The Warrior's Apprentice

A Miles Vorkosigan Novel

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Miles Vorkosigan makes his debut in this frenetic coming-of-age tale. At age 17, Miles is allowed to take the entrance exams to the elite military academy; he passes the written but manages, through miscalculation in a moment of anger, to break both his legs on the obstacle course, washing out before he begins. His aged grandfather dies in his sleep shortly after, for which Miles blames himself. Miles is sent to visit his grandmother Naismith on distant Beta Colony, accompanied by his bodyguard, Sergeant Bothari and Bothari's daughter, Elena. Miles passes himself off as a mercenary leader as he picks up a ragtag crew, and soon Miles' father Aral is under political attack back home as garbled rumors of Miles' mercenary operations trickle back. Miles must abandon his new fleet and dash back to Barrayar to stop the plot.

©1986 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The pace is breathless, the characterization thoughtful and emotionally powerful....Highly recommended." (Booklist)

Plenty of Action, Roaring Humor, & dose of Drama

Would you consider the audio edition of The Warrior's Apprentice to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Warrior's Apprentice?

Well that would involve spoilers, wouldn't it? And who wants spoilers in a book review?

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Grover was quite good. His voice is very sharp (for the sound engineers: his voice contains a lot of rich harmonics) and easy to understand. He was able to vocalize some of the speech antics in a way that I probably would not have done if I'd read the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Certainly it moved quickly enough and was tightly-written enough that one could listen to it in one sitting, but I also found that it had good stop points that let you put it down when necessary.

Any additional comments?

Warrior's Apprentice was far brighter and funnier than I expected based on the two previous books. Ms. Bujold's humor was brilliant at times and had me laughing out loud; it was even lightly peppered with literary and cultural references. Her writing is top notch. The author writes as tight as a drum for the most part. Her one weakness is excessive dialogue. Where some authors get lost in move-by-move battle sequences, Bujold instead gets deep into conversations between the characters that don't always move the story. The author has a particular fascination with relationships as the male and female characters always seem to be struggling to deal with the opposite gender, which is certainly different from what you get in most sci-fi / fantasy. At the same time she's deftly able to use character dialogue to further the world-building immersion that is so important to the genre.

Story-wise the characters experience an inordinate amount of luck and coincidence relative to effort, not too much that it detracted from the fun, but close. I would have loved to have seen a young Robert Downey Jr. or Brendon Fraser play Miles in a film. Highly recommended.

Engaging, plot driven story

Any additional comments?

The performer's voice takes a little getting used to, but I came to like it after a while. This isn't a particularly deep book, but it's engaging and kept my interest.

Miles Vorkosigan! 10 stars

Miles manages to accidentally build a fleet of mercenaries. Narrated by Grover Gardner, and narrated really well. Not only does he voice the characters well, but he brings the droll humor and sarcasm to life that the author pens so well. Well worth a credit and your time. Don't miss this series.

My favorite audiobook series of all time

Everything is perfect. Grover is amazing, LMB is one of the best writers around. Awesome.

Ear and Brain Candy

Would you consider the audio edition of The Warrior's Apprentice to be better than the print version?

Who reads print?

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His smooth delivery with enough inflection and voices to keep it interesting makes for pleasurable listening. He captures the humor and essentially the whole range of human emotions and behavior portrayed in these books. Grover Gardner has been a trustworthy companion of many hours.

Any additional comments?

After over 650 audible volumes and many other audiobooks from libraries, CD's and tape, I almost never "reread" a book. There are only 2 series and books of 3 authors that I have read multiple times. McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series is one of those, and this is one of the key novels in the series in which the main character comes of age, driving himself and associates into accomplishments beyond his dreams and into too much power for his own good. The good story is told with drive, yet a lightness of touch that makes the listening something that you can enjoy while working in the garden or trying to go back to sleep. I think its the energy and accomplishment of the well developed characters against terrible odds, but with an often humorous acceptance of their initially severe limitations.

Characters you will want visit with repeatedly

Wonderful to watch Miles grow.
Great job with making his weakness the worst possible in his society.
Excellent to watch him doggedly overcome challenges.

Fantastic!

Grover Gardener’s voice perfectly fits Bujold’s sardonic and thoughtful writing style. I loved every second, few books or ongoing series have such a magnetically likable cast! Mile’s first big adventure is one I feel compelled to revisit every few years for all of its memorable moments of comedy, action, and heartbreak. If you’ve never read Vorkosigan before, well, read Shards of Honor and Barrayar first, but then read Warrior’s Apprentice once you’re officially hooked on these Vor lords!

Absolutely loved this series and introduced me to her work

I’m surprised more people haven’t read and reviewed this book and series. It has all the elements of smart plot, amazing albeit different MC, tons of action, and additional interesting characters, all impeccably written. Recommend Curse of Chalion series as well.

What a great character!

The author creates a futuristic world based on a medieval class structure filled with fully developed and very likable characters. Miles is a character you laugh with, empathize with and become his friend. The series captured my imagination and kept me listening for hours at a time. If you are looking for a series that you can become engrossed in, then start here. Have fun! JWP

Here are the Miles' books in audible in order (MY thanks to other reviewers!):

- The Warrior's Apprentice
- The Vor Game
- Cetaganda
- Brothers in Arms
- Mirror Dance (1994)
- Memory (1996)
- Komarr (1998)
- A Civil Campaign
- Winterfair Gifts
- Diplomatic Immunity

Fantastic Series

The Miles Vorkosikan (sp?) series is one of the most delightful listening (reading?) experiences I have had in years. Bujold delivers an incredible balance of light-hearted humor, exploration of the soul, and self-discovery. I have listened to the entire series and only wish there were 10 more volumes. Miles is an amazingly accessible character, flawed to his brittle bones. Yet, Bujold creates a sense of hope for even the most "challenged." Yes, it is science-fiction/fantasy, but it is a story that a reader of any genre can relate to.