Customer Reviews

Komarr: A Miles Vorkosigan Adventure (Miles Vorkosigan Adventures)

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This isn't the first book. Have you read the first book? If not, you should immediately drop everything and order it. Now. Immediately. Right away. Read the whole series.
Ok, ok. Here's the series:

Shards of Honor
Barayar
(these two books are also combined into "Cordelia's Honor")
The Warrior's Apprentice
Short Story: The Mountains of Mourning
(all short stories are contained in "Borders of Infinity")
The Vor Game
Cetaganda
Ethan of Athos
Short Story: Labyrinth
Short Story: The Borders of Infinity
Brothers in Arms
The Borders of Infinity
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Diplomatic Immunity

Now, go start at the begining and read them all the way through to the end.

One thing Lois McMaster Bujold never does is keep doing quite the same thing each time. Miles' predicament in this novel reminds me of a scene in Farley Mowat's "Dog Who Wouldn't Be" where the dog is trying to sit on five wounded ducks at once. He has four paws and five ducks... Here, Miles has to solve a mystery, discover true love for the first time in his life, learn a new profession and a couple of other things that I'll let you find out by reading the book. At the same time, we get a fascinating glimpse of what it's like to watch the "Dwarf Tornado" as our favorite hyperactive tries to play whack-a-mole in real time. As always, I had an awful lot of fun reading this book and I absolutely can't wait for the next one, "A Civil Campaign."

Incidentally, I've seen some complaints that Miles seems a bit thick-headed as an Imperial Auditor. I don't agree. In the earlier books, Miles was leading the band. Here, he's essentially a cop, and, as somebody once commented, cops are historians. They come along *after* the deeds are done and try to cope with the mess. That's a lot harder than combat. I've read this book three times, and expect to read it a few more.

I read this one before it came out, courtesy of a friend in publishing, and it was wonderful to see an SF novel that, for once, lets its hero grow up. Miles has undergone more than enough physical and psychological trauma to drive a person mad; having him continue to run around swashbuckling after being killed, having most of his organs and bones replaced, etc., would be as ridiculous as having Admiral Nimitz lead a boarding party. As Dorothy Sayers put it when a reader complained that Lord Peter Wimsey no longer had "elfin charm," "Any man of that age who has 'elfin charm' should be euthanized."

It's also nice to see a heroine who's an adult woman who attempts to deal with the consequences of her decisions, not a stereotypically beautiful woman-child or a Heinleinian superwoman who only wants to have babies. Dr. Laura's excoriations(she's an exercise physiologist, not a psychologist, BTW) really don't apply. And why should they? Would it be better to have Ekaterin be a Friday clone?

Regardless, I look forward to the next book. It's easy to write space opera. God willing, Bujold can take Miles (and herself) to the next level.

I started reading this series last month with Shards of Honor and Barrayar. What a beginning! If I have had any regrets about subsequent books, it is that Cordelia rarely appears in later books (until she is given a small but important role in A Civil Campaign, the last but one book published in this series).

Those who are new to the series should stop right here. Please, please, go back. At the very least, start with Mirror Dance. Better still, go back to Shards of Honor (the story of how Miles's parents met).

Nearly all the books in this series (beginning in terms of internal chronology with Falling Free) are about a brilliant young aristocrat turned mercenary admiral, Miles Vorkosigan/ Naismith. What is different about him, apart from his uncanny luck, is his physical disabilities. Miles Vorkosigan (the "Vor" is a nobiliary honorific on his home planet, Barrayar) was born badly crippled and stunted, thanks to a poison gas attack on his pregnant mother.

At the beginning of his career, Miles manages to pull triumph out of disaster, bluffing his way through major crises. [Read The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game for details]. He later undergoes a life-changing experience after meeting his clone, who has been created by his father's enemies.

In KOMARR, Miles has shed his old career and his Naismith identity to become an Imperial Auditor (a high-ranking investigator of sorts). This book combines Miles-as-investigator with Miles-as-suitor. Except that the romantic interest Ekaterin Vorsoisson [nee Vorvayne] is already a wife, although she is married to an immensely selfish and irresponsible man Etienne (Tien) Vorsoisson. In the past, Miles has attempted to persuade at least two serious prospects to marry him and become Lady (and in the future, Countess) Vorkosigan. Both ladies have declined, wanting nothing to do with Barrayar. In KOMARR, Miles meets and falls in love with a real Vor lady, a lady of the middle to low aristocracy from his own planet. I am not sure what this means - is Miles actually deeply Vor inside (despite his youthful shenanigans), or is he reconciled to the fact that only a Vor lady would be happy on Barrayar? In short, is Miles attracted to Ekaterin because she is available (by the end of the book), or would he be attracted to her even if his old loves were willing and able to settle down to Vorish life with him?

I cannot answer that question, but I hope it will be addressed in later books. The story that unfolds in the meantime combines an investigation of an apparent accident, the political intrigues on Komarr (where Miles's family name is reviled for historic reasons), and a slow but growing love story. We also see a lot of the story from Ekaterin's point of view, as a Vor wife committed to her culture. Considering her upbringing and Barrayaran law (also followed for the Vor on Komarr), her choices or lack of choices are understandable. She is not a wimp, just a woman struggling with very limited choices. She begins to come into her own (very fortuitously!) at the end, showing us hints of what might have attracted Miles to her in the first place.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I don't object to the sad marriage between Ekaterin and Tien (Etienne, her first husband). Like others, while I appreciated the fact that much of this book was written from Ekaterin's point of view, I felt that the book created too much of a stock pseudo-villain in her husband (who we are meant to hate instantly). Adding a scene or two from his point of view might possibly have helped.

My problem, apart from Tien's one-sided portrayal, is that the pacing is rather slow in this book. The investigation and crime aspect seems underdone, and what the crime implies for Barrayar has been glossed over. Why must the whole episode be kept a secret? Without an understanding of Barrayaran politics and relations with Komarr (and even then), this veil of secrecy makes no sense.

The romance between Miles and Ekaterin itself, such as it is, is not badly done but I felt something lacking. Some of this might be inherent in the fact that Ekaterin is very much married for the first half of the book, and afterwards, it is impossible for several reasons for Miles to court her openly or secretly.

The Ekaterin of KOMARR is not yet the Ekaterin of A Civil Campaign (the next book). Here, in some ways, Ekaterin is more vulnerable and yet oddly likeable. She has been trapped here by the legal and social constraints upon her as a Barrayan wife and a Vor woman; in the next book, some of those constraints will continue to operate. In some ways, I liked the Ekaterin of Komarr far more than that of A Civil Campaign, perhaps because Miles himself (oddly muted in this book compared to his hyperactivity in the rest of the series) is far more vulnerable in this book. As such, he evokes a different response in her. It is certainly worth reading this book if only to read how other Barrayarans not well acquainted with the high Vor (aristocracy) view Miles Vorkosigan.

KOMARR was a pleasant read, but I really did not feel the pull, the compulsion to read and re-read, that I do with most of Bujold's books. A new reader to this series might be somewhat puzzled by some obscure references to Komarran-Barrayaran history, not to mention Miles's own personal history. I am not sure that this book stands alone very well. As such, I rate this book at 3.8 stars, although the series as a whole rates about 4.5 stars.

I can well imagine the disappointment of those looking for another 'Miles shoots up the bad guys' book; but for me, that's not what Bujold is about. She regularly brings her main character to realise some truth about themselves - here, it's Ekaterin's realisation that she can't go on with her marriage. Then she gives them a risky decision to take - here, Ekaterin's decision to leave - and after taking the risk, her characters stop being stymied by 'what-if' nerves and start being seriously empowered - here, in the 'hostage' situation that winds up being turned upside down (literally). If you read KOMARR as a 'Miles Vorkosigan' book, you will feel adrift; try reading it with Ekaterin as the main character, and the book falls into place with FALLING FREE and ETHAN OF ATHOS. This seems to me a fair addition to the Bujold, rather than Vorkosigan, universe, and I look forward to seeing more of them.

Every time I pick up a book by this author, I expect to be carried away for several hours, and then wonder why the story ends so quickly. Komarr is no exception to this rule. It went down like candy and I'm still hungry. The worst thing I could say is that it may be another two years until the next dessert. Bujold is an expert at creating page turning stories, and in Komarr, you cover a lot of ground in a very few pages. Those who love Miles Vorkosigan will be thrilled that he may (get that, MAY) have finally found his love. Guess we'll have to wait two more years to find out. Hint, hint!

The story is a look into the potential for intellectuals on a conquered world to rebel in their own fashion, only they make interesting mistakes. Their plot could strike a larger blow than any war in history. Miles has to use mind against mind, unlike earlier books where he uses mind against might. There are some nice new charactors, and some of the book is told from the perpective of the love interest, which is fresh, like the parts of Mirror Dance told from Mark's and Rowan's points of view. Moreover, the book shows us where Miles' charactor must be headed, given his medical issues and need to fill his father's shoes. I was quite pleased to have a potentially ongoing new female charactor to hear from, as Cordelia's tales in Shards and Barrayer were second to none.

The only minor issues in this book were that it was somewhat more 'playfully' written, and not as intense as some of her earlier works, and there were a couple of all to convient deaths.

All in all, another outstanding work from the best sci fi writer there is.

To my surprise Komarr is, to my point of view, the best Vorkosigan's novel. It is the first time that Miles appear to be human. The lack of action is a large contribution to this. I would like to say that my great regret about the other books was the difficulty to consider the situations described as real possibilities. The large place of the "Deus ex machina" was a disturbance. The greatest part played by psychology is also an improvement (perhaps due to the new serenity of the character). Therefore it is a delight to spend time with this novel. Congratulations.

This is a great new book in the saga of Miles, nontheless I feel that we have to wait and see until the following book or books are released. I believe this to be so, given the new avenues (many) that this book has opened. At the simplest it is a who dunnit book, but of course that is the first level, and knowing Miles things are never that simple. Most of all it interest me to see that Miles has a new love interest that for the first time allows the reader to see Barrayan society from the point of a "Barrayan" all duty-no self interest woman. My 3 stars do not mean that the book is a mediocre read,is that the level that we are used from Lois McMaster Bujold is such, that anything new must be incredible to be compared to the past greatness. The book is extremely interesting to read and as always the characters are fantastic, still the world of Komarr is not on the same creativity level as that of "Cetaganda", still Komarr is a must for all fans of Miles. Thank you Lois for this wonderfull book, and for knowing that the best is yet to come.

This is not the usual Miles Naismith Vorkisigan tale. Most of this story is told form the point of view of his latest love interest. She is most like Tuara in her first appearance but has some slight elements of Elena. But if your looking for her to be a slick talking, shoot from the hip and answer only the questions that don't matter Elli Quinn type you'll be disappointed. But should you take this story as an independent story and not try and force her to be a new Elli you may like this tale I did.

For those of us who enjoy fun, well told stories, a new book by Lois M. Bujold is always a treat. This latest installment in the Miles Vorkosigan saga is no exception. Komarr begins shortly after our hero is confirmed in his new position, the one he recieved at the end of Memories. On this trip, Miles is just along for the ride. There doesn't even appear to be a problem for him to solve. Until, that is, strange occurrences bring politics into the equation. For the Butcher's son, politics and Komarr are a deadly mixture. Ms. Bujold reveals the layers of intrigue involved in this story with her usual skill and humor. Komarr is not as good a book as Memories, which, besides being a good story, was a defining moment for the whole series. It is, however, a very pleasant read, a happy afternoon with old friends. It also positions our protagonist perfectly for his next grand adventure. (Your welcome, Ms. Bujold)