extrapenguin: Northern lights in blue and purple above black horizon. (Default)
[personal profile] extrapenguin posting in [community profile] vorkosigan
So, here we are, book number 4.

  • The Ensigns are in random order, apparently, not any sort of alphabetic. Unless the Barrayaran Cyrillic alphabetical order is way different to modern?

  • Did Zubachik end up as Gregor's guard?

  • The common job is from 7 to 5, as per Ivan

  • Miles is at this point 4'9 (145cm)

  • "for the mutants that may come after me" is expressed this early? I only recall it coming from an older Miles after Memory

  • Camp Permafrost is not quite northerly enough for midnight sun or tundra

  • What is this 3rd Cetagandan War anyway – "peculiar" victory? Was Major Duvallier's execution for espionage related?

  • Miles handles Olney and Pattas rather well :D

  • The Komarran conquest was really recent as of Shards of Honor; I'd have expected it to be a few years earlier

  • Gregor: thin, middle height (which is... how tall on Barrayar? 175cm? 180cm?), dark hair, hazel eyes, "skinny neurasthenic git"

  • Jacksonian law: complete shitshow

  • Someone give Gregor a hug. "Greg Bleakman"?

  • So, how large was the shitshow on Komarr after Gregor evaporates, no note, no trace, from a fully guarded room?

  • Miles Vorkosigan, Quality Control Inspector is a thing that a) should exist and b) I want all the fic of

  • "Space them" is Oser's most inspired decision, as is the order to silence Miles, should he speak

  • Should all hell break loose, the military would go with Count Vorinnis against the anti-centralization liberals, the French-speakers would go with Vorville, the Russian-speakers with Vortugalov, the far-right blow-up-the-wormhole extremists would field Count Vortrifani against the anti-Vor pro-galactics who want a written constitution... I think I want this fic.

  • All the Nexus also calls Miles a mutant; it's not just Barrayar

  • Miles' interesting staff meeting, with two people tied to their chairs and gagged. Was either of them the Peregrine's captain? Who was the other?

  • "Non-communications officer" is gold. As is the whole rest of what Miles said to Cavilo.

  • Gregor <3


Next: Cetaganda, discussion on Sunday 28.8., with a reminder the prior week.

Date: 2016-08-07 08:07 pm (UTC)
james: (Default)
From: [personal profile] james
This was my first Vorkosigan book, and I remember it being one of the first times that I, as an adult, read a book that was so multilayered that not only did I miss important stuff on the first read-through, but that I couldn't figure out what was really going on until the end.

It's one thing I love about Bujold's books: the many levels of plot going on. I like feeling as if I could pick any character and follow them and they would have a full and detailed and complicated story to be told.

Anyhow, I have a fondness for this book, despite the fact Miles (and everyone) is so painfully young and I just want to shake them sometimes and say grow up, already. ;-)

I keep trying to think of a bit that I particularly like, but honestly, it just comes down to the whole book. It was a fantastic introduction to the Vorkosigan saga and I'm really glad I read it. Also, my copy seems to have kitty tooth marks in it. Hrmmmm.

Date: 2016-08-07 09:50 pm (UTC)
james: (Default)
From: [personal profile] james
Gregor needs a hug so much, indeed.

And this is definitely not my favorite - I think that's A Civil Campaign, with all the other POVs. But it serves as a excellent introduction to all the things that are wonderful about the series and her writing, I think.

Date: 2016-08-07 11:23 pm (UTC)
lotesse: (Default)
From: [personal profile] lotesse
I really liked the heavy loyalty stuff with Gregor, Miles, and Elena at the end of this one; that great moment when Gregor lets Miles point a loaded weapon at his chest, and then *walks towards it*

Date: 2016-08-08 02:09 am (UTC)
james: (Default)
From: [personal profile] james
It really builds off the scene in Warrior's Apprentice, when Miles is on trial for basically his loyalty to Gregor being in doubt. So we can see that by now, Gregor really understands and believes in Miles' loyalty.

It makes me want a book of Gregor's pov, set in these years - like when his advisors in Warrior's Apprentice start in on him, whispering things to lead him away from Aral's philosophies, etc. To see inside his head all this stuff with Miles and watch Gregor grow up and deal with all the stuff he's dealing with.

Date: 2016-08-08 07:22 pm (UTC)
cahn: (Default)
From: [personal profile] cahn
I adore that scene. Gregor!!

Date: 2016-08-08 02:08 am (UTC)
krait: a sea snake (krait) swimming (Default)
From: [personal profile] krait
So, how large was the shitshow on Komarr after Gregor evaporates, no note, no trace, from a fully guarded room?

This is the fanfic my heart still hopes for. :D

The entire top level of a planetary government, not to mention every middle-level element of security personnel, is going through extended simultaneous coronaries! Illyan is probably tearing his own hair out. Gregor's guards may well be contemplating hara-kiri. Aral... well, it's no wonder the man develops heart trouble later in life.

And then Miles turns up after a routine diplomatic mission, with the missing Emperor in tow, to announce that he found this and is returning it because his diplomatic mission wasn't exciting enough! :D

Date: 2016-08-08 02:44 am (UTC)
elf: Maple leaf on Dendarii mountains (Vorkosigan crest)
From: [personal profile] elf
The passage that always gets me to laugh on every re-read:
"But your most insidious chronic problem is in the area of... how shall I put this precisely... subordination. You argue too much."

"No, I don't," Miles began indignantly, then shut his mouth.

Cecil flashed a grin. "Quite. Plus your rather irritating habit of treating your superior officers as your, ah..." Cecil paused, apparently groping again for just the right word.

"Equals?" Miles hazarded.

"Cattle," Cecil corrected judiciously.
I love seeing Miles learn how to work with (and around) people who are malicious toward him - how when they're subordinates, he tries to evade the consequences of their hatred while not costing them face, and when they're superiors threatening innocents, he's happy to pull on rank, family connections, and random other skills to protect others.

... and loved the "oh, by the way, this is the SECOND TIME in your damnably short military career that you've faced formal charges for treason." Because Miles is apparently incapable of rescuing anyone without tripping over technicalities that get normal people executed.

Date: 2016-08-08 05:11 am (UTC)
bookblather: A picture of Yomiko Readman looking at books with the text "bookgasm." (Default)
From: [personal profile] bookblather
Gregor needs so many, many hugs.

I think my favorite part of this book is Tung trying to weasel his way into meeting Admiral Vorkosigan and Miles trying not to chortle his way through politely horrified Barryarian officers.

Also, "oh, it took both hands."

Date: 2016-08-08 10:16 am (UTC)
tree_and_leaf: Watercolour of barn owl perched on post. (Default)
From: [personal profile] tree_and_leaf
Oh, that bit with Tung was amazing.

Date: 2016-08-08 07:20 pm (UTC)
cahn: (Default)
From: [personal profile] cahn
ahahaha. I didn't get the "took both hands" comment the first time I read it (what can I say, I was really sheltered!) but this time I laughed a lot.

Date: 2016-08-08 07:38 pm (UTC)
cahn: (Default)
From: [personal profile] cahn
I haven't read this all the way through since the first time I read it, ...about fifteen years ago, whoa. (Although I may have read the last quarter of the book quite a bit more.) I think I have a hard time reading the Metzov bits, particularly on Kyril, because he's so psychotically delusionary.

I remember liking this one but not loving it, and I can see why... there's a LOT going on, with a lot of different actors (both character-wise and planetary-wise), and I think I only understood about a quarter of it the first time I read it. If that.

Heh, I agree that Oser's order to silence Miles was a pretty great order.

I thought the line "No revenge was worth the Prince Serg" was a really interestingly triple-layered line, given what we already know about Prince-Serg-the-person, and that Miles loses ship duty anyway (and then gets at least a little taste later on).

I laughed at Overholt's panicking that he hadn't had the Advanced ImpSec Course for bodyguarding the Emperor, even though they pretty obviously have much more pressing issues at the moment besides that.

I loved Miles saying to Gregor that if it was his considered opinion that he would do best as a grunt, he would support him to the best of his ability. Miles <3 Gregor <33

I love Miles' little discussion with Cavilo, and even more I love Gregory's response where he's all "I don't trust him any farther than I can throw him!" and Elena is having to hide her shrieks of laughter.

I totally want the sequel (or fic) where Cavilo shows up again. Wow. What has she been up to? How does she score (or try to score) off Miles when they meet again? (Extra points for Cavilo and Ekaterin going at it. That would be awesome.)

I also want the fic with Aral and Gregory facing down over Gregory hanging out on the Prince Serg (or maybe someone's already written it??)

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