Aral's father, Count Piotr Vorkosigan, seeks to abort the fetus rather than have the Vorkosigan name and title passed on to a 'deformed mutant,' but a furious Cordelia keeps him at bay. Barrayar, due to its harsh environment, has fostered a deep loathing for mutations, and babies with even minor birth defects are routinely euthanized. In a desperate attempt to save the fetus, Cordelia has it transferred to a uterine replicator-an artificial womb-to undergo experimental treatment that may partially combat the otherwise-fatal bone damage. A plot to assassinate the Vorkosigans with poison gas fails, but the antidote, while effective, is also a powerful teratogen that poses a grave threat to the bone development of their unborn son. Before crafty old Emperor Ezar Vorbarra dies, he maneuvers a very reluctant Aral into agreeing to serve as regent for Ezar's young grandson Gregor. Plot summary Ĭordelia and Aral Vorkosigan are expecting their first child. 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. It is a part of the Vorkosigan Saga, and is the seventh full-length novel of the series, in publication order. Barrayar won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 1992. 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. Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1992)īarrayar is a science fiction novel by American writer Lois McMaster Bujold.