Reviews

• マイルズにおける服従の問題

  邦訳は『ヴォル・ゲーム』（創元ＳＦ文庫） マイルズ・ヴォルコシガン・シリーズの第二作。年代記としては、この前にMountains of Mourning（Borders of Infinityに収録）が入る。 前作The Worrier's Apprentice『戦士志願』で、奇想天外な方法で士官学校に入ったマイルズが学校を卒業し、永久凍土の訓練基地に気象官として任官するところから物語は始まる。 基地司令官メッツォフ将軍との対立、車と一緒に凍った泥の中に埋まったり、懲罰による労働で下水道管を掃除中に溺死体を見つけたり、反逆罪で逮捕されたりと、相変わらずマイルズは大忙し。そして、なつかしいデンダリ傭兵隊との意外な形での再会。ウォーム・ホールをめぐる陰謀、戦略。事件は常に予想外の方向へ目まぐるしく展開し、マイルズはいつの間にか騒動の真ん中に。まさに、息もつかせぬという形容がぴったり。マイルズのこまねずみのように回転する頭と舌も絶好調。 バラヤー皇帝グレゴール登場。彼のシャイな性格がマイルズと好対照で、微!笑ましくもあり、良い感じ。 物語の冒頭で、セシル少佐が指摘する、部下として従順になれないというマイルズの最大の弱点（？）が、本作の通奏低音。「あなたって、本当に上官に厳しいのね」というエレーナの論評に思わずにやりとしてしまった。

• La saga di Miles Vorkosigan si arricchisce di temi umani ma mantiene una serrata sequenza narrativa che tiene il lettore fino all'ultima pagina.

• Ich liebe an der Vorkosigan Saga, dass die Charaktere sehr vielseitig sind, mit einem reichen (realistischen) "Innenleben". Keiner ist nur gut oder böse oder flach. Und überhaupt bedient sich McMaster nie irgendwelcher Stereotype um einen Charakter zu zeichnen. Das macht immer wieder Lust und neugierig das nächste Buch der Saga zu lesen. Wer die Saga noch nicht kennt, sollte mal "Vorkosigan Saga reading order" googlen. - McMaster Bujold hat mehrere Vorschläge dazu, wo man anfangen kann und auch wenn es einem nicht die Geschichte verdirbt sie durcheinander zu lesen, ist es doch schöner die Entwicklung/das Altern der Charaktere über die Zeit mitzuerleben.

• Book number six of a sixteen book space opera series. However, some people call this a military science fiction series. There are several other books and short stories in the Vorkosigan Universe. This series won the Hugo and Nebula awards for best series in 2017. Also, several of the individual books in the series have either won awards or been nominated for awards. I have read this book several times as it is one of my favorite books. I reread the well printed and well bound used MMPB published by Baen in 1990 that I just rebought on Amazon. I paid $6 for the used MMPB on Amazon and the next one is $11. There is also a hardback from NESFA Press for $26. I have rebought the rest of the books in the series in various formats, mostly MMPB. Miles Vorkosigan, son of Aral Vorkosigan and Cordelia Naismith, has graduated from the Barrarayan Imperial Academy. So, at the top of his class, he is assigned to be the weatherman for an infantry base in the polar region. And things go downhill from there. BTW, this is a six star book for me.

• This is pretty much a sequel to The Warrior's Game, and I recommend reading that excellent novel first. For those familiar with the earlier adventure of Miles Vorkosigan, it's good to see him up to his old tricks again. This is very much a books of three acts. The first sees Miles assigned to a frozen base in an attempt to prove his humility and ability to serve within the military. How he struggles with this, and the various scrapes he gets into at the base, are enjoyable but merely a prelude to his confrontation with a ruthless commander, one that will have lasting ramifications for his career. His actions lead into the second act, which is largely a tale of intrigue as Miles has to pose as an arms dealer for Barrayar's intelligence service. It's a job that will introduce him to both a frightening adversary and to his friend and emperor Gregor, who has problems of his own. This section is full of close shaves and twists, and allows Bujold to further develop her protagonist as he struggles to survive. The third and finest act sees a welcome return to the Dendarii Mercenaries, the group Miles inadvertently formed in the earlier story. It's nice to see characters like Elena again, and sees an upshift to full military space action as Miles and his allies have to stop a dastardly scheme that spells trouble for all. Bujold seems to impress more with each installment of the Vorkosigan saga. Her facility with her characters and the intricate plots she weaves for them are refreshing in these days of shallow protagonists and simplistic narratives.

• Ir seems a liitle slow at the beggining, bit quickly you have all adventures that only Miles can live... Without even try...

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