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Title: Memory (Miles Vorkosigan Adventures) |
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Review of Memory (Miles Vorkosigan Adventures)
- Thanks to his quick-thinking staff, Miles Vorkosigan's first death won't be his last. But the next one might be. When he returns to military duty, Miles realizes that his late death seems to be having a great effect on him. Unfortunately, his weakness reveals itself at the wrong time and place, and Miles must face Barrayaran security chief Simon Illyan. Now things look bad, but Miles's worst nightmares about Simon Illyan don't compare to Illyan's worst nightmares--or are they memories?.
Product Description
- Miles turns 30, and--though he isn't slowing down just yet--he is starting to lose interest in the game of Wall: the one where he tries to climb the wall, fails, gets up, and tries again. Having finally reached a point in his life where he can look back and realize that he has managed to prove his courage and competence, he can move on to bigger and better things.
Depending on how you count it, this is the eighth, ninth, tenth, or eleventh book in a series--not all are about Miles or even his extended family. A good place to start is with the first Vorkosigan story, Shards of Honor.
Amazon.com Review
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Comments for Memory (Miles Vorkosigan Adventures)
- Posted on 2008-09-02
On Moral Dilemmas
I keep the entire Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series on my bookshelf and re-read it every few years. It is thought-provoking, humorous, complex, well-written. I love how her plots pile problem on problem and never take the easy way out. I love how "bad guys" turn out to be no worse than "good guys" when seen up close and vice versa.
In Memory, Miles Vorkosigan wrestles with temptation in ways that almost everyone in a position of responsibility can relate to. To understand the depth of his struggle, it helps to have read the books leading up to this one (no hardship, in my opinion). But this book is worth reading on its own merits, whether you're a sci fi fan or not.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-06-07
Nobody is better, and Memory is another great one of the series
I got into Lois McMaster Bujold sideways, I have to admit. I read fiction - mostly mysteries and romances - to decompress, rather than watch t.v. A friend gave me a book from her less... traditional series (the Chalion series), which having read her entire works now, I would actually not recommend as a beginning book. I would start with Cordelia's Honor, and then Young Miles - both books of the Vorkosigan series. I recently went on a manic late-night book purge (still not sure if that was a good or bad idea! :) ), and virtually the only books that still remain on my bookshelf are Bujold's books. She writes with such delicacy and sensitivity about her characters, and the action keeps going at a fast clip to keep you drawn in to the end. A nice thing about her writing is that there are no archetypal characters - everyone is 3-D and nuanced, even the arch-villains. And considering she wrote the books out of order, I don't know how she managed to keep all the details of her universe in her head! Anyway, do yourself a favor, go pick up Cordelia's Honor. Feel free to get it at the library, I can almost guarantee you'll like it enough to buy the whole series to read over and over. Happy reading!
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-01-29
The best she's ever written
I am a longtime fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, and having recently reread this book, I still think it is the best book she's ever written. This is character development and ingenious plot wedded in a compelling story of the process of entering true adulthood. There's enough science fiction to interest most SF fans, but the book is a gem for all readers. Buy it, read it, love it.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2007-09-03
Not Free SF Reader
Having been dead is bad, it can seriously crimp your stylin's.
Especially when the boss finds out. The head of Imperial Security finds out Miles is really not a well bloke, and gives him the boot from his current assignment.
This is seen as an opportunity for some that don't like the current boss to try and get rid of him.
The first bit backfires on those that have targeted the head of Security as Miles finds an old law that lets the Emperor appoint a troubleshooter who can basically order whoever th ehell he likes around. He gets a surprise when said Emperor makes it him. This sort of troublemaking certainly suits him as he does the business.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2006-06-07
Another Hit For Miles
After the superlative "Mirror dance", "Memory" was almost bound to light up a little, but happily, it didn't :)
Miles has returned to active duty, working as Admiral Naismith, the ImpSec identity - but his crio-revival wasn't so succesful as formerly believed, and he bungles a mission... Illyan finds out about it - and about the lies in the report Miles presented - and gives our Lord Vorkosigan the boot. Unemployed, depressed - almost suicidal -, and going 30, Miles has to turn to other horizons for his hyper-active personality.
The only thing is, there is no need for his special talents, and the salvation, when it comes, is actually a huge problem: Illyan's eidetic chip has been sabotaged and Miles' former chief is about to lose his mind or die... So Gregor gives Miles the prop he needs - the Imperial Auditor rank - to solve the problem, and he does solve it, Miles-like: quick, neat, completely.
The story is action-packed, the characters well-developed, the rhythm flows...
A superb writing, another extraordinary Vorkosigan adventure!!
Highly recommended.
Score: 5
