There were times early on when I was left confused by some of the details being provided (e.g. However, getting to that point is a bit of a trial. It is refreshing to get that approach from an author and as you get deeper into the book, it's easier to absorb what's happening and how the different societies work. A master of 'show don't tell' she drops facts into dialogue and situation set up and lets the reader feel their way into the worlds she's creating. The irony is that Bujold's greatest strength is also her greatest weakness: she doesn't explain anything. I should actually point out that I read this as part of the Cordelia's Honor release by Baen Books - essentially a double volume consisting of Shards of Honor and Barrayer and which I'm counting as separate books for the purposes of my year's tally. I know that Lois McMaster Bujold is a respected Hugo winning SF author and that this is one of the first books in a very successful series following Miles Vokosigan, but there's no getting away from the fact that I didn't really enjoy it. Discovering deception within deception, treachery within treachery, she was forced into a separate peace with her chief opponent, Lord Aral Vokosigan - he was called 'The Butcher of Komarr' - and would consequently become an outcast on her own planet and the Lady Vokosigan on his. In her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada.

When enemies become more than friends - they win!

Shards of honour