It is awesome. Every book is so different. There are some I love and some I'm not quite so keen on, but then they sort of encompass so many different genres - space opera, political sci-fi, mystery, romance... I think of it as something for everyone.
Growing up, I did not enjoy science fiction. I sampled all of the famous authors, but always felt disappointed. About thirty-five years ago, my wife and I visited an island in the Caribbean. The people who occupied our room before us had left behind a copy of the magazine Argosy (science fiction and science fact). I picked it up and began reading a short story titled Labyrinth. After three pages, I said to myself, "There is something wrong here. This is good." Bujold became the only fiction author, other than Shakespeare, whose work I read with pencil in hand to mark and underline. Some of her works I did not enjoy, but the Vorkosigan Saga and the first two books of the "Five Gods" series have been read by me a half-dozen times or more. Serendipity, I suppose
I echo your enthusiastic endorsement of this series. There have been very few series that went on for this many installments where the stories and the quality of the writing just kept getting better. For the most part I agree with your chronology, but--- I would suggest that people read Ethan of Athos after Cetaganda and before "The Borders of Infinity". (BTW - "THE Borders of Infinity" is the novella; Borders of Infinity is the collection that also includes "The Mountains of Mourning" and "Labyrinth"). Ethan of Athos has very little Miles in it, but it is a big vehicle for Elli Quinn's character and indirectly hints at what is going on with Miles's mercenary fleet. I think it works well at spot number 7 in the reading order because the next 'regular novel', Brothers in Arms marks a major transition, with the addition of a new major character and the start of the wind-down of Miles's involvement with the Dendarii Mercenary fleet. Ethan of Athos is like a deep breath before plunging back into the chaos of Miles. I would also read "The Borders of Infinity" and "Labyrinth" right after Ethan of Athos-- "The Borders of Infinity" describes the Dagoola IV raid that affected Miles severely and that the fleet is recovering from at the start of Brothers in Arms; and "Labyrinth" introduces a new character, Taura, who is introduced to the Dendarii in Mirror Dance. I agree completely with your reading order from that point on through "Winterfair Gifts", but why not place Diplomatic Immunity next in the lineup? It completes the mini-trilogy of Miles and Ekaterin's journey from their meeting in Komarr to Miles's disastrous courtship in A Civil Campaign to the wedding plans in "Winterfair Gifts", to their honeymoon in Diplomatic Immunity. I'd also place the novella "The Flowers of Vashnoi" after Diplomatic Immunity, since it is Ekaterin's story of beginning to find her place as Lady Vorkosigan in Barrayaran society. I put Captain Vorpatril's Alliance next-- Ivan's chance to finally be the hero. Then Cryoburn-- which frankly, I consider the end of the series. It culminates with perhaps Miles's most significant transition into a new phase of life (avoiding spoilers like crazy) and the ending is beautifully written. And frankly, I don't care at all for Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. It's well-written, of course, but the plot is mundane and frankly cringey, Miles is wasted on it, and-- worst of all-- it reveals that the next generation of Vorkosigans will be nothing like their father, cowering little simps, from what we see, in spite of the promising tit bits were were given in earlier novels that they were adventurous holy terrors with bright, promising futures. So, my competing reading order is: 1. Shard’s of Honor 2. Barrayar 3. The Warrior’s Apprentice 4. The Mountains of Mourning 5. The Vor Game 6. Cetaganda 7. Ethan of Athos 8. The Borders of Infinity 9. Labyrinth 10. Brothers in Arms 11. Mirror Dance 12. Memory 13. Komarr 14. A Civil Campaign 15. Winterfair Gifts 16. Diplomatic Immunity 17. The Flowers of Vashnoi 18. Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance 19. Cryoburn 20. Falling Free (which takes place 200 years before Miles is born and could be read whenever)
Came across this video and watched it on a whim - didn’t disappoint! Thanks for creating this type of content, was a great watch (and will be starting the read soon)
I love this series so much. I also completely agree about the covers... I own all the books as ebooks, but I won't be buying any physical copies unless they bring out some new editions! It's a shame as it is one of my all time favourite series. Memory in particular is just stunningly good.
I think Memory is probably the best in the series...but if I had to choose a personal favorite (which I'd hate to do), for me it's probably Komarr or A Civil Campaign 😊
@@SorcerersApprenticeReads I have read Gentleman Joe and the Red Queen btw. It did feel quite final (though I hold out hope that she'll write more books set before it). It wasn't a bad book by any means but I didn't love it either, it didn't feel up to the quality of her best work.
I just don't know if I want to read about Cordelia after Aral. I can understand the concept of a book dealing with it, but I feel sad just thinking about it!
Classic Baen Book with those covers, bad seems to be their style for some reason. Thanks for the review btw, I hope to pick up the books sometime soon!
This reading order is very similar to what I was planning to follow! Even though I didn't love Shards of Honor I will probably read at least Barrayar and The Warrior's Apprentice before making a decision about the series. I really want to get into it because I've really liked Bujold's fantasy books and would love to read all her work!
I wouldn't normally tell you to skip books, but Miles as a character is so much the heart of the series that you do kind of need to get to him and find out if he charms you.
Something that makes this series really good Si-Fi is how the technology and future science affect human societies and how it's all woven in to the world building and story beats. A _lot_ of Sci-Fi will introduce crazy tech but only use it in minor niche ways for cool moments but neglect actually explore any of the implications of that stuff existing. Like in the newer Star Trek movies where Scotty apparently created a transporter that makes starships entirely obsolete to solve a single issue and then the stuff is never brought up again. Or something like the Hunger Games where they have the genetic technology to fully engineer and grow full sized attack dogs with custom human faces, but they still burn coal and farm for food the exact same way we do now.
Thanks for the helpful information re book order. I love the cover disclaimer. You'd think we'd know to literally "not judge a book by its cover" by now (esp scifi and fantasy readers, as there is a pattern of corny covers dating back to the 70s/80s) but alas, ppl still do. Which can make sense in a bookstore or library where there are many books and little way to differentiate, but with books recommended or reviewed the cover is really unimportant.
I’ve been devouring this series over that last 2 months. I’m nearly done with A Civil Campaign and they’ve all been fantastic. I will finish the remaining books and explore her fantasy work next!
A Civil Campaign is one of my favorites! With her fantasy, I think Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are great, and if you enjoy Miles you’ll probably really Enid the Penric novellas. I’ve never read her Sharing Knife series.
Ironically it was the cover of the Borders of Infinity (LOL) that got me into this series. I was looking for some military sci fi read but i got so so much more. You should check out the cover art by Esad Ribic for Croatian editions. It my be a bit retro 70is style but anywone who read the books will instantly recognize who is who and what is what.
I looked it up and that is a cool art style! I originally read the series as ebooks so I'm not sure if I would have even picked up some of the covers that are out there 😭
The only order of reading this series is 1)"Shards of honor" and 2)"Barrayar". Then you can read whatever you want. But it is a crime IMHO not to read "Shards of honor" and "Barrayar" - the best sci-fi books ever!
I do agree with you that Shards of Honor and Barrayar are wonderful, and I adore Aral and Cordelia. BUT I do think there is a certain group of readers that will connect more with Miles, and who therefore might benefit from starting with the Warrior's Apprentice.
@@SorcerersApprenticeReads Don't you think that the Warrior's Apprentice is a weakest book in the entire series? I never recommend to start with it because it might create a false impression of the whole series. But again, it's only my opinion.
@@dezmond8416 That's interesting, I really don't feel that it's the weakest, although certainly her writing improved a lot over the years! I personally enjoy it more than some of the later books in the series (like Cryoburn, Diplomatic Immunity), despite some flaws I think that Miles is just so great and that it's a good introduction to his character. But like you said, it's definitely just my opinion and I understand how you could feel that way.
Have you read the Chalion/ World of the Five Gods books by Bujold? If so, I'm curious to hear what you think of them! I want to get into Bujold and starting there seems like the best way in for me since I primarily read fantasy
Hi. Is this series accessible for non-Sci-fi fans? I’m open to the Sci-Fantasy genre. I loved the Chalion series so I’m wondering whether it’ll be fun to get into this one.
Haha, the covers are really the worst! But such a GREAT read. I am so glad I did discover it despite the bad covers. I guess never judge a book by its cover is really true...
No, very much not. Mostly older characters and no YA tropes or style. Someone who does read YA could potentially still enjoy, but there’s nothing in it that I’d consider YA-ish.
I must note on the comment about more questionable moments of Beta Colony society that you did at 8:20 or so. I don't think it is a result of Bujold failing to predict how our view of egalitarian society would evolve. Beta Colony is simply not supposed to be an exemplar of freedom. It is just another society that is as flawed as Barrayar but in a different way.
Not going to show the covers because they’re ugly? Come on! Books are like children. Yes, what matters most is on the inside, but just because they’re ugly on the outside, you should still show them off. 😂
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS. It is SO confusing trying to figure it out. You make this series sound so awesome.
It is awesome.
Every book is so different. There are some I love and some I'm not quite so keen on, but then they sort of encompass so many different genres - space opera, political sci-fi, mystery, romance... I think of it as something for everyone.
I'm so glad this helped! Need more people to read this series.
:) Miles is manipulative, but most often in a good way. "If I can do it, you can do it" is the mantra to move armies and mountains.
I love Miles and his forward momentum.
"Miles hits thirty. Thirty hits back." Isn't this one of history's bestest and shortest blurbs?
One of my favorite blurbs of all time. And I turned 30 last year so I have so much more appreciation for it than I did 10 years ago...
You've convinced me to start another long series! :) I've loved The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls but I never tried her SF.
Well the whole series is probably a fraction of the word count of Wheel of Time! I love Chalion and Paladin of Souls as well.
One of my fav series ever! And like the best marriage proposal I've ever read/seen :)
Growing up, I did not enjoy science fiction. I sampled all of the famous authors, but always felt disappointed. About thirty-five years ago, my wife and I visited an island in the Caribbean. The people who occupied our room before us had left behind a copy of the magazine Argosy (science fiction and science fact). I picked it up and began reading a short story titled Labyrinth. After three pages, I said to myself, "There is something wrong here. This is good." Bujold became the only fiction author, other than Shakespeare, whose work I read with pencil in hand to mark and underline. Some of her works I did not enjoy, but the Vorkosigan Saga and the first two books of the "Five Gods" series have been read by me a half-dozen times or more. Serendipity, I suppose
I echo your enthusiastic endorsement of this series. There have been very few series that went on for this many installments where the stories and the quality of the writing just kept getting better. For the most part I agree with your chronology, but---
I would suggest that people read Ethan of Athos after Cetaganda and before "The Borders of Infinity". (BTW - "THE Borders of Infinity" is the novella; Borders of Infinity is the collection that also includes "The Mountains of Mourning" and "Labyrinth"). Ethan of Athos has very little Miles in it, but it is a big vehicle for Elli Quinn's character and indirectly hints at what is going on with Miles's mercenary fleet. I think it works well at spot number 7 in the reading order because the next 'regular novel', Brothers in Arms marks a major transition, with the addition of a new major character and the start of the wind-down of Miles's involvement with the Dendarii Mercenary fleet. Ethan of Athos is like a deep breath before plunging back into the chaos of Miles.
I would also read "The Borders of Infinity" and "Labyrinth" right after Ethan of Athos-- "The Borders of Infinity" describes the Dagoola IV raid that affected Miles severely and that the fleet is recovering from at the start of Brothers in Arms; and "Labyrinth" introduces a new character, Taura, who is introduced to the Dendarii in Mirror Dance.
I agree completely with your reading order from that point on through "Winterfair Gifts", but why not place Diplomatic Immunity next in the lineup? It completes the mini-trilogy of Miles and Ekaterin's journey from their meeting in Komarr to Miles's disastrous courtship in A Civil Campaign to the wedding plans in "Winterfair Gifts", to their honeymoon in Diplomatic Immunity. I'd also place the novella "The Flowers of Vashnoi" after Diplomatic Immunity, since it is Ekaterin's story of beginning to find her place as Lady Vorkosigan in Barrayaran society.
I put Captain Vorpatril's Alliance next-- Ivan's chance to finally be the hero. Then Cryoburn-- which frankly, I consider the end of the series. It culminates with perhaps Miles's most significant transition into a new phase of life (avoiding spoilers like crazy) and the ending is beautifully written. And frankly, I don't care at all for Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. It's well-written, of course, but the plot is mundane and frankly cringey, Miles is wasted on it, and-- worst of all-- it reveals that the next generation of Vorkosigans will be nothing like their father, cowering little simps, from what we see, in spite of the promising tit bits were were given in earlier novels that they were adventurous holy terrors with bright, promising futures.
So, my competing reading order is:
1. Shard’s of Honor
2. Barrayar
3. The Warrior’s Apprentice
4. The Mountains of Mourning
5. The Vor Game
6. Cetaganda
7. Ethan of Athos
8. The Borders of Infinity
9. Labyrinth
10. Brothers in Arms
11. Mirror Dance
12. Memory
13. Komarr
14. A Civil Campaign
15. Winterfair Gifts
16. Diplomatic Immunity
17. The Flowers of Vashnoi
18. Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance
19. Cryoburn
20. Falling Free (which takes place 200 years before Miles is born and could be read whenever)
Thank you very much! Very helpful. I am certainly trying the first one.
I hope you like it!
Definitely need to 3:44 reread these. Love, love, love them!
Came across this video and watched it on a whim - didn’t disappoint! Thanks for creating this type of content, was a great watch (and will be starting the read soon)
Thanks for watching!
I love this series so much. I also completely agree about the covers... I own all the books as ebooks, but I won't be buying any physical copies unless they bring out some new editions! It's a shame as it is one of my all time favourite series. Memory in particular is just stunningly good.
I think Memory is probably the best in the series...but if I had to choose a personal favorite (which I'd hate to do), for me it's probably Komarr or A Civil Campaign 😊
@@SorcerersApprenticeReads I have read Gentleman Joe and the Red Queen btw. It did feel quite final (though I hold out hope that she'll write more books set before it). It wasn't a bad book by any means but I didn't love it either, it didn't feel up to the quality of her best work.
I just don't know if I want to read about Cordelia after Aral. I can understand the concept of a book dealing with it, but I feel sad just thinking about it!
@@SorcerersApprenticeReads I know what you mean!!
Classic Baen Book with those covers, bad seems to be their style for some reason. Thanks for the review btw, I hope to pick up the books sometime soon!
This reading order is very similar to what I was planning to follow! Even though I didn't love Shards of Honor I will probably read at least Barrayar and The Warrior's Apprentice before making a decision about the series. I really want to get into it because I've really liked Bujold's fantasy books and would love to read all her work!
I wouldn't normally tell you to skip books, but Miles as a character is so much the heart of the series that you do kind of need to get to him and find out if he charms you.
Something that makes this series really good Si-Fi is how the technology and future science affect human societies and how it's all woven in to the world building and story beats. A _lot_ of Sci-Fi will introduce crazy tech but only use it in minor niche ways for cool moments but neglect actually explore any of the implications of that stuff existing. Like in the newer Star Trek movies where Scotty apparently created a transporter that makes starships entirely obsolete to solve a single issue and then the stuff is never brought up again. Or something like the Hunger Games where they have the genetic technology to fully engineer and grow full sized attack dogs with custom human faces, but they still burn coal and farm for food the exact same way we do now.
Thanks for the helpful information re book order. I love the cover disclaimer. You'd think we'd know to literally "not judge a book by its cover" by now (esp scifi and fantasy readers, as there is a pattern of corny covers dating back to the 70s/80s) but alas, ppl still do. Which can make sense in a bookstore or library where there are many books and little way to differentiate, but with books recommended or reviewed the cover is really unimportant.
I’ve been devouring this series over that last 2 months. I’m nearly done with A Civil Campaign and they’ve all been fantastic. I will finish the remaining books and explore her fantasy work next!
A Civil Campaign is one of my favorites! With her fantasy, I think Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are great, and if you enjoy Miles you’ll probably really Enid the Penric novellas. I’ve never read her Sharing Knife series.
Great video. This series is on my “To buy” list. 😊
I hope you enjoy it!
Ironically it was the cover of the Borders of Infinity (LOL) that got me into this series. I was looking for some military sci fi read but i got so so much more. You should check out the cover art by Esad Ribic for Croatian editions. It my be a bit retro 70is style but anywone who read the books will instantly recognize who is who and what is what.
I looked it up and that is a cool art style!
I originally read the series as ebooks so I'm not sure if I would have even picked up some of the covers that are out there 😭
The only order of reading this series is 1)"Shards of honor" and 2)"Barrayar". Then you can read whatever you want. But it is a crime IMHO not to read "Shards of honor" and "Barrayar" - the best sci-fi books ever!
I do agree with you that Shards of Honor and Barrayar are wonderful, and I adore Aral and Cordelia. BUT I do think there is a certain group of readers that will connect more with Miles, and who therefore might benefit from starting with the Warrior's Apprentice.
@@SorcerersApprenticeReads Don't you think that the Warrior's Apprentice is a weakest book in the entire series? I never recommend to start with it because it might create a false impression of the whole series. But again, it's only my opinion.
@@dezmond8416 That's interesting, I really don't feel that it's the weakest, although certainly her writing improved a lot over the years! I personally enjoy it more than some of the later books in the series (like Cryoburn, Diplomatic Immunity), despite some flaws I think that Miles is just so great and that it's a good introduction to his character. But like you said, it's definitely just my opinion and I understand how you could feel that way.
Have you read the Chalion/ World of the Five Gods books by Bujold? If so, I'm curious to hear what you think of them! I want to get into Bujold and starting there seems like the best way in for me since I primarily read fantasy
Yes, I have read The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls and both are fantastic!
Hi. Is this series accessible for non-Sci-fi fans? I’m open to the Sci-Fantasy genre. I loved the Chalion series so I’m wondering whether it’ll be fun to get into this one.
I call a Civil Campaign, Jane Austen writes Sci-Fi
Yeah that's pretty much it! I suppose I thought of it as "Bujold writes Austen" :P
Haha, the covers are really the worst! But such a GREAT read. I am so glad I did discover it despite the bad covers. I guess never judge a book by its cover is really true...
Is it YA?
No, very much not. Mostly older characters and no YA tropes or style. Someone who does read YA could potentially still enjoy, but there’s nothing in it that I’d consider YA-ish.
@@SorcerersApprenticeReads thanks
I must note on the comment about more questionable moments of Beta Colony society that you did at 8:20 or so. I don't think it is a result of Bujold failing to predict how our view of egalitarian society would evolve. Beta Colony is simply not supposed to be an exemplar of freedom. It is just another society that is as flawed as Barrayar but in a different way.
Again you release a video while I'm at work and can't watch! So rude!
I'm inconsiderate like that :P Next time I'll call first.
Not going to show the covers because they’re ugly? Come on! Books are like children. Yes, what matters most is on the inside, but just because they’re ugly on the outside, you should still show them off. 😂
Haha 😂 I did show most of them in the end....
Fellow Vorkosigan fan here, they're ugly. The insides are beautiful. The outsides are generally considered by many fans as horrible.
From Miles, yall oughta know you don't judge a book by its cover... :p