Review: Barrayar, by Lois McMaster Bujold

I've read a number of the Vorkosigan books now, and while I've enjoyed the heck out of all of them, I've been keeping that final fifth star in reserve. Don't get me wrong, they've all been great reads, but until now, none of them have given me that thrill of elevation the way the best books do. The one that says "Yes. This character, who on the surface I have little-to-nothing in common with, has hit on what it means to be a human being, and inspired me to be a better one."

This one did. Twice.

Subjective measures aside, this is a damn fine novel in its own right. Cordelia, the book's protagonist, was raised in the technology-valuing egalitarian Betan society, and the process of her adjustment/capitulation (depending on your point of view) to the martial, honor-driven, caste-bound Barrayaran culture makes for a fascinating study. The people surrounding her are nearly as complex and interesting, and Bujold subtly develops their characters, until watching their personalities bounce off each other (and, later, off of a series of world-changing events) becomes one of the novel's major pleasures. There's even a cohesive and convincingly drawn theme of parenthood - how it changes us, how it changes our world, and how each of us deals with the sudden rearrangement of our priorities, even unto the taking of actions we might never have otherwise considered.

This is likely a reflection of my own humanistic bent, and of course individual opinions may vary, but I strongly believe that science fiction, like all art, is at its finest when used to explore questions of humanity - identity, integrity, vulnerability, connection. By that measure, Bujold has written herself a masterpiece, well worth its many accolades. A++ with cherries on top