I had picked up another book about Vorkosigan with some reluctance. I have several friends that consider Lois McMaster Bujold's writing style to be delectable, so I once again tested the waters.
Capsule Review:
It must just be me, but I find Bujold's writing style to be somewhat self-indulgent and flowery for the genre of military SF. Some amount of that can be hand-waved away by saying that the main character Miles Vorkosigan is a very different sort of fellow - intense, driven, intellectual, etc. Some amount of it can be hand-waved away by realizing the book is about military and espionage covert operations more or less made up on the fly if such a thing makes any sense. And still, I find it a bit much.
I did learn a couple of new words, which I find enjoyable (swive and uxorial). But then, betimes I enjoy reading a dictionary, so I might just not be the average reader.
The story itself was not glaringly problematic. I did see a bit of (depending on your taste) incredibly ingenious plotting or incredibly contrived plotting in how the main challenge appeared and was dealt with.
I also take an issue with this due to the genre the book was written in (military and/or espionage SF). I've met a fair number of people from both modern communities of that ilk and it seems to me Vorkosigan is not fit for the work. His personality type (self-doubting, somewhat flighty as his mind flits from worry to worry, and rather glibly chatty) does not fit with the members of either profession.
In some sense, that may be the point; Miles is a fish of a different variety. That said, I think he would not survive the actuality of such operations. I just don't find him believable in the role. I find many of the leaps of logic he makes rather unlikely and I cannot shake the feeling that he would be busted out of the service. The books make lip service to the latter threat, trading against his Imperial bloodline in many cases or the success of his unconvential operation as the bromide. My experience of the sort of people who work in both the espionage and covert special operations realms (or the broader combat arms) is that they are not the sort to excuse bad process and poor craft simply based upon good results so far.
Will many readers enjoy the book? I don't doubt it, in the same way many readers enjoy Stainless Steel Rat or similar works. This work has the same improvisational plotlines that make for a fun read, if you happen not to know how the real professions work or the sorts of people that populate them (and most people do not have those sorts of connections).
I enjoyed the book well enough, but I did regularly have to beat down the little voice saying 'that wouldn't fly' or 'that was convenient' or 'person X I know would have thought about having this guy shot'.
Perhaps I judge too harshly and this is meant to be more of an adventure story than military SF. But the story cloaks itself in that sort of accoutrement so against that background I judge it.
Overall, I'd say it is about a 3 out of 5. If you need to fill some time, its not a bad read. But this author has not impressed me enough to buy another of these books.
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