I adore this book. It's a bit more romantic than the other books in the series. For those who aren't into romance, it's also thoroRe-read via Audible.
I adore this book. It's a bit more romantic than the other books in the series. For those who aren't into romance, it's also thoroughly hilarious. I wouldn't say you should start the series with this title -- the humour relies a lot on moments from previous books.
5 out of 5 -- one of my top ten favourite books ever
Re-read via Audible (have I mentioned I adore Grover Gardner now?)
'Grown up' Miles now becomes 'Miles in love'. Of course, LMB adds a conflict or a hRe-read via Audible (have I mentioned I adore Grover Gardner now?)
'Grown up' Miles now becomes 'Miles in love'. Of course, LMB adds a conflict or a hundred to ensure there's a bit more to it than that. Getting Ekaterin's POV is wonderful. Not only do we get her thoughts about Miles, we also get her inner thoughts about her husband which explains non-physical domestic abuse so well.
Re-read. A lot of people recommend starting the Vorkosigan Saga with this book and I can see that it's the start of 'mature/adult' Miles. I can only mRe-read. A lot of people recommend starting the Vorkosigan Saga with this book and I can see that it's the start of 'mature/adult' Miles. I can only marvel at LMB's perfect mix of thriller/mystery, romance, family drama and scifi.
I will admit that, unlike all the other Scalzi books I've read, The Consuming Fire started a little slow. There seemed to be a lot of explaining of whI will admit that, unlike all the other Scalzi books I've read, The Consuming Fire started a little slow. There seemed to be a lot of explaining of who was who and what they owned and what they were doing in relation to the Emperox of the Interdependency, Grayland.
Luckily, Scalzi picked up the pace in the second part of the book and suddenly I was just as addicted to quickly finishing as I have been with his other books.
Scalzi's characters are all so much fun. I love all the three leads: Grayland, scientist Lord Marce and, especially, Lady Kiva. Scalzi also introduced a new race (which reminded me a little of Lois McMaster Bujold's Quadies) and the best holographic character since the doctor in Star Trek Voyager. Then there's the deviously evil villains, the treasonous assassin Nadashe Nohamapetan being a standout.
Scalzi continues to use the series to highlight our climate change issues and, if I wasn't mistaken, he also touched on governments' altering of history, especially following colonisiation.
Looking forward to the third in the series. 4 1/2 out of 5...more
Book two and three at least had some humour and cute sidekicks. Exit Strategy is so boring. MurderbotI just don't get how everyone loves these books.
Book two and three at least had some humour and cute sidekicks. Exit Strategy is so boring. Murderbot spends half the book thinking about how he needs to act in order to pass as a human; the other half about how he can take over other bots and computer systems.
I listened to this during a flight and it promptly popped me to sleep. Okay, okay, it's not all bad but it's fairly... boring.
This is the last free one on Audible. I'm not planning on bothering to buy the others.
This third novella in the series again features Murderbot on a ‘mission’, saving some humans from harm whilst he (she? they?) secretly meanwhile invesThis third novella in the series again features Murderbot on a ‘mission’, saving some humans from harm whilst he (she? they?) secretly meanwhile investigates the events of the first book. Again, I felt this part was a little ho-hum. I can picture it all as a 1980s’ scifi movie, very popular when it hits the video shop, starring Rae Dawn Chong, Shawnee Smith and Peter Strauss.
After the bot called ART in the last instalment so successfully assisted with Murderbot’s characterisation, Wells included another robot sidekick this time. Unlike the almost world-weary ART, Miki is purely innocent and good and often described as child-like.
The most important theme of the book comes from Murderbot’s examination of Miki and Miki’s human client’s (aka human owner, I guess you’d say) relationship which I would refer to as a pure platonic love. These scenes featuring Murderbot’s thoughts on the subject, his jealousy and the realisation around his own lack of received warmth and kindness are what elevates this novella to something a little bit better than the usual.
However, saying that, I still feel like these books are just missing the mark with me
I read the first book in this series and found myself in the minority as I wasn't a huge fan. Luckily, I liked this second installment more.
The diffeI read the first book in this series and found myself in the minority as I wasn't a huge fan. Luckily, I liked this second installment more.
The difference I think was this one's humour which I don't remember being present in book one. Most of the laughs came via the new character, a pilot bot called ART. With ART's inclusion, Wells was not limited to only Murderbot's thoughts when telling the story. Murderbot and ART initially bond over their newly found love of TV shows, in particular a serial named Sanctuary Moon. I chuckled along at the running joke aobut the show.
I appreciated the details that Wells included about the series' universe. She's definitely thought it all out and created something which feels real. It's given me the itch to catch up with some more scifi soon. However, there were still sections of the book where I became bored and I assume I'm not completely invested in Murderbot's story as yet.
Like the Liaden Universe book I’ve read previously (Local Custom), I enjoyed Scout’s Progress enough, but…
I still felt there is something missing to mLike the Liaden Universe book I’ve read previously (Local Custom), I enjoyed Scout’s Progress enough, but…
I still felt there is something missing to make me swoon over the series. I can’t say what that missing ingredient is as the books should tick all my boxes.
I really like space scifi (I’m not into fantasy) and, with our leads being pilots, I was wholly satisfied there. There’s a great balance between the dramatic and romantic sub plots. This is a true slow burn romance and I don’t have to roll my eyes at any crazy sex scenes.
There’s one of my favourite tropes with our hero hiding his wealth and status from our heroine who, obviously, then thinks he’s just an everyday pilot. There’s diversity (our hero is bisexual, I would assume) and feminism (our heroine doesn’t know it, but she saves herself several times and doesn’t really ever rely on a ‘knight in shining armour’). The conflict and sad back stories of the characters are complex and feature topical themes such as domestic violence, found family and classism.
All in all, this is a 4 out of 5
But...
I just don’t feel like I’m in a rush to read the next book in the series which isn’t how I should feel upon finishing. I probably will at some stage but it’s not as much of a burning desire as it should be.
It seems, apparently, I’m still on the hunt for a good scifi romance (series or standalone), so if you have any recs, throw them my way....more
This is a freebie on Audible and I thought I'd have a re-read via that version. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time around.
Grover Gardner narThis is a freebie on Audible and I thought I'd have a re-read via that version. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time around.
Grover Gardner narrates all the Vorkosigan Saga books and he really does a fabulous job, especially with the timing of the jokes.
Falling Free is a standalone, being set a couple of hundred years prior to the main books in the series, but it gives you an idea of LMB's style and you'll be able to tell immediately if you like it or not.
I, of course, love this series and can't recommend it enough.
Now that I’ve finished with the Vorkosigan books, a friend (and expert in all things scifi) recommended I give the Liaden Universe books a go. There aNow that I’ve finished with the Vorkosigan books, a friend (and expert in all things scifi) recommended I give the Liaden Universe books a go. There are a couple of entry points to the series apparently but she recommended Local Custom, which is commonly referred to as one of the 'Liaden Regencies'.
As this unofficial name suggests, the book is mostly a scifi romance and the plot is littered with popular romance tropes which Lee/Miller manage to make less corny with the scifi setting.
Liaden is a society ruled by rigid customs. Only the locals understand the nuances of these customs and their implications should they not be followed correctly. Its language too has subtleties that not many outsiders can perfect. Our hero, Er Thom, is a Liaden from a prominent clan (read, a prince/duke type character) whose future has been mapped out for him from his relatives. That is, he is to enter into an arranged marriage which will shore up an alliance with his intended bride’s clan as well as produce a child/heir.
Talk of marriage, however, complels Er Thom to seek out a former lover, our heroine, Anne Davis. Anne is a Terran (read, normal Earthling/human of the future) who is a professor of Liaden linguistics and, he learns when they are reunited, the mother of his child, Shan. Before she realises what she’s agreed to, Anne has returned to Liaden with Er Thom so that Shan can be accepted by his father’s home planet. There, Lee and Miller throw conflict after conflict at the poor couple. Racial and class prejudice, duty and honour, pride and jealousy --they’re all there. In fact, I couldn’t see how our pairing could get it all sorted by the end of the book (which is a rarity - usually I roll my eyes with the simplicity of how things could be sorted).
For those who aren’t so keen on romance, Lee and Miller do throw in a bit of an assassination/murder plot, but I thought this was actually their weakest moment. The crimes go unnoticed by most of the characters even though they’re quite obvious and, eventually, the perpetrators are dispatched with relative ease and there wasn’t a real resolution (I suppose it might be brought up again in subsequent books).
The Liaden universe, obviously considering there are over 20 primary books and several short stories in the series, is a complex and well developed setting which I thought found just the right balance of scifi to realism. Like most scifi, there’s an effortless inclusion of diversity (I’m pretty sure Anne is a POC) and modern ideas regarding sexuality (I got the sense Er Thom, like Aral in the Vorkosigan Saga, is bisexual even though this wasn’t explicitly said). There’s other interesting modern scifi inclusions, like the acceptance and wide use of counselling, as well as some more traditional and overused things, like Shan being a powerful wizard (insert eye roll).
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will give others in the series a go but I didn’t fall instantly in love with it like I did Connie Willis’s Oxford books or the Vorkosigan series. 4 out of 5...more
Navigating the Stars is set about 400 years in the future where armies of terracotta warriors, just like the Chinese ones on Earth, have been discoverNavigating the Stars is set about 400 years in the future where armies of terracotta warriors, just like the Chinese ones on Earth, have been discovered on several other planets.
The story starts with 17 year old Lyra arguing with her archaeologist parents about travelling to a new planet from the one where they are currently stationed. Space travel technology causes a ‘time dilation’, meaning during the journey she will age only a few months while everyone else not on the spacecraft ages years. That is, when they arrive on the next planet, all her friends from their current posting will be around 50 and she’ll still be 17.
I liked both these ideas - the time discrepancy causing friends and family to make some tough choices, and the inclusion of the terracotta warriors. But there were some other ideas I wasn’t so fussed on.
The Qnet being one. Lyra is a ‘wormer’, which is basically a hacker. She ‘worms’ her way through the vast internet type system to solve a couple of the mysteries surrounding the warriors. I don’t think the net really made sense. It was this all encompassing key to everything in everyone’s life and yet it was illegal to go onto it. There are a couple of scenes when it’s explained to Lyra why she shouldn’t ‘worm’ but, overall, it doesn’t seem logical that the government/corporations of the day could be so easily compromised by teenagers. It also didn’t make sense that Lyra would be able to use the net to work things out that no other scientist around the universe could with just a couple of wriggles of her mouse.
I rarely read young adult books and Navigating the Stars never made me want to rush out and correct this imbalance. (The fact that teenagers are always the ones to save planets/universes etc usually elicits memories of hilarious memes mocking the genre.) The romantic storyline catering to a young female audience was predictable and actually really quite awkward at times. But the thing that *really* annoyed me was Lyra’s way of speaking. Okay, I’m not expecting writers to come up with a whole new language for their characters but I really don’t think teenagers will be using the same slang in the 2400s as they do in the 2000s. They don’t even use the same slang they did 5 years ago, for goodness sake.
There are a couple of mystery plots, some better than others. I really liked the one featuring the disappearance of an entire planet's inhabitants; the whereabouts and fate of all the scientists and archaeologists being unknown. I also enjoyed the question of who built the warriors, and when and why. The mystery plot speculating on the identity of the head of the criminal gang attacking the planet to loot the warriors, however, was far too obvious and it wasn’t even the best reveal.
I don’t think hardcore scifi fans would be too impressed. I guess it could be a nice introduction to the genre but, truly, I think the target audience is younger women who don't usually read scifi.
I had slated the remaining books of this trilogy into my book challenges for the year and I’ll probably still read them; I’m hoping I might enjoy the sequels a little more (as Lyra grows up and Snyder doesn’t need to explain the universe as much), fingers crossed. 3 out of 5...more
I started reading this Vorkosigan saga book with trepidation. My friend who got me into the books disliked it and even went as far as saying I shouldnI started reading this Vorkosigan saga book with trepidation. My friend who got me into the books disliked it and even went as far as saying I shouldn’t bother at all. But, luckily, I really enjoyed it.
The book introduces a new planet and society to the Vor universe and I quite liked this idea. I probably wouldn’t have coped with another visit to Cetaganda. With the locals of the new planet being unaware of Miles’s status and wealth, it gave LMB the chance to include lots of comedy and it’s worth the read for that aspect alone. His batman-cum-bodyguard, Roic, makes a great straight man for all the jokes. I even wondered if LMB named Roic to deliberately rhyme with stoic (although, I guess I’m probably pronouncing Roic incorrectly).
There are a couple of new characters, my favourite being Consul Vorlynkin, who was usually the only one other than Roic understanding Miles’s clout and inside jokes. There’s also two children who, again, added some great comic relief, especially when their menagerie of animals came into it. The only established characters used, other than Roic, were Miles’s brother Mark and his partner, Kareen. I’m still not a huge fan of Mark and LMB doesn’t do too much to make him more sympathetic here either (although I appreciate she tries to explain his issues).
The plot surrounds the political, ethical and monetary dilemmas involved when a person seeks to extend their mortality. The planet’s peoples become so obsessed with the process of cryo freeze and revival that the cyro corporations become big business. The system, of course, is rife for corruption, which is why Miles starts investigating.
I thought the first few chapters of the book were brilliant. Miles was lost in what is basically a cavern of frozen bodies. Not only did I find this incredibly creepy, his subsequent need to survive alone on the streets of the unfamiliar made great reading.
The ‘we all must die’ theme pretty much runs throughout the whole book. It’s an ironic argument a lot of the time as Miles has, of course, already gone through a cryofreeze and revival. I think it has probably been done better in scifi but LMB still gets the reader thinking. I imagine LMB was also taking aim at the big pharmaceutical and insurance companies and their monopoly in the US in particular.
I do get why other readers didn’t enjoy this book as much as the others. There’s not as much action as some would probably prefer and when there was some tension added, it was wrapped up pretty quickly. I’m one of the few who like ‘Lord Auditor’ Miles more than ‘Admiral Naismith’ though. I did, however, shave off half a star as the cryo corporations and their internal politics and machinations were a little confusing at times.
Despite its content, I loved the ending of the book. I thought it was really well done and loved that LMB wrote it in drabble form. Of course I did shed a tear but, ultimately, Gregor’s reaction especially made me feel uplifted in a way, instead of depressed.
4 1/2 out of 5
PS I think it makes a nice ending for the series and will give Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen a miss after inadvertently reading a couple of spoilers that make it sound more like bad fanfic than a homage to my favourite characters. I’ve read 20 books in the series this year, with most of them being 4 ½ or 5 star reads and can highly recommend it. My favs were Shards of Honor, Barrayar, A Civil Campaign, Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Komarr, and Memory and I intend to re-read them all some time....more
The Flowers of Vashnoi could be classed as a sequel to another Vorkosigan Saga novella Mountains of Mourning. Ekaterin takes the lead this time, howevThe Flowers of Vashnoi could be classed as a sequel to another Vorkosigan Saga novella Mountains of Mourning. Ekaterin takes the lead this time, however, when she goes to the nuclear affected wasteland in Miles’s district to restore the soil using Butter Bugs (with the idea that she might be able to successfully commercially grow flowers).
Miles, as usual, is always front and centre despite Ekaterin’s starring role. For example, even when he’s not physically in the scenes,she is thinking about him.
The plot is less mystery, more a short heartwarming compassionate piece featuring the mountain/hillbilly type folk of Miles’s district. Always the queen of writing diverse characters, LMB again shows how these poorer peoples might be a little ignorant due to their isolation but they definitely don’t lack intelligence.
My favourite thing about this book was how it showed how in love Miles and Ekaterin remain after a few years of marriage. It was also heartwarming to see that Cordelia’s efforts since becoming Lady Vorkosigan had made so many positive changes.
Unfortunately I think the book suffered too much from its brevity and lack of any real mystery but I definitely liked it more than Winterfair Gifts.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished a Vorkosigan Saga book and I now realise that I’m dragging my feet with these last couple in the series bIt’s been a couple of weeks since I finished a Vorkosigan Saga book and I now realise that I’m dragging my feet with these last couple in the series because [as my darling Bill Adama said] I don’t want it to end.
This installment centres upon Miles’s cousin, Ivan. When they were younger, Miles often described Ivan as dumb and he was mainly used to show the discrimination Miles faces due to his disability, and LMB often had Miles going on about just how far he could have got up the ladder if he’d had Ivan’s physique. It was pretty clear, however, from early on that Ivan had a lot of admirable qualities that Miles chose to ignore when it suited him. Ivan was almost as resourceful as his more famous cousin, always loyal and loving to his family, his Emperor, and Barrayar.
Happily, as the series progressed, we saw how Miles was always loyal and loving to Ivan when they were in a bind, and that Miles, overall, became more tolerant towards him as they aged. Two personality traits which annoyed Miles in particular, Ivan’s lack of work ethic and lack of ambition, are explained more fully in Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, given we get Ivan's inner thoughts this time. We also get to see Ivan is not just a pretty face; he certainly gets to prove he can think on his feet just as well as Miles and gets himself (and others) out of more than one sticky situation in this book. In fact, the entire plot of the book is basically Ivan getting out of one sticky situation after another, with mixed (but pretty much always hilarious) results.
The romance is strong with this one. LMB uses the classic forced married trope for the leads, Ivan and the new character Tej, to much success. There is also a fun romance between [previously introduced Vor spy] Byerly and Tej’s sister and there’s quite a focus on Ivan’s mum, Alys, and Simon Illyan’s relationship. Alys and Simon are just perfect in this book and are now my favourite Vorkosigan couple - I think I even prefer them over Cordelia and Aral (what!?).
If you’re a bit iffy about wanting to read soppy romance, never fear, this book is Hilarious with a capital H. I’m not sure I want to say too much and spoil anything but, seriously, I laughed out loud so many times. One running gag I loved was Tej and co's misconceived idea that Ivan is merely a minor military administrator and I couldn’t wait to find out how they would all react when they learned his true importance within Barrayar society (not to mention how other Barrayarans try and explain his true importance! LOL!).
The other enjoyable aspect of the book is the big theft which certain characters set out to pull off under the noses of the Barrayarans. It becomes a heist/caper and yes, the con/heist does get very slapstick at one stage but it only makes everything more enjoyable - especially, again, the various characters' reactions.
As usual, LMB adds in feminism and diversity effortlessly. I wish other writers would learn from her in this respect.
I’d probably advise you read at least a few of the other Vorkosigan Saga books before this one. Miles physically only features briefly, you’d probably call it a cameo, but he is mentioned throughout and I must admit to feeling very sentimental and loving towards him at each reference.
5 out of 5 Now I just need to figure out if I should read the last two books in the series as many have told me they should be avoided....more
Re-Read I'll stick with most of my original review, other than the shaving off the half of star for less deep and thought provoking moments. What was IRe-Read I'll stick with most of my original review, other than the shaving off the half of star for less deep and thought provoking moments. What was I thinking? There's was heaps! So, let's go with 5 out of 5.
******
I’ve actually read nine books since the last Vorkosigan book, and I must admit I had an attack of the warm and fuzzies when I started Diplomatic Immunity.
Miles is returning from his honeymoon when he receives a request from Emperor Gregor to detour to Graf Station to use his diplomatic wiles to peacefully resolve a dispute involving a Barrayaran military escort. Upon arriving at the station, Miles finds a missing crewman who’s presumed dead, another who wants to desert, and several more cooling their heels in the station cells, facing a variety of charges. Then, just when he thinks he’s getting somewhere in sorting out this mess, he becomes the victim of an assassination attempt, finds evidence of biochemical weapons, and learns that Barrayar and Cetaganda are on the brink of war.
Graf Station is Quaddiespace which was great. I loved Falling Free and it was lovely to see how far Quaddie society had grown in the couple of hundred years since that book was set. If this didn’t make me feel sentimental enough, there is also the unexpected addition of one of my favourite characters from the earlier books (won’t spoil by saying who because it was luckily a surprise to me).
Fans of the more space based books should be happy with Diplomatic Immunity. Unlike the last few Barrayar based books, this one is set entirely in space. LMB takes advantage and makes good use of the whole isolated and claustrophobic atmosphere space ships can provide. In fact, there were a few tense moments in this book. One time in particular was really scary. I don’t usually expect this type of horror-like scenes in Vorkosigan books but it was a really enjoyable change up.
Not to say that LMB doesn’t include her usual trademark humour. Miles’s snappy thoughts always make me laugh. And now, we get the addition of Ekaterin who is just as skilled when it comes to regaling the readers with her dry wit. (They continue to be sooo Harriet/Lord Peter like.)
I got the sense that LMB might have written this book with the idea of ending Miles’s story and the series with it. I know there are now a couple more additions to the series, but I did get the feeling of real resolution at the book’s conclusion. (I’ll have to wait and see if I think she should have left it here until I read the last couple of books.)
The reason I shaved off half a star from my rating was that there’s probably not as many deep and thought provoking moments in this book as there were in the more recent Vorkosigan books. Still, compared to many other books, it was extremely entertaining. 4 1/2 out of 5...more
Most people I know who have read the Vorkosigan Saga consider this to be their favourite of the series so I had high expectations. The last book, KomaMost people I know who have read the Vorkosigan Saga consider this to be their favourite of the series so I had high expectations. The last book, Komarr, was basically a ‘meet cute’ between our series hero, Miles, and his new ladylove, Ekaterin. I was expecting A Civil Campaign to be a romance between the two with some sort of misunderstanding/conflict, maybe a touch of mystery for Miles to solve somewhere along the line before he wins the girl over completely. Well… It is this story but quite a bit more.
LMB dedicates the book to an impressive list - Jane, Charlotte, Georgette, and Dorothy. I can draw some fascinating comparisons between A Civil Campaign and their works (well, the ones I’m most familiar with -- I admit to having never read Heyer). Actually, the fact that Miles and Ekaterin’s storyline is pretty much just a homage to Sayers’s Lord Peter and Harriet Vane (who are probably my favourite book couple evah) was probably the biggest reason I was swooning over this book, and Ekaterin and Miles’s scenes in particular. I feel like I need to write a thesis to explain how a couple in a scifi book, set on another planet and in the future, are almost exactly the same as a couple who solve mysteries in a series of novels set in England in the 1920s.
To keep it more brief though - Both Miles and Peter are considered less attractive than the women they’ve fallen for, leaving all and sundry to assume they’ve somehow used their peerage to trick their respective leading ladies into a relationship; Ekaterin and Harriet are both victims of domestic abuse where their past partners have not hit them but belittled them constantly; Miles and Peter are both mindful of the abuse and are incredibly honorable in wanting to fiercely protect Ekaterin and Harriet from slander and character assassination; instead of the typical alpha male protection though, Miles/Peter [perhaps unknowingly] give the girls a chance to recognise their inner strength and ability to fight misogyny and injustice in their own dignified and intelligent way; Miles/Peter’s wit and intelligence are what attracts these (outwardly seemingly) more attractive women; and, in the end, whilst Miles and Peter are plotting, it’s Ekaterin and Harriet who end up rescuing their beaus.
I can also see the similarities to Austen’s books. For starters, there’s a heavy focus on family and siblings. Besides Miles’s rocky relationship with his clone brother, Mark, the familial plots feature Ekaterin’s brother and brother-in-law’s ‘helpful’ response to her association to Miles (very Sense and Sensibility-like), the four Koudelka sisters (the daughters of the second novel Barrayar’s Kou and Drou acting very Bennet and/or Dashwood sisters-like) , and Miles’s pseudo brothers Ivan and Gregor.
She also, like Jane and Dorothy etc, added a healthy helping of hidden feminism. There is no weak Koudelka sister, physically or mentally. Strong independent women each one, a credit to their parents, which becomes the great irony of the plot as Kou, after raising these superwomen, forgets the independence he and his wife have nurtured for so long by attempting to stifle it. One of the best scenes in the book is my beloved Cordelia pointing out the error in his judgement when it comes to Mark’s relationship with one of his girl’s (Kareen). Kou’s cry that Cordelia isn’t fighting fair with the addition of an old couch is all sorts of hilarious for those who’ve read Barrayar .
Seriously, LMB was on point with her humour throughout this book. There’s a whole wedding proposal going awry plot point which plays out during a dinner party which, without doubt, is probably the funniest thing I’ve ever read. I am not exaggerating when I say I laughed out loud and almost had tears streaming down my face at one stage. The book is worth reading for this scene alone. (And let me just mention - slight (view spoiler)[ - that the reason Ekaterin rejects Miles’s wedding proposal is almost identical to the reason Harriet rejects Peter in Sayers’s books.) (hide spoiler)]
Besides the dinner party and couch scene, I felt like Cordelia and Aral need to be added to the great comedy duos of all time -- all their scenes are hilarious but I especially laughed at their reflections on meeting Ekaterin for the first time. There’s also Gregor’s straight faced delivery of one-liners, mostly in response to something Miles, Ivan, or Ekaterin’s son might have done. And there’s Ivan - full stop - hilarious - one of his closing scenes made me whoop with laughter (besides me yelling ‘I knew it!’).
And I haven’t started on the butter bugs… (They’re difficult to explain, just read the thing. Or maybe a couple of the books prior to this one first. I don’t think this is one you can just pick up and understand all the humour etc without reading some of the others in the series.)
Highly recommended obviously. Definitely a favourite. 5 out of 5...more
I’ve read this was not a favourite book in this series for a lot of readers; they consider it a filler or a transition book which essentially only exiI’ve read this was not a favourite book in this series for a lot of readers; they consider it a filler or a transition book which essentially only exists to establish Miles’s new career and introduce his potential new girlfriend. I do get their point with the transition tag-I think most of the book is showing us that Miles has grown up-but, overall, Komarr has got a lot of hidden depth which they’ve failed to mention.
I’ve said all along that I’ve preferred the planetside mysteries with a touch of political intrigue to the space action/adventure books of the series, so Miles’s new career as an Imperial Auditor suits me just fine. I can’t quite think of an equivalent of the auditor role in real life at the moment, but I guess it’s best described as a detective with unlimited authority and resources.
This book shows us the prejudice and bias Miles faces whilst settling into this new role. The job traditionally carries an air of respect and awe about it and auditors are automatically obeyed but, in Miles’s case, there’s the constant question of whether or not he was appointed simply due to his exalted surname. Most of his previous experience is classified and therefore, he can't reveal any details in his defence. Nevertheless, I think Young!Miles would have shown off to all and sundry without any forethought and this new mature Miles is a nice contrast, picking and choosing his moments which results in a much more effective result. (I also love how often LMB makes Miles’s past adventures amusing - his quip about being an expert when it comes to drainage and pipes, for example -- never gets old!)
The setting for the book’s investigation is the planet Komarr of the title which also comes with an extra set of prejudices for Miles to face. His father is known to the locals as the infamous ‘butcher of Komarr’, the man they mistakenly think ordered a massacre of their peoples when the Barrayarans conquered the planet. There’re actually some really great poignant moments and brilliant quotes from Miles when he is forced to speak on behalf of his father. All in all, Miles’s behaviour in Komarr shows without doubt that he has finally become the man we all thought he’d be.
The second point of the book is, as I said, to introduce readers to Miles’s new love interest. I was surprised that LMB actually gave us Ekaterin’s point of view (in alternate chapters with Miles’s pov). The only other time LMB has used another’s POV was in Mirror Dance (and that was Mark’s, Miles’s clone twin, whilst Miles was indisposed), so I don’t think it’s any type of spoiler to say that LMB was setting up Ekaterin as the romantic heroine for readers to cheer on. In true LMB fashion, she doesn’t make this a conventional romantic meet-cute or Ekaterin the typical female lead.
Ekaterin is married, for starters, to a Vor administrator stationed in Komarr. She is also the niece of one of Miles’s fellow auditors and therefore, invites Miles and her uncle into her home when they come to the planet to investigate a ship’s crash, which might be an accident or might be a prelude to a terrorist act. (If you’re not such a sappy romantic as me, I promise you there’s plenty technical scifi mystery plot to keep you happy.)
At face value, Ekaterin comes across as naive, ignorant and old fashioned, believing she must follow quite a few Vor traditions that have been left behind by most Barrayans. I was at first confused by this attitude until I realised that LMB was presenting us with a woman who is a victim of domestic abuse. No, her husband does not hit her (there’s a fabulous section featuring this thought) but she has been systematically abused by her husband for almost their entire marriage. Strong female characters are LMB’s speciality and Ekaterin’s personal journey to discovering her relationship is not normal and moving to free herself from it is wonderful.
Miles has fallen in love several times during this series but LMB makes it pretty clear that Ekaterin is the real deal. Giving us Ekaterin’s inner thoughts, we get to learn just what she thinks of Miles and his appearance, and it’s so real and true, I just couldn’t help but fall in love with her just from that alone.
At a risk of repeating myself, this is my favourite Miles book thus far.
I have discovered that, despite preferring space opera over the other subgenreAt a risk of repeating myself, this is my favourite Miles book thus far.
I have discovered that, despite preferring space opera over the other subgenres of scifi, I rather the Vorkosigan books full of political intrigue and set on Barrayar than the action adventure/space setting installments. I also prefer Lord Vorkosigan over Admiral Naismith, and Memory is truly the first book that focuses on the Vor Lord instead of the admiral for quite a while. The opening chapters show the medical side effects and debilitating seizures Miles has been enduring following his ‘death’. His ill health, and his concealment of it, forces Miles to yield his command of the Dendarii fleet and return to Barrayar.
Soon after Miles's arrival planetside, his Impsec boss, Simon Illyan, has a memory chip (which was implanted in his brain years ago) go haywire. Illyan’s mental and physical health declines at such a rapid rate that he needs to resign his commission, leaving Miles without any chance of reinstatement when Illyan’s successor does not appreciate Miles’s... unique qualities. Miles does not, of course, let that stop him and the book's mystery plot is that of Miles investigating whether or not Illyan’s chip was sabotaged deliberately.
Although I always enjoy Miles solving a mystery, I found a lot of this book incredibly sad. Both Illyan and Miles have to discover what type of men they will be without their military personas. Somehow LMB makes all this introspective reflection and searching for identity far from boring. As LMB showed in Mirror Dance, Illyan and Miles have a lovely pseudo father/son relationship, and she raised the poignancy level in Memory again by showing us the respect and love they share. *sniff* I also loved how the situation evoked memories for Miles of his grandfather. *sniff* It’s not just the Miles and Illyan show, my other favs Ivan, Gregor, Galeni and Taura get some quality scenes and we even get a couple featuring Cordelia and Aral (happy sigh).
Amongst the tears, LMB includes her trademark humour, a lot coming from a hilarious new character, Miles’s stand in driver-cum-butler Martin. Ivan is, of course, still the brunt of several jokes and I pretty much laughed out loud at Miles offering him a cat and his reaction to one of the romantic subplots (might I just add, this romance was the cutest!).
Memory was another of the longer books in the series but again, like Mirror Dance, I flew through it, probably ignoring real life far too much to find out Miles’s fate (for now). And of course I'm now sucked in to starting Komarr immediately.
Lee at ReadWriteWish
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