Brothers in Arms

A Miles Vorkosigan Novel

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Led by Admiral Naismith (a.k.a. Lord Miles Vorkosigan), the Dendarii Mercenaries have pulled off the daring interspace rescue of an entire Cetagandan POW camp. But they have made some deadly enemies. Having finally outrun the infuriated Cetagandans, the Dendarii arrive on Earth for battle, shuttle repair, and a well deserved rest.

But Miles realizes he's in trouble again. First the Mercenaries' payroll doesn't arrive on time, and then someone tries to murder him. Now Miles must juggle both his identities at once to unravel the complicated plot against him, and to reveal an unexpected ally.

Just who is trying to assassinate which of his personas, and why?

Hi-fi sci-fi: listen to more in the Vorkosigan saga.

©1989 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2007 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Miles is confronted with some of the most intriguing and complex plot and psychological developments...in addition to some fascinating new characters." (Library Journal)

it's bros time

Miles has a grand adventure on earth. I like the story series and bought all forms of the book. Highly recommend

Out of order

Would you listen to Brothers in Arms again? Why?

This book is out of order on the Audible list. It takes place after the stories in Borders of Infinity.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

Grover Gardner is a master at conveying the irony and sarcasm that runs through these books.

Amazing

I love her work absolutely perfect. I am addicted to these books. looking forward to more.

Lois McMaster Bujold is a superb!

Lois McMaster Bujold has created a very exciting universe with this cast of characters. I am addicted to the universe involved.

Suspenseful and Funny Character-Driven Space Opera

In the beginning of Brother in Arms (1989), the fourth novel in Lois McMaster Bujold's popular science fiction series about Miles Vorkosigan, Miles and the Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet he heads under the fake identity of Admiral Naismith have limped into orbit around earth to repair their ships and restore health to their personnel. Miles' first visit to earth is immediately plagued by a host of prickly problems. First, the Dendarii may still be being pursued by assassins sent by the Cetagandan Empire to exact revenge on Admiral Naismith for the covert action the Dendarii recently conducted against Cetaganda. Second, the money owed the Dendarii by the Barrayaran Empire for that contract hasn't been paid, leaving the mercenary company on the edge of bankruptcy. Third, in his true identity as Lieutenant Miles Vorkosigan of the Barrayaran military, Miles must report to Captain Galeni of the Barrayaran Embassy, which has a mole who might be Galeni. Fourth, Miles must decide how far to take his relationship with the beautiful Dendarii Comander Elli Quinn, his right-hand woman and bodyguard. Beneath those problems Miles' lugs his perennial baggage: at age 24 he's only 4' 9" with an over-sized head and brittle bones, which (he believes) leads many of his fellow Barrayarans to figure that his military career is due to nepotism because his father is the Prime Minister of the Barrayaran Empire, or that he should have been killed at birth as a mutant.

As the novel progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult for Miles to keep his two incompatible identities secret and separate. How much of Miles is Admiral Naismith? How much is Lieutenant Vokosigan? How much is Miles? Early in the novel Miles is forced to ad-lib a clever cover story: Admiral Naismith is Lieutenant Vorkosigan's clone, created by the Cetagandans to cause trouble for their Barrayaran rivals. Needless to say, the fabrication has intriguing unintended consequences.

Miles is a wonderful protagonist: witty, clever, cocky, insecure, unflappable, empathetic, insubordinate, and loyal. No action hero, throwing a punch would break every bone in his hand. Instead, he relies on his chutzpah, brains, knack for improvisation, and facility with falsehood to get out of sticky situations that are dangerous to his fragile body and to his Barrayaran home culture.

The reader of the audiobook, Grover Gardener has a dry and articulate voice ideal for Bujold's witty writing. In the text, Bujold writes Miles' impertinent and caustic thoughts in italics, without writing, "he thought," and Gardener is skillful at subtly indicating those italics when Miles is thinking something subversive or rude rather than speaking it.

Through the plot strand about Miles' dual identity, Bujold threads plenty of the espionage, kidnappings, rescues, showdowns, family dynamics, and witty dialogue spawned by the galactic history and politics of her fictional universe, in which human beings have dispersed over the millennia from earth into competing cultures on different worlds in different solar systems linked by a limited number of rapid transit wormholes. Bujold does not write sublime space opera ala Iain Banks or Alistair Reynolds, mostly ignoring the wonders of nature and mind-boggling scales of size, time, or space. She also does not write hard science fiction, leaving the scientific workings of her advanced technology unexplained. Instead, she writes fast-paced, suspenseful, and funny space opera driven by appealing and psychologically believable characters and by interesting and politically believable cultures.

Great Audio Book

Fascinating story line, perfect narration, overall a great audio book. If you are new to this series start with "The Warrior's Apprentice" and go from there. This is one of the best science fiction series available.

Step out of your comfort reading zone and try it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I didn't really think I would like something dubbed a "space opera" but someone who shares my taste in most books was practically breathing these books in...so I decided this would be the one to start my adventure with Miles Vorkosigan....and oh, what a delightful journey. I am reading them in chronological order (I went back and read the two "prequels" about one third of the way through the series) and each one is better than the one before...whichever one I am reading is the best! After a few chapters I was hooked. Miles Vorkosigan is to me one of the most compelling hero's of literature...hovering up there with Frodo and Harry Potter...and Lois McMaster Bujold is an exquisite writer. The Miles Vorosigan novels are far and away my favorite new books to read in 2012. This audio version is very well narrated. HIGHLY recommended to you!

good book

I recommend to all to get into this series

it is a futuristic setting with a fuetal like government.

Miles is very well done and fun to follow

Great plot idea...

... somewhat overworked. No Space Opera this time (either). All of the plot takes place on Earth. Confusion, trickery, plots within plots, spy stuff, kidnappings and more almost non Sci-Fi stuff (apart from the overworked central plot element). What's really fun are the characters and the on the fly improvisations from Miles Vorkosigan, that is becoming a trademark of the series. Not my favorite book, but still - even on autopilot Lois McMaster Bujold manages to entertain. I will listen to the next book.

Narration from Grover Gardner is great as usual.

Miles and....Miles?

Here we meet Miles' clone twin who is six years younger than Miler. Enter many shenanigans.