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A review by jandi
Miles Errant by Lois McMaster Bujold
5.0
This omnibus edition contains a novella, "Borders of Infinity", along with two novels, "Brothers in Arms" and "Mirror Dance". The three stories are quite closely related to each other, you definitely need to read them in sequence (and should read at least the "Young Miles" omnibus before jumping in).
"Border of Infinity" is a brilliant novella where we see Miles thrown into a Cetagandan POW camp, with literally nothing but his wits and charming personality. It features Miles being, well, Miles, and is quite enjoyable. The resolution is very satisfying. This novella made me think a lot of Saramago's [b:Blindness|40495148|Blindness|José Saramago|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528481068l/40495148._SY75_.jpg|3213039], how different that one would have played with Miles around.
"Brother in Arms"is a little more disjointed and a weaker entry in the series. It's main purpose tho is to introduce a new character that plays a much larger (and darker, disturbingly darker, consider yourself warned) role in "Mirror Dance". The new character is fairly annoying on the first book, but managed to redeem himself on the second. The events on both books are a whirlwind, and they keep you reading compulsively, but the psychological aspect of the characters is masterful (specially on Mirror Dance). We see displays of brilliance again, but in contrast to [b:The Warrior's Apprentice|61906|The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170597854l/61906._SY75_.jpg|2792], there are few laugh out loud moments, this is more serious fare.
Even though half of the story in "Mirror Dance" did not feature Miles, this is one of my favorites in the series. The first arc of the story was painful, watching a train wreck every one could see from a mile away. Incompetence driven narratives drive me crazy, so I was happy to see character growth and a plot that highlighted the characters strengths, along with their weaknesses after that.. Cordelia also plays a bigger role in "Mirror Dance", so that may have something to do with my extra enjoyment of it. I'd like to see more of Ivan in the future tho, it is becoming more and more apparent there is more to him than meets the eye. And it was nice to see some references to Koudelka.
"Border of Infinity" is a brilliant novella where we see Miles thrown into a Cetagandan POW camp, with literally nothing but his wits and charming personality. It features Miles being, well, Miles, and is quite enjoyable. The resolution is very satisfying. This novella made me think a lot of Saramago's [b:Blindness|40495148|Blindness|José Saramago|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528481068l/40495148._SY75_.jpg|3213039], how different that one would have played with Miles around.
"Brother in Arms"is a little more disjointed and a weaker entry in the series. It's main purpose tho is to introduce a new character that plays a much larger (and darker, disturbingly darker, consider yourself warned) role in "Mirror Dance". The new character is fairly annoying on the first book, but managed to redeem himself on the second. The events on both books are a whirlwind, and they keep you reading compulsively, but the psychological aspect of the characters is masterful (specially on Mirror Dance). We see displays of brilliance again, but in contrast to [b:The Warrior's Apprentice|61906|The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170597854l/61906._SY75_.jpg|2792], there are few laugh out loud moments, this is more serious fare.
Even though half of the story in "Mirror Dance" did not feature Miles, this is one of my favorites in the series. The first arc of the story was painful, watching a train wreck every one could see from a mile away. Incompetence driven narratives drive me crazy, so I was happy to see character growth and a plot that highlighted the characters strengths, along with their weaknesses after that.