Review: The Warrior’s Apprentice or an amazing castle of cards!

Hello people! I hope you all are safe and happy, and that your week was great! Today I am trying to procrastinate all the house chores that are waiting for me, but evading chores to write a review is a good thing, right?? Anyway, I am here to talk about a book that I really really really enjoyed, so let’s start!

Title: The Warrior’s Apprentice
Series: Vorkosigan Saga #2 (publication order)
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Between the seemingly impossible tasks of living up to his warrior-father’s legend and surmounting his own physical limitations, Miles Vorkosigan faces some truly daunting challenges.
Shortly after his arrival on Beta Colony, Miles unexpectedly finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and in more debt than he ever thought possible. Propelled by his manic “forward momentum,” the ever-inventive Miles creates a new identity for himself as the commander of his own mercenary fleet to obtain a lucrative cargo; a shipment of weapons destined for a dangerous warzone.

I discovered this series thanks to Maddalena and I have read the first two books (in chronological order, not the publication one), and I loved both of them. We have amazing characters, interesting world-building with different cultures really well portrayed, and a plot full of action, intrigues, fights, and also love. So, yeah, there is really so much to love in this series. Really. And yet I have waited a long time before finally starting on with the third book.
In part, it is for the usual reason: so little time and so many books. And there is always something shiny to distract me. But in part, it is because I have a hard time letting go of the characters. The first two books have as main characters Cordelia and Aral, and I loved them. Really, really loved them. Both as individuals, because they are pretty great (and resourceful, and witty, and strong-willed, and with the heart in the right place) and as a couple, because they are an amazing couple.
And they are Miles’ parents. Miles is the MC of this series as a whole if I understood it correctly, and I wasn’t ready to just let go. I have a lot of problems with those series that change the focus on a new pair of characters for each book because I am not ready to just say goodbye to the first ones I met. And so I wasn’t so excited to say goodbye to Cordelia and Aral in favor of their son.
But now I am really glad to have finally read this book, and I hope to read the sequels in a timely manner!

And do you know what’s best? That we get to see Miles’s parents around, sure, but what is even more amazing is that Miles is the perfect sum of his parents, and I so loved to see them in him. To see a piece of them in him, and to be able to recognize some of their traits in this young man was an added value to the experience.
But Miles is a great character on his own, too. And you should meet him! Also, I can’t really wait to meet him again! He is a quick thinker, a lateral one too, and he can be damn convincing. And he knows how to play his strongest and weakest suit. And he is only a young man. It may be scary to see the man he would become, really! He is also brilliant, with a big heart and a solid moral compass. Sure, he is a teen and sometimes he thinks like any other teen, and you may feel the impulse to scream at him, because “come on”!!! But he is a good kid, and he is so full of surprises!
And we get to see Bothari too. He is one of the most controversial characters ever, that’s for sure, but I loved him all the same. He has some redeeming traits, that for sure, even if I am not saying that he is the best man ever or that he is not guilty. It is just that… nothing, I can’t really say more, you should meet him and make up your mind for yourself. But I was happy to see him again, too!

Since I am a character-driven kind of reader I should just stop there because the characters were pretty amazing, and I had an amazing time with them. But we have a brilliant plot. For once, it is full of action, plots, and strategy. So getting bored is not an option here. And then, but truly, this is the best part of this book (and saying that something surpasses Miles and Bothari is something, believe me!) there is the fact that it is just brilliant! Miles put things in motion trying to do a typical teen thing, and he finds himself, and the people near him, in a situation that quickly grew out of his control (out of any control, really, and it happens all so fast!!). And the way in which he tries to get out of it just pushes him and his people under faster. And all the plot is a magnificent and huge castle of cards that Miles builds to try and evade the chaos that surrounds him. Really, it is the perfect con, and I was astounded by it. And so amused. It was pure genius, and I had a blast out of it. And then, out of the blue (sort of), the author go and murder someone (and okay, I understand it, really, but… noooooooooooooo!!!) so all the laughing time comes to an end. But until it lasted it was pure bliss. So funny, so amazing, and so incredible!

And even when we are near the collapse of the castle of cards and more intrigues come into play, even then Miles manages to find a brilliant and neat solution.
Now you just have to go and start this series, if you haven’t done it yet!

And that’s all for today? Have you read this book? Or this series?? Let me know!!

Happy reading!
S.