[JIV]≡ Read Young Miles Miles Vorkosigan Adventures Lois McMaster Bujold 9780743436168 Books

Young Miles Miles Vorkosigan Adventures Lois McMaster Bujold 9780743436168 Books

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Young Miles Miles Vorkosigan Adventures Lois McMaster Bujold 9780743436168 Books

Although I have already reviewed all of the component parts of this omnibus collection separately, I figured it would be worthwhile to comment a little bit on what makes such a collection worthwhile. If one were being picky about titles, this book should be called “Young Adult Miles” because it captures his life in his late teens and early 20’s, all of which is highly revealing when one looks back on them in the context of the Vorkosigan saga as a whole. As is often the case, works at the beginning take on a different context in light of a larger whole, and novels (and a short story) that are read either alone or in a different context are far different when looked at as part of a different and larger context, something that is made explicit when these three tales are placed in a chronological order.

All of these stories share a common thread, and that is a young Vor lord seeking to claim an honorable place in his home culture while rising above his obvious physical limitations and come to terms with his complicated background. Much of “The Warrior’s Apprentice” and “The Vor Game” occur in a galactic setting where Miles’ expansive and appealing alter ego Miles Naismith is causing mayhem and chewing up scenery. Yet all of the galactic military sci-fi hijinks, when placed together, reveal that Miles’ true heart is with his homeland, with the hardscrabble people of the Dendarii Mountains and with the well-being of his friends and relatives. This is especially obvious when one compares the knight errant Miles in “The Montains Of Mourning” with his pro-Bayarran mercenary outfit “The Dendarii Mercenaries” and its actions to serve the interests of Barrayar as well as Miles’ own need for action.

These stories are classic steps towards growing up to be a noble and respected lord in a militaristic society like Barrayar. First, after being rejected from the Imperial Academy on account of his fragile health, he goes off to Beta to avoid the shame of rejection, but picks a fleet name that reminds him of home, and contrives to donate the fleet to the control of the Imperium when he gets home, at which point he joins the Academy so he can become a military leader, one of the expected jobs of a high vor like Miles. After graduating, he serves as his father’s voice, using his technical expertise in interrogations and his obvious passion to bring Bayarran culture to galactic standards by serving in a political/judicial role, another important aspect of being a count’s heir. Then, in the Vor Game, he helps increase Bayarran diplomatic prestige in an important area of the galaxy while foiling the attempts of a rival empire and archenemy, the Cetagandan Empire, and helps save the life of the gloomy young emperor Gregor, which leads to further honor for him, even after some political difficulties. These are novels about a young man making his way in a dangerous world, preparing him for future glory and providing him with the space to be a militaristic young man in a militaristic society. They hint at greater changes to come, but do not even begin to show the full complexity of Miles Vorkosigan as a man.


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Young Miles Miles Vorkosigan Adventures Lois McMaster Bujold 9780743436168 Books Reviews

Outstanding space opera. Young Miles is an Omnibus Edition; it's the first three books, in the series' timeline, of Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan Series. Though not the first three that she wrote. And not the first three in the series if we count the Cordelia books. And. Um. It gets complicated. This is a good starting point, if you're just getting started. It's also a good middle point. It's probably a terrible end point. I"m probably a terrible reviewer.

Read these books. Read Bujold. She's fantastic. Really, really fantastic. At her best, she's one of those writers who can go in and sort of subtly rearrange your mind so that when you close the book, nothing is quite where you left it, and everything is just a little bit better than it was. At her worst, she's still very, very good. Read her. For real. What are you still reading this silly review for? Go read Bujold.
A friend sent me the first two books in this series (bound together as 'Cordelia's Honor'). She warned me that they were the roughest of the series, but that I should persevere.

Boy, am I glad I did. I've finished this next omnibus (3 books, although one might be a novella) and am hooked on Miles. The reason that I give the book 4 instead of 5 is that the writing quality is surprisingly varied. There are times when Bujold is transcendent, and then there are times when I have to scratch my head and say, "huh?" after re-reading a section several times. I know that she won several Hugos for this series, but I'm not sure which books received the award. Given some of the awkward sections in these first 5 books I would be kind of stunned to learn it was for any of these-- at least when it comes to consistent quality. But perhaps the Hugo is about innovation, rather than just strength of writing.

Miles is an interesting hero-- handicapped with fragile bones, and not a hulking, kick-ass superman. But he is smart beyond his years, a side effect of not being able to muscle his way through problems. Great humor that is only sometimes dated/overdone. Interesting worlds, often left underdeveloped which I felt left me more room to imagine them. As good a character as Miles is, there are some surprisingly wooden supporting characters-- like Elena, who never really rings true. And her interaction with Miles always seems forced and awkward. I kept thinking this would be explained, as some sort of plot device, but that never happened.

In any case, this is a series that I am eager to continue. I don't know of any other writer with whom I would compare Bujold-- which makes her a one-of-a-kind for me, but I've not read extensively in the area of space opera.
Although I have already reviewed all of the component parts of this omnibus collection separately, I figured it would be worthwhile to comment a little bit on what makes such a collection worthwhile. If one were being picky about titles, this book should be called “Young Adult Miles” because it captures his life in his late teens and early 20’s, all of which is highly revealing when one looks back on them in the context of the Vorkosigan saga as a whole. As is often the case, works at the beginning take on a different context in light of a larger whole, and novels (and a short story) that are read either alone or in a different context are far different when looked at as part of a different and larger context, something that is made explicit when these three tales are placed in a chronological order.

All of these stories share a common thread, and that is a young Vor lord seeking to claim an honorable place in his home culture while rising above his obvious physical limitations and come to terms with his complicated background. Much of “The Warrior’s Apprentice” and “The Vor Game” occur in a galactic setting where Miles’ expansive and appealing alter ego Miles Naismith is causing mayhem and chewing up scenery. Yet all of the galactic military sci-fi hijinks, when placed together, reveal that Miles’ true heart is with his homeland, with the hardscrabble people of the Dendarii Mountains and with the well-being of his friends and relatives. This is especially obvious when one compares the knight errant Miles in “The Montains Of Mourning” with his pro-Bayarran mercenary outfit “The Dendarii Mercenaries” and its actions to serve the interests of Barrayar as well as Miles’ own need for action.

These stories are classic steps towards growing up to be a noble and respected lord in a militaristic society like Barrayar. First, after being rejected from the Imperial Academy on account of his fragile health, he goes off to Beta to avoid the shame of rejection, but picks a fleet name that reminds him of home, and contrives to donate the fleet to the control of the Imperium when he gets home, at which point he joins the Academy so he can become a military leader, one of the expected jobs of a high vor like Miles. After graduating, he serves as his father’s voice, using his technical expertise in interrogations and his obvious passion to bring Bayarran culture to galactic standards by serving in a political/judicial role, another important aspect of being a count’s heir. Then, in the Vor Game, he helps increase Bayarran diplomatic prestige in an important area of the galaxy while foiling the attempts of a rival empire and archenemy, the Cetagandan Empire, and helps save the life of the gloomy young emperor Gregor, which leads to further honor for him, even after some political difficulties. These are novels about a young man making his way in a dangerous world, preparing him for future glory and providing him with the space to be a militaristic young man in a militaristic society. They hint at greater changes to come, but do not even begin to show the full complexity of Miles Vorkosigan as a man.