The Vor Game

Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #6

by Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael Hanson (Narrator), Carol Cowan (Narrator)

Sent to the other side of the galaxy when he angers the High Command on his home planet, mercenary leader Miles becomes the only hope for betrayed childhood friend Emperor Gregor and will become emperor himself if he fails. Reissue. AB.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Audiobook, Hugo Awards, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Lois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children.

Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.

Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com

A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:

http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...

A listing of her interviews is here:

http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...

An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:

http://www.dendarii.com/

Reviews

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.67 ***

There is something about the way Bujold writes, that is magical! I was trying to define it in my mind, but I just can't... It appears casual, but it isn't. It definitely isn't blue prose, but there is a sense of wonder about it. It flows lead by the storyline, and you are taken on a romping adventure and get so wrapped up in it, that you barely notice the deeper sociological commentary that is the core of her art! These are supposed to be very light Science Fiction adventures, and they are, but they are much more!

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miles be nimble!
Miles be quick!
Miles jump over the candlestick any situation or dumbass that gets in your goddamn way!

Go, Miles, Go!

so Miles finds himself stuck in a miserable freezing arctic station as his reward for graduating from the Barrayar military acadamy with top honors but also with a serious issue of not treating authority with the respect and passivity and obedience that authority apparently deserves. and from the arctic station he finds himself tossed pell-mell, willy-nilly, etc, right into the middle of a plot teeming with ruthless villains, a young emperor trying to escape his duties, nervous colonies, anxious bodyguards, two mercenary camps, new space gadgets, and reunions galore with characters from prior novels. the novel is fast and fun fun fun.

I suppose one take-away from the series is ALWAYS QUESTION AUTHORITY. nice.

the character of Gregor le petit emperor really comes into his own here. a beautiful bit of characterization and not a little tragic as well.

my favorite part of the novel was the first third, in that freezing arctic station. watching hyperactive Miles practically bounce off of the walls trying to figure out what to do was wonderfully amusing. and the setting was certainly well-rendered. cooooooooold.

there is a spicy lil' villainess just like Miles is a spicy lil' hero. she wears some kind of sexy catsuit. or it may be a jumper but I much prefer to imagine it as a catsuit, plus I really wanted to type the word "catsuit". much like Miles, she has a quick and improvisatory way of thinking, always on the fly and always taking advantage of any opportunity she sees. for some reason the novel takes pains to compare Miles and Catsuit, at times even theorizing that if Miles doesn't watch out, he may end up like the amoral Catsuit sometime in the future. ha! as if. equally key to Miles' persona are his decency and his compassion and his refusal to see death as something that just happens so time to move on. those traits are hallmarks of this book and its predecessors as well. Miles ain't gonna turn into no Catsuit! although I do predict that he will eventually tap that Catsuit.

this review is a part of a larger piece on the Vorkosigan Saga novels I've read so far, posted on Shelf Inflicted

[Overhaul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genial continuación de "El aprendiz de guerrero". Miles Vorkosigan vuelve a la acción. Lois McMaster Bujold una maestra que no hace nada malo, nos regala libro tras libros y nos engancha página tras página.

Hay una eficiente combinación entre acción e intriga política, con humor y sorpresas, y una trama independiente. Aún así contiene un impulso hacia adelante de la trama general de la serie y la formación de los personajes.

Las secuencias iniciales del libro para mi fueron fantásticas. Nos encontramos a Miles después de graduarse de la academia militar en un puesto de avanzada en la remota base de Lazkowski. Aislado en el círculo polar ártico.

Lo envían allí como técnico en meteorología y pronto choca con el comandante de la estación. También se las arregla para encontrarse... tendréis que leerlo.

A Miles se le siguen complicando las cosas sin que él sepa cómo. Pero ahora es más maduro y tiene en cuenta, más o menos, las consecuencias de sus acciones.

Por supuesto los escenarios cambian y viejas caras aparecen, en medio de la acción hay una plétora de temas importantes.

En este cautivador y amplio universo muchos personajes son miembros de grupos minoritarios pero, en su mayoría, no reciben un trato diferente.

Supongo que la gran ironía es que Miles es el único que es tratado de manera diferente y etiquetado como defectuoso. Cuando es un genio que no va a dejar a nadie indiferente con el destino que le aguarda.

La prosa de Bujold es ágil, este me a parecido un space opera más duro que el anterior y eso me ha gustado. Las presentaciones están hechas y ahora el camino a recorrer es sumamente interesante a partes épico, y no os cuento lo que engancha.

Los diálogos son ocurrentes, hacen reflejar el genio que es Miles y la capacidad de ganar con palabras y manipular. Personajes currados aquí no hay nada de cartón y vacío sin alma. Todos tienen algo que ofrecer. En un universo, en el espacio y de planeta en planeta el mundo de Vorkosigan tiene muchísimo que ofrecernos.

Trama sencilla a la vez que compleja, son tramas que lo que importa es cómo y lo que va ocurriendo. Da igual que una sea más simple que la otra. Engancha que da gusto.

Quizás como único fallo visible para mi sería que la historia tiene sus altibajos, pero nada importante para el disfrute y enganche que suponen sus personajes.

Iba a bajarle a 4⭐️ por todo lo que me queda de la saga, la razón para hacerlo no la veo excesivamente importante para ello. Ya veré..

Va a ser que no. 5⭐️ estoy disfrutando mucho esta saga.

Poco más tengo que añadir que no haya dicho en "El Aprendiz de Guerrero" para dejar claro porque está saga es un deleite para los ojos del lector de CF y más si se busca algo que enganche. Un personaje con el potencial de convertirse en un favorito, y sobretodo memorable.

Así pues, predicando la palabra y verdad Bujoldiana como sabiamente me enseñó Xabi1990. Haceros un favor..

¡LEED A BUJOLD!..✍️

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch my video review by clicking here.

Absolutely wonderful from start to finish. The characterization work, the wonderful pacing, the extremely fun plotting - it's just a joy to read!

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fan fan fan fan
Es que me lo paso endiabladamente bien con la saga Vorkosigan.
'El juego de los Vor' me ha gustado muchísimo más que 'El aprendiz de guerrero' donde se veía a Miles como un protagonista demasiado superheróico en ocasiones, aquí sigue igual de loco y su capacidad para meterse en problemas hasta se supera, pero resulta un personaje más complejo, reflexivo y creíble.
Me encantan los secundarios, me encantan las tramas políticas, amo las apariciones esporádicas de Illyan, Aral, (¿¡Cordelia!!?), Gregor... y me encanta que la acción no te deje ni respirar.
Deseando seguir con la saga, obviamente.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 2018:

My head spun. Really. It did.

I will not go on record saying that this was anywhere near my favorite Vorkosigan novel, but there is enough plain fun and wild plotting and vibrant characterizations to satisfy any old-school Space-Opera junkie.

I make no excuse. Miles is a superhero. He rides the wave of superheroic Bujoldian coincidence and Miles always happens to be the right person in the right place with the right quippy tongue and the right mind for the job. Even when he isn't. He just happens to have a rather quick imagination and the ability to spin tales that anyone believes.

That, I guess, is pretty damn amazing. :)

It also says a lot about Bujold. :)


Original Review:

This was a great fast tale, and satisfying on many levels, but I have a few issues with it. Perhaps it's my same issue with all of the tales. It's plot providence. It ties up all of the side issues quite nicely, true, but it's almost unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the different sections of the book almost as if it was a collection of short stories, and it really had the feel of just that, but when Miles comes up against his previous commander in the employ of the other mercenaries on pure chance, I went... Huh? He was old guard, and very unlikely to leave his beloved homeland. Perhaps he could be convinced to participate in a coup, but not to work as a mercenary. I might not have had this reaction if he had just been a completely different man, but then, the same level of hate wouldn't have made sense.

Sometimes, it's impossible to satisfy readers.

That being said, I had a great time reading it and Mile's antagonists were crushed to my great satisfaction. It can only be described as a great yarn. A lot happens, and I even accepted the fantastic chance that brought the Emperor into Miles's care (or neglect) as a funny way to up the stakes. Actually, the emperor kinda stole the show at one point.

Actually, a lot of Ms. Bujold's supporting cast tend to steal the show, often. I'm reading all of these with a keen eye on Ivan, too.

Very enjoyable!

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars as it was slightly better than the last book

Unpopular opinion time: I don't like Miles Vorkosigan.
He's annoying and irritating. He was cute as a little boy at the end of the last book about his parents (Barrayar), what with his physical disadvantage but strong and sharp mind, trying to win over even his grandfather. By now, in his early 20s, his character is less than charming however.

He's supposedly very intelligent, a great strategist like his father, yet I don't see it anywhere. He stumbles from one situation into another (some his own fault because he's trying to prove himself, some the fault of others who are trying to bully or even outright murder him) and every time he tries to get out of the respective problematic situation, he makes it worse. The truly awful thing, however, is that everyone around him flocks to him and just waits for the oh so brilliant Miles to lead them into disaster (they actually expect him to come up with a plan although at least people like Elena know by now how ridiculous his plans always are and how much he relies on luck). I just don't get it. Sure, there are even more stupid people around (not only on Barrayar which gets mocked for its traditions), but does truly nobody see that Miles isn't actually smart?!

So in this second book about Miles and his "adventures" we start with him graduating from the military academy through some political strings that got pulled at the end of the last novel. His first posting is to some Arctic outpost and of course the spoiled little brat complains and whines about not having gotten something more prestigious (actually monologuing about how it might be discrimination which is just privileged noise from someone who thinks he’s owed something). Only when one of his superiors dangles some bait before his nose does he go. *rolls eyes*
The Arctic station was actually interesting though it was clear that it wouldn’t last long and how it would fit into later complications.
From there, Miles is taken to Imperial Security so as to get him out of the line of fire and, while helping Illyan, he gets framed for murder, arrested and meets the Emperor (who listened to the "brilliant" Miles and thus got himself incarcerated as well) in prison. *sighs*
After that, it's a romp through half a galaxy to get the Emperor home safely but since nothing is straight forward with Miles, we meet his mercenaries from the last book (now with "political" problems of their own) as well as a femme fatale.

Maybe it's that Bujold is all over the place with Miles' stories. I'm not sure. In the two books about Cordelia and Aral, we had political intrigue and some military space action, but never such a mess as here. Just too many focus points, too many battles for one story. Or it really is me not being able to warm up to Miles.
I know he's supposed to be like a superhero but I JUST DON'T BUY IT. Captain America has his strength, Iron Man has his suit, Dr. Strange has magic ... Miles only has his deformity.
Don't get me wrong, I love that there was an author audacious enough to make a seemingly disabled person her hero (although he's "just" small and has brittle bones, the rest has been cured by the doctors).
Her writing must have been an innovation back in the day as well.
However, I just can't connect to Miles because I don't see his supposed brilliance.
All I see is him being a burden to everyone precisely because he can NOT pull off heroic deeds, giving everyone a heart attack because he refuses to accept No for an answer, and endangering the people he supposedly loves. Add to that that he showcases hubris and all other marks of a spoiled brat (he's an only child, almost died before birth, so that plus his status on Barrayar and his charming nature as a kid ensured he was fussed over and never learned any boundaries).
So yeah, all I want to do is throw him in a small and not very comfortable room for at least a week and give him a good thrashing.

I might continue with the series because I was promised it would at least shift from military action to mysteries he needs to solve through wit alone (and maybe Bujold is better with political and social messes than military ones), but I really don't see why this series is so beloved (except for the afore-mentioned innovation factor about a disabled MC back in the day or, in fact, even nowadays).
If it wasn't for me reading this one book per month with the SpecFic group, I would have already given up. :/

[Clouds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my HUGO WINNERS list.

This is the reading list that follows the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I loved reading the Locus Sci-Fi Award winners so I'm going to crack on with the Hugo winners next (but only the post-1980 winners, I'll follow up with pre-1980 another time).

Long-running series should, ideally, be read in the internal chronological order. Unfortunately, Maestro Bujold did not write her epic Vorkosigan Saga in the obvious order – she’s jumped back and forth in the timeline with each successive book. Under these circumstances, fans that have been with her since the beginning will have experienced the full story in publication order, which also makes perfect sense. Being the contrary and ornery individual that I am, I am reading this wonderful series in neither chronological or publication order, but rather a semi-random and illogical sequence of my own devising! (Faye uses the word ornery a lot in older QuestionableContent issues I’ve been reading and it got lodged in my head.)

I began with Book Nine ( Mirror Dance ) and then jumped back to Book Two ( Barrayar ) – both read as part of my Locust Quest. These stories caught me hook, line and sinker: I declared myself a loyal reserve in the Emperor’s Vorkosigan Fan-Club Army.

Next, I found my way here to Book Four, ( The Vor Game ) as it was flagged for my attention as a Hugo winner from 1991 (more on that later). And I’ve now been given Books 8, 10 and 11 ( Borders of Infinity , Memory and Komarr ) as Birthday presents. Hurray!

I love a big fat series. Discworld. Dresden Files. The Dark Tower. Pliocine Exile/Galactic Milieu. Foundation. Night’s Dawn. A Song of Ice and Fire. Catch my drift? To me, the Vorkosigan Saga is the best thing I’ve discovered since I began the Locus Quest (and that includes Neal Stephenson, who I now adore). It took a great effort of will to not tear into Barrayar the moment it arrived, and another to resist the allure of The Vor Game for weeks and weeks until my reading list said I was allowed to! (I’m very strict with my reading lists – once the list is made, the list is boss.)

Whereas Barrayar focuses on Miles’ mother around the time of his birth, and Mirror Dance focuses on Miles’ clone-brother when they’re both in their late twenties. The Vor Game focuses exclusively on Miles in his late teens, just after graduating – and more Miles equals more fun! He’s a terrifically likeable lead and Bujold has a real flair for character which isn’t common in sci-fi.

This is a classic book of three acts. Miles starts in the military, gets assigned to some backwater Arctic camp, and has a massive personality clash with the commander, which gets them both fired. He gets re-assigned as a spy, and out in the field, under-cover, he bimbles around for some time, getting a feel for the territory on one mission before he bumps into his old childhood chum, The Emperor, who is on the lam incognito! Miles has to rescue his friend, foil the intergalactic plot that threatens his home-world, defeat his old Arctic-camp nemesis, and dig some other mercenary buddies out of the hole he left them in during his last adventure! It’s a light-hearted, whirlwind adventure in the best traditions of Space Opera. Miles is a fast talking, faster thinking, marginally psychotic, loveable little scamp!

It was one of those books where I spent the whole time reading it with a huge grin plastered on my face, and strangers in coffee shops looked at me with a worried squint. (Or maybe they were just curious if it was really ‘sugar’ I was putting in my drink?)

A quick note on the cover: I seem to have a copy of The Vor Game that was a short-lived edition. I can’t find the correct cover on GoodReads, and I’ve searched high and low on the internet, and the only version I could find anywhere was an e-bay pic of a guy’s hand holding the book. I now cannot even find that! (I shall add a pic to this review when I find my camera). So apparently this is rare – maybe it would be worth something if my copy wasn’t battered to frack. I take my books wherever I go, in whatever pocket they can be crammed – I am not kind to covers and spines.

Another quick note: After seeing how much I was enjoying this series, my darling wife has now gotten in on the fun, and agrees that Miles is utterly adorable and the books are awesome. We are now a family of Vorkosigan fans together! Double-hurray!

As far as I can tell you can jump into this series at any point because they’re all superbly written, stand-alone novels as well as linking together into an epic sci-fi adventure series. So you’ve got no real excuses – just grab the first one you spot and get involved!

P.S.
The Vor Game won the 1991 Hugo Award. The Locus Sci-Fi award that year went to Dan Simmons' The Fall of Hyperion (which is awesome) and the Nebula went to Le Guin's Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea (which I haven't read yet). I've given both Fall and Vor Game 5-stars, but of the two I'd give Simmons the nod as an outstanding achievement.

After this I read: Angelmaker

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATED 2017.04.02 with Worst Cover Gallery - check down below and feel free to comment!
_______________________________
I got lazy. Very, very lazy. This will keep my review super-short. Which is not a bad thing, eh?
I enjoyed the book, it was fun and entertaining, with smart dialogues and interesting characters. I missed Cordelia in this book a bit though. I know, it's all about Miles now and he was perfect in his unique Milesy way, but still. Oh well. At least finally we get to know Gregory not only as a pretty much anonymous heir of empire. Which was actually fun.
Anywho, I will get to the next part asap. I love this series.
_______________________________
Worst Cover Gallery

- I used to have this one at home as teen
- Miles the Pimp
My personal fav - Miles meets Cthulu. Sort of.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for my reread of the Vorkosigan Saga with SpecFic Buddy Reads during 2017/18. This is the first of the Miles novels that I haven't read before, and there's quite a few from here that will be new to me as well. I originally picked up the series from Memory.

Miles Vorkosigan has graduated the Imperial Military Academy and looks set for a bright future of military service as long as he develops some important basic officer skills. To this end he gets sent to a small frozen military outpost in the middle of nowhere. Being Miles though, trouble soon follows, in this case with an embittered veteran military commander who resents the "softness" of the peacetime military. Letting a "mutant" serve only emphasizes his prejudice, so Miles is in trouble from the start. But actions Miles is forced to take lead him into space for another encounter with the mercenary company that he formed in the previous book and he's forced to deal with consequences of his earlier actions and a brand new interstellar situation.

The first section of this where Miles is on Kyril Island for his miserable first posting I thought was brilliant. It encapsulates a lot of what I love about the series including the rich world-building (for example, the discussion of the Barrayaran minority populations) as well as Miles's ability to win people over by being both empathic and competent at his job. It also does a great job at illustrating the boundaries of Miles has and what he's willing to sacrifice for those.

The second section with the Hegen Hub was less successful in my opinion. A lot of it is more of The Warrior's Apprentice with regards to the Dendarii Mercenaries, but much of the rest of it is outrageous coincidences followed by situations where the plot of the story and the antagonists as well seem to set Miles up for victory. The whole thing feels very railroaded, although it's nice to see Miles growing up a bit and facing the consequences of his actions. (More on that much later in the series).

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vor Game: Another madcap Miles adventure
This was another fast-paced, well-balanced, and very enjoyable adventure centering on Miles, his cousin Ivan, the Dendarii mercenaries, some very villainous villains (including a very clever and calculating femme fatale), and even young Emperor Gregor thrown into the mix. Once again Miles finds himself stumbling from one disastrous situation to another, always managing to squeak by his wits alone, knowing how to manipulate and outsmart rather than overpower, and being incredibly lucky again and again.

The improbable coincidences pile up towards the end, stretching reader credibility, but in a sense that is part of the fun. We know how unlikely it would be in a "serious SF story" for these things to happen without the main characters getting blasted by a nerve disruptor, being spaced, or vaporized in a space battle, but the fact that Miles and Ivan can weasel their way through scrape after scrape is a bit like a really well-written TV comedy. What elevates Bujold's stories of Miles and his friends is that her characters are both three-dimensional and believable, even if their situations are not. There is always an emotional element to the story, including unrequited love and feelings of inferiority from our mad genius hero, and the frustrations of Emperor Gregor who chafes at his stifling position. It all adds up to a cracking good yarn, and when you remember that it is part of a much larger Miles Vorkosigan Saga that works as a greater tapestry, it is really impressive what Lois McMaster Bujold has achieved, and her huge fan base attests to this.

[aria ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are such a fun time! If I didn't have other books I had to read, I would binge this series!

Miles is a threat to existence itself, I love him🤣

[Dirk Grobbelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute damnation. It's peace that's wanted. Some better peace than the one you started with."

The emphasis in this novel is squarely on the Game of the title. It is a novel of intrigue, and although there is some action it is pretty much secondary to the strategic machinations. Miles Vorkosigan’s biggest asset is his ability to manipulate people, and the fact that people tend to underestimate him (because of a physical deformity). He also has an uncanny knack for interpreting strategy in the big picture.

The chronology of the Vorkosigan books are somewhat non-linear, so I am not entirely sure what sequence to read them in, but this is a sequel to The Warrior's Apprentice. I have to say, I was a bit lost in the convolutions of the Vorbarra / Vorkosigan family tree. Possibly because it has been so long since I read the previous book.

Between the different planetary governments and the complexities of wormhole locations within each system – it is easy to lose sight of who stands to gain and who stands to lose in all the events taking place here. Fortunately the author’s writing style is a delight to read and never gets bogged down.

The Vorkosigan saga is a long standing fan favourite, and The Vor Game won Hugo for best novel in 1991. It’s probably notable that it ousted The Fall of Hyperion for the title, although I personally preferred the latter.

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there: The Vor Game is a solid entry in a popular series, and well worth your time if you are a Science Fiction buff. An easy 4 stars.

"Think of the glory. Think of your reputation. Think how great it'll look on your next resume."
"On my cenotaph, you mean. Nobody will be able to collect enough of my scattered atoms to bury. You going to cover my funeral expenses, son?"

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of the Miles Vorkosigan books, though it's listed as the forth in the family saga. I was/am very impressed. My rating here is a considered one and I'm very close to a 5 here. I can't quite go there as there were a few false notes (I'll mention later) but all in all an excellent book and a great read. I'll say here in the first paragraph that I wholeheartedly recommend this one.

So, what's good and what's bad? Well, you will find what I've come to believe is Lois McMaster Bujold's "long suit" her strong point and that's characterization. The people have depth and they are consistent. She writes about them as if they are people she knows and she's simply relating their story. The novel picks up roughly at the point the last one ended (Miles has go to the academy and we come in as he's about be assigned his first post) and Miles launches off on a series of new adventures.

The false note I mentioned is that a few times I felt we'd sort of circled back (no details until a spoiler tag). But that wasn't really true and the storytelling is so good as to overshadow any slight or temporary false step. The story is a page turner having a nice thought out plot enlivened with lots of action. There is some great dialog and that isn't always the case even with good novels. Here there are lucid dialogs that give plot exposition and needed details without being dry. There are also many laugh out loud moments here and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

My mention of a circular plot here was because when we circled back to the mercenaries, saw the return of Admiral" Naismith (whom I assume we haven't seen the last of) and the reawakening (so to speak) of Miles' unrequited love story. But we moved on and got an original story very quickly and a very good one at that.

So, as I said, a highly recommended read and I'm already planning to get to the third/fifth novel in the series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is like crack. I've read the first four and instead of planning on reading the next one I'm planning on how to read the next four. I'm in loooove.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Executive Summary: I think this is probably my favorite book of the series so far. After a bit of a slow start I really enjoyed the rest of it.

Audiobook: Grover Gardner does another great job. He's made some of the less interesting books easier to get through. He doesn't do many voices but he seems like a great fit for Miles.

Full Review
I've always been someone who prefers to read long-running series in publication order rather than chronological or "recommended" order. For this series that has meant a bit of up and down. This is the sixth book I've read and most of the other five were in the 3-3.5 range. This was a solid 4.

I definitely enjoy Miles as a character. I'm a little uncertain where this book slots in compared to some of the others I've read. It seems like it's set before Brothers in Arms. I guess that would be the benefit of reading these chronologically rather than publication order. All I know is I seem to enjoy him more and more as the series goes on.

From the description I had thought we were going to spend time with him during the academy. I love a good school trope. However it turns out this essentially starts with his graduation. I found the beginning a little slow but once it got going, I was hooked.

I thought there was a lot of good character development. I also enjoyed the stuff with Gregor. I'm a little fuzzy on the details about Miles history with the Dendari fleet, but I feel like I haven't yet read about his first encounter with them yet.

Overall this was a solid book, and since I already own Barrayar, I'll probably jump into that soon. I'm a bit reluctant since that's set after Shards of Honour which I didn't particularly enjoy, but the consensus seems to be that it's a much better book.

[J.J. Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten tu Hugo, Lois. Te lo ganaste. Tu segundo Hugo consecutivo por una novela Vorkosigan.

Habiendo leído ya siete libros de esta indescriptible saga, y en estos momentos empezando a leer con emoción y nervios los dos que son el punto álgido y la columna vertebral (Danza de Espejos y Recuerdos), puedo decir que hasta el momento mi favorito absoluto es El Juego de los Vor.

Lo que es estúpidamente maravilloso de estos libros es que en medio de una acción desaforada y a veces sin parar la autora introduce temas complejos, temas relevantes y modernos, temas inteligentes y exploraciones con una tenuidad y una delicadeza preciosas echando mano de una caracterización fenomenal. Según Jo Walton, éste es el libro donde Bujold verdaderamente agarra el ritmo. Por poner una analogía, en el Mundodisco los libros que tienen una posición similar son curiosamente mis favoritos: Brujerías y Guardias! Guardias! Por lo tanto, El Juego de los Vor se siente como el libro de una escritora consolidada y segura. Eso es: es un libro donde se siente la confianza y el gusto de la autora, y de aquí no paramos.

Si bien la estructura es similar a la del libro que cronológicamente lo precede (El Aprendiz de Guerrero), el Juego de los Vor se siente como una "Part 2" mucho mejor hecha, con mucho mayores stakes para el universo y con un ritmo más galopante. Miles se comporta aquí mucho más como un héroe derecho y a la vez su conflicto interno brilla mucho, sin ser atosigante como en Hermanos de Armas. Pero por mucho, el factor que decide el lugar que le pongo por el momento a esta novela en la saga es mi regla de olvidar todas mis reservas y/o críticas que puedo tener si me siento como niño chiquito leyendo. Se parece en esta sensación al Prisionero de Zenda, ese sentido de Boys Own Adventure, pero con el plus añadido de la perspectiva de una autora que con guante de seda suelta bastante modernidad (y socialmente relevante y hasta adelantado a su tiempo). El final de este libro es hiper increíble y en un mundo paralelo donde las películas de ciencia ficción (ex propiedades intelectuales de Disney) fueran una apuesta cinematográfica segura, ésta haría gritar y chiflar a la audiencia.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with Choko and Evgeny. Though not really because this time I finished before they even started.

Returning to this series is always like coming home and this time was no exception. It's a great way to just relax and forget about the real world. Because Miles just sweeps you away on his mad adventure. Even though I have read this book before many times I stayed up half the night (giggling and sometimes laughing out loud and waking the family) to finish it because I couldn't stop.

The first half of the book is a bit boring. Miles is send to Kyril Island - a frozen piece of land in the middle of nowhere. But since this is miles he manages to get himself in all kinds of trouble. Including with his commanding officer the very first time they meet! Miles has a talent for making enemies out of his commanding officers :) And for ruining their careers. Eventually his morals and big mouth get him out of Camp Permafrost. There are some political ramifications of his actions because he is his father's son and there are way too many people that want the old Admiral dead and buried.

Miles receives a second chance, this time as part of an ImpSec operation that puts him in contact with his old fleet of mercenaries. Needless to say, that wasn't Illyan's plan but when Miles is involved plans go out the window/airlock. This is the moment when things get interesting and from that point on it's a mad dash all over the Hegen Hub and it's adjoining space. To make things worse Miles is suddenly stuck with Gregor, who has decided that he doesn't want to be Emperor and just ran away. I actually sympathize with Gregor. He is stuck with a job he doesn't really want, is scared that he will fuck up and as a result millions if not billions will pay the price, is a prisoner of his own security force and is always expected to act a certain way. He is playing a role forced on him and has played it all his life. To the point where he doesn't even know himself outside of that role. For the first time ever he has a chance to get to know himself outside of the artificial environment of Vor life and see what he is really made off. I loved seeing this more vulnerable side of him because he is usually just part of the background of the series and when he has page time he is usually in his Emperor mode.

In a way this is the beginning of a new chapter for the series and for the next several books we're embarking on a trip with Admiral Neismith and the Dendarii Mercenaries. And with Manic Miles on the helm it's one hell of an adventure.

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7,75/10

Misma sensación que con el anterior libro leído. Estamos delante de una novela muy entretenida que gracias a unos diálogos ágiles y a una trama interesante, busca por encima de todo el lucimiento de nuestro querido Miles. Y vaya si la señora McMaster lo consigue. Si ya en el primer libro uno termina empatizando con el joven Vorkosigan, tras este segundo solo queda arrodillarse ante su genio y astucia.

Como pequeño resumen de la trama, el emperador de Barrayar se mete en un lío bien gordo al desaparecer sin dejar rastro, y la casualidad hace que le toque a Miles comerse el marrón de devolver a su amigo sano y salvo al trono, mientras evita ser acusado de traición y al mismo tiempo le toca intentar detener una gran ofensiva de uno de los grandes enemigos del imperio.

La historia nos trae de vuelta personajes conocidos de la novela anterior, así como algunos nuevos que se incorporarán al grupo de fantásticos secundarios que rodea a Miles y que le hacen crecer con cada capítulo. Aunque ya comentado, los diálogos en esta novela son geniales y uno de sus grandes puntos fuertes.

Por ponerle algún pero, me sigue faltando algo más de profundidad en muchos momentos, sobre todo a la hora de analizar el lore y el worldbuilding que la señora McMaster creó.

Obvia decir que seguiré leyendo esta saga, de hecho ya terminé el tercero y espero pronto poder reseñarlo.

[David Sven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Miles is back. He’s completed his training at the Academy and he’s hoping to get posted on a space battleship. But Miles has a problem with subordination and to prove he is worthy to serve he is required by his superiors to demonstrate he can do just that ie serve - in some backwater Arctic station for six months.

So then Miles serves out his time in humility before being assigned to the pride of the Barrayan fleet The Prince Serg and.....
yeah that didn’t happen. That would be totally boring. It’s more like Mile gets to trot and plot all over the galaxy fighting space mercenaries, spying on potential enemies, command set piece space battles and you can bet there is a whole lot of usurping/insubordination involved.

What I appreciated about this book is that we pretty much have the same Miles I loved from The Warrior's Apprentice. What I didn’t like so much about this book was that we pretty much have the same Miles I loved from The Warrior's Apprentice. Most of Mile’s character development happened last book. And we had the pycho/sociopathic batman, Bothari. We had Miles ordering torture and having peoples cybernetic insets ripped out their heads. We had Miles storming spaceships and developing his own fleet. We had Miles struggling with the morality of his actions.

We don’t really get that much in this book. In this book Miles has no psychopaths under his command doing psychopathic things and very few questions of conscience. It felt like we got the Miles as he was at the end of the last book, which was fine because I do like that Miles and his interactions with Gregor and his various commanders was priceless. But I am looking forward to the next books building on Miles character and career as he gets older.

This is more a 3.5 stars for me. I can’t bring myself to give it a 3 so its

4 stars

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super enjoyable just as the previous books have been. I like the way Miles raises up the people around him. The people who don't appreciate him generally have outdated notions of value and the idea that dues need to be paid before advancement is awarded. That's a common occurrence and completely disheartening if you've ever been the target of it.

Gregor was finally given an opportunity to develop into a character with personality. One of my favourite things about him, and Miles, and the circle around them, is the intense loyalty they feel towards each other. The sense of security that creates contributes to a general feeling of optimism in the book.

On to the next book, Cetaganda.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Very good. But your most insidious chronic problem is in the area of . . . how shall I put this precisely . . . subordination. You argue too much.”
“No, I don’t,” Miles began indignantly, then shut his mouth.

Ah, another visit with Miles Vorkosigan/Naismith! That incredible bundle of energy, that intellect struggling to slow down to regular human speed. His problems with being the smartest guy in the room, but with physical limitations.

In many ways, Miles is like a jazz musician—he knows strategy (the melody) inside & out. When a new situation is thrown at him, he is able in incorporate it into his playing and take the strategy song to new places.

My favourite line? One of his captors at one point asks, “How many people are you?”

Book 264 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and my discovery of Miles Vorkosigan! This Hugo winner is an easy and very fast read taking us from the icy wastes to intergalactic war. Our hero was born with multiple birth defects (circumstances explained in Barrayar), but despite his physical handicaps, he maintains three identities and comes out on top every time like the Energizer bunny. He is funny, sarcastic, and just a wonderful character all around. The layering of his identities makes Miles a uniquely fascinating protagonist even if the prose is not as tight as Clarke, as poetic as Le Guin, or as imaginative as Brin or Vinge. Nonetheless, this extremely decorated writer Lois McMaster Bujold created a valuable and entertaining franchise around the Vor universe and it is truly delightful to read.
Technology-wise, the space travel here is accomplished with jumps (like in, say, Battlestar Galactica) and there are cool energy weapons and so forth. The space battles were really fun to read.
One tiny criticism is that our Chekhov's gun never gets fired: when banished to the icy wastes, we hear about these crazy winter storms called wah-wahs but we never experience one. Just felt like a lost opportunity to me for another fun Miles scene.
One side note, these books have the WORST cover art ever.

Fino's Reviews of Bujold Novels
Vorkosigan Universe
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Five Gods Trilogy
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Daniel Pastor · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐
Viendo lo visto estoy por valorar la saga entera y arreando que es gerundio.
Una genialidad más de Lois McMaster. Me tiene tan abducido con las historias de Miles que, a pesar de lo que me queda por leer y de otros tantos buenos libros que tengo en la lista, me está empezando a dar cierta ansiedad de pensar que ésto se acabe...
Miles, y su genialidad táctico-estratégica, desbaratando una invasión cetagandana al Centro Hagen. Todo trufado de intrigas dentro de intrigas.
Maravilloso!!!

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another light and fun read about Miles Vorkosigan and his adventures, or shall I say misadventures? :)
Troubles with the superiors as expected. Nice balance of both ground and space action with a good dose of humour. Interplanetary politics and space battles added enough sci-fi flavour to satisfy my appetite.
On the whole very enjoyable light read.

Recommended for sci-fi adventure and space opera fans.

[Lee at ReadWriteWish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read One more... I can't actually remember this one's plot.

My original review was solid. 5 out of 5 again

**

This is my fav Miles so far. (I think I might be saying this after every book!) I thought there was a good mix between action and political intrigue, humour and poignancy, and a standalone plot if you wanted to read this out of order but still the forward momentum of the overarching series plot and formation of the characters.

The book’s beginning sequences were fantastic. Miles’s first posting after graduating from military academy is at an isolated outpost at Barrayar’s arctic circle. He is sent there as a meteorology tech and soon butts heads with the station’s commander. He also manages to come across a dead body.

This section felt like an opening sequence in a movie - like a James Bond beginning or the Empire Strikes Back Hoth scene. It had heaps of action and mystery and, although it might not have been completely necessary to the main plot, it did offer a lot of additional characterisation. (I just read it was originally a separate novella, so that explains its feel to some degree.)

The action then moves to space when a new series of events has Miles meeting up with the fleet of mercenaries he created in Warrior’s Apprentice. Of course, in amongst the action is a plethora of
important themes. LMB always seems to tackle difficult subjects effortlessly; weaving topics into the plot organically without coming across as preachy. She also always seems to be way ahead of her time. This was published in 1990 and yet she covers a lot of current topical issues - men's health and wellbeing being the most notable.

In this universe many characters are members of minority groups but, for the most, they aren't treated differently. I guess the great irony is that Miles is the only one who is treated differently and labelled [incorrectly] as a mutant.

The other thing I really liked about this book was the Miles/Gregor dynamic. (Gregor being the emperor of Barrayar who, up until this book, has been discussed quite a bit but rarely featured.)

There are sooooo many books out there who have men in this type of relationship (quasi brother relationship) depicted in a negative way. I mean, how many times do we have the male characters who grew up in the same house/shared a parent etc become enemies? One is quite often the villain and one the hero. So many... Even Harry Potter for goodness sake! I just really appreciated that Miles and Gregor acted like they were normal brothers. Even though a fair amount of characters suspected Miles would betray Gregor and attempt to usurp him, Gregor himself never did. (It's also a lovely little reminder that, despite the constant rumours otherwise, Gregor also knows Aral is forever loyal to his position as emperor.) I liked all their scenes together and thought it was a great example of male friendship.

My favourites from previous books Aral and Illyan are featured for a fair amount of time but unfortunately Cordelia continues to take a backseat.

Looking forward to the next in this series though.

5 out of 5

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread After a roundabout way, Miles finds his calling and it is not, surprisingly, giving Simon Illyan a premature heart attack (although that's a feature not a bug to Miles' shenanigans).

Also, Gregor gets a solid feature in this wonky Roman Holiday retelling.

2021 reread I don't think I have adequately expressed how much I love this series.

[Chloe Frizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I love about this series is that the status quo significantly changes from book to book as a reaction to the plot.

This is the book where Miles learns about being a commander. When to give orders, when to follow them, when to get out of the way, and when to rebel. The plot includes arctic military bases slowly going crazy with cabin fever, looming intergalactic war, and space pirates.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 stars. Outstanding, smart science fiction novel with heart. Miles Vorkosigan is an amazing character. Highly recommended.

Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1991)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1991)

[Jeraviz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se suele decir que esta saga es ciencia ficción ligera porque sabes cómo empieza y sabes cómo acaba, unos son los buenos y otros los malos. Pero el camino que hay en medio...lo que no os podéis perder es el camino. Lleno de aventuras, personajes carismáticos y situaciones que te hacen preguntarte a ti mismo qué harías en su caso.