A Civil Campaign

Romance and romantic missteps, intrigue and counter-intrigue, and painful emotional growth (not to mention insect growth as well) abound in this installment of the Miles Vorkosigan series.

This book took me from laughter bursting forth to tears trickling down my cheeks. Bujold is a master of the one-liner, but she also sets up and unfolds the most absurd situations in absolutely believable detail. Her characters are so real, so layered, so nuanced--not just Miles, but his clone-brother Mark, his new lady love Ekaterin, even the supposedly feckless Ivan.

Just as the characters in the series continue to grow and develop, so does Barrayar as a culture. Bujold never loses sight of the fact that the planet with its history and its people is a show more character in her novels.

Poor Ivan--the only main character left without a partner at the end of the lively dance that is A Civil Campaign. show less

For one of the previous books, I asked "when will Miles mess up?" A Civil Campaign is when he screws the pooch. Miles wants to marry Ekaterina, and goes about it in much the same way that he'd go about assembling a mercenary fleet: a lot of fancy footwork, a little deception, and careful winnowing of options to force the opponent to submit to your will without conflict (Miles follows Sun Tzu and Liddell Hart on strategy). Of course a relationship is not a battle, and after the Worst Dinner Party of All Time, Miles finds his life in ruins-with vomiting, and has to rebuild everything.

'Comedy of manners' is not really my genre, but A Civil Campaign seems like a worthy part of the canon of Austen and Bronte. The genre as whole rests on the show more absurdity of elaborate social mores; of which there are plenty on Barrayar, and the necessity of the two protagonists getting over themselves so they can fall in love; also true of Miles and Ekaterina. The thoughts on reputation and honor are quite nice, and Miles' apology letter is simply epic.

There are also some good sideplots: The best one was the interactions of the trans Lord Dono Vorrutyer and the arcana of primogeniture inheritance law. Mark Vorkosign pursues a relation with Kareen Koudelka while trying to start a new business founded on insect-produced food, with a lot of of comedy. There are weddings aplenty by the end.

But where this book drops is the lowness of the stakes. Even at the worst points of the courtship, I never doubted that they'd end up together. Bujold's characters are just too fundamentally decent and right for each other. The threat is slander that Miles had Ekaterina's husband killed, which lacks credibility since we all know (along with the important characters) the real story of what happened. Even the worst slander couldn't damage Miles' career or stick to Ekaterina and her son. The foes are just so petty and incompetent compared to the galactic spies of the rest of the series that Miles and co. barely slow down running them over. Well, maybe you can't have everything. show less

It's amazing that such a long running series can keep such momentum, even get so much better. This story is a culmination of some wonderfully sketched characters throughout with dollops of history brought round for leavening. The Vorkosigans & all their friends & enemies are at their best in this somewhat convoluted tale. We know that both Miles & Mark have a propensity for trouble, but with both of them in the same house at the same time on the eve of the Imperial wedding, the mixture was frothing away, exploding at random, & drenching innocent bystanders all over the planet.

I listened to this as an audio book in every second I possibly could spare & a few I couldn't. My wife told me I seemed demented as Miles as I knitted, mowed the show more lawn, or weeded the gardens, chortling & hooting as the story unfolded. She was quite concerned during one particularly memorable passage - the least boring dinner party I've ever had the pleasure to attend. (OK, I wasn't really there, but it sure seemed as if I was the proverbial fly on the wall & it was a rare treat.) Unfortunately, my wife thought I was having some sort of seizure & I suddenly realized she was bent over me with real concern on her face. Ah, that uncomfortable feeling when you come out of a book & realize the rest of the world hasn't shared the experience...

The only complaint - if complaint it is - that I had was Bujold's propensity for ending chapters on a cliff hanger & starting the next in a completely different setting. It was quite wrenching, but I'd soon be immersed in the new setting & eventually I'd get back to finish up where I'd left off. I was happy to, even though I really wanted to know how the other situation finished up.

As entertaining as this was, Bujold also managed to include some very sage examples for life. Yes, we made bad choices at times & managed to live through them. We are what we've made of ourselves. If things had worked out differently, we wouldn't be the people we are now & if you're happy with that, there is no time nor reason for regret. How true.

On to the next! Winterfair Gifts, a short story. show less

(Thirteenth of 17 (I suppose): Vorkosigan saga (chronological order). Science fiction / fantasy/ Regency romance)

Emperor Gregor's long-awaited marriage is finally here and, as well as intergalactic diplomats, Miles's friends and family are all returning to Vorbarr Sultana for the festivities. Romance and political manoeuvring are in the air.

Miles's chosen lady, however, has just been released from a toxic marriage and has declared she will have nothing more to do with the institution now she has finally been given the chance to find herself. So Miles decides to keep his wooing secret. From her - although he somehow manages to let it slip to everyone else. His cousin Ivan realises that, for the first time in his life, Miles is unsure of show more himself.

But Miles had so few humilities, it seemed almost a sin to take this one away from him. Bad for his soul, eh.

Mark knows his chosen lady loves him, but after their return to parochial Barrayar after their stint on infamously liberal Beta Colony, she's not sure if she can make her family see that they belong together. But don't underestimate Mark; despite appearances, he does seem to have inherited his family's acumen.

Ivan is, well - Ivan. He is seconded to his mother (who leads a platoon of tradition-defending matriarchs) for the duration of the wedding celebrations and the run-up to them and, for once, doesn't seem to be having much luck with ladies.

"...It's like working in an office with an entire boatload of mothers-in-law-to-be with pre-wedding nerves, every one of them a flaming control freak. I don't know where Mama found that many Vor dragons. You usually only meet them one at a time, surrounded by an entire family to terrorise..."

And speaking of ladies, we get introduced to Dr. Borgos's butter bugs. I leave it to your delighted imagination to investigate further ;0)

Things come to a head when Miles hosts a memorably disastrous dinner for his lady, just before his parents are due to return to Barrayar. Add to the mix some political wrangling where the rights of succession of some of the Counts are called into question and we have a thoroughly engaging novel.

This is a delightful blend of sci-if and fantasy; there are some anachronisms, left over, presumably, from the Time of Isolation - ancient piles with suspect drains like Vorkosigan House and Vorhartung Castle are compared to modern edifices like Vorbretten House and we get to see the glorious display of the banners of the Council of Counts in session as well as their colourful House liveries. We get to rummage around in the attics of Vorkosigan House and attend a session of the Council of Counts as well as see Gregor and Cordelia in action again. I like Bujold's plotting and I love her sense of humour (although I must confess I'm still working out the Vorrutyers in this book).

Did I mention that I really enjoyed the book? Bujold (as usual) interweaves the politics and romantic entanglements while maintaining the humour; I laughed out loud several times. The dedication at the front reads 'For Jane, Charlotte, Georgette and Dorothy - long may they rule' and the book is a delightful compliment.

I suppose this could have been a finishing point for the series, with Gregor safely married at last and other happy endings nicely wrapped up, but thankfully it's not and I'm really looking forward to continuing reading about Miles & Co. Absolutely delicious!

5***** show less

This is a book I find myself re-reading every few years. Even if I don't re-read others in the series, I will pick up this one. It has the distinction of being the first Vorkosigan book I've ever read, despite it being 12th in the series. It says something about Lois's ability to hook a reader that despite the obviousness that there was stuff that happened before, I was fully invested in the characters now.

Re-reading this, I fell in love with it again. This was Bujold at her finest. There is political machinations, romantic intrigue (of a sort), Miles being Miles, and Ivan shines and proves he is not nearly as incompetent as his much more competent relatives see him as.

As an aside, poor Ivan. He's always seen as the slow one, but that's show more slow relatively to those around him: Miles, Aral, Cordelia, his mother for heavens sake! I'm sure Ivan is actually quite brilliant by ordinary standards but he doesn't often has a chance to shine given his much brighter relations. This book allows the reader to see him coming into his own.

Also, butter bugs. Gotta love the butter bugs. And Roic. show less

Hilarious! Bujold wrote a comedy of manners such that every social disaster was utterly gut wrenching. I cringed at every misfortune the characters suffered even as I laughed out loud.

I suspect this book is best appreciated in the context of some of the previous books (Miles' character, for example, isn't built up so much as expanded here, relying a bit on the audience having read earlier Vorkorsigan books). It's also a direct sequel to Komarr and reading that book is crucial to understanding some of the interplay.

I have enjoyed each and every Lois McMaster Bujold Vorkosigan story that I have read so far, but I expect this one, A Civil Campaign will hold a special place in my heart and memory. A great story filled with humor, romance and excitement, this book totally absorbed me for days. As Miles struggles to get his romance with Ekatrin launched, his brother Mark struggles to get his new butterbug business off the ground. The two brothers, along with their cousin Ivan play off each other constantly and the whole story is set against the detailed preparations for Emperor Gregor’s upcoming wedding.

Amid all the pomp and circumstance, Miles is carefully trying to woo Ekatarin, the lovely widow that he met in the previous book, but political show more enemies and his own blundering has Ekatarin turning down his first proposal, which took place during one of the funniest dinner party scenes I have ever read. But perhaps all is not lost, as Ekatarin finds herself thinking about the dwarfish yet talented Miles constantly. Meanwhile, Miles’ cloned brother, Mark, has romance and business problems of his own as he deals with an eccentric scientist in developing bugbutter, a revolutionary food source and tries to keep the love of his life at his side.

A Civil Campaign lives up to it’s subtile “A Comedy of Biology and Manners”. It is a wonderful blend of science fiction, romance and humor that was a very satisfying read. This well-crafted novel has great characters, interesting relationships, and plots that keep the pages turning. I would have to say that A Civil Campaign is my favorite read of 2021 so far. show less