Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Baen Books (New York, 1990). 1st edition, 1st printing. 345 pages. $4.50.
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: Miles Vorkosigan graduates from the Barrayaran Military Academy with expectations of ship command, so he is disappointed with the assignment of meteorologist to an arctic training camp. But his tenure in the snow-covered north is cut short when he narrowly averts a massacre between the trigger-happy base commander and mutinous recruits. Miles is reassigned to investigate a suspicious military buildup near a wormhole nexus. Reviving his undercover persona as mercenary Admiral Miles Naismith, he expands his routine information-gathering duty into a rescue mission when the Emperor of Barrayar disappears. Miles must use his negotiating skills to avoid a showdown between powers competing for control of the wormhole, while searching for the Emperor and watching his back for the arctic base commander seeking bloody vengeance..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
I was much more taken by the first section of this early entry in Bujold's popular Miles Vorkosigan series than I was with the main plot. In fact I can't help suspecting that I would have enjoyed the book more if the entire thing had been about Miles escapades at the Polar weather station under an
Part of the problem probably has to do with the fact that the story railroads the protagonist from one encounter to another without him really doing anything significant. The story is thus revealed in dribs and drabs through random encounters until we reach the dramatic ending in which all is resolved in Miles' favour. Miles is an interesting enough character for us not to abandon him and there is enough humour employed to serve us up with some entertainment, but this is certainly the weakest of Bujold's novels that I've read so far. I suppose this would be the point where I express some kind of surprise that this novel won a Hugo Award and compare it with others on the shortlist that year but I shall forbear.
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incompetent boss and a commander who hated him rather than the whole Miles as undercover spy trying to save the Emperor while countering a nefarious interstellar plot storyline.Part of the problem probably has to do with the fact that the story railroads the protagonist from one encounter to another without him really doing anything significant. The story is thus revealed in dribs and drabs through random encounters until we reach the dramatic ending in which all is resolved in Miles' favour. Miles is an interesting enough character for us not to abandon him and there is enough humour employed to serve us up with some entertainment, but this is certainly the weakest of Bujold's novels that I've read so far. I suppose this would be the point where I express some kind of surprise that this novel won a Hugo Award and compare it with others on the shortlist that year but I shall forbear.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Bit choppy and disjointed in places. The first thrid of the book serves merely to introduce one character who has a little but not that significant an impact in the rest of the plot.
Miles' first assignment as a newly qualified (finally) solider of the Barrayan empire - is as resident weather
Same high speed plotting as all the rest to date - but the major jump in locations feels more like two novellas squished together than a reasonable length book. Miles remains Miles, but many of his more interesting companions either arent' around at all, or make only passing presences. This takes a lot of the fun out, as there is a limit to how often you can read about Miles being clever, moaning about his bones, or being caught out not quite clever enough.
Series filler rather than highlight, but not actually bad.
Miles' first assignment as a newly qualified (finally) solider of the Barrayan empire - is as resident weather
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station officer at the isolated Kurisk training barracks. When this goes wrong he is able to rely on his Imperical connectiosn to get him off and onto a courier run through space. Here as may be expected things also fail to go to plan - starting when his cover is blown by a member of his old Dendarii Fleet (ex mercinaries) from the previous book. Hijinks ensues.Same high speed plotting as all the rest to date - but the major jump in locations feels more like two novellas squished together than a reasonable length book. Miles remains Miles, but many of his more interesting companions either arent' around at all, or make only passing presences. This takes a lot of the fun out, as there is a limit to how often you can read about Miles being clever, moaning about his bones, or being caught out not quite clever enough.
Series filler rather than highlight, but not actually bad.
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LibraryThing member Stevil2001
In my hybrid order for the Vorkosigan series, The Vor Game is the second book. There are many ways this series is like the Horatio Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester: the one I want to discuss today mostly focuses on the opening segment of this novel, which was originally published as a standalone
Then Miles is off on another adventure. This is also a very Hornblower move, the novel made up of multiple disparate stories, but the next adventure keeps twisting and turning. Soon Miles is hunting down the mercenary group he created in Warrior's Apprentice, and then he's uncovered a vast plot, and now he has a very important dignitary to protect, etc., etc. To be honest, it kind of threw me. I wanted more adventures of Miles in the service! How does he learn to fit himself into that hierarchy? It's a very Hornblower question...
...but you know, while it seems to me Bujold must have been inspired partially by Hornblower, this is not Hornblower. It has its own identity, and its own questions to ask. Once I adjusted to that, I came to enjoy the book much more; I think it's the kind of novel that even though it was good the first time, it will improve on a reread, once you can see how it all fits together. The question isn't how does Miles make himself fit, but it seems to be, where can Miles find that he can fit? At least, I think so! Bujold has wrong-footed me before, and I am sure she will do so again, but I look forward to finding out where Miles is when I next pick up his story, with Cetaganda.
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novella, "The Weatherman." Following the events of the previous book, The Warrior's Apprentice, Miles Vorkosigan has graduated from the military academy and is sent off to his first posting... to monitor the weather at a forlorn ice-encrusted remote military base on his home planet. But, of course, he eventually ends up in the same kind of dilemma that Hornblower so often ended up in, one where the dictates of military service run up against his personal morality. Can he save the lives of innocent men without violating the chain of command? Like Hornblower, he distinguishes himself with clever, intellectual solutions to his problems. The way he thinks up to get out of this situation is brilliant. I love this kind of thing, a hero who is both principled and clever. That was the moment I texted my friend (who has been pushing the books on me for a decade): "This book is so totally my jam."Then Miles is off on another adventure. This is also a very Hornblower move, the novel made up of multiple disparate stories, but the next adventure keeps twisting and turning. Soon Miles is hunting down the mercenary group he created in Warrior's Apprentice, and then he's uncovered a vast plot, and now he has a very important dignitary to protect, etc., etc. To be honest, it kind of threw me. I wanted more adventures of Miles in the service! How does he learn to fit himself into that hierarchy? It's a very Hornblower question...
...but you know, while it seems to me Bujold must have been inspired partially by Hornblower, this is not Hornblower. It has its own identity, and its own questions to ask. Once I adjusted to that, I came to enjoy the book much more; I think it's the kind of novel that even though it was good the first time, it will improve on a reread, once you can see how it all fits together. The question isn't how does Miles make himself fit, but it seems to be, where can Miles find that he can fit? At least, I think so! Bujold has wrong-footed me before, and I am sure she will do so again, but I look forward to finding out where Miles is when I next pick up his story, with Cetaganda.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The Vor Game follows Miles Vorkosigan as he receives his first assignments after graduation from military college. Miles, who is the most likeable of fellows, seems to have a talent for crossing his superiors and this book is no exception. After trying his hand as a weather officer on a remote
With some force and plenty of guile and wits, Miles again proves how capable he is. His superiors are coming to the realization that although Miles always gets results, he does so in his own way and not necessarily by following orders. Nevertheless, he earns his promotion to lieutenant and his next assignment as liaison officer to the Denarii mercenaries should be play right into his strengths.
Another highly enjoyable entry in the Vorkosigan Saga. I felt this book relied less on the character development of Miles and more on establishing his relationship with some of the other main characters. I really liked the scenes with Miles and Gregor and thought the author was well able to portray the affection and respect that these childhood friends hold for one another. The recurring characters in these books are becoming well-known to me and I appreciate the care the author takes to keep them consistent and fresh. I look forward to continuing on with the Saga.
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arctic base, then as a spy, he finds himself in tremendous hot water and back in charge of the Denarii fleet. His objective this time is to thwart a Cetegandan invasion and rescue the Emperor, Gregor, who has fallen into the clutches of a psychopathic woman who sees herself as the Empress of Barrayar.With some force and plenty of guile and wits, Miles again proves how capable he is. His superiors are coming to the realization that although Miles always gets results, he does so in his own way and not necessarily by following orders. Nevertheless, he earns his promotion to lieutenant and his next assignment as liaison officer to the Denarii mercenaries should be play right into his strengths.
Another highly enjoyable entry in the Vorkosigan Saga. I felt this book relied less on the character development of Miles and more on establishing his relationship with some of the other main characters. I really liked the scenes with Miles and Gregor and thought the author was well able to portray the affection and respect that these childhood friends hold for one another. The recurring characters in these books are becoming well-known to me and I appreciate the care the author takes to keep them consistent and fresh. I look forward to continuing on with the Saga.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Miles Vorkosigan – crippled son of Barrayar’s Prime Minister – has just graduated from the Barrayaran Military Academy, and like every graduate is desperately hoping to be assigned to ship duty. But instead of being put aboard the Barrayaran fleet’s newest interstellar cruiser,
Instead, Miles is dispatched to conduct a military intelligence survey of the Hegen Hub, a critical nexus in the wormhole system and the junction of the trade routes of some heavy political powers. What he finds there is a surprising mishmash of plots and schemes, along with some very surprising people, including the Dendarii Mercenaries, a group that Miles assembled over three years previously, now under new – but not improved – leadership, and Gregor Vorbara, Miles’s childhood friend… and the current Emperor of Barrayar.
Review: The Vorkosigan Saga novels are kind of like cupcakes: even when a particular one is not my favorite flavor, it’s still pretty darn good, and I’ll still be a happy camper after I’ve finished it.
Okay, that’s a lie: I don’t have a least-favorite flavor of cupcake. But I do have some Vorkosigan Saga novels that I like better than others, and unfortunately, The Vor Game didn’t quite measure up to most of the other books in the series. Again, based on objective standards, it’s still very, very good; it just didn’t enchant me the same way that some of Bujold’s others have.
Part of the problem might have been that I’m reading these books out of chronological order. If I hadn’t already read later books in the series, The Vor Game might have been more successful at building up suspense regarding the fates of some of its key players. I’m usually okay with political scheming, particularly if it’s Bujold writing it, but it’s a lot better when I don’t know exactly how things are going to shake out. Likewise, if I’d read this book immediately after The Warrior’s Apprentice (which is where it falls in the internal timeline of the series), I might have had the relevant details of the formation of the Dendarii fresher in my head.
However, a larger part of the problem was that I thought this book sticks a little too closely to the general Vorkosigan script. Miles’s big mouth and reckless streak get him into trouble, then his vast intellect and prodigal gift for tactics get him back out again, lather, rinse, repeat until you’ve reached novel length. While I don’t mind that pattern in general – it’s the same as was used in The Warrior’s Apprentice, Borders of Infinity, and Brothers at Arms, which I’ve enjoyed just fine – The Vor Game didn’t have enough going on around that basic plot to give it the depth and context I wanted. The latter two-thirds of the book felt more-or-less like all scheming, all the time, and it started to lose its gloss by the end. The one side story that I did enjoy was that of Gregor. The Vor Game takes him from a cardboard cutout to an interesting and multi-dimensional character, and I wish we could have spent more time with him.
I was also a little bit less taken with the narration in this installment. Grover Gardner’s voice acting is generally superb, and he really embodies the voice of Miles. However, his pronunciation of Dendarii is back to his initial version of not pronouncing the second “i", which was disconcerting after finally getting used to hearing it the other way. More damning, there were a few times in which he changed his pronunciation of Ky Tung’s name within the space of a few paragraphs, which was distracting, and seems like an error that shouldn’t have been allowed to slip through the cracks. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: On the whole, The Vor Game is an entertaining story, with solid characters, quick-witted dialogue, and a fast-moving if not entirely ground-breaking plot. It’s not a pivotal installment in the Vorkosigan Saga, but once you’re hooked, it’s certainly an entertaining way to pass some time with Miles & company.
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he’s assigned instead to the post of meteorology officer at a remote arctic training base. But even in that far-flung outpost, Miles can’t stay out of trouble for long. After he steps in to diffuse a tense and deadly mutiny, he’s shunted back to the capitol, where his superiors realize that Miles’s quick thinking and problems with subordination mean that regular military life may not be the best fit.Instead, Miles is dispatched to conduct a military intelligence survey of the Hegen Hub, a critical nexus in the wormhole system and the junction of the trade routes of some heavy political powers. What he finds there is a surprising mishmash of plots and schemes, along with some very surprising people, including the Dendarii Mercenaries, a group that Miles assembled over three years previously, now under new – but not improved – leadership, and Gregor Vorbara, Miles’s childhood friend… and the current Emperor of Barrayar.
Review: The Vorkosigan Saga novels are kind of like cupcakes: even when a particular one is not my favorite flavor, it’s still pretty darn good, and I’ll still be a happy camper after I’ve finished it.
Okay, that’s a lie: I don’t have a least-favorite flavor of cupcake. But I do have some Vorkosigan Saga novels that I like better than others, and unfortunately, The Vor Game didn’t quite measure up to most of the other books in the series. Again, based on objective standards, it’s still very, very good; it just didn’t enchant me the same way that some of Bujold’s others have.
Part of the problem might have been that I’m reading these books out of chronological order. If I hadn’t already read later books in the series, The Vor Game might have been more successful at building up suspense regarding the fates of some of its key players. I’m usually okay with political scheming, particularly if it’s Bujold writing it, but it’s a lot better when I don’t know exactly how things are going to shake out. Likewise, if I’d read this book immediately after The Warrior’s Apprentice (which is where it falls in the internal timeline of the series), I might have had the relevant details of the formation of the Dendarii fresher in my head.
However, a larger part of the problem was that I thought this book sticks a little too closely to the general Vorkosigan script. Miles’s big mouth and reckless streak get him into trouble, then his vast intellect and prodigal gift for tactics get him back out again, lather, rinse, repeat until you’ve reached novel length. While I don’t mind that pattern in general – it’s the same as was used in The Warrior’s Apprentice, Borders of Infinity, and Brothers at Arms, which I’ve enjoyed just fine – The Vor Game didn’t have enough going on around that basic plot to give it the depth and context I wanted. The latter two-thirds of the book felt more-or-less like all scheming, all the time, and it started to lose its gloss by the end. The one side story that I did enjoy was that of Gregor. The Vor Game takes him from a cardboard cutout to an interesting and multi-dimensional character, and I wish we could have spent more time with him.
I was also a little bit less taken with the narration in this installment. Grover Gardner’s voice acting is generally superb, and he really embodies the voice of Miles. However, his pronunciation of Dendarii is back to his initial version of not pronouncing the second “i", which was disconcerting after finally getting used to hearing it the other way. More damning, there were a few times in which he changed his pronunciation of Ky Tung’s name within the space of a few paragraphs, which was distracting, and seems like an error that shouldn’t have been allowed to slip through the cracks. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: On the whole, The Vor Game is an entertaining story, with solid characters, quick-witted dialogue, and a fast-moving if not entirely ground-breaking plot. It’s not a pivotal installment in the Vorkosigan Saga, but once you’re hooked, it’s certainly an entertaining way to pass some time with Miles & company.
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LibraryThing member amberwitch
One of the early miles vorkosigan novels - covering miles first assignment out of the military academy (after the unofficial one in Borders of Infinity).
The novel follows the usual pattern; miles cleverness and luck lands him extreme trouble again and again, and his cleverness and honour extracts
The plotdevices seemed a bit tired, and although I understand that the misfortunes of miles may be a necessary device to move the plot along, and to counterbalance his cleverness and ability to manipulate any situation to his advantage, I would prefer something different. Cordelia managed to be the hero of two novels without having to go through that kind of humiliation and abuse, why can't miles?
A good read, if a little cookiecutter and lackluster. Lacking the pace and humour some of the later vorkosigan novels have.
The novel follows the usual pattern; miles cleverness and luck lands him extreme trouble again and again, and his cleverness and honour extracts
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him again, with very fortunate effects. This time saving an emperor and averting a intergalactic war with the Barrayaran archenemy, the Cetaganadans.The plotdevices seemed a bit tired, and although I understand that the misfortunes of miles may be a necessary device to move the plot along, and to counterbalance his cleverness and ability to manipulate any situation to his advantage, I would prefer something different. Cordelia managed to be the hero of two novels without having to go through that kind of humiliation and abuse, why can't miles?
A good read, if a little cookiecutter and lackluster. Lacking the pace and humour some of the later vorkosigan novels have.
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LibraryThing member mossjon
3.5 stars
I read this as part of the omnibus edition Young Miles.
We return to Miles while he and Ivan are collecting their first duty assignments after graduating from the Imperial Security Academy. Miles yearns for ship duty. Ivan receives his orders staioning him in the capitol at ImpSec HQ.
Miles' insubordination plays a major them in this story. He stumbles into the most improbable situations and then believes only he is capable of finding a way out of it, ignoring the advice and orders of his colleagues and superiors. It doesn't help that he actually does succeed in saving the day.
I enjoyed the action and intrigue, including more space opera elements, especially in the climactic space battles for control of various strategic wormholes. Parts of the story bogged down, though, especially after Miles removal from the arctic and subsequent detention. And I almost stopped reading when I had to suspend belief almost completely regarding the unlikely scenario of Miles finding Gregor off-planet and working as slave labor on a space station.
It was a fun read, but not as fun as Warrior's Apprentice, yet it won the Hugo in 1991. To date, I've read four novels in Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga. I recommend this book as well as the series to all loves of space opera.
I read this as part of the omnibus edition Young Miles.
We return to Miles while he and Ivan are collecting their first duty assignments after graduating from the Imperial Security Academy. Miles yearns for ship duty. Ivan receives his orders staioning him in the capitol at ImpSec HQ.
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Miles orders send him to the farthest reaches of the Barrayar arctic as the weatherman for Kyril Island. Miles questions his assignment, especially since he only took one perfunctory meteorology course his first year of academy. He learns the duty assignment is a test to see if he can work with, lead and be lead by common (not Vor) soldiers. If he passes, his carrot is ship duty on the newest ship-of-the-line, the Prince Serg. Miles' insubordination plays a major them in this story. He stumbles into the most improbable situations and then believes only he is capable of finding a way out of it, ignoring the advice and orders of his colleagues and superiors. It doesn't help that he actually does succeed in saving the day.
I enjoyed the action and intrigue, including more space opera elements, especially in the climactic space battles for control of various strategic wormholes. Parts of the story bogged down, though, especially after Miles removal from the arctic and subsequent detention. And I almost stopped reading when I had to suspend belief almost completely regarding the unlikely scenario of Miles finding Gregor off-planet and working as slave labor on a space station.
It was a fun read, but not as fun as Warrior's Apprentice, yet it won the Hugo in 1991. To date, I've read four novels in Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga. I recommend this book as well as the series to all loves of space opera.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
Straightforward rollicking space opera. Lots of twists and turns to the plot, layers of military strategy and enough humor to keep me snorting throughout. Miles is wonderful, and he's made even better by the strong supporting cast.
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Miles has drawn his first post (not counting his time as Admiral Naismith, which the Barrayar army doesn't) - Chief Meteorologist out in some horrible arctic post. It doesn't go well. They try something else, assigning him to Intelligence. Maybe that will go better? Maybe not. Very fun book, but
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definitely don't read this before you read The Warrior's Apprentice. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Good space opera is my crack. And Miles Vorkosigan one of my literary heart throbs. Miles was born into Barayar's aristocracy, which doesn't mean he has it easy--he was born practically crippled in a society that routinely killed infants with birth defects. He's not tall and handsome--he's short,
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brittle-boned, with a bit of a chip on his shoulder--but brilliant. This is the fourth book in the series, certainly not the book to start with or you'd be lost, and the last of three included stories in the omnibus edition Young Miles where I first encountered him. This particular story is a great ride in the classic space opera tradition. Not what you'd look for if you want literary polish or high concept hard science fiction, but for wit, intrigue, action and daring do and a twisty cunning protagonist (in a good way), this is the book to go to, and was a lot of fun to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member love2laf
Great return to the Dendarii Mercenaries, plenty of action, suspense, double-dealing, and re-aquainting with characters.
LibraryThing member Fledgist
Short stories about Miles with a framing story. To call the whole thing brilliant would be faint praise.
LibraryThing member suzemo
This book is almost two separate stories put together -
The first is Miles's first assignment out of the academy, a post as a weatherman in a desolate (and rather chilly) location. It is meant as a test to see if he can shake off some of his insubordination, and if he passes this test, he will be
The second part of the book places him back among his Dendarii mercenaries, as part of an assignment by Imperial Security's head, Illyan. While he succeeds in the spirit (one would say) of the orders his superior on this mission had, he gets himself into a rather complex political situation. I liked this book, because it was fast paced and pretty complicated in some parts, with more twists than any standard novel. I really liked the development of the emperor Gregor as well and I look forward to where the story goes after this book.
The first is Miles's first assignment out of the academy, a post as a weatherman in a desolate (and rather chilly) location. It is meant as a test to see if he can shake off some of his insubordination, and if he passes this test, he will be
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awarded a post on the Barrayaran military's newest ship. He deals with a mad superior and obviously (and unsurprisingly) fails the test.The second part of the book places him back among his Dendarii mercenaries, as part of an assignment by Imperial Security's head, Illyan. While he succeeds in the spirit (one would say) of the orders his superior on this mission had, he gets himself into a rather complex political situation. I liked this book, because it was fast paced and pretty complicated in some parts, with more twists than any standard novel. I really liked the development of the emperor Gregor as well and I look forward to where the story goes after this book.
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LibraryThing member iayork
Enjoyable but slight: I've enjoyed some of Bujold's other books, and this one had some good moments, but by comparison to "Brothers in Arms" and "A Civil Campaign" it felt rather slight, with more emphasis on the military/space opera side of things than I would like. A below-average Miles
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Vorkosigan book is still a Miles Vorkosigan book, though, so I can hardly complain too much about it. If you're bent on reading the series in order, or you're a big fan, I would recommend it, but I wouldn't recommend it to a casual Bujold fan. Show Less
LibraryThing member sheherazahde
The Fourth book of the Vorkosigan Saga. Don't start here.
Miles graduates from the Academy and gets his first assignment, which doesn't go so well. So he gets another assignment, which also doesn't go so well. He has to think fast to save Emperor Gregor and prevent a major military invasion. It's a
Another fun sci-fi adventure from Lois McMaster Bujold.
Miles graduates from the Academy and gets his first assignment, which doesn't go so well. So he gets another assignment, which also doesn't go so well. He has to think fast to save Emperor Gregor and prevent a major military invasion. It's a
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good thing he functions well under pressure. Another fun sci-fi adventure from Lois McMaster Bujold.
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LibraryThing member JudithProctor
'The Vor Game' is enjoyable, though nowhere as good as the brilliant 'Warrior's Apprentice'. The first part of the story, where Miles is sent to a remote northern outpost of the Barrayar military, feels very detached from the rest of the book - almost a separate story.
The level of coincidence also
However, if you're a fan of Blake's 7, there's a big bonus in the arrival of Servalan (under a different name, obviously, but you'll recognise her personality very quickly) and she gives Miles a run for his money.
The level of coincidence also
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runs just a little too high overall.However, if you're a fan of Blake's 7, there's a big bonus in the arrival of Servalan (under a different name, obviously, but you'll recognise her personality very quickly) and she gives Miles a run for his money.
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LibraryThing member rocalisa
The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold
Vorkosigan, Book 4; SF; audiobook; reread; 9/10
I love Bujold and I love this series. I started listening to the audiobook of The Vor Game and loved it all over again. Then I hit a stage where I couldn't concentrate on much of anything (a theme you've probably
Vorkosigan, Book 4; SF; audiobook; reread; 9/10
I love Bujold and I love this series. I started listening to the audiobook of The Vor Game and loved it all over again. Then I hit a stage where I couldn't concentrate on much of anything (a theme you've probably
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already seen in these comments) and started listening to shorter podcasts instead of the book. It had been languishing for a while when I added it to my books to finish list for the Wind-Up Book Chronicle challenge. That encouraged me to go back to it and I thoroughly enjoyed finishing it up. It was geat to go along on another crazy adventure with Miles and I like the look we get at Gregor in this book, where he becomes much more of a person to the reader and not just a cut-out emperor. I'm now tempted to move on to Cetaganda but I'm going to listen to a couple of other things first. I can't recommend Bujold's work highly enough and encourage anyone who hasn't discovered Miles Vorkosigan to give his first book, The Warrior's Apprentice, a try. Show Less
LibraryThing member ShiraC
Again, not the strongest book in the series, but a good read. Miles begins his military career. Naturally, he does it all wrong!
LibraryThing member RBeffa
Liked it well enough but found it not a terribly strong novel. It perhaps has too many echoes of The Warrior's Apprentice in the latter half of the book, but it benefits from a cast of characters that includes some from the prior stories, although mostly in limited ways. I liked getting a better
Read/remarks from Feb 2010, I enjoyed other books in the series much more
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handle on the emperor Gregor here. I'll certainly be reading more in the Vorkosigan saga.Read/remarks from Feb 2010, I enjoyed other books in the series much more
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LibraryThing member stuart10er
Miles graduates from the academy and then is stationed to the North pole where he runs into trouble with the commander there. Enjoyable, but really for younger readers. I would have loved this when I was fourteen, but now it just seems ok.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Miles is back with the Vor Army, they're trying to find him a job that suits his talents but he finds himself having to make some hard decisions. Eventually he ends up running into the Dedarii Mercenaries and finds himself having to choose between them and the army. Particularly when Emperor Gregor
You can see where Miles just can't not make the choices he does and where he has to work hard at maintaining a low profile. It's fun and a series that I regularly re-read.
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is missing. You can see where Miles just can't not make the choices he does and where he has to work hard at maintaining a low profile. It's fun and a series that I regularly re-read.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
Another excellent entry into Bujold's Vorkosigan saga. (And now I get to check one more off my list of Hugo winners - now at 74% done!).
This one's quite heavy on the space opera, which isn't at all a bad thing.
Miles has left his alternate identity as Admiral Naismith behind, in order to study at
However, "Miles" and "staying out of trouble" are two things that don't go together too well.
Next thing you know, Miles is unraveling long-hidden secrets... which ends up with him on a secret mission involving reconnecting with his beloved Dendarii Mercenaries... who have gotten a bit mutinous, as far as their power structure, in his absence.
This one's quite heavy on the space opera, which isn't at all a bad thing.
Miles has left his alternate identity as Admiral Naismith behind, in order to study at
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the military academy at home on Barrayar. Upon graduation, he hopes to be assigned ship duty, and to get back into space. It's about as far from his dreams as he can imagine when he's assigned to the post of meteorology officer at a remote arctic base. However, when he complains that he's never even studied meteorology, he's told that this is a test of sorts - can he stop being insubordinate and troublesome and make the best of a difficult assignment? If so, he may earn his reward.However, "Miles" and "staying out of trouble" are two things that don't go together too well.
Next thing you know, Miles is unraveling long-hidden secrets... which ends up with him on a secret mission involving reconnecting with his beloved Dendarii Mercenaries... who have gotten a bit mutinous, as far as their power structure, in his absence.
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LibraryThing member brakketh
My first Bujold and an enjoyable read. Something about the book felt very 90s science fiction, maybe the unconventional hero, maybe as a Hugo winner for 1991 it was a bit of a pace setter.
LibraryThing member fuzzi
Miles gets his post-academy assignment, and though he tries to do what is required, winds up back at home, in some disgrace. An opportunity to make amends is presented, but forces outside Miles' control keep him running from one near disaster to another. If Miles can survive the attempts of those
A good, ripping yarn about Miles, his alter-ego, and various villains who are out to stop him.
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who wish to kill him (or worse) he might just be able to thwart a military attack planned by neighboring planets.A good, ripping yarn about Miles, his alter-ego, and various villains who are out to stop him.
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
Reason Read: TIOLI #3, read "next in a series". ROOT
I've read a few of these books by Lois McMaster Bujold and LT tells me that it predicted with high certainty that I would not like this. I did like it. So not sure why it said that or if because I had read so many difficult to like books before
I've read a few of these books by Lois McMaster Bujold and LT tells me that it predicted with high certainty that I would not like this. I did like it. So not sure why it said that or if because I had read so many difficult to like books before
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reading this that it thought I liked to be in agony when reading. This finds Ensign Miles being placed placed in his at Kyril Island (arctic) and from there he ends up arrested, disobeying more orders and fighting a war at the Hegen Hub. This book has good military research as well as arctic research. The map in the book and the explanation of the Hegan Hub helped to understand the book. I listened to it as well as I always enjoy the reader for these books; Grover Gardner. Cover art by Tom Kidd. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1990-09
Physical description
346 p.; 4.25 inches
ISBN
0671720147 / 9780671720148