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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
The Vor Game won the Hugo Award for best novel in 1991, and although parts seemed a little slow in the cacophony of travel that takes up the middle, the ending is what really dazzles the reader with how it all comes together and all becomes worth the ride. Not that the middle was ever boring - it was just exhausting for one to even consider having to go through. Poor Miles and his lack of sleep certainly made me feel entitled to extra naps here and there in the novel.
But I'll backtrack. We last left Miles having finally earned himself a place in military academy and we find him now going out on his first deployment. It's to a harsh place of constant-winter, where he is to be working in weather prediction... though this quickly gets out of hand when he nearly dies in a hazing ritual and, Miles being Miles, shakes up the order of the place substantially within days, earning himself a few more enemies in the process.
He's then whisked back to his father's side, and sent on a more secretive mission under ImpSec whilst under the appearance of being kept somewhere safe and out of the way as punishment... so of course Miles manages to throw aside all orders for the greater good, reunites himself with the Dendarii and Elena (and Baz), and then manages to save the one thing Barrayar hold most sacred. All in all, Miles certainly deserves a holiday after this one. By the end of the book, you can hardly believe the beginning is as it is - surely that awful time in the snow is another novel entirely?
We get to see Elena has become entirely her own in the time Miles has spent away from the Dendarii, and a few people note how she is by far more experienced and capable than those who've had limitless training and opportunities thrown at them. Chapter fifteen had me wriggling in my seat with glee, and I don't think I've enjoyed an ending more in a long time in any book this year.
Once again, I can't wait to see what happens to Miles and everyone else next. Especially Gregor.
But I'll backtrack. We last left Miles having finally earned himself a place in military academy and we find him now going out on his first deployment. It's to a harsh place of constant-winter, where he is to be working in weather prediction... though this quickly gets out of hand when he nearly dies in a hazing ritual and, Miles being Miles, shakes up the order of the place substantially within days, earning himself a few more enemies in the process.
He's then whisked back to his father's side, and sent on a more secretive mission under ImpSec whilst under the appearance of being kept somewhere safe and out of the way as punishment... so of course Miles manages to throw aside all orders for the greater good, reunites himself with the Dendarii and Elena (and Baz), and then manages to save the one thing Barrayar hold most sacred. All in all, Miles certainly deserves a holiday after this one. By the end of the book, you can hardly believe the beginning is as it is - surely that awful time in the snow is another novel entirely?
We get to see Elena has become entirely her own in the time Miles has spent away from the Dendarii, and a few people note how she is by far more experienced and capable than those who've had limitless training and opportunities thrown at them. Chapter fifteen had me wriggling in my seat with glee, and I don't think I've enjoyed an ending more in a long time in any book this year.
Once again, I can't wait to see what happens to Miles and everyone else next. Especially Gregor.
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-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
3.5 stars
Read it all in one night. The date finished says August 6th 2021, but I wish Goodreads let us put time finished as well, because it was very much 3am.
What is there to say? Bujold is the crème de la crème of her genre (space opera ft. very fast-talking boy). Very fun, funny, and sensible. Pitch-perfect comic timing. You get the grand heist / space battles and the real human consequences thereof. I liked that Miles had some progression this time in the way he approached the Admiral Naismith persona; some wariness of what it caused and what it took from him. Gregor was a good character to have here; his arc made things more interesting and less repetitive from the last novel. Props to Bujold for working a lil' mental health into this genre too. Women continue to be a bit :/ unfortunately, though of course still more subtlety than many novels in the genre written by men. Definitely didn't love it like I loved Shard of Honour, but I was never going to be as interested in Miles' trials and tribulations like I was in Cordelia's.
Read it all in one night. The date finished says August 6th 2021, but I wish Goodreads let us put time finished as well, because it was very much 3am.
What is there to say? Bujold is the crème de la crème of her genre (space opera ft. very fast-talking boy). Very fun, funny, and sensible. Pitch-perfect comic timing. You get the grand heist / space battles and the real human consequences thereof. I liked that Miles had some progression this time in the way he approached the Admiral Naismith persona; some wariness of what it caused and what it took from him. Gregor was a good character to have here; his arc made things more interesting and less repetitive from the last novel. Props to Bujold for working a lil' mental health into this genre too. Women continue to be a bit :/ unfortunately, though of course still more subtlety than many novels in the genre written by men. Definitely didn't love it like I loved Shard of Honour, but I was never going to be as interested in Miles' trials and tribulations like I was in Cordelia's.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Vorkosigan books have quickly become among my favorite sci fi, but I found this one not quite as wonderful as some of the others. Miles is still charming with a self-deprecating humor that balances well his quick intellect and ability to awesomely get out of all kinds of sticky situations. But I got bogged down in the politics and the battles--maybe they were on too broad a scale. I missed some of the more personal interactions of "The Warrior's Apprentice" and "Shards of Honor." Still a good, fun space opera with great characters.
High energy space opera, yes you have to buy into the coincidences, but this tale is a ton of fun and real easy to read.
This review is for my reread of the Vorkosigan Saga with SpecFic Buddy Reads during 2017/18. This is the first of the Miles novels that I haven't read before, and there's quite a few from here that will be new to me as well. I originally picked up the series from [b:Memory|61880|Memory (Vorkosigan Saga, #10)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460274588s/61880.jpg|3036720].
Miles Vorkosigan has graduated the Imperial Military Academy and looks set for a bright future of military service as long as he develops some important basic officer skills. To this end he gets sent to a small frozen military outpost in the middle of nowhere. Being Miles though, trouble soon follows, in this case with an embittered veteran military commander who resents the "softness" of the peacetime military. Letting a "mutant" serve only emphasizes his prejudice, so Miles is in trouble from the start. But actions Miles is forced to take lead him into space for another encounter with the mercenary company that he formed in the previous book and he's forced to deal with consequences of his earlier actions and a brand new interstellar situation.
The first section of this where Miles is on Kyril Island for his miserable first posting I thought was brilliant. It encapsulates a lot of what I love about the series including the rich world-building (for example, the discussion of the Barrayaran minority populations) as well as Miles's ability to win people over by being both empathic and competent at his job. It also does a great job at illustrating the boundaries of Miles has and what he's willing to sacrifice for those.
The second section with the Hegen Hub was less successful in my opinion. A lot of it is more of [b:The Warrior's Apprentice|61906|The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1170597854s/61906.jpg|2792] with regards to the Dendarii Mercenaries, but much of the rest of it is outrageous coincidences followed by situations where the plot of the story and the antagonists as well seem to set Miles up for victory. The whole thing feels very railroaded, although it's nice to see Miles growing up a bit and facing the consequences of his actions. (More on that much later in the series).
Miles Vorkosigan has graduated the Imperial Military Academy and looks set for a bright future of military service as long as he develops some important basic officer skills. To this end he gets sent to a small frozen military outpost in the middle of nowhere. Being Miles though, trouble soon follows, in this case with an embittered veteran military commander who resents the "softness" of the peacetime military. Letting a "mutant" serve only emphasizes his prejudice, so Miles is in trouble from the start. But actions Miles is forced to take lead him into space for another encounter with the mercenary company that he formed in the previous book and he's forced to deal with consequences of his earlier actions and a brand new interstellar situation.
The first section of this where Miles is on Kyril Island for his miserable first posting I thought was brilliant. It encapsulates a lot of what I love about the series including the rich world-building (for example, the discussion of the Barrayaran minority populations) as well as Miles's ability to win people over by being both empathic and competent at his job. It also does a great job at illustrating the boundaries of Miles has and what he's willing to sacrifice for those.
The second section with the Hegen Hub was less successful in my opinion. A lot of it is more of [b:The Warrior's Apprentice|61906|The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1170597854s/61906.jpg|2792] with regards to the Dendarii Mercenaries, but much of the rest of it is outrageous coincidences followed by situations where the plot of the story and the antagonists as well seem to set Miles up for victory. The whole thing feels very railroaded, although it's nice to see Miles growing up a bit and facing the consequences of his actions. (More on that much later in the series).
3.5 stars as it was slightly better than the last book
Unpopular opinion time: I don't like Miles Vorkosigan.
He's annoying and irritating. He was cute as a little boy at the end of the last book about his parents (Barrayar), what with his physical disadvantage but strong and sharp mind, trying to win over even his grandfather. By now, in his early 20s, his character is less than charming however.
He's supposedly very intelligent, a great strategist like his father, yet I don't see it anywhere. He stumbles from one situation into another (some his own fault because he's trying to prove himself, some the fault of others who are trying to bully or even outright murder him) and every time he tries to get out of the respective problematic situation, he makes it worse. The truly awful thing, however, is that everyone around him flocks to him and just waits for the oh so brilliant Miles to lead them into disaster (they actually expect him to come up with a plan although at least people like Elena know by now how ridiculous his plans always are and how much he relies on luck). I just don't get it. Sure, there are even more stupid people around (not only on Barrayar which gets mocked for its traditions), but does truly nobody see that Miles isn't actually smart?!
So in this second book about Miles and his "adventures" we start with him graduating from the military academy through some political strings that got pulled at the end of the last novel. His first posting is to some Arctic outpost and of course the spoiled little brat complains and whines about not having gotten something more prestigious (actually monologuing about how it might be discrimination which is just privileged noise from someone who thinks he’s owed something). Only when one of his superiors dangles some bait before his nose does he go. *rolls eyes*
The Arctic station was actually interesting though it was clear that it wouldn’t last long and how it would fit into later complications.
From there, Miles is taken to Imperial Security so as to get him out of the line of fire and, while helping Illyan, he gets framed for murder, arrested and meets the Emperor (who listened to the "brilliant" Miles and thus got himself incarcerated as well) in prison. *sighs*
After that, it's a romp through half a galaxy to get the Emperor home safely but since nothing is straight forward with Miles, we meet his mercenaries from the last book (now with "political" problems of their own) as well as a femme fatale.
Maybe it's that Bujold is all over the place with Miles' stories. I'm not sure. In the two books about Cordelia and Aral, we had political intrigue and some military space action, but never such a mess as here. Just too many focus points, too many battles for one story. Or it really is me not being able to warm up to Miles.
I know he's supposed to be like a superhero but I JUST DON'T BUY IT. Captain America has his strength, Iron Man has his suit, Dr. Strange has magic ... Miles only has his deformity.
Don't get me wrong, I love that there was an author audacious enough to make a seemingly disabled person her hero (although he's "just" small and has brittle bones, the rest has been cured by the doctors).
Her writing must have been an innovation back in the day as well.
However, I just can't connect to Miles because I don't see his supposed brilliance.
All I see is him being a burden to everyone precisely because he can NOT pull off heroic deeds, giving everyone a heart attack because he refuses to accept No for an answer, and endangering the people he supposedly loves. Add to that that he showcases hubris and all other marks of a spoiled brat (he's an only child, almost died before birth, so that plus his status on Barrayar and his charming nature as a kid ensured he was fussed over and never learned any boundaries).
So yeah, all I want to do is throw him in a small and not very comfortable room for at least a week and give him a good thrashing.
I might continue with the series because I was promised it would at least shift from military action to mysteries he needs to solve through wit alone (and maybe Bujold is better with political and social messes than military ones), but I really don't see why this series is so beloved (except for the afore-mentioned innovation factor about a disabled MC back in the day or, in fact, even nowadays).
If it wasn't for me reading this one book per month with the SpecFic group, I would have already given up. :/
Unpopular opinion time: I don't like Miles Vorkosigan.
He's annoying and irritating. He was cute as a little boy at the end of the last book about his parents (Barrayar), what with his physical disadvantage but strong and sharp mind, trying to win over even his grandfather. By now, in his early 20s, his character is less than charming however.
He's supposedly very intelligent, a great strategist like his father, yet I don't see it anywhere. He stumbles from one situation into another (some his own fault because he's trying to prove himself, some the fault of others who are trying to bully or even outright murder him) and every time he tries to get out of the respective problematic situation, he makes it worse. The truly awful thing, however, is that everyone around him flocks to him and just waits for the oh so brilliant Miles to lead them into disaster (they actually expect him to come up with a plan although at least people like Elena know by now how ridiculous his plans always are and how much he relies on luck). I just don't get it. Sure, there are even more stupid people around (not only on Barrayar which gets mocked for its traditions), but does truly nobody see that Miles isn't actually smart?!
So in this second book about Miles and his "adventures" we start with him graduating from the military academy through some political strings that got pulled at the end of the last novel. His first posting is to some Arctic outpost and of course the spoiled little brat complains and whines about not having gotten something more prestigious (actually monologuing about how it might be discrimination which is just privileged noise from someone who thinks he’s owed something). Only when one of his superiors dangles some bait before his nose does he go. *rolls eyes*
The Arctic station was actually interesting though it was clear that it wouldn’t last long and how it would fit into later complications.
From there, Miles is taken to Imperial Security so as to get him out of the line of fire and, while helping Illyan, he gets framed for murder, arrested and meets the Emperor (who listened to the "brilliant" Miles and thus got himself incarcerated as well) in prison. *sighs*
After that, it's a romp through half a galaxy to get the Emperor home safely but since nothing is straight forward with Miles, we meet his mercenaries from the last book (now with "political" problems of their own) as well as a femme fatale.
Maybe it's that Bujold is all over the place with Miles' stories. I'm not sure. In the two books about Cordelia and Aral, we had political intrigue and some military space action, but never such a mess as here. Just too many focus points, too many battles for one story. Or it really is me not being able to warm up to Miles.
I know he's supposed to be like a superhero but I JUST DON'T BUY IT. Captain America has his strength, Iron Man has his suit, Dr. Strange has magic ... Miles only has his deformity.
Don't get me wrong, I love that there was an author audacious enough to make a seemingly disabled person her hero (although he's "just" small and has brittle bones, the rest has been cured by the doctors).
Her writing must have been an innovation back in the day as well.
However, I just can't connect to Miles because I don't see his supposed brilliance.
All I see is him being a burden to everyone precisely because he can NOT pull off heroic deeds, giving everyone a heart attack because he refuses to accept No for an answer, and endangering the people he supposedly loves. Add to that that he showcases hubris and all other marks of a spoiled brat (he's an only child, almost died before birth, so that plus his status on Barrayar and his charming nature as a kid ensured he was fussed over and never learned any boundaries).
So yeah, all I want to do is throw him in a small and not very comfortable room for at least a week and give him a good thrashing.
I might continue with the series because I was promised it would at least shift from military action to mysteries he needs to solve through wit alone (and maybe Bujold is better with political and social messes than military ones), but I really don't see why this series is so beloved (except for the afore-mentioned innovation factor about a disabled MC back in the day or, in fact, even nowadays).
If it wasn't for me reading this one book per month with the SpecFic group, I would have already given up. :/
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes