the-state-is-out-to-get-me story and though it all the gentle exploration of Aral and Cordelia's points of contact and division.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

The other thing I love, when viewing the series as a whole, is that Aral and Cordelia's love story doesn't end with 'they got married'.

We get to see the ongoing story of their relationship and how it forms the man that Miles will become. I love the quiet (but never trivial) impact that Cordelia has on Barrayaran politics. I love the way that the respect she and Aral have for one another never falters and that they continue to live up to the other's regard.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. It's not often you get to see a couple growing old together in happy-ever-after-land, but we get to see that through Miles' eyes.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I love that book. It's been a while since I last read it, too. Hmm...