50. Lois McMaster Bujold, The Vor Game -- it's been 5 or 6 years since I've read a Miles book, and dammit, I've missed the crazy little guy. ( A little spoilery )
dammit, I've missed the crazy little guy Hehe, yeah, I also just clicks with Miles' inner narrative. His disregard for authority especially XD I think he's on the short list of characters I sorta identify with.
if I had a Vorkosiverse slash pairing, it would be Miles/Gregor lol that's a pairing I really can't see - it seems fairly popular in the fandom and you make a good case, but it feels so... incestuous to me. (I only like incest in Amber like families ^^)
by Tung fanboying Aral I adore this part!!
I am amused by Ivan quite calmly musing about guys making passes at him: "'Mm,' said Ivan. 'I've run across one or two of that sort in the Service, but... they have ways of letting you know." You'd think he'd have gotten the hint from Byerly already, then... ROFL! Good point.
I don't find any of Miles's romances terribly compelling Yeah, me neither, and I think Elli's the worst. Not Elli as a character, of course, but Elli as a love interesting. Don't feel much chemistry in that couple.
And, remember how I was nattering on about Miles/River in my Vorkosivers/Firefly crossover mania? Well, this book contains the quote "Far more interesting to have a child, preferably with a woman who was smarter, faster, and better-looking than oneself." Telling you all, Miles Vorkosigan/River Tam is where it's at! :P XDDD that would be an interesting couple, truly!
"Schizoid or no, not even you can comparmentalize yourself to that extent." "I'm not schizoid," Miles bit off. "A little manic-depressive, maybe," he admitted in afterthought. Galeni's lips twitched. "Know thyself." "We try, sir." I love these quotes. Frequently runs at the back of my head for some reason.
And, words on Galeni ♥
I believe most people don't much like the sequels to Dragonbane, sadly, even worse than you did. I actually liked them, even the demons (made me think of those in Tanith Lee's Tale of the Flat Earth and just liked the alienness of them). Much agreement on what you said about John Aversin and Jenny, and the additional details.
I think he's on the short list of characters I sorta identify with.
That must be exhausting! XD
Yeah, Gregor/Miles does feel kind of incestuous now that you mention it, and not in the "utterly fucked up family" way of Amber or the Lannisters. Miles definitely seems to think of Gregor as his older brother, especially when he's a bit older. (I noticed it in Memory for the first time, though it didn't seem to be there in The Vor Game... I wonder if getting a younger brother has prompted Miles to reassess his view of Gregor as well, or if it's just coincidence or what.) I can't see the Gregor/Miles after Laisa comes on the scene... just a temporary young men thing maybe, which leaves them even closer when they're older.
Oddly -- and I think this may be my problem with most of Miles's canon relationships, now that I think about it, especially in juxtaposition to that quote I'm using for proof of Miles/River = OTP -- I think Miles needs the person he is in a relationship with to outrank him, for optimal chemistry. I dunno why... It just feels like if it's someone he can sweep up effortlessly in his crazy schemes, there's not enough interesting tension there or something. Or maybe it's part of the thing again where Miles's deepest relationship are based on a very Vorish sense of duty, and introducing that into a romantic relationship as well makes it more interesting. Which kind of leaves Miles/Gregor and Miles/Illyan...
Yeah, me neither, and I think Elli's the worst. Not Elli as a character, of course, but Elli as a love interesting. Don't feel much chemistry in that couple.
Me either... It seems oddly one-sided. Like, Elli says "I've fallen in love with [blah blah blah]" -- but I'm not seeing love, or passion, or desire. I'm seeing professional respect and tolerant amusement mostly. And Miles is *clearly* not entirely over his childhood crush on Elena, and is concurrently sleeping with Taura, and... yeah. Not seeing any strong basis for a relationship there.
I kind of like Ekaterin, in that I can identify with her more than with any of Miles's "Amazons", but I don't find her to be a particularly interesting character... Taura -- frankly, that relationship feels a bit creepy to me. Morbid. I think my favorite is actually that lingering childhood crush on Elena, with all the history and connection between Bothari and Cordelia and everything thrown in there. (I wonder if the lacklusterness of Miles's relationships is Oedipal... Very few women could live up to the brightness of Cordeila's character, and maybe that's subconsciously what we as readers expect for Miles...)
I love these quotes. Frequently runs at the back of my head for some reason.
You mean you repeat that when talking to yourself? ;)
I feel the need to go get me a Galeni icon. Possibly with that "Nobody appointed you god" quote...
just a temporary young men thing maybe, which leaves them even closer when they're older. That doesn't sound impossible.
I think Miles needs the person he is in a relationship with to outrank him, for optimal chemistry. Yeah, he definitely needs someone who doesn't... give in to his strength of personality, one way or another. I adore Ekaterin. Well, I have a crush on her :) she definitely feels more real than a lot of Miles' love interest. Which is a big part of her appeal. I think you're right on the Oedipal thing... and I think it's good that Eklaterin is strong but in an entirely different way from Cordelia. At the same time take Cordelia and Ekaterin, and it feels they are both somewhat related to Harriet Vanes, taking on different personnality trait.
You mean you repeat that when talking to yourself? ;) ... yes >_>;
I feel the need to go get me a Galeni icon. Possibly with that "Nobody appointed you god" quote... You could ask curtana, she makes glorious quote icons and has made vorkosigan ones before (like this one).
she definitely feels more real than a lot of Miles' love interest. Which is a big part of her appeal.
Yes, I definitely agree with that. She is a lot more multi-dimensional. I think it helps that she has family (the aunt and uncle), and a past (first marriage and Nikki), and hobbies and interests that are entirely independent of Miles -- things that neither Elli nor Taura seemed to have. And she is very capable in her own right, but, as you said, so different from Cordelia that she doesn't pale by comparison.
I think that maybe I don't find Ekaterin as interesting partly *because* she is really pretty realistic. So many characters in Vorkosiverse are larger than life, for various reasons, starting with Miles (heh), and Cordelia and Aral and Illyan and Alys in her own inimitable way. But I have a feeling I would really like her as a person.
Dark secret: I have not read any Sayers, so while I know *of* Harriet Vane, I don't actually know anything about what she's like.
And, yep, curtana was definitely going to be my first stop. I think I may have even seen the icon I want, I just didn't have the Galeni love to go with it back then. :)
dammit, I've missed the crazy little guy
Hehe, yeah, I also just clicks with Miles' inner narrative. His disregard for authority especially XD I think he's on the short list of characters I sorta identify with.
if I had a Vorkosiverse slash pairing, it would be Miles/Gregor
lol that's a pairing I really can't see - it seems fairly popular in the fandom and you make a good case, but it feels so... incestuous to me. (I only like incest in Amber like families ^^)
by Tung fanboying Aral
I adore this part!!
I am amused by Ivan quite calmly musing about guys making passes at him: "'Mm,' said Ivan. 'I've run across one or two of that sort in the Service, but... they have ways of letting you know." You'd think he'd have gotten the hint from Byerly already, then...
ROFL! Good point.
I don't find any of Miles's romances terribly compelling
Yeah, me neither, and I think Elli's the worst. Not Elli as a character, of course, but Elli as a love interesting. Don't feel much chemistry in that couple.
And, remember how I was nattering on about Miles/River in my Vorkosivers/Firefly crossover mania? Well, this book contains the quote "Far more interesting to have a child, preferably with a woman who was smarter, faster, and better-looking than oneself." Telling you all, Miles Vorkosigan/River Tam is where it's at! :P
XDDD that would be an interesting couple, truly!
"Schizoid or no, not even you can comparmentalize yourself to that extent."
"I'm not schizoid," Miles bit off. "A little manic-depressive, maybe," he admitted in afterthought.
Galeni's lips twitched. "Know thyself."
"We try, sir."
I love these quotes. Frequently runs at the back of my head for some reason.
And, words on Galeni ♥
I believe most people don't much like the sequels to Dragonbane, sadly, even worse than you did. I actually liked them, even the demons (made me think of those in Tanith Lee's Tale of the Flat Earth and just liked the alienness of them). Much agreement on what you said about John Aversin and Jenny, and the additional details.
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That must be exhausting! XD
Yeah, Gregor/Miles does feel kind of incestuous now that you mention it, and not in the "utterly fucked up family" way of Amber or the Lannisters. Miles definitely seems to think of Gregor as his older brother, especially when he's a bit older. (I noticed it in Memory for the first time, though it didn't seem to be there in The Vor Game... I wonder if getting a younger brother has prompted Miles to reassess his view of Gregor as well, or if it's just coincidence or what.) I can't see the Gregor/Miles after Laisa comes on the scene... just a temporary young men thing maybe, which leaves them even closer when they're older.
Oddly -- and I think this may be my problem with most of Miles's canon relationships, now that I think about it, especially in juxtaposition to that quote I'm using for proof of Miles/River = OTP -- I think Miles needs the person he is in a relationship with to outrank him, for optimal chemistry. I dunno why... It just feels like if it's someone he can sweep up effortlessly in his crazy schemes, there's not enough interesting tension there or something. Or maybe it's part of the thing again where Miles's deepest relationship are based on a very Vorish sense of duty, and introducing that into a romantic relationship as well makes it more interesting. Which kind of leaves Miles/Gregor and Miles/Illyan...
Yeah, me neither, and I think Elli's the worst. Not Elli as a character, of course, but Elli as a love interesting. Don't feel much chemistry in that couple.
Me either... It seems oddly one-sided. Like, Elli says "I've fallen in love with [blah blah blah]" -- but I'm not seeing love, or passion, or desire. I'm seeing professional respect and tolerant amusement mostly. And Miles is *clearly* not entirely over his childhood crush on Elena, and is concurrently sleeping with Taura, and... yeah. Not seeing any strong basis for a relationship there.
I kind of like Ekaterin, in that I can identify with her more than with any of Miles's "Amazons", but I don't find her to be a particularly interesting character... Taura -- frankly, that relationship feels a bit creepy to me. Morbid. I think my favorite is actually that lingering childhood crush on Elena, with all the history and connection between Bothari and Cordelia and everything thrown in there. (I wonder if the lacklusterness of Miles's relationships is Oedipal... Very few women could live up to the brightness of Cordeila's character, and maybe that's subconsciously what we as readers expect for Miles...)
I love these quotes. Frequently runs at the back of my head for some reason.
You mean you repeat that when talking to yourself? ;)
I feel the need to go get me a Galeni icon. Possibly with that "Nobody appointed you god" quote...
Reply
Well, yes.
just a temporary young men thing maybe, which leaves them even closer when they're older.
That doesn't sound impossible.
I think Miles needs the person he is in a relationship with to outrank him, for optimal chemistry.
Yeah, he definitely needs someone who doesn't... give in to his strength of personality, one way or another.
I adore Ekaterin. Well, I have a crush on her :) she definitely feels more real than a lot of Miles' love interest. Which is a big part of her appeal.
I think you're right on the Oedipal thing... and I think it's good that Eklaterin is strong but in an entirely different way from Cordelia. At the same time take Cordelia and Ekaterin, and it feels they are both somewhat related to Harriet Vanes, taking on different personnality trait.
You mean you repeat that when talking to yourself? ;)
... yes >_>;
I feel the need to go get me a Galeni icon. Possibly with that "Nobody appointed you god" quote...
You could ask curtana, she makes glorious quote icons and has made vorkosigan ones before (like this one).
Reply
Yes, I definitely agree with that. She is a lot more multi-dimensional. I think it helps that she has family (the aunt and uncle), and a past (first marriage and Nikki), and hobbies and interests that are entirely independent of Miles -- things that neither Elli nor Taura seemed to have. And she is very capable in her own right, but, as you said, so different from Cordelia that she doesn't pale by comparison.
I think that maybe I don't find Ekaterin as interesting partly *because* she is really pretty realistic. So many characters in Vorkosiverse are larger than life, for various reasons, starting with Miles (heh), and Cordelia and Aral and Illyan and Alys in her own inimitable way. But I have a feeling I would really like her as a person.
Dark secret: I have not read any Sayers, so while I know *of* Harriet Vane, I don't actually know anything about what she's like.
And, yep, curtana was definitely going to be my first stop. I think I may have even seen the icon I want, I just didn't have the Galeni love to go with it back then. :)
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