I've read the first three books (shards, barrayar, apprentice), and I'm really taken with the series. I've had to force myself to stop because I read all three of them in the span of a week and started having mild anxiety.
I'm really taken with the way the series deals with what appear to be set-ups for long term drama or heroic awesometude.
I think it's Shards of Honor where Cordellia is captured by Vorkosigan's ex boyfriend slash evil torture rapist. The book goes to great lengths to establish how this is a terrifying man with lots of power and a saga defining obsession that will totally be hounding the characters... And then he just gets straight murdered in the same scene. Which presents new drama and problems, but being so used to more typical space opera/saga stories it came out of left field. Like 'Wow, they will just murder principle antagonists.'
My other favorite was the start of Warrior's Apprentice. The internal narrative of the main character was super set to be a cheesy look-at-how-awesome-my-brain-is gary stu protag super space opera kid, and... instead of confirming this, it turns out he is actually kind of a douche that makes mistakes and immediately breaks both of his legs instead of proving his superiority.
Which then causes all kinds of other problems in a new direction. Warrior's Apprentice was quite anxiety inducing in that regard; the main character's short-sited onesupmanship keeps catapulting him deeper and deeper into terrible situations and he keeps doing just enough to get out on the skin of his teeth, right into his next problem. The book did a good job showing that while he did inherit his manic sudden-master-plan qualities from his mother, he continually falls just short of his mother's penchant for succeeding with them.
I've read the first three books (shards, barrayar, apprentice), and I'm really taken with the series. I've had to force myself to stop because I read all three of them in the span of a week and started having mild anxiety.
I'm really taken with the way the series deals with what appear to be set-ups for long term drama or heroic awesometude.
I think it's Shards of Honor where Cordellia is captured by Vorkosigan's ex boyfriend slash evil torture rapist. The book goes to great lengths to establish how this is a terrifying man with lots of power and a saga defining obsession that will totally be hounding the characters... And then he just gets straight murdered in the same scene. Which presents new drama and problems, but being so used to more typical space opera/saga stories it came out of left field. Like 'Wow, they will just murder principle antagonists.'
My other favorite was the start of Warrior's Apprentice. The internal narrative of the main character was super set to be a cheesy look-at-how-awesome-my-brain-is gary stu protag super space opera kid, and... instead of confirming this, it turns out he is actually kind of a douche that makes mistakes and immediately breaks both of his legs instead of proving his superiority.
Which then causes all kinds of other problems in a new direction. Warrior's Apprentice was quite anxiety inducing in that regard; the main character's short-sited onesupmanship keeps catapulting him deeper and deeper into terrible situations and he keeps doing just enough to get out on the skin of his teeth, right into his next problem. The book did a good job showing that while he did inherit his manic sudden-master-plan qualities from his mother, he continually falls just short of his mother's penchant for succeeding with them.
Bujold's approach to antagonists and conflict in general is quite interesting. I do think you are being somewhat unfair to miles, though it's a matter of degrees rather than an invalid premise.
And yes that's possible. But I also didn't really state my full range of opinions on his character. Briefly, I think he's great and hilarious and has many positive qualities, and they happen to be mixed with literally deadly shortsightedness and an enormous ego.
And yes that's possible. But I also didn't really state my full range of opinions on his character. Briefly, I think he's great and hilarious and has many positive qualities, and they happen to be mixed with literally deadly shortsightedness and an enormous ego.
*tries to remember where he left his cryoburn CD until the feeling passes*
Right, think I'm good now. If there's anything you want to discuss with what you've already read, throw it out there. I'd comment on how right , wrong, badwrong, or doubleplusrightgood your read may or may not be in terms of the series as a whole, but it's insanely difficult to do so without giving really important stuff away. For the books you've read, you certainly aren't wrong.
As heir to a Count, he's pretty much in the top 200 most important people in the Imperium, and in the due course of time is pretty much assured of making the top 100, even without his family's connection to the throne. If he was a no name schlub, then yeah he should want to get the hell away.
And yes that's possible. But I also didn't really state my full range of opinions on his character. Briefly, I think he's great and hilarious and has many positive qualities, and they happen to be mixed with literally deadly shortsightedness and an enormous ego.
After Mark bought Cockroach Central to turn it into a theme hotel, the most twisted posting assigned to ImpSec Agents in Domestic Affairs is in Cockroach Central.
Basicly because they are an ImpSec Agent undercover as a Hotelier pretending to be an ImpSec Agent. In other words: a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude. Pity them.
I know Tej was the more clearly sympathetic of the two to their captive... but how would the tale had gone if Ivan had pulled the emergency marriage of Don't Kill Yourselves with Rish?
I know Tej was the more clearly sympathetic of the two to their captive... but how would the tale had gone if Ivan had pulled the emergency marriage of Don't Kill Yourselves with Rish?
While Civil Campaign sorta hinted at it, it was nice to have it confirmed that Ivan is as bright as anyone, and he's deliberately hiding it. Understandable, considering politics got his dad killed.
While Civil Campaign sorta hinted at it, it was nice to have it confirmed that Ivan is as bright as anyone, and he's deliberately hiding it. Understandable, considering politics got his dad killed.
I had mixed feelings about retconning in that Aral, Cordelia and him had actually been a threesome for years, but I think it works. Plus, it was a very interesting exploration od grieving and moving on.
I had mixed feelings about retconning in that Aral, Cordelia and him had actually been a threesome for years, but I think it works. Plus, it was a very interesting exploration od grieving and moving on.
Half-Betan or not I would have expected Miles to cover his ears and go "La, La, Lah! I can't hear you!" When the subject of his parent's sex lives came up.
Irony would be dispite Cordelia's efforts to make sure her daughters will not be Vor, the lot of them would rebel by emulating Lady Alys and take to Barrayan Vor culture anyways.
Bujold's approach to antagonists and conflict in general is quite interesting. I do think you are being somewhat unfair to miles, though it's a matter of degrees rather than an invalid premise.
It's important to remember just how young, untrained and inexperienced Miles was at the time; Warrior's Apprentice was before he even actually joined the military. He really was ridiculously out of his depth, in some ways perhaps more than any of his other books since he didn't have the skills, experience and resources he did later. He just kept con-artisting and improvising desperately as everything snowballed.
Even the title of the book refers to it; Warrior's Apprentice = Sorcerer's Apprentice, with mercenaries instead of brooms.
