Status Updates From Shards of Honour (Vorkosiga...

50% in, I wish I could get into the intergalactic battles, but I’m not. I still prefer the sophistication, characterization, and world-building of her fantasy series, The World of the Five Gods.

But this is just a prologue and one of her earlier works, yet it has stronger romance than her other books.

⚠️ Just a heads-up for the rape content...it caught me off guard, and I don’t think it was handled well.

HE KEPT HER CLOTHES AS A MEMENTO 😭 “You—saved my clothes?”, “Well—it was all you left.”

“His face maintained a mask of cool neutrality, but his eyes searched her in secret agony.” HE WAS WORRIED FOR HER 😭

They destroy their own ship and transfer to a lifeboat, only to end up as prisoners of the Barrayarans. I honestly can’t make sense of that decision. 🤷🏻‍♀️

What comes next is disturbing, with explicit rape threats that may disturb readers. The situation is horrific, and it doesn’t make sense how she was so calm in that situation.

I love Bujold, but this sci-fi book is pretty hard to read 😅, so I’m taking some notes. There’s a time skip that feels a bit jarring and disjointed.

Anyway, Cordelia and her crew use a projected decoy ship to lure the Barrayaran army away from the wormhole, letting a supply convoy slip through.

⚠️ trigger warnings for threats and attempted sexual violence

my problem is…i have no idea what’s going on

i don’t understand why she didn’t tell the truth or corrected her crew’s idiocy or defend aral

i need a commentary. information overload. but he’s staging a fake romantic drama to hide a real military message. if she dies, the message dies with her. if she stays with him (fake marriage), she doesn’t return home (escobar) to tell the warning. his love isn’t fake but he’s using the situation strategically.

“Dear C—Commander, am I too sudden, by Betan standards?” Aral’s stumble towards the endearment he will use for Cordelia for the rest of his life.

No wonder he’s being obvious. he’s liked her since day one! 😭

OH THIS MAN 😂💕 “That’s not what I want, for you, with you. You should have thebest. I’m hardly that, you must know by now. But at least I can offer you the best I have.”

BWAHAHAHA THIS MAN IS DOWN BAD FOR HIS FAKE “PRISONER” 😭 💕 THAT’S THE SMOOTHEST PROPOSAL I’VE EVER READ

Cordelia: Barrayan geography. It’s a beautiful place
Aral: I should like to take you there someday.
Cordelia: I’d like that very much.

SINCE WHEN DO ENEMIES TALK LIKE THAT 🤣 That man is being obvious

BWAHAHAHA he’s aware of the gossips