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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Everyone is suicidal and everything is terrible. Also, I would die in battle for Gregor.
(If you expected these reviews to make sense, no. I'm sorry.)
(If you expected these reviews to make sense, no. I'm sorry.)
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm marking this four stars only because Cordelia's Honor was five, and this isn't as good as that one (those two), but in a general range of excellence, five out of five, would read again.
"Miles, in one breath you just plotted to kill the emperor, cuckold him, accused your father of homosexuality, and suggested patricide. What's your encore?!"
"I wish I knew!"
Jasmine and Stephanie reviewed this book saying they would die in a war for Gregor. I would absolutely die for Gregor. Poor little king. Trapped in a world that eats its children.
I ADORE that Miles was like, "this is me out of my depth, I can't be the only one who knows this. You need to talk to someone." "Who?" "My mother."
I love at the end of the book when Miles and Gregor talk a circle around Illyan and Illyan realizes he's lost, and instead of being angry he's like... "I'm gonna get to retire! We've done it, Aral! We made competent leaders out of these children!" It hearkens back to (or ahead to, if you read by publication order) Barrayar when the entire goal is to make a better world for the children. They were trying to get Gregor to the throne a better man than his father, to let Miles live and have possibility and be more than his disabilities, to allow Elena to be more than the sins of her father (both victim and abuser), and to let Ivan be Ivan. Cordelia, Aral, Illyan, all the rest, kept pushing forward, and with every step they were willing to die for their kids, and now here they are: it's not a perfect world, but their kids have caught the vision and are pushing forward too, trying to take the best of what their parents were and leave the worst. And it's hard. But they'll do it anyway.
uuuuuuuuraaaaarrrrrrrrrg I love it so much!
Plus the book was so FUN! SO FUN!
Bring on Cetaganda!
2nd read, April 2019.
Last time I was pretty focused on the meta, if the above review is anything to go on. This time around was just fun. I love this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the re-read.
"Miles, in one breath you just plotted to kill the emperor, cuckold him, accused your father of homosexuality, and suggested patricide. What's your encore?!"
"I wish I knew!"
Jasmine and Stephanie reviewed this book saying they would die in a war for Gregor. I would absolutely die for Gregor. Poor little king. Trapped in a world that eats its children.
I ADORE that Miles was like, "this is me out of my depth, I can't be the only one who knows this. You need to talk to someone." "Who?" "My mother."
I love at the end of the book when Miles and Gregor talk a circle around Illyan and Illyan realizes he's lost, and instead of being angry he's like... "I'm gonna get to retire! We've done it, Aral! We made competent leaders out of these children!" It hearkens back to (or ahead to, if you read by publication order) Barrayar when the entire goal is to make a better world for the children. They were trying to get Gregor to the throne a better man than his father, to let Miles live and have possibility and be more than his disabilities, to allow Elena to be more than the sins of her father (both victim and abuser), and to let Ivan be Ivan. Cordelia, Aral, Illyan, all the rest, kept pushing forward, and with every step they were willing to die for their kids, and now here they are: it's not a perfect world, but their kids have caught the vision and are pushing forward too, trying to take the best of what their parents were and leave the worst. And it's hard. But they'll do it anyway.
uuuuuuuuraaaaarrrrrrrrrg I love it so much!
Plus the book was so FUN! SO FUN!
Bring on Cetaganda!
2nd read, April 2019.
Last time I was pretty focused on the meta, if the above review is anything to go on. This time around was just fun. I love this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the re-read.
Miles Vorkosigan is a son of Aral Vorgosian, one of the most important men on Barrayar. Barrayar is a somewhat isolated planet, which has been gaining power and influence recently. Due to toxic attack against his mother, his bone development is stunted, and he is very short. In spite of that, he has finished his military training at the beginning of this book.
He gets his first post to a faraway island as a weatherman. The life there is extremely boring and nothing much happens. He just is almost killed by a prank which goes wrong, he finds a dead body from a water drain and he takes part on a near mutiny against tyrannical and obviously fairly lunatic commander of the post. The last causes some problems, as mutiny is something that can not be completely overlooked, even when committed for a good purpose, especially by someone in such a high position. To be out of sight for a while, he is employed for intelligence purposes, but there are a few complications, naturally.
This was a very entertaining book, at places laugh out funny. Well written, and an easy and fast read. On the other hand, there was nothing really “special” or unusual about it which would have made it a really A Hugo worth novel. But it makes me look forward to reading other parts of the series.
He gets his first post to a faraway island as a weatherman. The life there is extremely boring and nothing much happens. He just is almost killed by a prank which goes wrong, he finds a dead body from a water drain and he takes part on a near mutiny against tyrannical and obviously fairly lunatic commander of the post. The last causes some problems, as mutiny is something that can not be completely overlooked, even when committed for a good purpose, especially by someone in such a high position. To be out of sight for a while, he is employed for intelligence purposes, but there are a few complications, naturally.
This was a very entertaining book, at places laugh out funny. Well written, and an easy and fast read. On the other hand, there was nothing really “special” or unusual about it which would have made it a really A Hugo worth novel. But it makes me look forward to reading other parts of the series.
I’m a fan of this series, but this particular book was a little battle-heavy for my taste.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gregor is my baby boy !!!!!!
I wish I could like this series, but there’s something in my gut that’s holding me back. I think I’ll be cutting myself off here for the moment.
Deberia ser un 5 estrellas pero ese jugar al despiste del principio resulta un pelín anticlimático. Así que le doy un 4,5
2020: Picked this up again for relaxing reading during the pandemic. Bujold is the master of the fun space adventure.
2019: Still the same. Lots of fun hijinks.
Previous: Pretty fun. Lots of fun plot twists and ridiculous situations for Miles to get himself out of. I think I enjoyed the previous novel (The Warrior's Apprentice) a little more because it was a little more ridiculous, but this one is a little more coherent in terms of plot and theme.
2019: Still the same. Lots of fun hijinks.
Previous: Pretty fun. Lots of fun plot twists and ridiculous situations for Miles to get himself out of. I think I enjoyed the previous novel (The Warrior's Apprentice) a little more because it was a little more ridiculous, but this one is a little more coherent in terms of plot and theme.