Rating: 
Summary: Read it three since published, gets better all the time!
Review: Just another run of the mill Masterpiece for Bujold, a wounderfull combination hard sf, space opera and romance. Our heroine goes from being a retired officer in a forign
land to the savior of the empire in a whorl wind of turning
pages.
Bujolds grasp of things military, and the workings of the military mind, make this a geat read.
Rating: 
Summary: 1st half boring, 2nd half full of action
Review: Not sure what the big deal is about this book. There's nothing new here other than making space opera realistic by using realistic (if somewhat stereotypical) characters. I did enjoy _Shards of Honor_ and I like the characters but there are really no ideas, nothing new. It's almost as if Bujold started writing background notes for her next story then just added some action scenes and called it a book.I didn't hate it, it just makes me feel like I just got done watching a soap opera. I guess I'll give a couple of the Miles books a try and see if I like them any better.
Rating:
Summary: 1st half boring, 2nd half full of action
Review: Not sure what the big deal is about this book. There's nothing new here other than making space opera realistic by using realistic (if somewhat stereotypical) characters. I did enjoy _Shards of Honor_ and I like the characters but there are really no ideas, nothing new. It's almost as if Bujold started writing background notes for her next story then just added some action scenes and called it a book. I didn't hate it, it just makes me feel like I just got done watching a soap opera. I guess I'll give a couple of the Miles books a try and see if I like them any better.
Rating: 
Summary: The high rating of this book is difficult to fathom.
Review: The Hugo Award has long been a guarantee of excellence in science fiction. Classics like "Dune" created viable alternate worlds, and characters that were true to human experience and to themselves. Their observations on the human spirit, psyche and experience were profound.
Anyone approaching "Barrayar" hoping that the reading experience will approach profundity is totally out of luck. If this turkey became a movie, Susan Lucci would be the ideal star. A group of one-dimensional characters goes through a series of cardboard evolutions to promote a plot so ludicrous it would make Flash Gordon cringe.
I don't mind a disappointing novel, but I hate seeing a prestigious award like the Hugo wasted on basting a pathetic turkey like this one.
Rating:
Summary: Lady Vorkosigan did not fit in...
Review: The Lady, also known to us as Cordelia Naismith, was now on Barrayar where she was trying to understand how the culture and politics worked (and failing). But that didn't seem much of a problem. She would be a good wife and mother, go to a few parties, make a few appearances. What else did she need to do?
Life is not so simple. With the Emperor's death her husband is named Regent and his honor, and sense of duty, is the only thing standing between peace and the horrors of a civil war among first-rate soliders, ruthless Vor lords and advanced technology.
She's still trying to figure things out when her yet unborn son is kidnapped.
And the Vor lords thought THEY were ruthless!
Rating:
Summary: Good adventure
Review: The story in this book is dominated by the great characters. The author really gets into the characterizations. The characters feelings and motivations are described, but for all the touchy feeliness, there is still more than enough action sequences to keep you entertained. As far as SF goes, there is very little 'S' and much more 'F'. Take out the nerve disruptors, hovercraft, and plasma guns the story could be set in 18th Century Europe. It fact the society the story takes place in has lords, peasants and a stratified class system. There are no strange cultural elements in the story although alternative cultures are hinted at. This is pretty much a straight forward adventure novel that reminded me a lot of reading the 'Three Musketeers.' Overall average for what it delivers.
Rating:
Summary: Convincing characters bring a small story to life
Review: The thing that most stands out about this book is the completely believable, understandable characters. The plot to this book isn't really a whole lot...more like a historical romance than a sci-fi book, but the characters are some of the most finely wrought that I've ever encountered in sci-fi. I may not like most of them, but I understood them all, and thought of them as real people (a very difficult trick). Bujold is extremely accomplished at this, and she brings humanity to what is often a cold, impersonal genre.
Rating:
Summary: Brings SF from the pulp heap to literatary standards
Review: The Vorkosigan series is one of the best contemporary SF series. This novel particularly illustrates why Bujold stands out from the crowd. Most of today's serials utilize formulas that become quite tedious as well as predictable. Bujold's formula seems to be maximum conflict and a resolution that relies on rich developing characters set against a backdrop that is enhanced by insights into our own social make-up.
Rating:
Summary: Rated 'E' for Excellent - engrossing
Review: This is an exciting prequile to the Miles Vorkosigan stories. Hard science, military action, a love story, personal sacrifice, Ms. Bujold has written a classic of the genre.
I can't wait for her to write more in the Vor 'universe'.
Rating:
Summary: Contains some of the most memorable scenes in recent SF
Review: This is what we have come to expect from Bujold. The scene where Cordelia returns from her "Shopping" trip is worth the price of admission alone. It also has the wonderful line "Dear Captain, I was so worried about you that I forgot to worry about your enemies." Highly recomended.
| 
