Shards of Honor (Bujold, Lois McMaster) 1986

I read Barrayar a while back and wasn't particularly impressed; then I read Curse of Chalion and decided to go back and give the Vorkosigan saga another try in the omnibus editions.  Now, reading Shards of Honor, I see the seeds of what will eventually flower in the Chalion books -- likeable characters being put through the wringer with enough of a sense of humor about the situation to keep it from being depressing.  This is good stuff, and my original opinion of Barrayar was clearly hurt by personal expectations of what a Nebula finalist "should" be like.  (I *still* think Barrayar is a marginal Nebula finalist, but I don't feel that as strongly as before)