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Originally Posted by Over
Isn't this book the third of the series? I didn't read the other two, is this one independent/stand alone, or should I really read the first two?
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The Warrior's Apprentice was also the
second published in the series, as the publishing order doesn't always match up with the series' chronology. If you want to start off with this before the others, you won't necessarily go wrong. Reading Shards of Honor (1st) and Barrayar (2nd) first will help you to understand Miles' culture and background better , but The Warrior's Apprentice itself is a fairly straightforward, fast-paced adventure. That said, once finishing this one, it's my opinion that if you go chronologically in the series and read The Mountains of Mourning next (4th), the story won't mean much to you unless you've already read Barrayar. If you choose to skip this and go straight to The Vor Game (5th) on the other hand, you'll still be okay.
Also, Shards of Honor and Barrayar are stories that focus on Miles' parents. Some would consider them prequels to Miles' adventures. Some are also wary of the romance in Shards of Honor, which Bujold nevertheless writes very naturally. (Barrayar is just plain fantastic.) Anyway, if you take this angle, you could choose to come back to these first two books later.