Miles in Love

This collection shows us Miles and Ekaterin meeting (Komarr), getting to know each other as Miles tries to court her (A Civil Campaign), and the wedding (Winterfair Gifts), and, of course, dealing with assorted family relationships in all the stories. I enjoyed that, plus meeting Taura again in Winterfair Gifts. A lot more goes on in these stories than romance, of course, Miles having to deal with political problems along the way, but look at how Bujold handles Miles recounting the loves of his life to Ekaterin. None of them would marry him; they all went on to lead successful lives--so unlike her life on Komarr. The last on his list was Rian: "And what does she do now?" "Now? She's an empress." ... "Can I take a number and get in line?" ... "The next number up," he breathed, "is one."

This book contains two novels and one short story. Komaar is pretty good, and A Civil Campaign is quite possibly my favorite book ever. I own a paper copy of the books, but I got a kindle-format version via the publisher's web site. The webscriptions e-book comes in multiple formats, so it can be read on devices other than a kindle, including your computer without special software.

I save up my Vorkosigan books for when I really need a boost, because I have reasonable expectations of a great ride (Elizabeth Moon, the same thing). I was a bit hesitant to approach this one, first, because, as another reviewer said, why'd they skip _Memory_ in these omnibus reprints? And second, love and romance: not exactly this reader's cup of tea. I feared, in short, sap. Ekaterin does seem a bit thin in _Komarr_ and she keeps falling back on that rather old misogynist trope of women completely subsuming their identities into caregivers of men, which is annoying. All that means is *I* couldn't fall in love with her. Her husband, also a thinly characterized loser/jerk, but one that's at least recognizable and consistent. This omnibus allows us to see her grow out of that, thank heavens. As for the rest, you know what you're going to get. Plenty of political intrigue, witty dialogue, good good guys and sinister but worthy-adversary bad guy, and rabbit-punches of mayhem. The romance I'd so dreaded in _Civil Campaign_ was recognizable through both sides' complete misinterpretation of the other; a bucket of patently unsuitable suitors (I felt kinda bad for a few); and the requisite cast of staff and cupid's helpers. But there's also the insane clone, an icky bug infestation, a woman who got a full body sex change to inherit her family's property (and who flirts wildly with those who 'knew' her as a woman), Ivan being, well, Ivan, and Bujold's amazing sense of timing--she knows just when to unleash the wackiness. There's a bit less swashbuckling in this collection than I like: I still mourn the 'demise' of Admiral Naismith. But it makes up for it in intrigue and comedy. The romance is well integrated, and the sap factor not too sticky. "Winterfair Gifts" is all right. I see how she wants to keep continuity from some long ago characters, and the armsman (whose main claim to fame is being caught nearly nekkid in the middle of a butter fight) is our dim bulb narrator. It's nice to see Miles from someone else's head, but it's a bit predictable and schmaltzy for me. Don't fear this collection, if, like me, you dread romance. It's fun to follow Miles along on a new sort of mission and a new way to mess things up in Technicolor. I decided a long time ago Bujold probably sold her soul to write this well, this consistently: I for one appreciate the sacrifice. Keep 'em coming!

At first glance Bujold fans might be enthusiastic at yet another addition to the Vorkosigan world - but actually this is 3 novels under one cover: two prior books reprinted plus a much shorter novelette. Still, science fiction collections with fans of either Bujold or military science fiction will find it a very popular, recommended acquisition; especially for newcomers who will find the 'three books under one cover' setup attractive. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch