#139 in Science fiction
Barrayar
- 389
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
- Hugo Award for Best Novel
- Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Affiliate link: buying through it supports BookRank at no extra cost to you.
Our view
War drives “Barrayar”, yet its violence stays in the background: the drama of the characters comes first, with a sharp streak of humour. It follows directly from “Shards of Honor”, the first novel about Cordelia Naismith and Admiral Vorkosigan, and is best read straight after it. Some readers note that it is an adult book, with mature situations and frequent swearing. The writing is serious and touching by turns.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Barrayar is a science fiction novel by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold. It was first published as four installments in Analog in July–October 1991, and then published in book form by Baen Books in October 1991. Barrayar won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1992. It is a part of the Vorkosigan Saga, and is the seventh full-length novel of the series, in publication order. Barrayar is a direct sequel to Bujold's first novel, Shards of Honor (1986), and the two are paired in the 1996 omnibus Cordelia's Honor.
Reading order · The Vorkosigan Saga
Full order & progress →- Shards of HonorStart here
7.57.5 / 10 - The Warrior's Apprentice
–Not ranked yet - Ethan of Athos
7.57.5 / 10 - Falling Free
7.67.6 / 10 - Brothers in Arms
7.97.9 / 10 - Borders of Infinity
7.97.9 / 10 - WeathermanWeatherman–Not ranked yet
- BarrayarThis book
8.18.1 / 10 - Mirror Dance
8.28.2 / 10 - Cetaganda
7.97.9 / 10 - Labyrinth
–Not ranked yet - Memory
8.38.3 / 10 - Komarr
8.08.0 / 10 - A Civil Campaign
8.18.1 / 10 - Winterfair Gifts
7.87.8 / 10 - Diplomatic Immunity
7.97.9 / 10 - Cryoburn
7.77.7 / 10 - Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
8.08.0 / 10 - Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen
7.67.6 / 10 - The Flowers of Vashnoi
–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 270 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 65% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Science fiction average of 7.8. That is how 8.1 comes out. A further +0.10 comes from the small bonus for major awards.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.7 | 26 | 10% |
| Hardcover | 8.2 | 244 | 90% |
Frequently asked
How long is Barrayar?
It has 389 pages — shorter than 63% of the ranked books in Science fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Science fiction — and a score of 8.1, the closest to this book.
