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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Although I took a break while reading this in order to gorge on movies and TV, I really did enjoy it at least as much as [b:The Warrior's Apprentice|61906|The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga #3)|Lois McMaster Bujold|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1170597854s/61906.jpg|2792]. Miles was a bit more grown-up in this one, and had a better idea of just how much trouble he could get himself into.
The story was a little exhausting, it moved so fast. I started off thinking that the entire book would take place on Kyril Island, with Miles learning how to do his new job, attempting to figure out the secret to convincing less-intelligent soldiers to follow you rather than work against you, and trying to keep his commanding officer from making his life miserable. The stuff on Kyril Island was fantastic, and I admit to being a little disappointed that Miles wasn't there longer. I would have liked to see more of him learning to work with regular soldiers, on their level, without a bodyguard and his status as Vor as safety nets. Plus, I enjoyed the dangerous environment.
Miles tried to do as he was told, but the situation kept changing, getting out of control, and basically making it impossible for him obey his original orders without someone dying. Although I wasn't always able to follow the larger conflicts very well and got completely lost during the final space battle, I was able to follow the series of events that propelled Miles through the story just fine. It was exciting to see Miles take on his Admiral Naismith identity again, and it was nice to see how things had changed among the Dendarii Mercenaries. I'll be curious to see whether Miles stops thinking of Elena all the time in later books, now that he's gotten a chance to see her again and realizes that she's very different from the girl he once loved. In this book, she felt less like someone playing at being tough, and more like someone who was actually tough. She also seemed to have a more jaded (but still, I think, positive) opinion of Miles.
I could imagine Cavilo making another appearance in the series, although she might be too greedy and self-serving to ever morph into someone Miles could call an ally. She was a twisty opponent who was so fascinating to watch in action that it wasn't until I finished the book that I realized I hardly knew anything about her as a person. What sort of life had she led, prior to the events of this book? She was clearly used to using her looks, to people seeing her beauty and small stature and underestimating her razor sharp mind.
All in all, I'm still loving this series and looking forward to reading the rest of the books, all of which I now own. While I can't wait to read more about Miles, I think I'll jump back in time and read the books about his parents first – Bujold keeps referencing events prior to Miles' birth, and not knowing all the details bothers me.
(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
The story was a little exhausting, it moved so fast. I started off thinking that the entire book would take place on Kyril Island, with Miles learning how to do his new job, attempting to figure out the secret to convincing less-intelligent soldiers to follow you rather than work against you, and trying to keep his commanding officer from making his life miserable. The stuff on Kyril Island was fantastic, and I admit to being a little disappointed that Miles wasn't there longer. I would have liked to see more of him learning to work with regular soldiers, on their level, without a bodyguard and his status as Vor as safety nets. Plus, I enjoyed the dangerous environment.
Miles tried to do as he was told, but the situation kept changing, getting out of control, and basically making it impossible for him obey his original orders without someone dying. Although I wasn't always able to follow the larger conflicts very well and got completely lost during the final space battle, I was able to follow the series of events that propelled Miles through the story just fine. It was exciting to see Miles take on his Admiral Naismith identity again, and it was nice to see how things had changed among the Dendarii Mercenaries. I'll be curious to see whether Miles stops thinking of Elena all the time in later books, now that he's gotten a chance to see her again and realizes that she's very different from the girl he once loved. In this book, she felt less like someone playing at being tough, and more like someone who was actually tough. She also seemed to have a more jaded (but still, I think, positive) opinion of Miles.
I could imagine Cavilo making another appearance in the series, although she might be too greedy and self-serving to ever morph into someone Miles could call an ally. She was a twisty opponent who was so fascinating to watch in action that it wasn't until I finished the book that I realized I hardly knew anything about her as a person. What sort of life had she led, prior to the events of this book? She was clearly used to using her looks, to people seeing her beauty and small stature and underestimating her razor sharp mind.
All in all, I'm still loving this series and looking forward to reading the rest of the books, all of which I now own. While I can't wait to read more about Miles, I think I'll jump back in time and read the books about his parents first – Bujold keeps referencing events prior to Miles' birth, and not knowing all the details bothers me.
(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The further adventures of Miles are every bit as compulsively readable as the first, though I would say the pacing of this book is sometimes off...the first bit, at remote Kyril Island, where Miles seems doomed to succumb to the boredom and embarrassment of being assigned weather duty in a frozen wasteland, feels like a totally different story than the rest of the book, where Miles tries to unravel the increasing tension in the Hegen Hub, once again reviving his "character" of Admiral Naismith. Filled with memorable moments and much needed development for some older characters- particularly Emperor Gregor, feeling both depressed and useless despite being THE political power on Barrayar, the Vor Game is a fun read, often very exciting and difficult to put down.
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1416517.html
I love Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, but this is not one of my favourite volumes, and I was slightly surprised to discover that it had won the Hugo. Structurally it is rather obviously bolted together from the original novella, "The Weatherman", and the subsequent expansion to novel length with the whole space war story; and the whole plot crucially depends on the massive coincidence of Miles bumping into Gregor on page 145. Having said that, the competition that year was not especially intense (see below) and I wonder if there might not have been an element of rewarding Bujold not just for The Vor Game but for her work to date, and particularly for the Dendarii stories.
It is still a decent enough book. Bujold's portrayal of a rule-bound society which is trying to adapt to the outside world, and which is run by actual human beings who occasionally just want to run away from it all, is what really makes the series (and gives The Vor Game its title) - my favourite character in this book is Gregor, worried that he may not be up to the job but proving himself both sexually and politically. Miles could have been one of these intensely annoying MilSF heroes who never lose a battle or an argument; but we do see him make mistakes and paying for the consequences. The complex military and diplomatic situation of the Hegen Hub is conveyed to us sufficiently clearly that we appreciate the potential impact of the decisions made by just one or two outsiders. So it's a fun read, but I think she didn't really hit her stride until Memory, Komarr and A Civil Campaign.
I love Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, but this is not one of my favourite volumes, and I was slightly surprised to discover that it had won the Hugo. Structurally it is rather obviously bolted together from the original novella, "The Weatherman", and the subsequent expansion to novel length with the whole space war story; and the whole plot crucially depends on the massive coincidence of Miles bumping into Gregor on page 145. Having said that, the competition that year was not especially intense (see below) and I wonder if there might not have been an element of rewarding Bujold not just for The Vor Game but for her work to date, and particularly for the Dendarii stories.
It is still a decent enough book. Bujold's portrayal of a rule-bound society which is trying to adapt to the outside world, and which is run by actual human beings who occasionally just want to run away from it all, is what really makes the series (and gives The Vor Game its title) - my favourite character in this book is Gregor, worried that he may not be up to the job but proving himself both sexually and politically. Miles could have been one of these intensely annoying MilSF heroes who never lose a battle or an argument; but we do see him make mistakes and paying for the consequences. The complex military and diplomatic situation of the Hegen Hub is conveyed to us sufficiently clearly that we appreciate the potential impact of the decisions made by just one or two outsiders. So it's a fun read, but I think she didn't really hit her stride until Memory, Komarr and A Civil Campaign.
I can honestly say that I had no idea where the book would end as I began it. The story is full of twist and turns but it still felt unforced. Miles is a great character and I enjoy this series very much.
Finally, Miles grew on me, and I enjoyed his cleverness and total lack of obedience much more than in "The Warrior's Apprentice". Even more than Miles himself, I really enjoyed Gregor and his relationship with Miles.
I'm still not sure what I think of Cavilo. I tend to hate femme fatale, but I think the mirroring and similarities between her and Miles were interesting.
Despite everything I just wrote, I still think Cordelia is ten times better than Miles, and I truly don't understand while Bujold stopped writing about her and moved to Miles.
I'm still not sure what I think of Cavilo. I tend to hate femme fatale, but I think the mirroring and similarities between her and Miles were interesting.
Despite everything I just wrote, I still think Cordelia is ten times better than Miles, and I truly don't understand while Bujold stopped writing about her and moved to Miles.
3.5 stars
I love Miles and enjoy the character studies, but a lot of the plot points seem to rely on some incredibly convenient coincidences.
I love Miles and enjoy the character studies, but a lot of the plot points seem to rely on some incredibly convenient coincidences.
꒰2021 review 15 / 37 ꒱ 5★ 〔Spanish〕
What an absolute masterpiece! You outdid yourself, Bujold. And I think I developed a bit of a crush on our favourite sadboi Gregor ejem ejem
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What an absolute masterpiece! You outdid yourself, Bujold. And I think I developed a bit of a crush on our favourite sadboi Gregor ejem ejem
•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•
Well, I abandoned this one. Waaaaaaay too slow. OMG. Maybe it gets better, but I didn't have the patience to find out.