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A review by snslayer
The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
5.0
The Warrior's Apprentice solidified this series as one of my favorite, despite being the first of the Vorkosigan Saga that I've read. It took me a bit to adjust to the snappy style, but once I did it became a delightful bit of immersion into what the mind of our protagonist must be like.
Miles himself was an excellent character (though Ivan is now and forever shall be my fave) who had a disability without being defined by it. It deeply impacted his life and his choices and the story and the people around him, but it was never allowed to define him. He had good qualities and he had bad qualities; he did good things and he did bad things. His disability was not his sole character trait. It seems like an absurdly low bar, but I have rarely seen a character with disability in fiction clear this basic test.
And this is to say nothing of the light-handed worldbuilding, how the author immersed us into a textured, living universe with a few light brushes here and there where necessary. It was complex and believable and organic and provocative and I would give my kingdom to spend twenty or thirty more novels exploring it.
Overall, this was a delightful read. Provocative, innovative, fun, and compelling. I would recommend The Warrior's Apprentice to anyone, but for fans of science fiction it is a must read. I have been told this is one of the best entry points into the Vorkosigan Saga, and having read it I am inclined to agree.
Miles himself was an excellent character (though Ivan is now and forever shall be my fave) who had a disability without being defined by it. It deeply impacted his life and his choices and the story and the people around him, but it was never allowed to define him. He had good qualities and he had bad qualities; he did good things and he did bad things. His disability was not his sole character trait. It seems like an absurdly low bar, but I have rarely seen a character with disability in fiction clear this basic test.
And this is to say nothing of the light-handed worldbuilding, how the author immersed us into a textured, living universe with a few light brushes here and there where necessary. It was complex and believable and organic and provocative and I would give my kingdom to spend twenty or thirty more novels exploring it.
Overall, this was a delightful read. Provocative, innovative, fun, and compelling. I would recommend The Warrior's Apprentice to anyone, but for fans of science fiction it is a must read. I have been told this is one of the best entry points into the Vorkosigan Saga, and having read it I am inclined to agree.