From the Vor Game to Barrayar, these books by Lois McMaster Bujold have INCREDIBLE main characters that are so fun to spend time with!
Published from 1986-2018; books in the series have won 3 Hugos, 1 Nebula, and 2 Locus awards for best novel of the year.
Brent: 4.5 stars. Miles and the cast are such fun characters to follow! Each story makes for an exciting, page-turning adventure.
Cody: 4 stars. Bujold’s characters use guile and empathy to outwit their enemies, a fabulous and refreshing refocusing of plot conflict resolution.
Here's the setup:
The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of 16 science fiction books by Lois McMaster Bujold, three of which won the Hugo award in 1991, 1992, and 1995 (and which we read and are reviewing here). The Vor Game, Barrayar, Mirror Dance, and the rest of the saga follow the members of the Vorkosigan family, one of the feudal ruling families on the planet Barrayar. The series is also loosely episodic, so you don't have to read them in order.
These are character-driven stories, and you're sure to remember these characters for years. The most important of them, Miles Vorkosigan, is clearly the inspiration for George R.R. Martin's Tyrion Lannister, and is even more likable than the knock-off Lannister version. He's a dwarf who suffers from several physical disabilities, but he's wildly brilliant, funny, and imperious, and is constantly throwing himself into danger to protect his friends and family (or just get himself out of a jam of his own making).
Across the generations, the Vorkosigan family are the main advisers to the emperors of Barrayar, and have to use their wits and intellect to get the empire out of trouble and slowly push Barrayaran society out of its backward nature. These are books about people, the stories that make them who they are, and how they create and define their identities in an unfriendly universe.
Hugonauts' Thoughts:
The most compelling element of the series is the characters’ wit and creative problem solving. Despite living in a traditional society that prizes physical strength and traditional power, Bujold’s characters maintain their influence with their strategy, cunning and emotional intelligence.
The novels are set across a wide variety of planets and space stations, each with their own unique feel and political system. From the lawlessness of Jackson’s Hole to the rampant colonialism of Cetaganda, the distinct worlds help contribute to the lose-yourself-in-the-text feeling Bujold is so great at evoking.
Bujold also paints a realistic picture of how societies develop and change, and how a single individual or group can’t change things overnight, no matter how powerful they might be. It’s a refreshing and realistic approach to a scifi/fantasy universe compared with the all-too-typical prophesied hero narrative the genres often revolve around.
The Vorkosigan novels are engrossing reads that pair deeper ideas with gripping stories and wonderful characters. Dive in anywhere! But if you really want to know our favorite of the bunch, it’s Barrayar.
Related Books
If you loved this one, you might also like:
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
A classic hero's journey with what is probably the biggest twist in the history of sci-fi, and an incredible underlying theme about the power of empathy.
Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold
Part of Bujold's series of fantasy novels, this is an extremely interesting novel that (unsurprisingly from Bujold) also features wonderful characters and a compelling plot. One of the rare fantasy books that has won the Hugo award.
Watch or listen to the full Vorkisigan Saga discussion:
We earn commissions when you buy books through the links on this page. It doesn't cost you any extra and it really helps support the show!