Thursday, June 7, 2018

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Komarr (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold




Komarr is the 10th or so book in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, but it is the start of a new direction for the series, that of Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan.  As such, the book can very likely serve as a starting point for newcomers to the series, although veterans of the series will naturally get more from the book due to a greater understanding of the world in question.  Still, newcomers will find themselves enjoying a book that's part SciFi mystery story and part the story of a woman who has suffered emotional abuse for years deciding to take a stand against those who would impose upon her.

That woman is Ekaterin Vorsoisson, and half of the book - every other chapter - takes place from her point of view instead of the POV of the usual series protagonist Miles Vorkosigan.  Ekaterin is an excellent addition to the series - not only for her important story - but because she is such a different person than the usual Vorkosigan protagonist - intelligent, observant, but not in any way manic or driven to craziness.  More specifically, she's not an asshole - and god knows she has every right to be after what she's gone through - and the contrast between her and Miles' chapters and points of view creates an excellent story for newcomers and veterans to the series alike.


------------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------
When a solar-transmitting satelite used as part of the Komarr terraforming project is damaged in a strange accidental collision with an ore freighter, Imperial Auditor Vorthys - engineering expert - is called in to examine the evidence...and Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan tags along with him to see how he works.  In the process, Miles meets Vorthys' niece, Ekaterin Vorsoisson, whose husband is in charge of part of the terraforming process.  And Miles falls immediately in love.

But Ekaterin's marriage is not healthy - her husband and son secretly have a mutant degenerative disease, to which he won't get treatment, and worse, he is emotionally abusive.  And when Ekaterin catches him in some unsavory activity, she decides enough is enough.  But what neither she nor Miles could have anticipated is to be caught up in a plot that threatens dire consequences not just for Komarr, but for the Imperium as a whole.
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Komarr is a great place for newcomers to start the Vorkosigan Saga (although I'd pick an earlier book, honestly) - it features only one character from the prior books - Miles himself (another character cameos in the prior book but really isn't introduced till here, so I'm not counting him) and relies on no prior knowledge of the series.  As usual for the series, it contains excellent dialogue - Bujold's specialty in my opinion - that is often incredibly witty - and excellent characters, as well as a twisting plot that contained surprises at multiple points.

As I mentioned before the jump, half of this book takes place from the Point of View of a new character, Ekaterin Vorsoisson.  Ekaterin is an incredible addition to the series, She's just as intelligent as Miles - the series' predominant Guile Hero - but very different in personality - where he's manic, she's calm (for the most part), where he babbles before thinking, she thinks before speaking.  Some of this is due to her emotional abuse she's suffered in her ten years of marriage - she has adapted to this horrible situation by keeping nearly everything inside, although she gets better about it as the book goes on and she takes a stand.  That said, she's just as determined as Miles and every bit as great a hero - better really - when she feels the need to take action.

Miles is his usual excellent self as the other protagonist, although unlike Ekaterin, he's still a bit of an asshole, especially at the beginning.  But as the main driver of the mystery plot, he's an excellent witty hero as usual, whose actions both surprise and make sense throughout.  The rest of the cast is also generally excellent - special mention should be given to Miles' colleague Lord Auditor Professor Vorthys as well as some of the investigators Miles requisitions to help with the case.

Still, while the plot is an excellent mystery, and as usual, Bujold writes a few really memorable and excellent scenes, it doesn't quite match up to the plots of prior books in the series.  It's well done without being too special, though the great characters carry the story.  Bujold again here starts very slowly, with character moments being the real appeal of the early going, with a second slow period in the middle, and it is a minor problem.  Still, it's yet another solid outing in the series, which would be an above average outing in most book series.


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