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Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #5, 5.3 & 8
Miles Errant
Contains:
The Borders of Infinity
Brothers in Arms
Mirror Dance
Miles Naismith--in the person of his two alter-egos Admiral Naismith and Lieutenant Lord Vorkosigan--embarks on a perilous series of adventures, from the liberation of Barrayaran allies from a Cetagandan POW camp to the rescue of clone children scheduled to be murdered for their bodies.
The Borders of Infinity
Brothers in Arms
Mirror Dance
Miles Naismith--in the person of his two alter-egos Admiral Naismith and Lieutenant Lord Vorkosigan--embarks on a perilous series of adventures, from the liberation of Barrayaran allies from a Cetagandan POW camp to the rescue of clone children scheduled to be murdered for their bodies.
741 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2002
20 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
About the author
Lois McMaster Bujold
189 books39.3k followersLois 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/
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/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
May 11, 2012
Two things. First, the rating. I acknowledge this isn't an undying classic. If you're looking for science fiction with literary prose, go read Ursula Le Guin or Ray Bradbury or William Gibson. Or for the "Big Ideas" go to Robert Heinlein or Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke. What Bujold offers is different--characters you care about and want to spend time with, and in that regard, I'd say this installment offers some of the strongest stories in the series I've read yet--and given its Miles Vorkosigan is one of my favorite literary characters, I'd say that merits the five stars.
Second, even if this is one of the strongest volumes in this space opera series, this is not the place to start. In some series, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover, order does not matter--the books, though sharing a universe, are designed to be read independently. Except in a few instances, that's not the case with the Vorkosigan saga. You'll be confused, you'll encounter spoilers for earlier books, and the book's impact will be blunted. So, if you haven't already, go look up the omnibus editions of Cordelia's Honor or Young Miles.
This volume offers up three tightly related stories. First, "Borders of Infinity" is a short story that demonstrates why Miles is one of my favorite fictional characters, as he's stripped of everything but his most lethal weapon--his wits. The second novel, Brother in Arms, Miles discovers he has a clone, Mark--one meant to replace him by his enemies--and that he has to try to make a brother. The next novel, Mirror Dance heavily features Mark, sharing the point of view with him. It's the darkest work in the series yet, but also one of the strongest. One where not only Miles, but Mark and their indomitable mother Cordelia gets to shine.
Second, even if this is one of the strongest volumes in this space opera series, this is not the place to start. In some series, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover, order does not matter--the books, though sharing a universe, are designed to be read independently. Except in a few instances, that's not the case with the Vorkosigan saga. You'll be confused, you'll encounter spoilers for earlier books, and the book's impact will be blunted. So, if you haven't already, go look up the omnibus editions of Cordelia's Honor or Young Miles.
This volume offers up three tightly related stories. First, "Borders of Infinity" is a short story that demonstrates why Miles is one of my favorite fictional characters, as he's stripped of everything but his most lethal weapon--his wits. The second novel, Brother in Arms, Miles discovers he has a clone, Mark--one meant to replace him by his enemies--and that he has to try to make a brother. The next novel, Mirror Dance heavily features Mark, sharing the point of view with him. It's the darkest work in the series yet, but also one of the strongest. One where not only Miles, but Mark and their indomitable mother Cordelia gets to shine.
April 20, 2011
This is marks the first time on my journey through the Vorkosigan saga that I found myself disappointed. The compendium begins with a brilliant short story. The two full-length novels are themed around the story of Miles' clone.
In a Sci-Fi universe that includes uterine replicators and life-extension via brain transplants, clones seem darn right straight forward. And while Bujold's world supports the existence of this technology, even her writing was unable to avoid the tired tropes and pitfalls of clone stories. The introduction of the clone was actually accomplished somewhat deftly, with a double-feint that initially had me wondering if the whole concept of a clone story was itself just a ploy to throw the reader off balance. But no, the clone really does exist, and by the end Brothers in Arms they have gone their separate ways, though Miles thinks of his clone as a brother.
Mirror Dance represents the integration of the clone/brother into the family, and the stilted, unnatural dance that Bujold forces her characters to perform to arrive at that outcome make for difficult reading. I'm hoping Mirror Dance was an aberration, not a sign of things to come.
In a Sci-Fi universe that includes uterine replicators and life-extension via brain transplants, clones seem darn right straight forward. And while Bujold's world supports the existence of this technology, even her writing was unable to avoid the tired tropes and pitfalls of clone stories. The introduction of the clone was actually accomplished somewhat deftly, with a double-feint that initially had me wondering if the whole concept of a clone story was itself just a ploy to throw the reader off balance. But no, the clone really does exist, and by the end Brothers in Arms they have gone their separate ways, though Miles thinks of his clone as a brother.
Mirror Dance represents the integration of the clone/brother into the family, and the stilted, unnatural dance that Bujold forces her characters to perform to arrive at that outcome make for difficult reading. I'm hoping Mirror Dance was an aberration, not a sign of things to come.
May 29, 2010
Follow this link for my review of the short story 'The Borders of Infinity' contained within this omnibus edition of the Vorkosigan space opera series.
Follow this link for my review of Brothers in Arms.
Follow this link for my review of Mirror Dance.
This omnibus edition didn't include any author's note or forward. It did include a time line for Miles as an addendum.
Overall, the series took a more serious and dramatic turn in these two novels and short story. Oddly, I look forward to reading each new novel because the concept is so different from what I'm used to in a fantasy series. Miles isn't on a quest, he's not the 'Chosen One', he's not cursed, he's not magically endowed beyond reason nor does he have a wizardly mentor leading him around by the nose. He uses his talents, his intelligence, his wit and his heart to great effect. He inspires others to exceed their perceived limitations, even some enemies.
I am looking forward to reading the next novel Memory next month.
Follow this link for my review of Brothers in Arms.
Follow this link for my review of Mirror Dance.
This omnibus edition didn't include any author's note or forward. It did include a time line for Miles as an addendum.
Overall, the series took a more serious and dramatic turn in these two novels and short story. Oddly, I look forward to reading each new novel because the concept is so different from what I'm used to in a fantasy series. Miles isn't on a quest, he's not the 'Chosen One', he's not cursed, he's not magically endowed beyond reason nor does he have a wizardly mentor leading him around by the nose. He uses his talents, his intelligence, his wit and his heart to great effect. He inspires others to exceed their perceived limitations, even some enemies.
I am looking forward to reading the next novel Memory next month.
June 10, 2013
"This is probably my favorite series of all time. I've read it many times, and just finished reading it again. The characters and the world Bujold creates are outstanding, but what is perhaps the most fascinating is the way she uses those characters and setting to tell so many kinds of stories: classic space opera, murder mysteries, psychological thrillers, and even straight-up comedy of manners, a la Jane Austen. Her themes are universal and tend to at least touch on the theme of the search for identity in all her books. Miles Errant is an omnibus of Borders of Infinity, Brothers in Arms, and Mirror Dance. All are outstanding. The writing is elegant, the humor subtle and yet LOL-funny, and the plot satisfyingly original. Her creation of Miles Vorkosigan is a true literary masterpiece, and also I'd like to marry him. Truly, these book are not-to-be-missed. This series of books introduces a complicated familial twist into Miles's life. The first time I read these, I didn't like these books, and now I think they are some of the best in the series. Mark will grow on you. Trust me."
March 29, 2015
This 4th omnibus in the Vorkosigan series contains the novella "The Borders of Infinity" (66 pgs; 3★) and two novels, "Brothers in Arms" (241 pgs; 4★) and "Mirror Dance" (432 pgs; 4★).
The Vorkosigan series is such fun reading! I found the 3 stories in this omnibus were connected by a shared theme of identity -- what makes us who we are? How much of ourselves comes from outside versus innate traits? These questions are highlighted by the introduction of a surprising new character .
I love the fact that after I surface from the adventure of these books, there is more to mull over.
The Vorkosigan series is such fun reading! I found the 3 stories in this omnibus were connected by a shared theme of identity -- what makes us who we are? How much of ourselves comes from outside versus innate traits? These questions are highlighted by the introduction of a surprising new character .
I love the fact that after I surface from the adventure of these books, there is more to mull over.
July 26, 2017
I absolutely love this series. Miles Vorkosigan is fast becoming my favourite book character. He is smart, cheeky but somehow very human. The cast of characters are interesting and the author has created a believable universe.
I did feel that this book was a bit darker than the previous couple of books. The author has gone into some of the more unsavoury aspects of the Vorkosigan universe. I did see that some people started with this book - not a good idea. They are designed to be read as a complete set and is one that I highly recommend.
I did feel that this book was a bit darker than the previous couple of books. The author has gone into some of the more unsavoury aspects of the Vorkosigan universe. I did see that some people started with this book - not a good idea. They are designed to be read as a complete set and is one that I highly recommend.
November 16, 2018
Jeerum, see viimane neljandik krutiti ikka nii ülevõlli seebiooperiks, et paha hakkas. Eelnev oli kena, aga too lõpuots vajas pidevat edasilappamist.
March 16, 2012
I was a little hesitant going into this one. I'd read some things, both here and on wikipedia, that made me worry about the direction the series was headed. Two-wheeled motor vehicles over apex sea predator sort of directions.
I should have known, to borrow a phrase from Nathan Lowell, to Trust Lois.
In the first novel in this collection, Brothers in Arms, Miles attempts to cement the cover story of his Bunburying, Admiral Naismith, by claiming to be a clone of himself. Little does he realize that he has an actual clone, Mark, who wants to take over the Vorkosigan identity that Miles so readily abandons. In the second novel, Mirror Dance, Mark changes tactics, becoming Naismith with Miles isn't looking in an attempt to play the hero.
In both cases, hilarity briefly ensues from Mark's attempts at being Miles. Then, in each case, with a simple turn Bujold manages to twist the entire story around, taking the story into some very Dark, Serious places. Those turns are gut-wrenchingly effective, moreso because of the frivolity of the comedy of errors that preceded them, and show how skilled Bujold is at creating characters that the reader connects to.
Deeper than that, though - this collection makes me worry about our young Vorish prince. The Naismith/Vorkosigan division always seemed like a fun little game - Bunburying, as I said earlier. Here we get our first real glimpses that there's something more going on, that the traumas and stresses of Miles' life have started to induce a case of Dissociative Identity Disorder on him. The same thing happens to Mark at the end of Mirror Dance in a much more obvious way, although he seems to be able to rein in his other selves by the end of the book. I eagerly await seeing where this story goes next.
I should have known, to borrow a phrase from Nathan Lowell, to Trust Lois.
In the first novel in this collection, Brothers in Arms, Miles attempts to cement the cover story of his Bunburying, Admiral Naismith, by claiming to be a clone of himself. Little does he realize that he has an actual clone, Mark, who wants to take over the Vorkosigan identity that Miles so readily abandons. In the second novel, Mirror Dance, Mark changes tactics, becoming Naismith with Miles isn't looking in an attempt to play the hero.
In both cases, hilarity briefly ensues from Mark's attempts at being Miles. Then, in each case, with a simple turn Bujold manages to twist the entire story around, taking the story into some very Dark, Serious places. Those turns are gut-wrenchingly effective, moreso because of the frivolity of the comedy of errors that preceded them, and show how skilled Bujold is at creating characters that the reader connects to.
Deeper than that, though - this collection makes me worry about our young Vorish prince. The Naismith/Vorkosigan division always seemed like a fun little game - Bunburying, as I said earlier. Here we get our first real glimpses that there's something more going on, that the traumas and stresses of Miles' life have started to induce a case of Dissociative Identity Disorder on him. The same thing happens to Mark at the end of Mirror Dance in a much more obvious way, although he seems to be able to rein in his other selves by the end of the book. I eagerly await seeing where this story goes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2011
"Borders of Infinity" was masterful: again, showing Miles not just cleverly fooling people, but genuinely leading them. I dug up the frame story and it's not all that much (although it does get referenced in later stories.) Brothers in Arms finally gave me what I wanted: Miles' position with the Dendarii clashes with his responsibilities as Vorkosigan, and he can't really keep ahead of it. It also raises some serious questions of his self-identity. Mirror Dance had its very messed up scenes, but it gave another chance to meet Miles through someone else's eyes. An artifact from Camp Permafrost makes a brief appearance. This made me a lot happier with the fallout from Vor Game: he didn't just walk away and forget about it.
January 11, 2015
Miles Errant includes three stories in the Vorkosigan saga: the novella Borders of Infinity, and the novels Brothers in Arms and Mirror Dance. This the first time I've given any books in the series five stars, and this collection gets that honour through the amazing Mirror Dance. I could not put that book down. It starts from Miles's clone-brother's perspective, and at first, I was annoyed. "I hope this entire book isn't going to be from the bad guy's perspective!" I whined to my uninterested husband. It isn't, but not only because it switches between character perspectives, but because by the end, Lois McMaster Bujold has you cheering for "the bad guy." It blows my mind what Lois McMaster Bujold can do with words and ideas.
January 2, 2010
Better than average for Bujold. More complexity of plot and characterization. (Toward the end, one character counts how many persons are represented by the two bodies sitting together and comes up with seven.)
July 28, 2013
Definitely my second favorite omnibus behind Young Miles. I think I tend to like the Admiral Naismith based books better than the Miles Vorkosigan ones. Definitely some um, adult, material in these ones though (more so than the others)that requires a strong stomach.
July 2, 2015
This book so far is my favorite of her omnibus books (Cordelia's Honour a close second). The pace is fast and it doesn't let up at all, I could barely put the book down. While it is an Omnibus the three stories read as if they are one. The book is a treat
November 24, 2010
5 stars for Borders of Infinity, by far my most favoritest Miles escapade! Dude can plot a scheme to overthrow god..and will have hell to pay talking his way out of it as usual
November 22, 2013
So far this is the best of the series IMO.
July 11, 2011
A conversational review...
ALEX:
“Borders of Infinity” is a curious novella, in that it sets Miles almost completely apart from all of the other characters we’ve come to know and love. Here, he doesn’t have the support of his parents, or Ivan, or a Bothari… it’s just him and his wits. And for much of the story the reader has no idea what is going on, which is also quite different from Bujold’s style in earlier books. No idea why Miles is in the POW camp – was he captured? is this deliberate? – no idea where everyone else is… at least we do have a vague idea why he’s organising the camp: because he can’t help himself. He is an inveterate organiser, schemer, and meddler; he could no more leave the camp disorganised (even without the greater plan that he turns out to have) than a cat could ignore catnip.
TEHANI:
It’s my absolute favourite of the novellas, because it showcases Miles being completely, utterly MILES! All he has are his wits and the insane charisma that makes people follow whatever the heck mad scheme he comes up with. No trappings, no trimmings (not even any clothes!) – just Miles.
ALEX:
That’s exactly it! It is – heh – naked Miles…
I did, of course, really enjoy this story. It was fun to watch Miles build something from nothing, and to see people’s reactions to him when he has absolutely nothing concrete to offer them. And the number of times someone asks, dubiously, “What did you say you were?”, and he replies “A clerk,” only to have them respond with “Yes sir”… brilliant.
TEHANI:
Heh! Best lines There was some interesting stuff in here too. These people had been stuck in the dome for three years, succumbing to the machinations of their captors and degenerating into anarchy, but who were the organised ones? The women. They formed their own enclave within the prison, to protect each other – it’s a very telling little message from Bujold I think. I also think the story examines leadership – Miles is a fascinating leader, and has mastered the skill of making the most of the abilities of others, even when he has no idea what they might be!
ALEX:
That the women were the organised ones was an interesting aspect, yes. I think the idea that they would do so for protection makes sense. Other takes on this idea have often seen women essentially becoming part of a harem, in exchange for men’s protection. There was one interesting comment about Tris, the leader of the women – the fact that she was a trooper, not a tech, like most of the other women. Not sure what to make of that; women as soldiers still not accepted on this world?
I was heartbroken at Beatrice’s death. I could so see her joining the Dendarii. Also Murka. Looking forward, I am… not glad, but impressed maybe? respectful certainly of Bujold making sure Miles is haunted by those deaths. It makes him much more real.
TEHANI:
You’re fishing for spoilers! Won’t give. But yes, Beatrice was a sad loss, but I like that Bujold reminds us no-one is safe in her books – we can’t get complacent about characters we love!
ALEX:
Who, me? Fishing?? Beatrice died! … didn’t she?
TEHANI:
Ah, oops! Forgot that Murka was already IN the Dendarii (from “Labyrinth”) for a minute there! Carry on…
ALEX:
For me, this story reminded me in some ways of the hell described in Iain M Banks’ latest novel, Surface Detail, although Bujold’s is not nearly as unpleasant as Banks’.
TEHANI:
Darn you Alex, you’re always adding to my reading pile!
Brothers in Arms
ALEX:
Lesson #3432 I have learnt from Miles Vorkosigan: don’t joke about having a clone brother. It might just be true.
Miles has an evil twin! HAHAHA! Brilliant.
Brothers in Arms follows directly on from “Borders,” with Cetagandan forces chasing Admiral Naismith to deliver retribution for rescuing so many POWS at Dagoola IV. He ends up on Earth – Earth! – something of a backwater from a commercial point of view, due to its lack of wormhole entrances, but still commanding a cultural and psychological hold over humanity, it appears. Things, naturally, go wrong, mostly because of the plot to replace Miles with his six-years-younger clone twin.
TEHANI:
I like that it takes quite a while for the actual clone story to start here. It gives us time to anticipate the incipient disaster we just know will come! And one of the best bits is when Miles thinks he’s hallucinating, but later realises he really was seeing the clone!
ALEX:
Yes, I thought that was a nice twist – that he wasn’t going quite as crazy as he thought he was.
On the plot:
Awesome. Nice plot twists with the struggles of the clone. One of the highlights of course is the utter DISASTER of Admiral Naismith and Lieutenant Vorkosigan being on the same planet at the same time – which is what leads to the crazy story of the clone… oops. It didn’t feel like there were that many sub-plots going on in this book as with some of the others; there’s the Miles/Quinn love story, but it’s not like Ivan or Galeni get their own little thread. Also, this wasn’t really a detective story like Cetaganda, nor was it space opera-y Warrior’s Apprentice. It is certainly SF, of course, and it’s a lot of fun knowing that, in reading a Bujold novel, you do not necessarily know what sort of a plot you’re in for, nor what sort of a setting. Very clever, and very attractive.
TEHANI:
Very skilful too. There’s not all that many authors around who can write equally well with a detective plot, a space opera, a romance (just wait), an action adventure and so much more! This one was relatively straightforward I agree, without the twisty turns of some of the other Vorkosigan books, but also important, in the larger scheme, particularly because of Mark, but for other reasons too. No, I’m not telling!
ALEX:
On the characters:
Miles continues to be awesome, natch. He also develops quite a lot of humanity in this novel, I feel, as he has nightmares about Beatrice and Murka dying (from “Borders”), as well as his great quandary over whether to get it on with Quinn or not. He finally seems to be learning a bit more about how to be subordinate – although it sure doesn’t come easily. The effect of having the clone mirror to him his gestures and words and entire personality is a really neat trick to force some self-reflection. In his mid-20s, it finally feels like Miles is almost old enough for his brain, which continues to devise interesting, if somewhat desperate, schemes. I particularly enjoyed the little trap under the Thames barrier – getting everyone to eliminate everyone else while searching for Miles.
TEHANI:
Oh yes, VERY effective. And the business of Beatrice and Murka hanging over him is sobering for him – he’s had people die before, but he’s beginning to understand one of those huge responsibilities of leadership – the introspection of that is quite a settling force, in some ways. I was particularly sad about Murka – we’d already seen him in action in “Labyrinth” and he was a great character! Bujold really subscribed to the “Kill off your darlings” mantra eh?
ALEX:
Mark, the clone, promises to be a verrrry interesting part of the saga from now on. Bujold does an intriguing thing here with the question of nature/nurture, because while Galen was attempting to re-create Miles, he was doing so in a completely different environment. Let’s not even go into what was necessary to turn Mark physically into Miles – I had hoped that they would have tried introducing the poison into the uterine replicator or something similar, but no…. I felt an immense sympathy for Mark, which I am sure was Bujold’s point; he’s just a pawn for everyone, even Miles, it’s no wonder that he has trust issues. I can’t wait to see what Bujold does with him over time. I admit that I had rather expected everything to be tied up, if not neatly then with greater hope than we are left with re: Mark’s position, by the conclusion of the story. Bujold doesn’t exactly make things easy, does she?
TEHANI:
Never! And just you wait til Mirror Dance!
ALEX:
On the other hand… yay Quinn! More Quinn is good! It was fun to see Miles finally having a mostly-normal relationship with a woman (not pining unrequitedly, not getting it on with an 8ft, 16-year-old genetic experiment…), particularly when it’s a woman who most definitely knows her own mind stands up for herself. The bit where she refuses to be Lady Vorkosigan but still wants to jump his bones? Marvellous.
TEHANI:
I like that Quinn doesn’t succumb to Miles here. We know he’s got such a forceful and charismatic personae that it really would have been something he could have talked her into. And, traditionally in stories, the hero gets the girl, right? And he’s already missed out on Elena, so it’s his turn now, right? Which makes it so much cooler that he DOESN’T get the girl! It’s logical, and sensible, and I’m glad that Bujold let it happen this way.
ALEX:
Their relationship makes sense – on her terms, not his.
Ivan… still not that intriguing, I’m afraid. I like him and all, but he’s not come into his own yet. I admit it’s clear that he’s nowhere near as dense as Miles might sometimes think though.
TEHANI:
We definitely are starting to see some sparks of who Ivan really is, when he’s not completely bombarded by Miles. The flashes of innovative thought are hopeful!
ALEX:
For some reason I was thinking about Tom Clancy the other day, and it occurred to me that if Clancy were writing Miles, he would end up being the Emperor. Or at least in Illyan’s job. That would be awesome.
TEHANI:
You’re fishing again!! Interesting train of thought… Onwards!!
Mirror Dance:
TEHANI:
Mirror Dance brings back Mark in full bloom, building on the seriously conflicted character we met in Brothers in Arms and making him the catalyst for a whole new era of Vorkosigan adventures. While Miles is away from the fleet (enjoying some Elli-time!), Mark swings in and masquerades as Admiral Naismith, commandeering a vessel to undertake his own vendetta. With predictably horrible consequences. Which lead to further terrible events, that force Mark to both confront his fears and also step up and become the man he needs to be.
ALEX:
ohhhh, NOW I understand your comments about Aral and his love for Cordelia! Cordelia's own dissection of Aral's predilections - that he prefers soldiers, and that she was attractive because of that... and, although she doesn't make the connection obvious when she's speaking to Mark, she therefore solves the problem of children and inheritance. This is a very cold analysis! That Cordelia is fine with it - comfortable, even indifferent - is I guess because of her Betan heritage, which is indifferent towards non-hetero forms of sexuality. I guess, too, that since she fell in love with him at the same time and it wasn't like she had to convince him to accept her, what does it matter who else he's attracted to or exactly what makes her attractive? It works, and that's all that matters.
I had been longing for more Cordelia, so this was an awfully nice interlude on Barrayar, even if it was fraught and difficult!
TEHANI:
Cordelia is fascinating in this book. She's so pragmatic and stoic about everything that happens, which is totally in character, but makes you wonder how much is going on beneath the surface. I mean, her son is dead and MISSING, her husband has a heart attack and almost dies, she has this new son who is, let's be honest, somewhat hard to get used to, compared to Miles, and yet, she just copes! And it's all completely believable. She's totally my hero.
ALEX:
Yes, Cordelia is much the most self-controlled of the family, and the most accepting too. I love the comments throughout from various people about how they'd have to account to her for what they'd done to or for her son... and they mean Mark, even before he's met her.
Anyway... I finished this book a week ago and it has taken me this long to write down my thoughts because, well, it was a really hard book to read in many ways. What Bujold does to Mark! Oh my.
I really liked the structure of this book, and was especially appreciative when we found out about the Barrayar dance called the mirror dance. Miles and Mark do indeed mirror each other for much of the book - I will have to re-read at some stage to really see some of the deeper resonances which I am sure are there. Flipping between two characters is obviously not new (hey, I'm a Lord of the Rings fan from way back), but Bujold uses it brilliantly. And again, it's a different sort of narrative structure from previous books - she really didn't want to get bogged down.
TEHANI:
The mirror dance is a nice touch and shows how clever Bujold is. I love too the trouble Mark has with interacting with women - if you remember, Miles was very similar in the early books! It wasn't until Elli that he really began to feel comfortable in his own self with the opposite sex! Hmm. And even then, I suppose he was Admiral Naismith and not himself! So Miles Vorkosigan with women is still a problem (and one I'm enjoying now, in A Civil Campaign - no spoilers!) :)
ALEX:
The Miles story is the easiest one, I think, even though he is actually dead for a large chunk - and wasn't that a shock to the system!
TEHANI:
Shock? What! It was HORRIBLE! It was like Bujold went, oh, well, I've got this OTHER character now - we don't need THIS Vorkosigan any more… ARGH! And then to LOSE him! Elli's reaction in this was the most heartwrenching - even though she doesn't want to marry Miles Vorkosigan, she totally loves Miles, and her decisions and actions here are very telling.
ALEX:
Yup, absolutely. I continue to love Elli!
The early part of his story is interesting and all, but it's the coming out of amnesia that is seriously intriguing, and shows that Bujold knows exactly what she is doing with him. His automatic expectation that people will listen to him - even when he doesn't know who he is! - and other visceral responses are I think an indication of just how innate all of that is to Miles as Miles. The fact that Mark does not have those responses gives an indication, at least for me, of just how much Miles is a product of his environment.
TEHANI:
Too true! Mark was pretty much a slave who Miles freed, whereas Miles fought for everything he had and forced it to happen through strength of will. Chromosomally identical, it's fascinating to see their differences here!
The relationship with the doctor is interesting - Bujold doesn't let little things like ongoing relationships get in the way of the story, does she!
ALEX:
No indeed. Once Miles has a bit of self-confidence - at least as the Admiral - sex sex sex... :D
And then there's Mark. When he managed to con Bel (if only briefly) and go off to rescue some clones, I was wondering just how Bujold turned this story into a novel the length it was - I wondered whether it would be like The Vor Game, with what seemed like two different halves of a narrative. But no, things went badly... Miles comes to the rescue and is killed because he won't abandon his brother, and then eventually Mark is kidnapped in his own attempt to rescue his brother. Ah, mirrors. Before the kidnapping of course we have Mark on Barrayar, and isn't that revealing and compelling all on its own! I loved the bits with Cordelia and Aral coming to terms with Mark and their different reactions - Aral being more like his own father than he is probably comfortable with - and Mark finally seeing what it might be like to be part of a family. I cannot BELIEVE that on top of Miles dying Bujold then damn near killed Aral, too! And then to have Mark tortured! ... well. The torture was of course a really horrible part of the narrative. Bujold handles it skilfully and sympathetically with regard to Mark, I thought - that is, I didn't find it gratuitous in description, and the idea of Mark splitting his personalities (just like Miles has done under slightly less fraught circumstances...) promises some very interesting future ramifications.
TEHANI:
Bujold is mean to her people. MEAN. And this book has so many bad things happening to good people, which is different from the past books I think - bad things happen, of course, but not in such numbers to our favourite characters!
It's very easy to forget that Mark has had a lot of training in a lot of things - he's not ever going to be Miles, but he was TRAINED to be Miles, and that included a simulcrum of the military training Miles undertook. I liked the scene where Mark almost kills some Barrayans inadvertently, because it reminds us not to underestimate him just because a) everything he's done so far has been a debacle, and b) he's not Miles.
ALEX:
It was a very good point, that one - that he may not be Our Miles but he still has a lot of things going for him.
I was so pleased with the way the book finished, too. Miles and Mark on near-equal footing, Mark happy with being - having consciously chose to be! - heavier than Miles... yeh, I can really see this series going some interesting places.
TEHANI:
And now you're on to Memory. If you thought THIS book was hard to process, just wait!
ALEX:
oh great!
ALEX:
“Borders of Infinity” is a curious novella, in that it sets Miles almost completely apart from all of the other characters we’ve come to know and love. Here, he doesn’t have the support of his parents, or Ivan, or a Bothari… it’s just him and his wits. And for much of the story the reader has no idea what is going on, which is also quite different from Bujold’s style in earlier books. No idea why Miles is in the POW camp – was he captured? is this deliberate? – no idea where everyone else is… at least we do have a vague idea why he’s organising the camp: because he can’t help himself. He is an inveterate organiser, schemer, and meddler; he could no more leave the camp disorganised (even without the greater plan that he turns out to have) than a cat could ignore catnip.
TEHANI:
It’s my absolute favourite of the novellas, because it showcases Miles being completely, utterly MILES! All he has are his wits and the insane charisma that makes people follow whatever the heck mad scheme he comes up with. No trappings, no trimmings (not even any clothes!) – just Miles.
ALEX:
That’s exactly it! It is – heh – naked Miles…
I did, of course, really enjoy this story. It was fun to watch Miles build something from nothing, and to see people’s reactions to him when he has absolutely nothing concrete to offer them. And the number of times someone asks, dubiously, “What did you say you were?”, and he replies “A clerk,” only to have them respond with “Yes sir”… brilliant.
TEHANI:
Heh! Best lines There was some interesting stuff in here too. These people had been stuck in the dome for three years, succumbing to the machinations of their captors and degenerating into anarchy, but who were the organised ones? The women. They formed their own enclave within the prison, to protect each other – it’s a very telling little message from Bujold I think. I also think the story examines leadership – Miles is a fascinating leader, and has mastered the skill of making the most of the abilities of others, even when he has no idea what they might be!
ALEX:
That the women were the organised ones was an interesting aspect, yes. I think the idea that they would do so for protection makes sense. Other takes on this idea have often seen women essentially becoming part of a harem, in exchange for men’s protection. There was one interesting comment about Tris, the leader of the women – the fact that she was a trooper, not a tech, like most of the other women. Not sure what to make of that; women as soldiers still not accepted on this world?
I was heartbroken at Beatrice’s death. I could so see her joining the Dendarii. Also Murka. Looking forward, I am… not glad, but impressed maybe? respectful certainly of Bujold making sure Miles is haunted by those deaths. It makes him much more real.
TEHANI:
You’re fishing for spoilers! Won’t give. But yes, Beatrice was a sad loss, but I like that Bujold reminds us no-one is safe in her books – we can’t get complacent about characters we love!
ALEX:
Who, me? Fishing?? Beatrice died! … didn’t she?
TEHANI:
Ah, oops! Forgot that Murka was already IN the Dendarii (from “Labyrinth”) for a minute there! Carry on…
ALEX:
For me, this story reminded me in some ways of the hell described in Iain M Banks’ latest novel, Surface Detail, although Bujold’s is not nearly as unpleasant as Banks’.
TEHANI:
Darn you Alex, you’re always adding to my reading pile!
Brothers in Arms
ALEX:
Lesson #3432 I have learnt from Miles Vorkosigan: don’t joke about having a clone brother. It might just be true.
Miles has an evil twin! HAHAHA! Brilliant.
Brothers in Arms follows directly on from “Borders,” with Cetagandan forces chasing Admiral Naismith to deliver retribution for rescuing so many POWS at Dagoola IV. He ends up on Earth – Earth! – something of a backwater from a commercial point of view, due to its lack of wormhole entrances, but still commanding a cultural and psychological hold over humanity, it appears. Things, naturally, go wrong, mostly because of the plot to replace Miles with his six-years-younger clone twin.
TEHANI:
I like that it takes quite a while for the actual clone story to start here. It gives us time to anticipate the incipient disaster we just know will come! And one of the best bits is when Miles thinks he’s hallucinating, but later realises he really was seeing the clone!
ALEX:
Yes, I thought that was a nice twist – that he wasn’t going quite as crazy as he thought he was.
On the plot:
Awesome. Nice plot twists with the struggles of the clone. One of the highlights of course is the utter DISASTER of Admiral Naismith and Lieutenant Vorkosigan being on the same planet at the same time – which is what leads to the crazy story of the clone… oops. It didn’t feel like there were that many sub-plots going on in this book as with some of the others; there’s the Miles/Quinn love story, but it’s not like Ivan or Galeni get their own little thread. Also, this wasn’t really a detective story like Cetaganda, nor was it space opera-y Warrior’s Apprentice. It is certainly SF, of course, and it’s a lot of fun knowing that, in reading a Bujold novel, you do not necessarily know what sort of a plot you’re in for, nor what sort of a setting. Very clever, and very attractive.
TEHANI:
Very skilful too. There’s not all that many authors around who can write equally well with a detective plot, a space opera, a romance (just wait), an action adventure and so much more! This one was relatively straightforward I agree, without the twisty turns of some of the other Vorkosigan books, but also important, in the larger scheme, particularly because of Mark, but for other reasons too. No, I’m not telling!
ALEX:
On the characters:
Miles continues to be awesome, natch. He also develops quite a lot of humanity in this novel, I feel, as he has nightmares about Beatrice and Murka dying (from “Borders”), as well as his great quandary over whether to get it on with Quinn or not. He finally seems to be learning a bit more about how to be subordinate – although it sure doesn’t come easily. The effect of having the clone mirror to him his gestures and words and entire personality is a really neat trick to force some self-reflection. In his mid-20s, it finally feels like Miles is almost old enough for his brain, which continues to devise interesting, if somewhat desperate, schemes. I particularly enjoyed the little trap under the Thames barrier – getting everyone to eliminate everyone else while searching for Miles.
TEHANI:
Oh yes, VERY effective. And the business of Beatrice and Murka hanging over him is sobering for him – he’s had people die before, but he’s beginning to understand one of those huge responsibilities of leadership – the introspection of that is quite a settling force, in some ways. I was particularly sad about Murka – we’d already seen him in action in “Labyrinth” and he was a great character! Bujold really subscribed to the “Kill off your darlings” mantra eh?
ALEX:
Mark, the clone, promises to be a verrrry interesting part of the saga from now on. Bujold does an intriguing thing here with the question of nature/nurture, because while Galen was attempting to re-create Miles, he was doing so in a completely different environment. Let’s not even go into what was necessary to turn Mark physically into Miles – I had hoped that they would have tried introducing the poison into the uterine replicator or something similar, but no…. I felt an immense sympathy for Mark, which I am sure was Bujold’s point; he’s just a pawn for everyone, even Miles, it’s no wonder that he has trust issues. I can’t wait to see what Bujold does with him over time. I admit that I had rather expected everything to be tied up, if not neatly then with greater hope than we are left with re: Mark’s position, by the conclusion of the story. Bujold doesn’t exactly make things easy, does she?
TEHANI:
Never! And just you wait til Mirror Dance!
ALEX:
On the other hand… yay Quinn! More Quinn is good! It was fun to see Miles finally having a mostly-normal relationship with a woman (not pining unrequitedly, not getting it on with an 8ft, 16-year-old genetic experiment…), particularly when it’s a woman who most definitely knows her own mind stands up for herself. The bit where she refuses to be Lady Vorkosigan but still wants to jump his bones? Marvellous.
TEHANI:
I like that Quinn doesn’t succumb to Miles here. We know he’s got such a forceful and charismatic personae that it really would have been something he could have talked her into. And, traditionally in stories, the hero gets the girl, right? And he’s already missed out on Elena, so it’s his turn now, right? Which makes it so much cooler that he DOESN’T get the girl! It’s logical, and sensible, and I’m glad that Bujold let it happen this way.
ALEX:
Their relationship makes sense – on her terms, not his.
Ivan… still not that intriguing, I’m afraid. I like him and all, but he’s not come into his own yet. I admit it’s clear that he’s nowhere near as dense as Miles might sometimes think though.
TEHANI:
We definitely are starting to see some sparks of who Ivan really is, when he’s not completely bombarded by Miles. The flashes of innovative thought are hopeful!
ALEX:
For some reason I was thinking about Tom Clancy the other day, and it occurred to me that if Clancy were writing Miles, he would end up being the Emperor. Or at least in Illyan’s job. That would be awesome.
TEHANI:
You’re fishing again!! Interesting train of thought… Onwards!!
Mirror Dance:
TEHANI:
Mirror Dance brings back Mark in full bloom, building on the seriously conflicted character we met in Brothers in Arms and making him the catalyst for a whole new era of Vorkosigan adventures. While Miles is away from the fleet (enjoying some Elli-time!), Mark swings in and masquerades as Admiral Naismith, commandeering a vessel to undertake his own vendetta. With predictably horrible consequences. Which lead to further terrible events, that force Mark to both confront his fears and also step up and become the man he needs to be.
ALEX:
ohhhh, NOW I understand your comments about Aral and his love for Cordelia! Cordelia's own dissection of Aral's predilections - that he prefers soldiers, and that she was attractive because of that... and, although she doesn't make the connection obvious when she's speaking to Mark, she therefore solves the problem of children and inheritance. This is a very cold analysis! That Cordelia is fine with it - comfortable, even indifferent - is I guess because of her Betan heritage, which is indifferent towards non-hetero forms of sexuality. I guess, too, that since she fell in love with him at the same time and it wasn't like she had to convince him to accept her, what does it matter who else he's attracted to or exactly what makes her attractive? It works, and that's all that matters.
I had been longing for more Cordelia, so this was an awfully nice interlude on Barrayar, even if it was fraught and difficult!
TEHANI:
Cordelia is fascinating in this book. She's so pragmatic and stoic about everything that happens, which is totally in character, but makes you wonder how much is going on beneath the surface. I mean, her son is dead and MISSING, her husband has a heart attack and almost dies, she has this new son who is, let's be honest, somewhat hard to get used to, compared to Miles, and yet, she just copes! And it's all completely believable. She's totally my hero.
ALEX:
Yes, Cordelia is much the most self-controlled of the family, and the most accepting too. I love the comments throughout from various people about how they'd have to account to her for what they'd done to or for her son... and they mean Mark, even before he's met her.
Anyway... I finished this book a week ago and it has taken me this long to write down my thoughts because, well, it was a really hard book to read in many ways. What Bujold does to Mark! Oh my.
I really liked the structure of this book, and was especially appreciative when we found out about the Barrayar dance called the mirror dance. Miles and Mark do indeed mirror each other for much of the book - I will have to re-read at some stage to really see some of the deeper resonances which I am sure are there. Flipping between two characters is obviously not new (hey, I'm a Lord of the Rings fan from way back), but Bujold uses it brilliantly. And again, it's a different sort of narrative structure from previous books - she really didn't want to get bogged down.
TEHANI:
The mirror dance is a nice touch and shows how clever Bujold is. I love too the trouble Mark has with interacting with women - if you remember, Miles was very similar in the early books! It wasn't until Elli that he really began to feel comfortable in his own self with the opposite sex! Hmm. And even then, I suppose he was Admiral Naismith and not himself! So Miles Vorkosigan with women is still a problem (and one I'm enjoying now, in A Civil Campaign - no spoilers!) :)
ALEX:
The Miles story is the easiest one, I think, even though he is actually dead for a large chunk - and wasn't that a shock to the system!
TEHANI:
Shock? What! It was HORRIBLE! It was like Bujold went, oh, well, I've got this OTHER character now - we don't need THIS Vorkosigan any more… ARGH! And then to LOSE him! Elli's reaction in this was the most heartwrenching - even though she doesn't want to marry Miles Vorkosigan, she totally loves Miles, and her decisions and actions here are very telling.
ALEX:
Yup, absolutely. I continue to love Elli!
The early part of his story is interesting and all, but it's the coming out of amnesia that is seriously intriguing, and shows that Bujold knows exactly what she is doing with him. His automatic expectation that people will listen to him - even when he doesn't know who he is! - and other visceral responses are I think an indication of just how innate all of that is to Miles as Miles. The fact that Mark does not have those responses gives an indication, at least for me, of just how much Miles is a product of his environment.
TEHANI:
Too true! Mark was pretty much a slave who Miles freed, whereas Miles fought for everything he had and forced it to happen through strength of will. Chromosomally identical, it's fascinating to see their differences here!
The relationship with the doctor is interesting - Bujold doesn't let little things like ongoing relationships get in the way of the story, does she!
ALEX:
No indeed. Once Miles has a bit of self-confidence - at least as the Admiral - sex sex sex... :D
And then there's Mark. When he managed to con Bel (if only briefly) and go off to rescue some clones, I was wondering just how Bujold turned this story into a novel the length it was - I wondered whether it would be like The Vor Game, with what seemed like two different halves of a narrative. But no, things went badly... Miles comes to the rescue and is killed because he won't abandon his brother, and then eventually Mark is kidnapped in his own attempt to rescue his brother. Ah, mirrors. Before the kidnapping of course we have Mark on Barrayar, and isn't that revealing and compelling all on its own! I loved the bits with Cordelia and Aral coming to terms with Mark and their different reactions - Aral being more like his own father than he is probably comfortable with - and Mark finally seeing what it might be like to be part of a family. I cannot BELIEVE that on top of Miles dying Bujold then damn near killed Aral, too! And then to have Mark tortured! ... well. The torture was of course a really horrible part of the narrative. Bujold handles it skilfully and sympathetically with regard to Mark, I thought - that is, I didn't find it gratuitous in description, and the idea of Mark splitting his personalities (just like Miles has done under slightly less fraught circumstances...) promises some very interesting future ramifications.
TEHANI:
Bujold is mean to her people. MEAN. And this book has so many bad things happening to good people, which is different from the past books I think - bad things happen, of course, but not in such numbers to our favourite characters!
It's very easy to forget that Mark has had a lot of training in a lot of things - he's not ever going to be Miles, but he was TRAINED to be Miles, and that included a simulcrum of the military training Miles undertook. I liked the scene where Mark almost kills some Barrayans inadvertently, because it reminds us not to underestimate him just because a) everything he's done so far has been a debacle, and b) he's not Miles.
ALEX:
It was a very good point, that one - that he may not be Our Miles but he still has a lot of things going for him.
I was so pleased with the way the book finished, too. Miles and Mark on near-equal footing, Mark happy with being - having consciously chose to be! - heavier than Miles... yeh, I can really see this series going some interesting places.
TEHANI:
And now you're on to Memory. If you thought THIS book was hard to process, just wait!
ALEX:
oh great!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2019
I've been reading the Vorkosigan saga over the past year, but I was not on Goodreads until this book (well, I was on Goodreads, but I wasn't using it actively and definitely not using it as an outlet for making sure I was writing on a daily basis...) and now that I believe I am about halfway through all of the books that have been published in the saga thus far, I'm still not sure what to make of it. Bujold was suggested to me by a friend at WRUW FM (where I do a weekly indie rock radio show--Sundays 10am to noon, streaming at wruw.org (shamless plug)), and while I have enjoyed reading these books, I sometimes wonder if Bujold isn't having one over on us fans of science fiction.
To me, the Miles Errant omnibus is exactly the proof of what I am thinking here. This omnibus mainly concerns itself with a new character to the Vorkosigan universe, Mark Vorkosigan. Mark is a clone of the saga's central hero, Miles Vorkosigan. The first novel in the omnibus, Brothers in Arms introduces us to the clone and his backstory, through the eyes of Miles in his identity as Admiral Miles Naismith of the Dendarii Mercenaries (if I had been reviewing these books during my absence I would probably be making much of the same critique about the "Admiral" and how that went down.) The second novel, Mirror Dance effectively is a story showcasing Mark, and the sort of trouble he gets in after the events of Brothers in Arms. And while I didn't hate these books, I find myself questioning the scenarios contained therein, which takes some doing when you are reading science fiction where the threshold for credulity is already low to non-existent. I think my issue with Mark is not just that conveniently there is now a clone of Miles running around the Vorkosigan universe, but how the characters around the clone react to him. For every expected reaction, there is a reaction that just doesn't seem believable, although Bujold tries to explain this away by noting that the different societies in the Vorkosigan universe have differing views on cloning and subsequently diffrent views on the rights of clones and the acceptance of those clones. Again, while I felt it stretched credulity, it didn't make me put the book down--so score one for Bujold on that front.
However, I can't help but wonder if the appearance of a clone of Miles is superfluous. Perhaps as I continue the saga, Mark's existence will be more justified. I'm halfway through and I am not seeing the endgame. Bujold also goes out of her way to link this novel to events in earlier novels. The scheme hatched at the end of Mirror Dance to help Miles and Mark's allies involves an attempt to repeat history. Maybe there isn't an endgame here. I don't know if that will make a difference when I take these as a whole in the end.
To me, the Miles Errant omnibus is exactly the proof of what I am thinking here. This omnibus mainly concerns itself with a new character to the Vorkosigan universe, Mark Vorkosigan. Mark is a clone of the saga's central hero, Miles Vorkosigan. The first novel in the omnibus, Brothers in Arms introduces us to the clone and his backstory, through the eyes of Miles in his identity as Admiral Miles Naismith of the Dendarii Mercenaries (if I had been reviewing these books during my absence I would probably be making much of the same critique about the "Admiral" and how that went down.) The second novel, Mirror Dance effectively is a story showcasing Mark, and the sort of trouble he gets in after the events of Brothers in Arms. And while I didn't hate these books, I find myself questioning the scenarios contained therein, which takes some doing when you are reading science fiction where the threshold for credulity is already low to non-existent. I think my issue with Mark is not just that conveniently there is now a clone of Miles running around the Vorkosigan universe, but how the characters around the clone react to him. For every expected reaction, there is a reaction that just doesn't seem believable, although Bujold tries to explain this away by noting that the different societies in the Vorkosigan universe have differing views on cloning and subsequently diffrent views on the rights of clones and the acceptance of those clones. Again, while I felt it stretched credulity, it didn't make me put the book down--so score one for Bujold on that front.
However, I can't help but wonder if the appearance of a clone of Miles is superfluous. Perhaps as I continue the saga, Mark's existence will be more justified. I'm halfway through and I am not seeing the endgame. Bujold also goes out of her way to link this novel to events in earlier novels. The scheme hatched at the end of Mirror Dance to help Miles and Mark's allies involves an attempt to repeat history. Maybe there isn't an endgame here. I don't know if that will make a difference when I take these as a whole in the end.
September 13, 2020
This omnibus edition contains a novella, "Borders of Infinity", along with two novels, "Brothers in Arms" and "Mirror Dance". The three stories are quite closely related to each other, you definitely need to read them in sequence (and should read at least the "Young Miles" omnibus before jumping in).
"Border of Infinity" is a brilliant novella where we see Miles thrown into a Cetagandan POW camp, with literally nothing but his wits and charming personality. It features Miles being, well, Miles, and is quite enjoyable. The resolution is very satisfying. This novella made me think a lot of Saramago's Blindness, how different that one would have played with Miles around.
"Brother in Arms"is a little more disjointed and a weaker entry in the series. It's main purpose tho is to introduce a new character that plays a much larger (and darker, disturbingly darker, consider yourself warned) role in "Mirror Dance". The new character is fairly annoying on the first book, but managed to redeem himself on the second. The events on both books are a whirlwind, and they keep you reading compulsively, but the psychological aspect of the characters is masterful (specially on Mirror Dance). We see displays of brilliance again, but in contrast to The Warrior's Apprentice, there are few laugh out loud moments, this is more serious fare.
Even though half of the story in "Mirror Dance" did not feature Miles, this is one of my favorites in the series. The first arc of the story was painful, watching a train wreck every one could see from a mile away. Incompetence driven narratives drive me crazy, so I was happy to see character growth and a plot that highlighted the characters strengths, along with their weaknesses after that. . Cordelia also plays a bigger role in "Mirror Dance", so that may have something to do with my extra enjoyment of it. I'd like to see more of Ivan in the future tho, it is becoming more and more apparent there is more to him than meets the eye. And it was nice to see some references to Koudelka.
"Border of Infinity" is a brilliant novella where we see Miles thrown into a Cetagandan POW camp, with literally nothing but his wits and charming personality. It features Miles being, well, Miles, and is quite enjoyable. The resolution is very satisfying. This novella made me think a lot of Saramago's Blindness, how different that one would have played with Miles around.
"Brother in Arms"is a little more disjointed and a weaker entry in the series. It's main purpose tho is to introduce a new character that plays a much larger (and darker, disturbingly darker, consider yourself warned) role in "Mirror Dance". The new character is fairly annoying on the first book, but managed to redeem himself on the second. The events on both books are a whirlwind, and they keep you reading compulsively, but the psychological aspect of the characters is masterful (specially on Mirror Dance). We see displays of brilliance again, but in contrast to The Warrior's Apprentice, there are few laugh out loud moments, this is more serious fare.
Even though half of the story in "Mirror Dance" did not feature Miles, this is one of my favorites in the series. The first arc of the story was painful, watching a train wreck every one could see from a mile away. Incompetence driven narratives drive me crazy, so I was happy to see character growth and a plot that highlighted the characters strengths, along with their weaknesses after that. . Cordelia also plays a bigger role in "Mirror Dance", so that may have something to do with my extra enjoyment of it. I'd like to see more of Ivan in the future tho, it is becoming more and more apparent there is more to him than meets the eye. And it was nice to see some references to Koudelka.
November 1, 2017
Well okay, this is two novels and a short story (and I feel it's glaringly missing "Labyrinth," which really should be included).
"Borders of Infinity" is incredible- it's tense, exciting, hopeful, and damnably tragic. One of the best stories featuring Miles Vorkosigan, but blessedly brief- its intensity would become unbearable if it were any longer.
Brothers in Arms is, I think, one of the weakest of the Vorkosigan books. It's not bad, per se, and like many of the Vorkosigan books, the pacing isn't off, but something about it didn't work for me. I was interested to have a book actually set on Earth- in futuristic London, no less!- but Bujold did almost nothing with what could have been a fascinating setting. More importantly, the introduction of the clone concept seemed to come out of nowhere and really wasn't developed terribly well. I never completely understood why Miles felt so much dedication towards his clone-brother and the character did little for me. I liked that Ivan was just hanging around randomly again (one of my favorite running jokes, if it can be called a joke, is Ivan popping up seemingly for no reason in all of Miles' adventures) and I really enjoyed the rapport between Miles and Quinn. I also liked the new character of Galeni and the idea of the political complexities on Komarr, but I feel like the novel just didn't go anywhere to speak of. Especially coming off the intensity of "Borders of Infinity" it just felt rather lackluster. Not bad, but not great.
What Brothers in Arms lacks in intensity, Mirror Dance makes up for. It is probably the only novel I've read that- slight spoiler- straight up kills the protagonist 1/4 of the way through the book. At first, Mark is a frustrating POV character but as the book goes on, he undergoes incredible development that really wins you over to him- he's no Miles, to be sure, but then again, that's the whole point, isn't it? Like other Vorkosigan books, the pacing IS rather wonky, but when the book picks up, it certainly picks up. It's also nice to see some more from Cordelia and Aral, who have been rather absent in the last few books, and to see the changing family dynamic with the introduction of Mark. I'm definitely on board to see what the future holds for the Vorkosigans.
"Borders of Infinity" is incredible- it's tense, exciting, hopeful, and damnably tragic. One of the best stories featuring Miles Vorkosigan, but blessedly brief- its intensity would become unbearable if it were any longer.
Brothers in Arms is, I think, one of the weakest of the Vorkosigan books. It's not bad, per se, and like many of the Vorkosigan books, the pacing isn't off, but something about it didn't work for me. I was interested to have a book actually set on Earth- in futuristic London, no less!- but Bujold did almost nothing with what could have been a fascinating setting. More importantly, the introduction of the clone concept seemed to come out of nowhere and really wasn't developed terribly well. I never completely understood why Miles felt so much dedication towards his clone-brother and the character did little for me. I liked that Ivan was just hanging around randomly again (one of my favorite running jokes, if it can be called a joke, is Ivan popping up seemingly for no reason in all of Miles' adventures) and I really enjoyed the rapport between Miles and Quinn. I also liked the new character of Galeni and the idea of the political complexities on Komarr, but I feel like the novel just didn't go anywhere to speak of. Especially coming off the intensity of "Borders of Infinity" it just felt rather lackluster. Not bad, but not great.
What Brothers in Arms lacks in intensity, Mirror Dance makes up for. It is probably the only novel I've read that- slight spoiler- straight up kills the protagonist 1/4 of the way through the book. At first, Mark is a frustrating POV character but as the book goes on, he undergoes incredible development that really wins you over to him- he's no Miles, to be sure, but then again, that's the whole point, isn't it? Like other Vorkosigan books, the pacing IS rather wonky, but when the book picks up, it certainly picks up. It's also nice to see some more from Cordelia and Aral, who have been rather absent in the last few books, and to see the changing family dynamic with the introduction of Mark. I'm definitely on board to see what the future holds for the Vorkosigans.
March 11, 2019
Three books in one - a short story in “Borders of Infinity” and two novels - “Brothers in Arms” and “Mirror Dance”. In Borders, we get to see Miles catapulted into an impossible situation and use only his wits to get out of it. In Brothers, we meet Mark Vorkosigan, the clone brother Miles never knew he had, who is supposed to take his identity and. Ring down Barrayaran society. This work takes place on Earth in London, which lends a new setting to explore Finally, in Mirror Dance, we get to flesh out Mark’s character, leading into an exploration of darkness and the powers of the mind to handle the utmost stress. Plus, we get to see the evolving relationship between Miles and Elli, the growth of Elena, the stunning back story of Taura and we are re-introduced to Cordelia Vorkosigan and the powerful women she is in a very patriarchal society.
April 27, 2022
Borders of Infinity
Miles turns a prison stint slash rescue mission into one of the largest prison breaks in history, but not without a harsh lesson or two along the way. A fun and exciting novella.
Brothers in Arms
A Komarran revenge plot introduces Miles to a new yet familiar opponent. Miles has some trouble living his triple identities. Relativity in the concept of truth?
Mirror Dance
Although not the usual hero in the majority of this one, I love the callbacks to some of my favorite characters. The women in the series take on major roles throughout, with Captain Cordelia stealing the show, helped by Elena and Elli. Interesting questions about how we define ourselves and the things we do to survive our environments. A few disturbing scenes back in Jackson's Whole, and I generally found Mark's obsession with sex annoying, but still a good story overall.
Miles turns a prison stint slash rescue mission into one of the largest prison breaks in history, but not without a harsh lesson or two along the way. A fun and exciting novella.
Brothers in Arms
A Komarran revenge plot introduces Miles to a new yet familiar opponent. Miles has some trouble living his triple identities. Relativity in the concept of truth?
Mirror Dance
Although not the usual hero in the majority of this one, I love the callbacks to some of my favorite characters. The women in the series take on major roles throughout, with Captain Cordelia stealing the show, helped by Elena and Elli. Interesting questions about how we define ourselves and the things we do to survive our environments. A few disturbing scenes back in Jackson's Whole, and I generally found Mark's obsession with sex annoying, but still a good story overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2018
More like 4.5 stars. The short story starting this book was wonderful, full of detail and action and an unexpected twist showing that Miles really did have a solid plan the whole time. The next two books involved Miles’ clone, first his discovery on Earth and then his plot to replace him and finally Mark coming into his own as a Vorkosigan. The Earth story was just alright, I didn’t really care about the clone story line throughout that but finally in Mirror Dance Mark really came to life as Miles did the opposite. I liked how the story shifted in new directions I wasn’t expecting, and how both Mark and Miles really changed and grew as characters throughout the book.
February 15, 2021
This is a meaty short story followed by two novels, all sequential. They don't stand alone well and are best after reading some earlier Miles, but things are explained enough to read if you start here.
The prelude is very solid, a good length and intro to the crazy ideas and feel of this series.
The first novel following is decently solid, though not as interesting to me as previous stories in this series. The second novel is really, really slow through over half of the book, but necessary for actually building the character and making them matter. The early part of the ending brings the pace back up.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but Miles fans.
The prelude is very solid, a good length and intro to the crazy ideas and feel of this series.
The first novel following is decently solid, though not as interesting to me as previous stories in this series. The second novel is really, really slow through over half of the book, but necessary for actually building the character and making them matter. The early part of the ending brings the pace back up.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but Miles fans.
August 13, 2023
I liked Borders of Infinity, though it was a bit predictable - perhaps owing to it's short length. Brothers in Arms I found a really slow start. Probably wasn't helped by the extreme smokey smell of my copy.
But, after it hit a critical mass, I felt the pages were just turning by themselves. Especially from the moment Miles died in Mirror Dance. I'd gotten some foreshadowing about nerve disruptors/loss of memory, but I never expected a character death. It made it a really interesting story to try and come back from that.
I think I'd probably rate Mirror Dance 5 star, and the other two at 4, if possible.
But, after it hit a critical mass, I felt the pages were just turning by themselves. Especially from the moment Miles died in Mirror Dance. I'd gotten some foreshadowing about nerve disruptors/loss of memory, but I never expected a character death. It made it a really interesting story to try and come back from that.
I think I'd probably rate Mirror Dance 5 star, and the other two at 4, if possible.
December 29, 2024
4.5 stars. In the opening novella, Miles Vorkosigan (in his secret identity as Naismith, a mercenary commander) gets sent to an inescapable space prison to rescue a war hero; instead he winds up busting the entire prison population out. In Brothers in Arms, Miles battles a plot to replace him with a clone assassin; in Mirror Dance, his clone's attempt to liberate other clones intended as body-transplant donors leads to tragedy for both Miles and "Mark."
Bujold has a real flair for characters and relationships. A solid set of stories.
Bujold has a real flair for characters and relationships. A solid set of stories.
August 6, 2017
Brothers in Arms is a lighthearted and insubstantial book, but is necessary to understand what comes next. Mirror Dance is better than any of her previous works, except maybe Barrayar. It is sometimes grueling and painful to read, but is powerful and beautifully constructed, and was a deserving Hugo winner.
August 6, 2018
Things get better the more soap opera it gets.
Same as the last one, some situations that are just... Really not okay when viewed with a modern lens. Certain very difficult subjects were handled simultaneously with a wonderful amount of grace and a tragic amount of naivete. But overall fantastic stories. 4.5/5 stars rounded up.
Same as the last one, some situations that are just... Really not okay when viewed with a modern lens. Certain very difficult subjects were handled simultaneously with a wonderful amount of grace and a tragic amount of naivete. But overall fantastic stories. 4.5/5 stars rounded up.
December 5, 2020
An enjoyable continuation of the series that introduces Miles' clone brother and, through him explores how one becomes truly human following an adolescence filled with nothing but trauma. The plot twists in sometimes vexing ways (too many ill-considered frontal attacks) and includes some tough-to-read torture, but on the whole it's ultimately hopeful.
September 22, 2018
This is a collection of three excellent stories. The first two were great and the third “Mirror Dance” was amazing. Bujold at her best, unrelenting challenges for her characters with some brilliantly subversive takes on SF. Very cleverly written, almost impossible to look away.
September 26, 2017
I'm loving this series. The characters are great.
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