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A review by chickenafraido
Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
4.0
As a fan of sci-fi, I've been hearing about this series for years. I finally picked up Shards of Honour a few days ago and by the end of that novel, I have to say I was a little disappointed. To me it seemed pretty run-of-the-mill sci-fi, and I didn't love the characters the way every one else seemed to. I put the book down and figured I'd never continue the series, as it just wasn't for me.
However - a little bit of research led me to realize the author had written a direct sequel to Shards many years later, and that the two had been distributed as a single work at one point in time. To me, that said that Shards was incomplete, and that I hadn't yet had the ful story that Bujold had to offer me. Determined to see what everyone else had loved, I decided I would give Barrayar a chance. And I'm glad I did.
This novel gave me everything I wanted from the first. I cared about the characters, and I began to see why everyone loved Cordelia and her found family so dearly. I was invested in the story like never before, and determined to see where this strange society would lead the protagonists. I went from being content to drop the series, to now wanting to know where Miles story might lead me.
The seventh in chronology this might be, but it's truly a sophomore novel at its heart. Luckily, it's also a sophomore done right.
However - a little bit of research led me to realize the author had written a direct sequel to Shards many years later, and that the two had been distributed as a single work at one point in time. To me, that said that Shards was incomplete, and that I hadn't yet had the ful story that Bujold had to offer me. Determined to see what everyone else had loved, I decided I would give Barrayar a chance. And I'm glad I did.
This novel gave me everything I wanted from the first. I cared about the characters, and I began to see why everyone loved Cordelia and her found family so dearly. I was invested in the story like never before, and determined to see where this strange society would lead the protagonists. I went from being content to drop the series, to now wanting to know where Miles story might lead me.
The seventh in chronology this might be, but it's truly a sophomore novel at its heart. Luckily, it's also a sophomore done right.