Choko's Reviews > Komarr

*** 4.35 ***

A buddy read with Evgeny and Maria, because we cannot stop the Forward Momentum!!!

"...“All the geniuses I ever met were so just part of the time. To qualify, you only have to be great once, you know. Once when it matters.” ..."

Once again I am going to sound like a fan-girl, but I can't help it! This series has stolen my heart. I know I have several series of books which I love and are a must read for me, but most of them are more because the story lines are not finished, and the worlds are marvelous, and the writing is great, and I really enjoy the characters... and so on. However, of all of those, The Vorkosigan Saga is the one that I have the most tenderness for. It makes me think, it makes me feel, and it makes me appreciate the more imperfect of the human emotions, the issues we are dealing with in one way or another on daily basis but disguised in a Sci-Fi form. On top of that, as the main protagonist we have Miles, a young man whom we have followed for several years and his evolution form a kid to an adult has been spellbinding... I fill like he is my kid, or more correctly, as if he is my sister's kid and I get to claim and be proud of him and his achievements even though I have been just an observer in his life... He is bigger than life, but packed in a small frame and vulnerable psyche. I love this character so much, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite of all time!

"...“Some people grow into their dreams, instead of out of them.” ..."

This is the first book since he had to part with his second personality, Admiral Naismith, and is now just Lord Vorkosigan, the Imperial auditor. A position which would be the professional peak of any other person on Barrayar, is just "settling" for our Miles... It has been 3 months since he took this post and he is learning on the job by assisting a senior member of the Imperial Auditors. They have to investigate what happened on Komarr, a planet which Miles's father was instrumental in conquering and at the time acquiring the nickname "The Butcher of Komarr"... Having his son on the planet is a bit challenging for the locals, to put it mildly... On top of that, they are staying with the niece of the older partner and her family, which are having some domestic problems and there are multiple tensions in the air. Incidentally, the niece, Ekaterin, happens to be just Miles's type and very unhappy in her marriage... Tum-tum-tuuuummmm.... (there was no cheating, for which I was very grateful!!!)

"...“So the difference between a criminal and a hero is the order in which their vile crimes are committed. And justice comes with a sell-by date. In that case, you’d better hurry. You wouldn't want your heroism to spoil.” ..."

As always, we get the usual action, political machinations, and the mandatory ethical conundrum, mostly based on genetic mutations and conditions. The good thing is, this world is fictional and things can get fixed, while we don't have those luxuries in RL:(((... I love how the author handles all of those situations without making them preachy or intrusive. They are looked upon as just a part of human everyday life and we can imagine parents, kids and spouses dealing with them in just this manner...

"...““He’s not so short,” said Ekaterin defensively. “He’s just . . . concentrated.” ..."

As always I would like to encourage all readers to try this series and see if it is something they might like - it is a great series for young and old alike, because there are situations and issues which are thought provoking for those who have no real life experience as well as those who have had more than they would have liked to have had:):):):)

I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!!