posted
I'm trying to read them chronologically, but then I'm obsessive like that. I started with "Shards of Honor" and "Barrayar", which are prequels to the Miles Vokosigan series, but "Shards" took me a while to get into. "The Vor Game" is the first Miles book, and it's a good one. I found it kind of Firefly-esque.
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Is there a series? I picked up Palladin of Souls, but didn't read it because I got the feeling that something had happened in this universe in another book...but I couldn't find the beginning of a series. Are all of her books set in the same universe?
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She's got a very long space opera series which is generally called the Vorkosigan series. That is what SM is talking about.
I read through it pretty much chronologically, and I liked it. Unfortunately, it starts out with her very first book, and it's a little weak. The second one, Barrayar is fabulous, and was written quite a long time after. After that is Warrior's Apprentice, which is the second book she wrote, and again, a little weak.
I really like that series, and it's too bad that it's a litte weak starting out. Not that those two books are bad, but they are certainly not up to the standards of the rest of the books
She's written some excellent fantasy as well. Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are both great, with Paladin being a sequal of sorts.
So, here's my recommendation: Read Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls. Then, once you're convinced that you like her as an author, start from the beginning of the Vorkosigan series.
edit: Narnia -- the first book of hers that I read was Paladin. I loved it. While it is kinda a sequal of Curse, it in no way depends on it. Yeah, I missed out on the backstory, but it wasn't necessary. It's not the same characters. If you have that book, go ahead and read it.
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I dunno. If it's in the same universe I haven't gotten there yet.
Here's what I've read so far:
Shards of Honor Barrayar
The Warrior's Apprentice (I was wrong, this is the first one in the Miles series) The Vor Game Cetaganda Ethan of Athos Borders of Infinity (three short stories in the Milesverse) Brothers in Arms Mirror Dance
These are all in the Miles series
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I've heard she's good, too. Narnia, if you like what you read, can you let me know? I'll go hunt up her books at my local Half Price Books!
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You bet, Libbie. Thanks for the lists Porter and Ashley. I should have just read Palladin. I'll go back and get Curse of the Chalion and start up soon.
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She's fantastic. Don't forget to include "Falling Free." It's related to the Verkosigan saga but independent of most of it, until you get to the book "Diplomatic Immunity." At that point, you'll be happy that you read this bit of backstory.
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quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: She's fantastic. Don't forget to include "Falling Free." It's related to the Verkosigan saga but independent of most of it, until you get to the book "Diplomatic Immunity." At that point, you'll be happy that you read this bit of backstory.
Actually, it relates to it much sooner, in the short story Labyrinth, the short story where Taura is introduced.
I personally didn't care much for either of the two books that take place in the same universe as the Vorkosigan books -- Falling Free and Ethan of Athos.
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I found Curse of Chalion much harder to read than The Warrior's Apprentice. Not that it wasn't good, I just wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to LMB.
My introduction to LMB was Ethan of Athos. I couldn't figure out what the first book in the Vorkosigan Saga was, so I went for something outside of it. Later a friend loaned me The Warrior's Apprentice and that's when I became a huge fan.
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So I finally got around to getting started on the Vorkosigan series -- quite by accident, really -- but nonetheless, I'm really liking it.
I read "Cordelia's Honor" (which was a compilation book of both "Shards of Honor" and "Barrayar"). I found it very hard to put down -- pretty much took up my whole weekend.
So now I need to find Warrior's Apprentice, and of course the same library does have it -- or any of the rest of the series. Time to hit the used books stores, I guess.....
posted
There's always the Hatrack/Sake library-by-mail option. I got my parents hooked on the saga, but I think Mom has finished Warriors Aprentice.
I caved and bought the first book of her new series in hardback. I figured since it was a new series I wouldn't be compelled to re-purchase all the books I already own to match -- only the new ones as they come out. It's great. Unfortunately, unlike her other series books it's definitely Volume One of a continuing story (It even says so on the cover). The previous series each book closed it's story arc. This one does not.
But it is a wonderful story, and one of the main characters is named Dag, which was kind of fun.
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There are several compendiums like Cordelia's Honor that contain 2 or 3 of the books. I can't remember their names, but I bought a few of them off of half.com.
quote:I caved and bought the first book of her new series in hardback.
I haven't heard of her new series. What genre is it?
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The series is The Sharing Knife and volume one is titled Beguilement. It's fantasy. And did I mention that it's really good? (Don't read the Amazon reveiw -- it's totally spoilery)
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I read a few of her books years ago, and disliked them. A conversation about Paladin of Souls got me to try reading her again, and I am hooked. I have read her last 5 books, and will probably break down and buy the new one soon enough.
Probably right after reading the rest of Robin Hobbs new one, Forest Mage.
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My boyfriend got it for me for Christmas, he thought it was so new I wouldn't have read it yet, and he was really upset that I had. I couldn't convince him that it was so good it didn't matter.
I have Beguilement, Memory, and A Civil Campaign if anyone would like to borrow them via mail.
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quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl: So now I need to find Warrior's Apprentice, and of course the same library does have it -- or any of the rest of the series. Time to hit the used books stores, I guess.....
FG
I recently bought new the collection "Young Miles", which includes her novels "The Warrior's Apprentice" and "The Vor Game", as well as the novella "The Mountains of Mourning". So if you find "Young Miles", that might suit your needs.
So far I'm at the start of chapter 7 in "The Warrior's Apprentice", and I'm really enjoying it. The only other Miles novel I've previously read was "Cetaganda", which was reasonably good but nothing remarkable. So far I'm liking "The Warrior's Apprentice" a lot more!
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SLIGHT spoilers for A Civil Campaign below, but I was careful not to make them too racy
*****
The dinner scene in "A Civil Campaign" is one of the funniest literary moments I've ever experienced. Hands down. I think the folks at the airport thought I was going insane. Though the later scene with Nikki locking himself in the bathroom is equally priceless. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Earlier. It's in Komarr that he locks himself in the bathroom; in A Civil Campaign, it's his uncle's office.
I absolutely agree about the dinner scene, though. There are, what, four subplots being brought to a head, and each one of them is marvelously funny! I think it may actually be my favourite scene in any book ever, although, alas, it has lost some of its power through re-reading. (That is to say, I no longer laugh until I can't breathe.) I envy anyone who hasn't read it yet. Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Crap. I can't believe I remember either of those scenes. Would somebody like to refresh my memory?
I love seeing Cordelia kick butt. She reminds me of a larger-than-life version of Theresa Wiggin.
*** Very slight spoilers ***
I loved the scene where Cordelia sits Drou and Koudelka on the old couch and brow-beats them into letting their daughter choose her own path without even saying a word in A Civil Campaign.
I also loved where she stares down Simon Illyan and against his will sends Mark out on a mission toward the end of Memory.
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You're right KoM, I was thinking of the office, not the bathroom. His uncle is trying to take custody of him and he throws a Ekaterin-approved tantrum and locks everyone out and calls Emperor Gregor on the private card Gregor gave him. Next thing they know they are all arrested by ImpSec and brought to Gregor's private study in Vorbarr Sultana right in the middle of the council of Counts to work things out. I just loved the shift to Miles seeing Gregor leave the council and wondering what the heck was up.
The dinner scene starts out pretty well, but it all goes to hell when the scientist guy brings out a bunch of his and Mark's butter bugs genetically altered with the Vorkosigan seal as a surprise for Miles, which freaks out and offends nearly everyone at the table. Scientist-guy also lets slip that Mark and Kareen went to a pleasure island on Beta Colony, which makes Drou and Koudelka mad and they leave, dragging Kareen with them. They find out the 200 Vorkosigan-liveried butter bugs have escaped, including an immature queen, and Miles cuts off scientist-guy's oxygen and gives him an ultimatum to find all the bugs or else, which Ekaterine walks in on. Illyan lets it slip that the entire evening is for everyone to meet Mile's new girlfriend, which surprises/infuriates Ekaterine and Miles, inserting his foot firmly in his throat, asks her to marry him. She leaves, he tries to chase her, she opens the door and lo and behold, there's Aral and Cordelia back early from Sergyar, just in time to see the disaster.
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I don't find the dinner scene amusing, I find it horribly painful. It's the one LMB scene I consistently skip while reading. I think I identify with all of the characters too much.
The rest of the book I adore, though. I reread it about once every 3 months and look up quotes from it even more often. It's such a funny book, but it never descends into comedy. I adore Aral's lecture on reputation vs. honor. I think the lesson Miles learns after the dinner party is an important one that too often goes unlearned. I love the conversation Gregor has with Nikki about his father...
I'm sorry, I need to go reread a book.
Edit: And I adore Kareen and Mark's whole romance.
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I have only read the three fantasy books in the series Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt
Loved them. Lo-o-o-ved them.
As soon as my reading schedule for school settles down I intend to get more of her books, definitely.
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