Shards of Honour

This was interesting, with what felt like a unique take on the space opera genre (the slightly more mature main characters were a nice touch). While most of the prose was very good, with a nice turn of phrase, there was the occasional rushed scene that felt a little "boy's own", although not enough to detract from the overall story. In summary, very good and I am curious about the next in the series (and indeed, the wider series).

Cordelia Naismith is a terrific heroine and this is a wonderful love story. I listened to Shards of Honor in audio format, read by Grover Gardner. At first I thought the choice of a male narrator was strange until I remembered that most of the VORKOSIGAN books are written from Miles??? perspective.

I liked it. It is a rich universe with politics, history and conflict.
The main character, Cordelia Naismith, is the captain of a survey ship from the peaceful Beta Colony. And there is Lord Aral Vorkosigan who is the leader of a secret military mission from the planet Barrayar. It starts with an attack to Cordelia's base camp that leads here into the hands of Vorkosigan, as a prisoner. There is a subtle tension between the two characters as they have to team together to stay alive. The plot brings discussions about honor, xenophobia, war crimes and cultural differences.
There is moderate action, lots of politics and just a hint of romance.