The Vor Game

A Miles Vorkosigan Novel

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Miles Vorkosigan graduates from the Barrayaran Military Academy with high expectations of ship command, but is disappointed with an assignment as meteorologist to Lazkowski Base, an arctic training camp. His tenure in the windy, snow-covered north is cut short when Miles narrowly averts a massacre between the trigger-happy base commander and mutinous recruits. After a brief stay under 'house arrest', Miles is re-assigned to investigate a suspicious military build-up near a wormhole nexus. Reviving his undercover persona as mercenary Admiral Miles Naismith, his routine information-gathering duty expands to a rescue mission when the Emperor of Barrayar disappears during a political conference on a nearby space station. Miles must use his considerable negotiating skills to avoid a showdown between competing powers for control of the wormhole, find the Emperor, and watch his back for the arctic base commander seeking bloody vengeance.©1990 Lois McMaster Bujold; (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Science-Fiction
• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1991

George RR Martin should be sued for plagiarism

I'm positive where GRRM got the idea for Tyrion from for his song of ice and fire. Tyrion is a beat for beat facsimile of Miles, our dwarfish-like MC. I am truly astonished. Bujold has many nebula and Hugo awards, but her work never really got popular out this way. Not sure if she ever sued for copyright infringement, but Tyrion's arc in the first and second book are remarkably similar to Miles journey in the vor game and the warriors apprentice. However, don't let that rant deter you from this audiobook. This is a fascinating spy thriller with an interesting and deep character. He's a bit too clever and oft gets himself in worse situations due to his station (son of a count and prime minister with royal ties), and his moral high ground. Give this a chance, and see where GRRM got his best character's personality and story from.

Engaging entertainment

This isn't the first Vorkosigan audiobook I've purchased, nor the longest, nor even the best. But this was still an entirely enjoyable experience with plenty to recommend it, even though I was approaching the Vorkosigan saga outside the conventional chronology.

Lois Mcmaster Bujold has created a cast of characters who both antagonise and compliment each other, and the story is rich and at times unpredictable. To me at least. But I don't pretend to have any great insight to the structure of military or even fictional intrigue.

I just enjoyed the way it unfolded and the complex but clear path the story took me on.

The narration was great and I can recommend this to anyone, whether they are a science fiction fan or not.

excellent

such a fun adventure!... great character s ...hard to believe no big movies have come from this series

Well done

This audiobook is my first exposure to this author and this narrator. I though it was a good pairing between the two. The storyline was very entertaining while the narrator's voice was a perfect fit for the characters at play. Well done!

amazing novel

Great novel. For those that enjoyed Enders game, they should definitely read this. dk