Vorkosigan Group Read: Miles Errant

Welcome to the Vorkosigan group read of Miles Errant, or any of the works in this omnibus: Borders of Infinity, Brothers in Arms and Mirror Dance.

   

This is the place to discuss any of the works in the Miles Errant omnibus.

In your posts, please mark spoilers clearly, with a bold *SPOILER* heading or by using LibraryThing's spoiler feature: This is a spoiler.

This thread has been very, very quiet. :) Has anyone read any of these books yet?

I finished Borders of Infinity and this is the review I'd put in my thread:

This novella, about Miles’s experiences in a Cetagandan POW camp and his attempts to organize his fellow prisoners into action, might be my favourite of the Vorkosigan novellas I've read. Despite its shorter length, there’s almost as much going on here as in one of her novels. There’s a very clever plot that keeps the reader wondering why Miles is in the situation he’s in and how he’s going to get out of it. The novella is also a great example of how Miles overcomes his physical limitations by relying on his wit, intelligence and understanding of human nature. This, indeed, is one of the reasons I love the Vorkosigan series as a whole.

I'm hoping to read Brothers in Arms in December to finish off the year.

Of the three novellas that make up Borders of Infinity, Mountains of Mourning is the most touching and Borders of Infinity is most Miles Naismith-ish. All three, including Labyrinth, set up situations which are referred to multiple times in later books and which are totally essential in the development of Miles over these books.

Brothers in Arms is unique in that we get our closest picture of who Gregor is as a person, but it also sees Miles get into multiple predicaments, as usual. Enjoy!

>4 ronincats: Oh, I'm glad to hear that Gregor features prominently in Brothers in Arms, as he is one of the characters that I quite like and would like to know better!

My last Vorkosigan read was Borders of Infinity and I am planning on carrying my Vorkosigan reading into next year with Brothers in Arms up next.

I finished Brothers in Arms and enjoyed it very much. However, >4 ronincats:, I did not encounter Gregor in this book. Did you perhaps mean Mirror Dance instead?

Brothers in Arms had the usual features of Bujold books that I love: excellent character development, a complex plot, humour and thought-provoking ideas. However, I really missed Bujold's great world-building. Frankly, Earth is pretty boring compared to places like Cetaganda!

No I meant The Vor Game. Always confusing those two. I don't know why because they are nothing alike, but for some reason I mix up the titles. Sorry about raising false expectations. I think after the reread this year I finally have them straight.

Granted, Earth is pretty plebeian compared to Beta or Cetaganda or even Barrayar, but don't you love those tidal dikes? Other high points are the fur blanket and Ivan's irritation.

Just starting this omnibus -- the first novella, Borders of Infinity, was a quick read! I found it a bit grittier than the previous books in the series, perhaps because the thought of how easily humans discard civilized behaviour is frightening to me.

>9 leslie.98: I found that aspect frightening too. I hope you enjoy the other two novels in this omnibus. I liked Brothers in Arms very much and I'm hoping to get to Mirror Dance before too long.

I have finished Brothers in Arms which I did enjoy. It was a bit strange being on Earth! I couldn't believe that Miles had a clone brother!! That was an exciting development

Finally finished the last book in this omnibus - Mirror Dance. A bit longer and darker than the previous novels. Although there were some upsetting sections, I appreciate the depth they gave to some of the characters especially Mark, of whom I found myself growing sympathetic. I was glad to see some more of Cordelia in this one too!

So, what should I be reading next: Memory or Miles, Mutants and Microbes?

Memory, by all means! MM&M is rather a strange compilation and it can wait. The first story set in early history of the Vorkosiverse, the second is included in Borders of Infinity, and the last (Diplomatic Immunity) comes AFTER A Civil Campaign, much further down the road.

Thanks >14 ronincats:. I have it ready but now need to find the time!