The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold – 3 Stars

[Hannah]

Miles is given an assignment in the Arctic region of his planet to try to help him overcome his problem with subordination in order to learn how to succeed as a leader. This is not the first book in the series, but I was able to pick up enough of the backstory that meant I was still able to understand what was going on. I really liked how the book started, and reading about Miles’ learning curve and how he learnt from his mistakes, but I found that there were just too many adventures and too many coincidences to make the story believable as a whole. It felt that rather than having been written as one book, it was actually two or three novellas that had been put together in book form. Based on this, I’m not sure I will read other books by this author.

[Robin P]

I love Miles, his attitude is typical in the first chapter where he is told he is difficult or argumentative or something and he immediately says, "No, I'm not!"

This is one of the two books I had read in the series about 10 years back. Now I am reading them in order and this one is next. I relate to what you are saying about the many adventures. In several of the books in this series, toward then end there is some kind of battle and shifting alliances and I can't keep track of who is helping or double crossing whom. I think I won't worry about that and keep my eye on Miles. My understanding is that some later books in the series have different tones, even Regency romance, but someone who has read them all can comment on that.