Cordelia Vorkosigan is one of the most awesome fictional women in existence. Also, I appreciate that Elena Bothari -- the "predicted love interest" who falls in love with someone else -- isn't villainized or judged harshly for having the temerity to love someone other than Our Hero. So many other writers might go that route, but Bujold knows better.
It is so crazy to me that no one really knows about this series! I've read it all the way through twice now. She has won 6 Hugos, 3 Nebulas, and 3 Locus awards for it. If you take all of her awards for this series she has more major awards than any other author man or woman. I loved the Vorkosigan Easter Eggs in the Sun Eater series. Pretty sure the Jaddians are an analogue to the Cetagandans.
@@mattj2118It wouldn’t surprise me if he disliked Curse of Chalion, yeah. It takes modern plot pacing and structure notions and says “…hm. No thanks.” Especially at the beginning 😂
I've never read her fantasy stuff despite reading the Vorkosigan Saga twice now because I'm scared I won't love them and it'll screw with my feelings on this somehow haha!
I will unreservedly recommend anything by Bujold. The Vorkosigan series is in my very top SF series, and both the Chalion books and The Sharing Knife series are pinnacle fantasy. If you haven't heard of her before, it's not because she's unknown. 6 Hugos and 2 Nebulas pretty much mean that she's broadly seen as one of the best writers in the history of the genre.
Bujold is very justifiably well-known for her character writing, and she just keeps digging deeper through this series. There’s one particular arc that’s genuinely a bit breathtaking to me - I’ve never seen another author pull off anything similar nearly so well. On that front, I find it a bit funny that you praise her character work but didn’t much like “Mountains of Mourning.” 😂 It’s one of my favorites. I agree, I didn’t find the murder mystery plot very engaging - but I don’t feel like that was really what that novella was about. It was about Miles finding his roots, reframing what’s important to himself and where he came from, and actually opening his eyes to *see* the people in his home district. It was about digging a little deeper into the worldbuilding and saying, “No, you don’t get to just write these people off as a group, as a part of Miles’s distant backstory. They’re here. They’re changing and affecting the world, and being changed and affected in turn. This is a living prejudice and an active struggle.”
Glad you liked it! Although when I recommend these books, I usually tell them to start with Shards of Honor and Barrayar, because these books add so much context to the events of Young Miles and to all relationships (especially Miles & Gregor's, and the entire Vorbarra-Vorkosigan-Vorpatril family drama). But SoH and Barrayar are not as fun as Miles's first adventures, and Barrayar sometimes goes full-on civil war novel.
7 месяцев назад+3
This video came out at the right time! I'm planning on reading this series soon. Also, I'm going to follow a weird but cool reading order suggested by Chloe Frizzle on RUclips. She has a video explaining how the reader can fully absorb this series by reading it in a specific way, so I'm going to do that since she's well versed on these books 😄
Glad you liked it. They are pretty consistently good, and a few of them are genuinely great. As the series goes on, the characters get deeper and deeper. One slight correction - The series spans from mid-eighties to mid 2010s.
That's my favorite series of all time, Funnily enough in my country the book you started with Warriors Apprentice, was the published as the first book, so its the one I also started with, and after reading all of the saga I still feel it perfectly natural entry point to the series.
The midsequence of the Vorkosigan saga from Brothers in Arms (#4) thru Komarr (#7) is a classic in SFF. Bujold puts Miles against the wall and asks his measure as a man. Highly recommend. So that's omnibus #4 and #6. Omnibus #3 collects some more tangential and escapist Miles superspy stories and omnibus #5 is out of place. I would recommend original publication order starting from the Warrior's Apprenctice.
These are like the Sharpe books by Cornwell, you can just pick one up and it’s quick and fun and makes for a nice palette cleanser. Pratchett is like that for me as well
K.J. Parker has a new trilogy out that seems to have a similar tone to the siege trilogy called the corax trilogy. This might be another fun read for you with a lighter tone and some humor.
Very excited to see you giving this series a shot, and even more excited to learn you plan to continue it! It does make for a really nice palette cleanser; I hope for your own sake that you continue to enjoy it! Though as ever, I’ll still be curious about your perspective even if you don’t. xD (Rot13 for future book plot stuff: Rkprcg sbe jura vg qbrfa’g. Nu, Zveebe Qnapr… )
Cordelia Vorkosigan is one of the most awesome fictional women in existence.
Also, I appreciate that Elena Bothari -- the "predicted love interest" who falls in love with someone else -- isn't villainized or judged harshly for having the temerity to love someone other than Our Hero. So many other writers might go that route, but Bujold knows better.
The Vorkosigan book Memory is honestly one of the best books I've read, it blew me away
Memory blew me away as well.
It is so crazy to me that no one really knows about this series! I've read it all the way through twice now. She has won 6 Hugos, 3 Nebulas, and 3 Locus awards for it. If you take all of her awards for this series she has more major awards than any other author man or woman.
I loved the Vorkosigan Easter Eggs in the Sun Eater series. Pretty sure the Jaddians are an analogue to the Cetagandans.
Her books "Paladin of Souls" and "The Curse of Chalion" are a really good fantasy books! A two book series.
Haven’t got to Paladin of souls yet, but I agree The Curse of Chalion is great… But don’t you think Matt would think that book is too slow?
@@mattj2118It wouldn’t surprise me if he disliked Curse of Chalion, yeah. It takes modern plot pacing and structure notions and says “…hm. No thanks.” Especially at the beginning 😂
I've never read her fantasy stuff despite reading the Vorkosigan Saga twice now because I'm scared I won't love them and it'll screw with my feelings on this somehow haha!
I will unreservedly recommend anything by Bujold. The Vorkosigan series is in my very top SF series, and both the Chalion books and The Sharing Knife series are pinnacle fantasy.
If you haven't heard of her before, it's not because she's unknown. 6 Hugos and 2 Nebulas pretty much mean that she's broadly seen as one of the best writers in the history of the genre.
I don't understand why this series is not spoken about more!!!! One of my favorite light sci-fi series ever!!!! ❤
Bujold is very justifiably well-known for her character writing, and she just keeps digging deeper through this series. There’s one particular arc that’s genuinely a bit breathtaking to me - I’ve never seen another author pull off anything similar nearly so well.
On that front, I find it a bit funny that you praise her character work but didn’t much like “Mountains of Mourning.” 😂 It’s one of my favorites. I agree, I didn’t find the murder mystery plot very engaging - but I don’t feel like that was really what that novella was about. It was about Miles finding his roots, reframing what’s important to himself and where he came from, and actually opening his eyes to *see* the people in his home district.
It was about digging a little deeper into the worldbuilding and saying, “No, you don’t get to just write these people off as a group, as a part of Miles’s distant backstory. They’re here. They’re changing and affecting the world, and being changed and affected in turn. This is a living prejudice and an active struggle.”
Glad you liked it! Although when I recommend these books, I usually tell them to start with Shards of Honor and Barrayar, because these books add so much context to the events of Young Miles and to all relationships (especially Miles & Gregor's, and the entire Vorbarra-Vorkosigan-Vorpatril family drama). But SoH and Barrayar are not as fun as Miles's first adventures, and Barrayar sometimes goes full-on civil war novel.
This video came out at the right time! I'm planning on reading this series soon. Also, I'm going to follow a weird but cool reading order suggested by Chloe Frizzle on RUclips. She has a video explaining how the reader can fully absorb this series by reading it in a specific way, so I'm going to do that since she's well versed on these books 😄
Highly recommend, they are all great, even Ivan, the idiot ;)
Glad you liked it. They are pretty consistently good, and a few of them are genuinely great. As the series goes on, the characters get deeper and deeper. One slight correction - The series spans from mid-eighties to mid 2010s.
LOVE these books. They keep getting better and better as the series continues.
That's so great to hear!
That's my favorite series of all time, Funnily enough in my country the book you started with Warriors Apprentice, was the published as the first book, so its the one I also started with, and after reading all of the saga I still feel it perfectly natural entry point to the series.
Some of the audibooks are so good too. I like to think it was the way people used to feel while listening to radio-opera in the early 1900
I am glad you liked it! I loved Cetaganda, much more intrigue and politics!
Awesome!
Glad youre enjoying the book. I love Vorkosigan saga. Her writing, especially her dialogues are one of beautiful things i've encountered
i picked up the series after hearing jim butcher and christopher ruocchio raving about it. It is amazing!
Oh nice, didn't know Butcher was also a fan!
I would love to see the reading chart! Will have to work some Young Miles into my TBR.
Pop into the discord, we have it pinned to the room dedicated to this series.
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews I will check it out! Thanks!
My favorite series. The Audible books are great.
Read Shards of honor and Barrayar next, meet Cordelia and Aral.
Mountains of Mourning and Memory were my faves. I like my Miles angry and depressed.
The Curse of Chalion was really good, and the characters and dialog the best aspect
Sounds like a fun read! Been meaning to get into this author and also Christopher Ruocchio
You have to! In both 😊
The midsequence of the Vorkosigan saga from Brothers in Arms (#4) thru Komarr (#7) is a classic in SFF. Bujold puts Miles against the wall and asks his measure as a man. Highly recommend. So that's omnibus #4 and #6.
Omnibus #3 collects some more tangential and escapist Miles superspy stories and omnibus #5 is out of place. I would recommend original publication order starting from the Warrior's Apprenctice.
Great series and I'm sorry it's been neglected. I read the whole series. 👍
So many of the books and short stories from this series either won or came in second with the Hugo, Nebula and Alicia awards.
These are like the Sharpe books by Cornwell, you can just pick one up and it’s quick and fun and makes for a nice palette cleanser. Pratchett is like that for me as well
If you want some good chuckles read Bujold’s Ethan of Athos next.
lol will do!
I just recently finished Ethan of Athos and it was one of the few books that made me laugh out loud. Absolutely brilliant!
K.J. Parker has a new trilogy out that seems to have a similar tone to the siege trilogy called the corax trilogy. This might be another fun read for you with a lighter tone and some humor.
Awesome, I'll have to check it out!
Are you planning to review age of ash?
I filmed a review but wasn't really happy with it. Still considering it.
I feel like a book winning the Hugo Award tells me I won't like that book. @matt do you agree?
In general, I just think winning a Hugo is completely irrelevant to whether or not I will like a book.
Very excited to see you giving this series a shot, and even more excited to learn you plan to continue it! It does make for a really nice palette cleanser; I hope for your own sake that you continue to enjoy it! Though as ever, I’ll still be curious about your perspective even if you don’t. xD
(Rot13 for future book plot stuff: Rkprcg sbe jura vg qbrfa’g. Nu, Zveebe Qnapr… )