Young Miles [Paperback]

Lois McMaster Bujold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

It isn't easy, being Vor...Being a Vor lord on the war-torn planet Barrayar wasn't easy. Being an officer in Barrayar's military wasn't easy. And being the leader of a force of spaceborne mercenaries while maintaining a secret identity wasn't easy, in fact it should have been impossible, to say nothing of being a capital offense on Barrayar. Not that impossibility or great danger would slow down young Miles Vorkosigan much. Washed out of the Barrayaran Military Academy for being overly fragile (he had been biochemically damaged during an assassination attempt while still in his mother's womb), Miles' natural (if unorthodox) leadership qualities quickly led to his off-handedly acquiring a fleet of nineteen ships and three thousand troops, all unswervingly loyal to himor at least to his alter ego, Admiral Naismith. In short order, he foiled a plot against his father, returned to and graduated from the academy, solved a murder among his people, joined a mutiny against a deranged superior officer, thwarted an interstellar invasion, and rescued the Barrayaran Emperor. Then things get interesting...Publisher's Note: "Young Miles" was previously published in parts as "The Warrior's Apprentice", "The Mountains of Mourning", and "The Vor Game".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bujold is one of the best writers of SF adventure to come along in years." --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Author

Author's Note:
 
The Vorkosigan Saga Reading Order Debate: The Chef Recommends
 
 
Many pixels have been expended debating the 'best' order in which to read what have come to be known as the Vorkosigan Books, the Vorkosiverse, the Miles books, and other names, since I neglected to supply the series with a label myself.  The debate now wrestles with some fourteen or so volumes and counting, and mainly revolves around publication order versus internal-chronological order.  I favor internal chronological, with a few caveats.
 
I have always resisted numbering my volumes; partly because, in the early days, I thought the books were distinct enough; latterly because if I ever decided to drop in a prequel somewhere (which in fact I did most lately with Captain Vorpatril's Alliance) it would upwhack the numbering system.  Nevertheless, the books and stories do have a chronological order, if not a strict one.
 
It was always my intention to write each book as a stand-alone so that the reader could theoretically jump in anywhere, yes, with that book that's in your hand right now, don't put it back on the shelf!  While still somewhat true, as the series developed it acquired a number of sub-arcs, closely related tales that were richer for each other.  I will list the sub-arcs, and then the books, and then the caveats.
 
Shards of Honor and Barrayar.  The first two books in the series proper, they detail the adventures of Cordelia Naismith of Beta Colony and Aral Vorkosigan of Barrayar.  Shards was my very first novel ever; Barrayar was actually my eighth, but continues the tale the next day after the end of Shards.  For readers who want to be sure of beginning at the beginning, or who are very spoiler-sensitive, start with these two.
 
The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game (with, perhaps, the novella "The Mountains of Mourning" tucked in between.)  The Warrior's Apprentice introduces the character who became the series' linchpin, Miles Vorkosigan; the first book tells how he created a space mercenary fleet by accident; the second how he fixed his mistakes from the first round. Space opera and military-esque adventure (and a number of other things one can best discover for oneself), The Warrior's Apprentice makes another good place to jump into the series for readers who prefer a young male protagonist.
 
After that: Brothers in Arms should be read before Mirror Dance, and both, ideally, before Memory.
 
Komarr makes another good alternate entry point for the series, picking up Miles's second career at its start.  It should be read before A Civil Campaign.
 
Borders of Infinity, a collection of three of the five currently extant novellas, makes a good Miles Vorkosigan early-adventure sampler platter, I always thought, for readers who don't want to commit themselves to length.  (But it may make more sense if read after The Warrior's Apprentice.)  Take care not to confuse the collection-as-a-whole with its title story, "The Borders of Infinity".
 
Falling Free takes place 200 years earlier in the timeline and does not share settings or characters with the main body of the series.  Most readers recommend picking up this story later. It should likely be read before Diplomatic Immunity, however, which revisits the "quaddies", a bioengineered race of free fall dwellers, in Miles's time.
 
The novels in the internal-chronological list below appear in italics; the novellas (officially defined as a story between 17,500 words and 40,000 words, though mine usually run 20k - 30k words) in quote marks.
 
 
Falling Free
Shards of Honor
Barrayar
The Warrior's Apprentice
"The Mountains of Mourning"
"Weatherman"
The Vor Game
Cetaganda
Ethan of Athos
Borders of Infinity
"Labyrinth"
"The Borders of Infinity"
Brothers in Arms
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
"Winterfair Gifts"
Diplomatic Immunity
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance  (upcoming in late 2012)
CryoBurn
                  
 
Caveats:
 
The novella "Weatherman" is an out-take from the beginning of the novel The Vor Game.  If you already have The Vor Game, you likely don't need this.
 
The original 'novel' Borders of Infinity was a fix-up collection containing the three novellas "The Mountains of Mourning", "Labyrinth", and "The Borders of Infinity", together with a frame story to tie the pieces together. Again, beware duplication.  The frame story does not stand alone, and generally is of interest only to completists.
 
 
The Fantasy Novels
 
My fantasy novels are a bit easier to order.  Easiest of all is The Spirit Ring, which is a stand-alone, or aquel, as some wag once dubbed books that for some obscure reason failed to spawn a subsequent series.  Next easiest are the four volumes of The Sharing Knife--in order, Beguilement, Legacy, Passage, and Horizon--which I broke down and actually numbered, as this was one continuous tale divided into non-wrist-breaking chunks.
 
What have come to be called the Chalion books, after the setting of its first two volumes, were also written, like the Vorkosigan books, to be stand-alones as part of a larger whole, and can in theory be read in any order.  (The third book actually takes place a few hundred years prior to the more closely connected first two.)  Some readers think the world-building is easier to assimilate when the books are read in publication order, and the second volume certainly contains spoilers for the first (but not the third.)  In any case, the publication order is:
 
The Curse of Chalion
Paladin of Souls
The Hallowed Hunt
 
Happy reading!
 
-- Lois McMaster Bujold. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 586 pages
• Publisher: Baen Books; 1st edition (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671877828
• ISBN-13: 978-0671877828
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

108 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, May 30, 2003

By 

Empyreal (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Young Miles (Paperback)

What an absolutely fantastic book!

Young Miles is a compilation of 2 books and one novella. The three parts of the book are: The Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning, and The Vor Game. They have all been published before, so if you own them, don't buy this book expecting anything new. Is it the book's fault some people don't know what they're buying when they purchase it? Cordelia's Honor; Miles, Mystery, & Mayhem, and Miles Errant are also compilations.

This book is the first of the Vorkosigan saga with Miles, a cripple, as the main character, and it starts with him dropping out of military academy because of a broken leg. A member of the Vor (a military caste) class, his father the Prime Minister (former regent)of Barrayar, and living in a society that revolves around the military: this shatters Miles' dreams for his future. That is, until he accidently finds himself the "admiral" of a mercenary fleet and reveals a conspiracy against his father and himself. Unfortunately, being the leader of a private army on Barrayar is punishable by death. In The Mountains of Mourning, Miles is sent to investigate a case of infanticide, with the motive for the murder being an infants deformities. In The Vor Game, Miles has several other adventures, including attempting to stop an interstellar war and save his emperor.

The first book I read by Bujold was Cordelia's Honor, which is a compilation of Shards of Honor and Barrayar. It tells the story of how Miles' parents married and how he became crippled. Cordelia, Miles' mother, was affected by a gas grenade thrown into her room when she was pregnant. Although she survived, her son's bones became twisted and brittle. So, Miles, the hero of this compilation, is 4'10" and has a curved spine, a head the size of a normal 6' person, and brittle bones that snap at the worst times. He's also extremely bright and hyper.

Bujold is an excellent writer that makes each character come to life. There is no such thing as a two dimensional person in her world; each one is so incredibly different and deep. The reader can't help but get attached to some characters, crying and laughing along with them. I found myself giggling hysterically at some points in Young Miles, much to the confusion of those around me. Young Miles, like Cordelia's Honor, is also a page-turner. I read half the night away, only stopping when my eyes couldnt' stay open any longer. It's fast-paced adventure full of politics and military strategies. I often felt like my mind couldn't think fast enough to keep up with the story! It was absolutely wonderful!

For those who have not read anything from Bujold, this is a great starting point in the Vorkosigan saga. It has characters from Cordelia's Honor, but Bujold doesn't expect people reading Young Miles to know everything about them. She does a great job keeping each story independent yet in line with the other stories. I started with Cordelia's Honor, which isn't quite as fast-paced (at least Shards of Honor wasn't) as Young Miles, but it's still an awesome book. It also gives a more in-depth look at Cordelia, Aral, and Bothari (Miles' bodyguard in Young Miles). What's great about these compilations is you get 2-3 books in one! Saves money, and it saves the reader the time it takes to run to the book store to get the next one (which you feel you must have the moment you finish a book). I can't wait to start Miles, Mystery, & Mayhem!

Anyway, this is an excellent book in an excellent saga. A must read for any sci-fi lover! Even if you don't like sci-fi, you're bound to love this saga.

75 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best starting points for discovering Bujold, July 1, 2002

By 

Greg (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Young Miles (Paperback)

If you have already discovered Bujold, and are still in the stage of trying to acquire copies of everything she's written, then you might be frustrated by the reissue volumes, each of which includes two novels, and frequently a novelette. This volume includes The Warrior's Apprentice, "The Mountains of Mourning" from Borders of Infinity, and The Vor Game. Thus, there is nothing new here for the collector. On the other hand, this makes an excellent introduction to Bujold's work for the newcomer, because it introduces Miles Naismith Vorkosigan as he first creates his alter ego Admiral Naismith, then gives some revealing insights into his Barrayaran background, and finishes up with Admiral Naismith being given a permanent role in his life. Many of the later Miles books, while excellent in and of themselves, probably won't have as much resonance as they should have if you do not have this background in mind. (Which is not to say that these are something you need to suffer through to get to the good stuff. The good stuff starts right away. Why are you even wasting time reading this review? Read the book!)

Note: the other reissue volumes are Cordelia's Honor, which includes Shards of Honor and Barrayar, and Miles Errant, which includes Cetaganda and Ethan of Athos, as well as "Labyrinth" from "Borders of Infinity."

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Compilation for Vorkosigan Fans, June 10, 2002

By 

Paul (New Orleans) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Young Miles (Paperback)

"Young Miles", by Lois McMaster Bujold is the second compilation of the Vorkosigan saga. The first compilation combined the novels "Shards of Honor" and "Barrayar", to tell the story of Miles' Mother, Cordelia, his Father, Aral, and ended shortly after Miles' birth.

"Young Miles" is an outstanding compilation, consisting of two novels, "The Warrior's Apprentice" and the Hugo award winning "The Vor Game", divided by a novella, "The Mountains of Mourning, which won both the Hugo award and Nebula award for best novella. At the end is an afterword by author Lois McMaster Bujold, which is an interesting piece in its own right, telling the story of how these works came into existence.

All three tales are available in seperate forms, the two novels by themselves, and "Mountains" is included in "The Borders of Infinity", but this definitively compiles the present tales of Miles as he embarks on his early career.

Most would envy Miles Vorkosigan's position in life. The "Vor" at the start of his name signifies he's a member of his planet's nobility. He is heir to his father's title of Count, destinied to be one of the members of the ruling legislative body of his planet. He's foster brother to the Emperor. His father was the Regent in the Emperor's youth, and now serves as Prime Minister. Wealth, power and nobility; a grand and enviable destiny.

But no one would want to be Miles Vorkosigan, especially not on Barrayar, a planet which had been isolated from the galaxy at large long enough to lose much of its technology, including medical technology, until the past few generations. A planet where mutated children were killed at birth, so that precious resources would not be wasted.

For Miles is a mere 4'9" tall, hunchbacked, a mishapen head, and with brittle bones which break with alarming regularity. Not a mutant, despite the epithets he deals with daily, but the victim of a poison gas attack on his parents while he was still in his mother's womb.

The adventure starts with "The Warrior's Apprentice." 17 year old Miles washes out on his attempt to join Barrayar's military academy because of breaking a leg during the physical testing stage of the entrance process.

Discouraged, he ends up taking a trip to Beta Colony, to visit his grandmother Naismith, to accompanied by his bodyguard, Bothari, and Bothari's daughter, the beautiful Elena. Along the way, he picks up two additions, a mad jump pilot, Arde Mayhew, and a Barrayaran deserter, Baz Jesek. Events result into a jump into a war zone. Events further result in the creation of the Dendarii Mercenaries, by Miles, and led by Miles Naismith, an unexpected creation of Miles Vorkosigan.

"The Mountains of Mourning" tells the tale of a newly minted Ensign Miles Vorkosigan forced to investigate an infanticide in the back country of his father's district, a child killed simply for having a deformed mouth, for being a mutant, a matter of personal significance to the deformed Miles, and to his parents.

"The Vor Game" has Miles receiving his first assignment after graduation from the military academy, unexpectedly to a desolate frigid base as a meteorolgist. Dealing with an insane commander results in his arrest and confinement, which ends with his going on a mission to Miles' Dendarii Mercenaries. But there's more to it, as Miles ends up stumbling on an old friend, an extremely important old friend, in the most unlikely of places.

If you already have these three tales in their seperate incarnations, fine. But this compilation is truly exceptional and should be obtained whenever possible.