Quote:
Originally Posted by Andanzas
Is it important to read them in chronological order? Is The Warrior's Apprentice a good starting point?
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It isn't crucial. But it helps.
Warrior's Apprentice is a good starting point, yes.
The way it works is that Miles Vorksigan is the son of a *great* man. Who wants to be appreciated by somebody other than his parents. He goes to *extreme* lengths trying to get there, with mixed results, as his father's shadow is enormous. (And his efforts are occasionally self-defeating. In many ways Miles is not just his own worst enemy, he is also his only meaningful enemy.)
SHARDS OF HONOR + BARAYAR = CORDELIA'S HONOR is the story of the elder Vorkosigans up to Miles' birth.
Apprentice picks up with teenaged Miles' first *major* caper.
Each book in the series is pretty much unique and they take you through Miles' lives and careers (both plural, yes). You'll find capers, war stories, spy dramas, character studies, comedy, romance, detective mysteries, and lots of adventure and just plain good writing. Bujold doesn't repeat herself so there's no potboilers in the series; each book is unique and serves a specific purpose, has something to say.
The best way to deal with the series is as shareware: get the CRYOBURN promo CD from the Fifth Imperium. Read whichever and as many of the books you like. Then go out and buy whichever and as many of her books as you enjoy. And hope she keeps writing them.
(And I think I just talked myself into rereading the series.
)