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Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #8
Mirror Dance
THE CLONED STRANGERS
Not everyone would envy young Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, even though he had formed his own mercenary fleet before attending the naval academy, and even though his mother was the beautiful Cordelia, the ship captain who has taught the Lords of Barrayar much about the perils of sexism. Even the fact that Miles is third in line to the throne and personally owns a major chunk of his home planet would not tempt any normal person to change places with him.
When assassins came to rid the world of his father, his mother, pregnant with Miles, was in the line of fire, and Miles was but an egg for the omelet in an all too literal sense. Thanks to heroic medical intervention, Miles survived his near fatal brush with war gas-as a pain-filled dwarf with bones as weak and brittle as some malign composite of chalk and glass. Miles is often mistaken for a mutant by his mutant loathing countrymen.
But there is one who does envy him, who wants to be him: his brother, his cloned stranger formed from tissue stolen from Miles when he was a child. For Mark Vorkosigan was created and raised up for only one purpose: to become Miles, to murder and replace him. In Brothers in Arms that conspiracy was routed and Mark made more or less compliant to his new Miles-less fate. But in the intervening years Mark has learned that without Miles he is . . . nothing. The new and better Mark doesn't really want to kill his brother, but still it may come to that: Mark to stay, Miles to go. . . .
Not everyone would envy young Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, even though he had formed his own mercenary fleet before attending the naval academy, and even though his mother was the beautiful Cordelia, the ship captain who has taught the Lords of Barrayar much about the perils of sexism. Even the fact that Miles is third in line to the throne and personally owns a major chunk of his home planet would not tempt any normal person to change places with him.
When assassins came to rid the world of his father, his mother, pregnant with Miles, was in the line of fire, and Miles was but an egg for the omelet in an all too literal sense. Thanks to heroic medical intervention, Miles survived his near fatal brush with war gas-as a pain-filled dwarf with bones as weak and brittle as some malign composite of chalk and glass. Miles is often mistaken for a mutant by his mutant loathing countrymen.
But there is one who does envy him, who wants to be him: his brother, his cloned stranger formed from tissue stolen from Miles when he was a child. For Mark Vorkosigan was created and raised up for only one purpose: to become Miles, to murder and replace him. In Brothers in Arms that conspiracy was routed and Mark made more or less compliant to his new Miles-less fate. But in the intervening years Mark has learned that without Miles he is . . . nothing. The new and better Mark doesn't really want to kill his brother, but still it may come to that: Mark to stay, Miles to go. . . .
560 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1994
About the author
Lois McMaster Bujold
194 books38.2k followersLois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children.
Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.
Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com
A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
A listing of her interviews is here:
http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...
An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:
http://www.dendarii.com/
Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.
Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com
A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
A listing of her interviews is here:
http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...
An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:
http://www.dendarii.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 851 reviews
September 1, 2016
when appreciating characterization, Space Opera - much like its cousin Epic Fantasy - is often more about surface appeal rather than depth. for the most part, that's okay by me. I can enjoy the expansive world-building and intriguing concepts, the science and adventure, without realistic or meaningful characterization. as long as the characters are fun, I'm not going to overthink it. I'll look for rich, resonant characterization elsewhere.
Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga is very nearly the opposite of all that. there is quite a bit of world-building & intriguing concepts & science-magic & awesome adventure... but it is not expansive in the way of most space operas. Bujold's sagas are not dense tomes filled with microscopic detail; the elements mentioned are present but are more subtle, streamlined, carefully parsed out in thoughtful ways. and most importantly, depth of characterization is the key ingredient in this series. the tension and excitement and appeal come directly from these books' exceedingly well-developed characters. it is pretty wonderful.
so this one is about Miles and his clone-twin Mark; it features a botched rescue and what family is about and ways that trauma impacts us and how we escape from that trauma. it does a superb job at showing the intrinsic differences and similarities between Miles & Mark and it does an equally excellent job at rehabilitating the reader's understanding of who Mark actually is and how he is able to be heroic, despite the basically pathetic traits he's exuded so far. it has a fantastic action sequence in the beginning of the book, a nicely quiet and relaxed sojourn on the planet Barrayar in the middle, and a surprisingly disturbing torture-and-escape sequence near the end. for me, the novel's stakes felt so high not because of the importance or pathos of the mission (the rescue of slave children would be a generalized way to describe it) - but because the stakes for these utterly three-dimensional characters are so high. I was anxious about how all of this played out because I lived in these two characters during my time in Mirror Dance. it is the darkest and richest of the Vorkosigan novels that I've read so far. I loved it!
Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga is very nearly the opposite of all that. there is quite a bit of world-building & intriguing concepts & science-magic & awesome adventure... but it is not expansive in the way of most space operas. Bujold's sagas are not dense tomes filled with microscopic detail; the elements mentioned are present but are more subtle, streamlined, carefully parsed out in thoughtful ways. and most importantly, depth of characterization is the key ingredient in this series. the tension and excitement and appeal come directly from these books' exceedingly well-developed characters. it is pretty wonderful.
so this one is about Miles and his clone-twin Mark; it features a botched rescue and what family is about and ways that trauma impacts us and how we escape from that trauma. it does a superb job at showing the intrinsic differences and similarities between Miles & Mark and it does an equally excellent job at rehabilitating the reader's understanding of who Mark actually is and how he is able to be heroic, despite the basically pathetic traits he's exuded so far. it has a fantastic action sequence in the beginning of the book, a nicely quiet and relaxed sojourn on the planet Barrayar in the middle, and a surprisingly disturbing torture-and-escape sequence near the end. for me, the novel's stakes felt so high not because of the importance or pathos of the mission (the rescue of slave children would be a generalized way to describe it) - but because the stakes for these utterly three-dimensional characters are so high. I was anxious about how all of this played out because I lived in these two characters during my time in Mirror Dance. it is the darkest and richest of the Vorkosigan novels that I've read so far. I loved it!
March 30, 2017
*** 4.75 ***
A buddy read with Evgeny and Maria, because we love the Vorkosigans!!!
"...“Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same.”..."
I wrote this passionate and thoughtful review, and GR ate it, forever lost in the gut of the internet... I am quite frustrated about that, but I still wanted to say that this book, although in no way perfect, was very emotional and it tugged on all of my heart-strings... There were moments when I laughed, I cried, I was happy and disappointed, but overall, I was drawn to and emerged in the tale of woe and ultimate success in the lives of our young Vorkosigans!
"...“It’s important that someone celebrate our existence," she objected amiably. "People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people. There is none in the universe at large. Solitary confinement is a punishment in every human culture.”..."
I really do not want to write anything much about the plot, since it is one of those that you really do not want spoiled for you, but the multilayered story began with a surprise trip to Jackson Hall, may their name be forgotten by History and Santa leave only coal in their stalkings, then a botched military operation, then time was spend on Barrayar and so on and on... We got to get to know Mark much better, enough for him to make us pity him, sympathies with him, then hate him, then try to understand him, then give him a chance, then suffer for him and finally settle at a state of OK, he is Mark and he will never be like Miles, but he is a very interesting and very insane dude whom we can live with and be interested to see more of... We also got to see Miles in a bit of a different light, and not to be left behind, he also did things I was very unhappy with him about, but again, at the end of the day, this is Miles and he is amazing just as nuts, impulsive, charming and infuriating as always, just the way we have come to love and care for him as much as we do... But my personal treat was the small cameo by wolf-girl who always steals the moment with her unending earnestness and gentle soul, as well as the more page time by Cordelia!!!! I loooooove this woman! She is what I want to be when I grow up, which might be already tomorrow, since I am quite grown already. She is smart, gentle, logical, loving, strong and ferocious, Cordelia is a force of nature and I would love to be in the vicinity of her awesomeness, but since that is impossible, getting as much of her on page is what I consider a treat from the author specially for me:):):) She is the reason for Miles and the men in her life to be as they are, the better for knowing and loving her, and I love that the author lets us see this in a very unobtrusive, gentle way. The only issues I had were concerning Miles, Quinn and Bell, and I wish we could have gotten a better outcome there, but I trust the author to lead us in the world of her creation and will follow wherever she takes us.
"...“I do think, half of what we call madness is just some poor slob dealing with pain by a strategy that annoys the people around him.”..."
This book was not perfect, it was very, very painful to read at times and I cried like a baby on couple of occasions... But despite all of that, this is a book I know I will remember for a long, long time, because it did not only leave its mark in my brain, but in my soul as well... It is also the first one in the series I do not believe is for everyone, since there are bad things happening and some might have issues with them. I did too, but not in a way to be repelled by the book. I was repelled by the actions of the characters, but they had their role, their purpose. Nothing was there just for gratuitously or for the shock value. As always, the author made us think by putting the characters in extraordinary circumstances and made us think about how we might have handled them in their place... I am only glad that I am not anywhere close to Jackson Hall, may it disintegrate to its molecular components!!!!
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
A buddy read with Evgeny and Maria, because we love the Vorkosigans!!!
"...“Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same.”..."
I wrote this passionate and thoughtful review, and GR ate it, forever lost in the gut of the internet... I am quite frustrated about that, but I still wanted to say that this book, although in no way perfect, was very emotional and it tugged on all of my heart-strings... There were moments when I laughed, I cried, I was happy and disappointed, but overall, I was drawn to and emerged in the tale of woe and ultimate success in the lives of our young Vorkosigans!
"...“It’s important that someone celebrate our existence," she objected amiably. "People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people. There is none in the universe at large. Solitary confinement is a punishment in every human culture.”..."
I really do not want to write anything much about the plot, since it is one of those that you really do not want spoiled for you, but the multilayered story began with a surprise trip to Jackson Hall, may their name be forgotten by History and Santa leave only coal in their stalkings, then a botched military operation, then time was spend on Barrayar and so on and on... We got to get to know Mark much better, enough for him to make us pity him, sympathies with him, then hate him, then try to understand him, then give him a chance, then suffer for him and finally settle at a state of OK, he is Mark and he will never be like Miles, but he is a very interesting and very insane dude whom we can live with and be interested to see more of... We also got to see Miles in a bit of a different light, and not to be left behind, he also did things I was very unhappy with him about, but again, at the end of the day, this is Miles and he is amazing just as nuts, impulsive, charming and infuriating as always, just the way we have come to love and care for him as much as we do... But my personal treat was the small cameo by wolf-girl who always steals the moment with her unending earnestness and gentle soul, as well as the more page time by Cordelia!!!! I loooooove this woman! She is what I want to be when I grow up, which might be already tomorrow, since I am quite grown already. She is smart, gentle, logical, loving, strong and ferocious, Cordelia is a force of nature and I would love to be in the vicinity of her awesomeness, but since that is impossible, getting as much of her on page is what I consider a treat from the author specially for me:):):) She is the reason for Miles and the men in her life to be as they are, the better for knowing and loving her, and I love that the author lets us see this in a very unobtrusive, gentle way. The only issues I had were concerning Miles, Quinn and Bell, and I wish we could have gotten a better outcome there, but I trust the author to lead us in the world of her creation and will follow wherever she takes us.
"...“I do think, half of what we call madness is just some poor slob dealing with pain by a strategy that annoys the people around him.”..."
This book was not perfect, it was very, very painful to read at times and I cried like a baby on couple of occasions... But despite all of that, this is a book I know I will remember for a long, long time, because it did not only leave its mark in my brain, but in my soul as well... It is also the first one in the series I do not believe is for everyone, since there are bad things happening and some might have issues with them. I did too, but not in a way to be repelled by the book. I was repelled by the actions of the characters, but they had their role, their purpose. Nothing was there just for gratuitously or for the shock value. As always, the author made us think by putting the characters in extraordinary circumstances and made us think about how we might have handled them in their place... I am only glad that I am not anywhere close to Jackson Hall, may it disintegrate to its molecular components!!!!
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
December 13, 2011
"Miles Learns About Consequences" and "Mark Learns About Self-Identity." Holy shit, this book. This book.
To say that it puts you through the wringer would be a gross understatement. Flipping between perspectives--the first time Bujold has done this, I believe, and deftly utilized here--served to underscore the differences between Miles and Mark. And there are so many, spawning an argument beyond Bujold's case for the many guises of humanity into one of the affects of genetics versus experience.
But if that is the philosophical core of Bujold's bioethics experimentation, the human element itself is the more compelling one. The burgeoning relationship of Miles and Mark, what they mean to each other and how that drives them to act, was just fascinating. On Miles' part, to encounter one's brother twenty plus years down the road is an emotional hat trick; for Mark, to be given a name and a place so readily after being a pawn in someone else's game for so long--it's as devastating as it is freeing.
For all that they didn't spent much time on the page actually together, you felt the influence they exerted over each others' lives palpably. And I couldn't bear to put the book down when Mark came to Barrayar for the first time, met the family that adopted him with barely a breath of hesitation, met Cordelia who never fails to inspire admiration and respect even in the most recalcitrant of latecoming sons. Actually, the parenting relationship, as explicated by Cordelia, was just facinating from the Betan point of view. That they entered into that social contract mutally, but with some bewilderment, was as remarkable a piece of familial dialogue as I've ever read.
And of course, Miles' death and recovery, and Mark's torture and self-discovery. Raw and ugly and terrible to read, but for all that it was well written, well handled, and better for having gone there than not at all. What can you say, really? By that point, Mark had established enough of himself that it was awful going through that experience with him, but his savage articulation of his own strength and freedom on the other side of it was just magnificent.
Miles' own loss of self, of cleverness and what that means to him, was excruciating. The version of him that was not hyperactive and eager to dive into whatever problem presents itself was not a lesser version of Miles, per se, but it most assuredly was not the Miles we have come to know, nor does it seem to be the Miles he himself would prefer to be.
I don't know. To call this book "good" doesn't seem to do it service, and it's not even that it was a special pleasure to read. But it was extremely powerful, a book that operates as the hinge between "before" and "after" for this series, I think. It requires the set-up of all the previous knowledge to be that powerful, and it was well worth the trip despite cautiously looking to what happens next. Tour de force.
To say that it puts you through the wringer would be a gross understatement. Flipping between perspectives--the first time Bujold has done this, I believe, and deftly utilized here--served to underscore the differences between Miles and Mark. And there are so many, spawning an argument beyond Bujold's case for the many guises of humanity into one of the affects of genetics versus experience.
But if that is the philosophical core of Bujold's bioethics experimentation, the human element itself is the more compelling one. The burgeoning relationship of Miles and Mark, what they mean to each other and how that drives them to act, was just fascinating. On Miles' part, to encounter one's brother twenty plus years down the road is an emotional hat trick; for Mark, to be given a name and a place so readily after being a pawn in someone else's game for so long--it's as devastating as it is freeing.
For all that they didn't spent much time on the page actually together, you felt the influence they exerted over each others' lives palpably. And I couldn't bear to put the book down when Mark came to Barrayar for the first time, met the family that adopted him with barely a breath of hesitation, met Cordelia who never fails to inspire admiration and respect even in the most recalcitrant of latecoming sons. Actually, the parenting relationship, as explicated by Cordelia, was just facinating from the Betan point of view. That they entered into that social contract mutally, but with some bewilderment, was as remarkable a piece of familial dialogue as I've ever read.
And of course, Miles' death and recovery, and Mark's torture and self-discovery. Raw and ugly and terrible to read, but for all that it was well written, well handled, and better for having gone there than not at all. What can you say, really? By that point, Mark had established enough of himself that it was awful going through that experience with him, but his savage articulation of his own strength and freedom on the other side of it was just magnificent.
Miles' own loss of self, of cleverness and what that means to him, was excruciating. The version of him that was not hyperactive and eager to dive into whatever problem presents itself was not a lesser version of Miles, per se, but it most assuredly was not the Miles we have come to know, nor does it seem to be the Miles he himself would prefer to be.
I don't know. To call this book "good" doesn't seem to do it service, and it's not even that it was a special pleasure to read. But it was extremely powerful, a book that operates as the hinge between "before" and "after" for this series, I think. It requires the set-up of all the previous knowledge to be that powerful, and it was well worth the trip despite cautiously looking to what happens next. Tour de force.
May 4, 2013
Christmas 2010: I realised that I had got stuck in a rut. I was re-reading old favourites again and again, waiting for a few trusted authors to release new works. Something had to be done.
On the spur of the moment I set myself a challenge, to read every book to have won the Locus Sci-Fi award. That’s 35 books, 6 of which I’d previously read, leaving 29 titles by 14 authors who were new to me.
While working through this reading list I got married, went on my honeymoon, switched career and became a father. As such these stories became imprinted on my memory as the soundtrack to the happiest period in my life (so far).
When I picked up Mirror Dance I was coming off the back of a strong, post-Wedding run of books. Cryptonomicon , The Years of Rice and Salt , To Say Nothing of the Dog , The Diamond Age , and Doomsday Book – that’s five novels, all getting four or five-star ratings from me in a row.
I wasn’t sure what to do about the Vorkosigan Saga. There were three trilogies on my Locus Quest reading list – Mars Trilogy, The Baroque Cycle and The Uplift Saga – where books two and three had won the Locus Sci-Fi Award, so I’d convinced myself that I should read the whole trilogy in each case to understand the award winners in context. At the other end of the spectrum was The Telling , which is part of the Hainish Cycle, but stands alone – so I didn’t read any other books in the series before I picked it up. The Vorkosigan Saga is definitely a traditional series – and should therefore ideally be read in chronological order, but the award winners on my list were books two and nine in a fourteen (and still growing) book series. There was no way I was going to read twelve other books to understand these two in full context. Harsh as it felt I was going to have to sample those two books out of order and hope they stood up.
Such were my thoughts beginning Mirror Dance . “It’s been such a wonderful run of books, but it had to end at some point.” “You can’t just jump in at book nine, it will make no sense!”
Oh, how little did I know!
Mirror Dance is superb! Really, truly, hand on my heart, right up there with my favourite books. Pure sci-fi adventure, with wit and drama and action and heartache and everything! Wonderful characters, a brilliant scenario – just an awful lot of fun!
Every sentence I write to describe this book ends with an exclamation mark!
I highly recommend this book as an entry point to the series. As I understand it, it marks the beginning of a four-book arc within the larger series, involving Marc. It also introduces Miles through a more vulnerable lens than some of the other books, and there are plenty more Miles books to get your teeth into once your curiosity is piqued. Cordelia may only be a minor character here, but she’s still a powerful presence and it was exciting to learn that she has her own books too! Finally, this story does a whistle-stop tour of the various local worlds used in the saga, so in that sense it works as a brilliant orientation.
I’ve since read two more Vorkosigan Saga novels: Barrayar (the other Locus winner, focused on Cordelia) and The Vor Game (a Hugo winner focused on Miles). Both of them were also excellent, (and will be reviewed soon) – and I am definitely a Vorkosigan Saga convert. I am now determined to read the whole series (albeit probably all jumbled out of order!). Of the three I’ve read, Mirror Dance is definitely still my favourite.
I like long running series. I like characters you get to spend a dozen books with. I’m a big fan of Discworld and the Dresden Files – and I’ve always wanted a sci-fi equivalent to follow as eagerly. With the Vorkosigan Saga I feel I’ve found that missing puzzle piece – and it makes me very happy. Thank-you, Madame Bujold, thank-you.
=D
April 5, 2024
Delivered. Crazy novel
9.4/10
9.4/10
March 29, 2020
UPDATED 2020.03.29 with Worst Cover Gallery!
This is probably the least funny book in the series - although I'm far from ending it yet, but it seems that my GR friends say the same.
Which is not a problem, it's just different. A bit sadder. Also the subjects in the book are quite heavy, to say the least but Bujold is a masterful writer and also a good psychologist and she handles it so well. Reading the series feels like growing up, maturing together with Miles. Who is still one of my favourite characters in literature, not just sci-fi.
- Is that you, Arnie?
- ...is that supposed to be Taura?
- well, she does look like Taura I guess. And this is actually pretty badass cover.
- hm.
This is probably the least funny book in the series - although I'm far from ending it yet, but it seems that my GR friends say the same.
Which is not a problem, it's just different. A bit sadder. Also the subjects in the book are quite heavy, to say the least but Bujold is a masterful writer and also a good psychologist and she handles it so well. Reading the series feels like growing up, maturing together with Miles. Who is still one of my favourite characters in literature, not just sci-fi.
- Is that you, Arnie?
- ...is that supposed to be Taura?
- well, she does look like Taura I guess. And this is actually pretty badass cover.
- hm.
February 8, 2015
If I was a billionaire who can afford to commission a novelist to write a custom made book just for me the desired end result would probably read something like a Lois McMaster Bujold book. Her prose style just clicks with me. Always very clear and accessible, yet graceful, passionate, witty and often humorous. Her writing is never clunky or clumsy, never a word out of place. Even before getting into the actual storyline of the book the narrative style in and of itself is already a pleasure to read.
The Vorkosigan Saga is one of the most beloved long running science fiction series of all time. Unlike classic sci-fi series like Dune or Foundation the individual Vorkosigan books are written as standalones and are therefore not numbered. In theory you can start reading the series with any random title and read other volumes in any order you want. However, for a richer reading experience you may prefer to read them in some kind of order, here is Ms. Bujold’s recommendation.
Mirror Dance tells the story of Mark Vorkosigan, the clone of the series’ main character Miles Vorkosigan. Originally raised to assassinate Mile’s father, Mark is now a free man and a crusader to liberate other clones from a fate worse than death. Well, not “worse than” exactly the clones are kept alive as replacement bodies to eventually have their brains removed and replaced with the original person’s brain. Similar to the theme explored in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
The book starts off fairly slowly as a lot of political wrangling, bluff and counter bluff take place. The lengthy dialogue in the early part of the book was in danger of becoming repetitious when Ms. Bujold suddenly shifts gear and all hell breaks loose. The sections of the story told from Mark’s point of view are almost equal to the sections told from Mile’s point of view, though the balance leans a little more toward Mark’s side of the story.
Any way, if you are already a fan of the series you will not be disappointed as Mark is just as damaged as Miles but in different ways. He is less physically damaged, not having suffered chemical poisoning at birth, but his conditioning as an assassin left a lot of psychological scars (and a “very particular set of skills” as Liam Neeson would say). Mirror Dance is a versatile novel that swings through quite a few different moods and narrative styles. Sometime it is romantic, sometime mysterious, funny, exciting, harrowing and even horrifying.
The universe of Vorkosigan series is not as epic as something like Reynolds’ Revelation Space or Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth saga. There are no aliens to speak of and no A.I. overlords but it does depict a human galaxy spanning empire where planets are colonized through FTL travel via wormholes (nobody says hyperspace any more). The setting is more “near future” than these other series and science more believable (FTL travel notwithstanding).
Bujold will always have an advantage in the emotional components of her story telling. Her character development is second to none and she always manages to tackle serious issue without sacrificing the story telling aspect. You can not help but sympathize with the characters’ identity crisis and moral dilemma. The author is always very good at depicting romantic relationships but these are minor aspects of the book. If you prefer scenes of ass kicking to hugs and kisses you will not be disappointed. The details of biotechnology is also nicely worked out with an eye for details and dry wit:
“Patients don't come popping up out of cryo-stasis like a meal out of a microwave. It takes just as much healing as if the original injury hadn't killed them, and more. It will be a couple of days before I can even begin to evaluate his higher neural functions.”
The above passage is both humorous and informative. Bujold’s own particular set of skills.
Mirror Dance is a thrilling, riveting entertaining and even poignant read. No reason why someone can not start reading the series with this particular book, though the author recommends reading Brothers in Arms first. In any case I can foresee spending a lot more time reading from this series in future (this is my fourth).
The Vorkosigan Saga is one of the most beloved long running science fiction series of all time. Unlike classic sci-fi series like Dune or Foundation the individual Vorkosigan books are written as standalones and are therefore not numbered. In theory you can start reading the series with any random title and read other volumes in any order you want. However, for a richer reading experience you may prefer to read them in some kind of order, here is Ms. Bujold’s recommendation.
Mirror Dance tells the story of Mark Vorkosigan, the clone of the series’ main character Miles Vorkosigan. Originally raised to assassinate Mile’s father, Mark is now a free man and a crusader to liberate other clones from a fate worse than death. Well, not “worse than” exactly the clones are kept alive as replacement bodies to eventually have their brains removed and replaced with the original person’s brain. Similar to the theme explored in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
The book starts off fairly slowly as a lot of political wrangling, bluff and counter bluff take place. The lengthy dialogue in the early part of the book was in danger of becoming repetitious when Ms. Bujold suddenly shifts gear and all hell breaks loose. The sections of the story told from Mark’s point of view are almost equal to the sections told from Mile’s point of view, though the balance leans a little more toward Mark’s side of the story.
Any way, if you are already a fan of the series you will not be disappointed as Mark is just as damaged as Miles but in different ways. He is less physically damaged, not having suffered chemical poisoning at birth, but his conditioning as an assassin left a lot of psychological scars (and a “very particular set of skills” as Liam Neeson would say). Mirror Dance is a versatile novel that swings through quite a few different moods and narrative styles. Sometime it is romantic, sometime mysterious, funny, exciting, harrowing and even horrifying.
The universe of Vorkosigan series is not as epic as something like Reynolds’ Revelation Space or Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth saga. There are no aliens to speak of and no A.I. overlords but it does depict a human galaxy spanning empire where planets are colonized through FTL travel via wormholes (nobody says hyperspace any more). The setting is more “near future” than these other series and science more believable (FTL travel notwithstanding).
Bujold will always have an advantage in the emotional components of her story telling. Her character development is second to none and she always manages to tackle serious issue without sacrificing the story telling aspect. You can not help but sympathize with the characters’ identity crisis and moral dilemma. The author is always very good at depicting romantic relationships but these are minor aspects of the book. If you prefer scenes of ass kicking to hugs and kisses you will not be disappointed. The details of biotechnology is also nicely worked out with an eye for details and dry wit:
“Patients don't come popping up out of cryo-stasis like a meal out of a microwave. It takes just as much healing as if the original injury hadn't killed them, and more. It will be a couple of days before I can even begin to evaluate his higher neural functions.”
The above passage is both humorous and informative. Bujold’s own particular set of skills.
Mirror Dance is a thrilling, riveting entertaining and even poignant read. No reason why someone can not start reading the series with this particular book, though the author recommends reading Brothers in Arms first. In any case I can foresee spending a lot more time reading from this series in future (this is my fourth).
March 26, 2018
Mirror Dance: The Best Miles Adventure, and He's Not Even the Main Character
This entry in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga won the Locus and Hugo Awards for Best SF Novel in 1995, and lives up to its billing. Having read a number of other reviews (because I try to avoid repeating what has been said already), this volume is perhaps the darkest and most emotionally-involved book in the series, with a mixture of adventure, her signature depth of characterization, tragedy, humor, familial drama, and a very in-depth exploration of identity and how the traumas of the past shape a person's life, but also the power to transform oneself and overcome these obstacles.
I won't describe the plot in detail, as it is quite involved and ingenious and I'd rather focus on Mrs. Bujold's bravery as an author to suddenly take her beloved protagonist Miles off-stage for the entire middle section while giving center stage to his clone Mark, who we first meet in Brothers in Arms, and who frankly is a quite unpleasant and petulant person at first, hardly leading-character material. But in Mrs. Bujold's skillful hands, she takes this very unlikeable character and then put him through a series of tribulations and adventures that force to grow up, face his inadequacies and failings, his jealousy of his beloved clone brother Miles, and to finally dig down deep into some very ugly events of his past and channel some dark places in order to save the day and Miles as well. There are some pretty horrific torture scenes that recall those in Shards of Honor, but are far more focused on psychological terror, that are rough going for poor Mark.
There is also a very interesting but slower-paced middle section that focuses on the damaged Mark as he get's to know Miles' famous and intimidating parents Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan. His resistance to their attempts to accept him as a son are very believable considering his cruel upbringing being trained as an assassin and imposter, and his struggles to overcome that legacy and find himself are handled extremely well. It's what marks this book as a high point in the series, as Mrs. Bujold has already proven she can do thrilling military SF action with three-dimensional characters, so has earned the right to explore inner space instead for much of the middle section, before segueing back into some of the most intense and thrilling action in the third act.
All in all, definitely one of the best books in the series, once again skillfully narrated by Grover Gardner.
This entry in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga won the Locus and Hugo Awards for Best SF Novel in 1995, and lives up to its billing. Having read a number of other reviews (because I try to avoid repeating what has been said already), this volume is perhaps the darkest and most emotionally-involved book in the series, with a mixture of adventure, her signature depth of characterization, tragedy, humor, familial drama, and a very in-depth exploration of identity and how the traumas of the past shape a person's life, but also the power to transform oneself and overcome these obstacles.
I won't describe the plot in detail, as it is quite involved and ingenious and I'd rather focus on Mrs. Bujold's bravery as an author to suddenly take her beloved protagonist Miles off-stage for the entire middle section while giving center stage to his clone Mark, who we first meet in Brothers in Arms, and who frankly is a quite unpleasant and petulant person at first, hardly leading-character material. But in Mrs. Bujold's skillful hands, she takes this very unlikeable character and then put him through a series of tribulations and adventures that force to grow up, face his inadequacies and failings, his jealousy of his beloved clone brother Miles, and to finally dig down deep into some very ugly events of his past and channel some dark places in order to save the day and Miles as well. There are some pretty horrific torture scenes that recall those in Shards of Honor, but are far more focused on psychological terror, that are rough going for poor Mark.
There is also a very interesting but slower-paced middle section that focuses on the damaged Mark as he get's to know Miles' famous and intimidating parents Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan. His resistance to their attempts to accept him as a son are very believable considering his cruel upbringing being trained as an assassin and imposter, and his struggles to overcome that legacy and find himself are handled extremely well. It's what marks this book as a high point in the series, as Mrs. Bujold has already proven she can do thrilling military SF action with three-dimensional characters, so has earned the right to explore inner space instead for much of the middle section, before segueing back into some of the most intense and thrilling action in the third act.
All in all, definitely one of the best books in the series, once again skillfully narrated by Grover Gardner.
August 19, 2022
8/10
Continuamos con las andanzas y desventuras de Miles y su troupe. Lo que hace a este libro diferente de los anteriores, es que esta vez tendremos otro POV como eje de la trama. No es que no me guste leer a Miles, que por cierto aparece y tiene su buena cuota de protagonismo, pero ha sido interesante ver la historia desde la mirada de Mark.
Lo que más me ha gustado, además de lo ya comentado, ha sido la trama, muy bien hilvanada y que te mantiene en tensión durante toda la historia. La novela empieza a ritmo alto y lo mantiene durante casi todas sus páginas, eso es un punto a su favor, lo que unido a lo bien escrita que está, hace que se lea en dos ratos. También habría que tener en cuenta a los personajes y sus diálogos. Una vez más la señora Bujold nos ofrece unas interacciones muy interesantes y divertidas.
En el aspecto negativo, lo cierto es que en global el conjunto funciona muy bien y no le veo ningún gran pero que afee la lectura. No se lleva 5 estrellas, porque para ello debería habernos ofrecido un final apoteósico y no ha sido el caso, que ojo, cumple bien y cierra en general la trama, pero no es nada sorprendente.
Obvia decir que continuaré con los siguientes.
Continuamos con las andanzas y desventuras de Miles y su troupe. Lo que hace a este libro diferente de los anteriores, es que esta vez tendremos otro POV como eje de la trama. No es que no me guste leer a Miles, que por cierto aparece y tiene su buena cuota de protagonismo, pero ha sido interesante ver la historia desde la mirada de Mark.
Lo que más me ha gustado, además de lo ya comentado, ha sido la trama, muy bien hilvanada y que te mantiene en tensión durante toda la historia. La novela empieza a ritmo alto y lo mantiene durante casi todas sus páginas, eso es un punto a su favor, lo que unido a lo bien escrita que está, hace que se lea en dos ratos. También habría que tener en cuenta a los personajes y sus diálogos. Una vez más la señora Bujold nos ofrece unas interacciones muy interesantes y divertidas.
En el aspecto negativo, lo cierto es que en global el conjunto funciona muy bien y no le veo ningún gran pero que afee la lectura. No se lleva 5 estrellas, porque para ello debería habernos ofrecido un final apoteósico y no ha sido el caso, que ojo, cumple bien y cierra en general la trama, pero no es nada sorprendente.
Obvia decir que continuaré con los siguientes.
March 20, 2021
Tercer premio Hugo de Bujold en la saga de Vorkosigan (sin contar el Hugo por Paladín de almas unos años más tarde), el más extenso, el más oscuro y sin lugar a dudas el mejor de lo que he leído.
Comentaba en la reseña de Hermanos de armas que la aparición del personaje de Mark podía dar mucho juego, y Bujold demuestra lo inteligente que es como escritora creando una historia donde ambos personajes, Miles y Mark, crecen como nunca en ningún otro libro.
El ritmo es más pausado y se entretiene en escenarios como Barrayar, la aparición de nuevo de los padres de Miles y el crecimiento de Mark. Todo con un tono más oscuro y con escenas bastante desagradables haciendo que el tono general sea más adulto que otros libros de la saga.
Juntándolo todo se convierte en una novela en mayúsculas a pesar de ser la novena entrega de una saga.
Comentaba en la reseña de Hermanos de armas que la aparición del personaje de Mark podía dar mucho juego, y Bujold demuestra lo inteligente que es como escritora creando una historia donde ambos personajes, Miles y Mark, crecen como nunca en ningún otro libro.
El ritmo es más pausado y se entretiene en escenarios como Barrayar, la aparición de nuevo de los padres de Miles y el crecimiento de Mark. Todo con un tono más oscuro y con escenas bastante desagradables haciendo que el tono general sea más adulto que otros libros de la saga.
Juntándolo todo se convierte en una novela en mayúsculas a pesar de ser la novena entrega de una saga.
August 6, 2017
When I read the Vorkosigan books I read them out of order, first "The Mountains of Mourning" followed by Mirror Dance. I was hooked and I then had to read the books in sequence. The series is brilliant and I believe Mirror Dance is the best of the series. Bujold's characters are compelling, she even makes Mark a sympathetic character. Of course Miles is Miles, and Cordelia is amazing (I wish I could be her). Do yourself a favor and read this. Read all of them!!!
Reread review:
It has been many years since I read this book. I had said this book was the best of the series and I stand by that. I've been rereading these books of late and in hindsight I think that this is an excellent place to start reading the series. Miles is older in this, less of an "entitled little shit", to quote my son and more thoughtful. He dies in this book and if that doesn't make a person grow up, nothing will. But mostly this book is about Mark. Miles' younger by six years clone twin. And Mark is something different from Miles entirely. We first meet Mark in Brothers in Arms, on earth. He was part of a Komarran plot to destroy Barrayar, revenge for the Solstice massacre and he is an assassin, created and trained to murder Aral Vorkosigan. He has undergone a lot of training to be Miles, in fact that is his whole reason for existing. He manages to escape from Ser Galen's clutches with some assistance from Miles and Elli and has spent the past three years trying to hide from the Barrayarans. In this book he comes out of the cold.
Mark is such a fascinating character in a universe overflowing with such. He has been crippled much as Miles is (albeit surgically, not from birth) and has suffered much already, prior to this book. He lacks Miles' supreme self confidence in his own abilities however and puts himself in a position where he has to fake it. His intentions are pure, the rescue of fifty young clones from the clutches of House Bharaputra where they have been bred and raised to provide healthy young bodies for their old progenitors brains. Wholesale murder and Mark wants to stop it. He enlists Bel Thorne, captain of the Ariel of the Dendarii Mercenaries to help and with Sergeant Taura they descend on Jackson's Whole. The raid is almost successful. But it goes to shit, Mark is definitely not Miles...and when Miles arrives to save the day he gets himself killed. He is flash frozen in a cryochamber but in the resulting melée his body is lost. Mark is almost crippled with guilt and decides to find his brother.
This novel looks at relationships mostly. Between adult children and their parents, between siblings near the end. Mark never meets Aral and Cordelia until he is twenty-two years old. He wasn't expecting parents who want to care for him and stand by him. He definitely wasn't expecting Cordelia with her bottomless compassion and shrewd insights into human nature. In this book Mark learns to stop being Miles and starts learning to be himself. Figuring out who Mark is.
I've read some criticism that this book is too dark. It is much darker than the rest of this series, definitely. It places Mark in some dark places...there are themes of rape, psychological and physical torture both in Mark's past as a young teenager and in the present. Little Mark Pierre hasn't had a happy life. But someday he may have a happy future ( it's going to take a lot of therapy).
I think what makes the book so great is seeing Barrayar from an outsiders perspective. This happened in the novel Barrayar as well except Cordelia was the outsider. Now Mark can benefit from her hard won knowledge. I don't think it s an accident that Barrayar is another novel in this series that is a standout. Don't get me wrong, I love this whole series but I do think the books that go into darker places are the best ones. What leavens the darkness is the little touches of humour in unexpected places. I'm a nurse, I used to work in an ICU and I get that.
Reread review:
It has been many years since I read this book. I had said this book was the best of the series and I stand by that. I've been rereading these books of late and in hindsight I think that this is an excellent place to start reading the series. Miles is older in this, less of an "entitled little shit", to quote my son and more thoughtful. He dies in this book and if that doesn't make a person grow up, nothing will. But mostly this book is about Mark. Miles' younger by six years clone twin. And Mark is something different from Miles entirely. We first meet Mark in Brothers in Arms, on earth. He was part of a Komarran plot to destroy Barrayar, revenge for the Solstice massacre and he is an assassin, created and trained to murder Aral Vorkosigan. He has undergone a lot of training to be Miles, in fact that is his whole reason for existing. He manages to escape from Ser Galen's clutches with some assistance from Miles and Elli and has spent the past three years trying to hide from the Barrayarans. In this book he comes out of the cold.
Mark is such a fascinating character in a universe overflowing with such. He has been crippled much as Miles is (albeit surgically, not from birth) and has suffered much already, prior to this book. He lacks Miles' supreme self confidence in his own abilities however and puts himself in a position where he has to fake it. His intentions are pure, the rescue of fifty young clones from the clutches of House Bharaputra where they have been bred and raised to provide healthy young bodies for their old progenitors brains. Wholesale murder and Mark wants to stop it. He enlists Bel Thorne, captain of the Ariel of the Dendarii Mercenaries to help and with Sergeant Taura they descend on Jackson's Whole. The raid is almost successful. But it goes to shit, Mark is definitely not Miles...and when Miles arrives to save the day he gets himself killed. He is flash frozen in a cryochamber but in the resulting melée his body is lost. Mark is almost crippled with guilt and decides to find his brother.
This novel looks at relationships mostly. Between adult children and their parents, between siblings near the end. Mark never meets Aral and Cordelia until he is twenty-two years old. He wasn't expecting parents who want to care for him and stand by him. He definitely wasn't expecting Cordelia with her bottomless compassion and shrewd insights into human nature. In this book Mark learns to stop being Miles and starts learning to be himself. Figuring out who Mark is.
I've read some criticism that this book is too dark. It is much darker than the rest of this series, definitely. It places Mark in some dark places...there are themes of rape, psychological and physical torture both in Mark's past as a young teenager and in the present. Little Mark Pierre hasn't had a happy life. But someday he may have a happy future ( it's going to take a lot of therapy).
I think what makes the book so great is seeing Barrayar from an outsiders perspective. This happened in the novel Barrayar as well except Cordelia was the outsider. Now Mark can benefit from her hard won knowledge. I don't think it s an accident that Barrayar is another novel in this series that is a standout. Don't get me wrong, I love this whole series but I do think the books that go into darker places are the best ones. What leavens the darkness is the little touches of humour in unexpected places. I'm a nurse, I used to work in an ICU and I get that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2024
Re-read by listening via Audible. (Most of this series is included in the free Audible library, so bonus!) I still loved it. I'd forgotten how much I love the relationship between Miles and Ivan.
5 out of 5
*****
Mirror Dance is number nine of the full length novels of the Vorkosigan Saga, and the third to win a Hugo award. I can see why. This is easily the best book to feature Miles and one of the my favourites of the series overall.
This time, the book is told not only from Miles’s point of view but also from Mark’s, his clone brother who was introduced in the previous book, Brothers In Arms. Mark was created (for want of a better term) to assassinate Miles and then take his place in Barrayar society; the final plan being to take over the Barrayar imperium. As such, pretty much all characters are distrustful of Mark and his motives, and a lot of the plot centres upon him finding his own sense of identity and worth, all the while attempting to gain the trust and respect of the Barrayarans. Meanwhile, Miles also spends a long time in the book studying himself [in the proverbial mirror] and his bond with Barrayar, his family, and his tricky sexual relationships (there’s a fantastic line in the book where he notes he picks up lots of women but never puts them down).
Actually both Miles and Mark have to face some difficult realities about their sexual and/or romantic inclinations overall. LMB has a knack of including different types of genders and/or sexual orientations in such an organic way that makes the reader accept them all as normal without any qualms. She was ahead of her time (probably like all scifi writers) with regards to a lot of these still very topical debates.
She also focuses on PTSD in this book and, as per usual, she makes the reader understand more about this and other psychological issues quicker and easier than a hundred theses would achieve. She also touches on mortality and ageing, feminism and the rights of women to make their own decisions regarding childbirth, and genetic research.
Mirror Dance managed to have me chewing my fingernails with tension more than any of the other books thus far. Even though I know Miles is a continuing character in the series, I was genuinely scared for his fate. There are other moments too, when I was fretting over Aral and Mark.
It’s probably more dark than the other books too, with scenes of implied rape and torture that are heartbreaking and shocking.
A lot of readers claim that Miles's characterisation develops quite a bit in this book. I suppose this is true but what I found was that I realised how much I truly loved Miles after reading this book. Until this book I suppose I liked him but it wasn’t until he was [almost] absent for long periods and I was seeing his influence from other characters’ point of views that I realised I loved him. It also made me love a lot of the other characters more; some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book were those featuring the effect of Miles’s disappearance on his family and closest friends. Not that LMB ever overdoes anything. It’s probably the way she pulls on your heartstrings with such a soft touch that makes everything sadder. (Scenes featuring Illyan and Ivan, in particular, caused me to become quite teary.)
Not that it’s a depressing book. LMB’s trademark humour was still evident and she even threw in the start of a sweet romance.
At almost 600 pages, this was a long book compared to a lot of the other Vorkosigan ones. I was, however, surprised by how quickly I finished it. This is a testament to how LMB is when it comes to pacing and how effortlessly she keeps everything moving forward.
Easily 5 out of 5
5 out of 5
*****
Mirror Dance is number nine of the full length novels of the Vorkosigan Saga, and the third to win a Hugo award. I can see why. This is easily the best book to feature Miles and one of the my favourites of the series overall.
This time, the book is told not only from Miles’s point of view but also from Mark’s, his clone brother who was introduced in the previous book, Brothers In Arms. Mark was created (for want of a better term) to assassinate Miles and then take his place in Barrayar society; the final plan being to take over the Barrayar imperium. As such, pretty much all characters are distrustful of Mark and his motives, and a lot of the plot centres upon him finding his own sense of identity and worth, all the while attempting to gain the trust and respect of the Barrayarans. Meanwhile, Miles also spends a long time in the book studying himself [in the proverbial mirror] and his bond with Barrayar, his family, and his tricky sexual relationships (there’s a fantastic line in the book where he notes he picks up lots of women but never puts them down).
Actually both Miles and Mark have to face some difficult realities about their sexual and/or romantic inclinations overall. LMB has a knack of including different types of genders and/or sexual orientations in such an organic way that makes the reader accept them all as normal without any qualms. She was ahead of her time (probably like all scifi writers) with regards to a lot of these still very topical debates.
She also focuses on PTSD in this book and, as per usual, she makes the reader understand more about this and other psychological issues quicker and easier than a hundred theses would achieve. She also touches on mortality and ageing, feminism and the rights of women to make their own decisions regarding childbirth, and genetic research.
Mirror Dance managed to have me chewing my fingernails with tension more than any of the other books thus far. Even though I know Miles is a continuing character in the series, I was genuinely scared for his fate. There are other moments too, when I was fretting over Aral and Mark.
It’s probably more dark than the other books too, with scenes of implied rape and torture that are heartbreaking and shocking.
A lot of readers claim that Miles's characterisation develops quite a bit in this book. I suppose this is true but what I found was that I realised how much I truly loved Miles after reading this book. Until this book I suppose I liked him but it wasn’t until he was [almost] absent for long periods and I was seeing his influence from other characters’ point of views that I realised I loved him. It also made me love a lot of the other characters more; some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book were those featuring the effect of Miles’s disappearance on his family and closest friends. Not that LMB ever overdoes anything. It’s probably the way she pulls on your heartstrings with such a soft touch that makes everything sadder. (Scenes featuring Illyan and Ivan, in particular, caused me to become quite teary.)
Not that it’s a depressing book. LMB’s trademark humour was still evident and she even threw in the start of a sweet romance.
At almost 600 pages, this was a long book compared to a lot of the other Vorkosigan ones. I was, however, surprised by how quickly I finished it. This is a testament to how LMB is when it comes to pacing and how effortlessly she keeps everything moving forward.
Easily 5 out of 5
July 4, 2018
Part of a Vorkosigan reread with the SpecFic Buddy Reads group in 2017/18. This is the last of the novels in the series that I hadn't read before and I'm very happy to say, probably my favorite since the very early books of the series.
Mark, Miles's young and erratic clone brother, reappears and again pretends to be Miles long enough to requisition a small Dendaari force to tackle some repellent activity on Jackson's Whole. Unfortunately, the raid is poorly conceived and even more poorly executed and Mark and Bel Thorne need to be rescued by Miles. But even then things don't go as planned and Miles dies (!?). Worse, his cryo-frozen body that may be able to be restored is missing.
This is told about half from the point of view of Miles and about half from the point of view of Mark. As in later volumes (notably Captain Vorpatril's Alliance), Mile's is a fascinating figure as seen from the outside. Mark has a very different background, much more torturous than Miles, but likewise nowhere near as driven to prove himself. So what we have here is a character with Miles's brilliance, but without the strong sense of self that helps underline everything that Miles does. The book goes into some effort to help Mark define that sense of self with significant time on Barryar for Mark while Miles's body is missing.
Interestingly, one of the elements in the book is the mental health of the Vorkosigan brothers, and while Mark is clearly not well, we get some commentary from Cordelia regarding Miles's health in this regard as well.
I will note there's a particularly gross scene with Mark and a very young woman (force-grown clone and enhanced through plastic surgery) that does illustrate Mark's mental problems, but also makes it very hard to sympathize with the character. You can see it as , and it's fairly clear that the young woman has no idea what was happening or that it was a violation, but it's not much of an excuse for the behavior or for other people overlooking it.
Mark, Miles's young and erratic clone brother, reappears and again pretends to be Miles long enough to requisition a small Dendaari force to tackle some repellent activity on Jackson's Whole. Unfortunately, the raid is poorly conceived and even more poorly executed and Mark and Bel Thorne need to be rescued by Miles. But even then things don't go as planned and Miles dies (!?). Worse, his cryo-frozen body that may be able to be restored is missing.
This is told about half from the point of view of Miles and about half from the point of view of Mark. As in later volumes (notably Captain Vorpatril's Alliance), Mile's is a fascinating figure as seen from the outside. Mark has a very different background, much more torturous than Miles, but likewise nowhere near as driven to prove himself. So what we have here is a character with Miles's brilliance, but without the strong sense of self that helps underline everything that Miles does. The book goes into some effort to help Mark define that sense of self with significant time on Barryar for Mark while Miles's body is missing.
Interestingly, one of the elements in the book is the mental health of the Vorkosigan brothers, and while Mark is clearly not well, we get some commentary from Cordelia regarding Miles's health in this regard as well.
I will note there's a particularly gross scene with Mark and a very young woman (force-grown clone and enhanced through plastic surgery) that does illustrate Mark's mental problems, but also makes it very hard to sympathize with the character. You can see it as , and it's fairly clear that the young woman has no idea what was happening or that it was a violation, but it's not much of an excuse for the behavior or for other people overlooking it.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
May 2, 2024
2024 reread
Am I depressed, or am I just at that part of Mirror Dance?
Reading a Vorkosigan book every two weeks is making me really see all the complex plotlines. I am boggled by the continuity. There are relatively few plot holes or misplaced things. It's an entire world dropped in, complete and real and amazingly convoluted and yet seemingly clear.
Mirror Dance is, objectively, the best of the Vorkosigan books, having one of the most stunning plotlines I have ever read (it's on my list of books I would love to read for the first time all over again, although I think that if I got that wish it would kill me). It is also the darkest of the Vorkosigan books.
I always repress the ED trigger warnings, and they smack me against the face again and again.
2021 reread
Fuck this book is amazing and heartwrenching and heartwarming and I suppose heartgrowing (IYKYK) too.
Am I depressed, or am I just at that part of Mirror Dance?
Reading a Vorkosigan book every two weeks is making me really see all the complex plotlines. I am boggled by the continuity. There are relatively few plot holes or misplaced things. It's an entire world dropped in, complete and real and amazingly convoluted and yet seemingly clear.
Mirror Dance is, objectively, the best of the Vorkosigan books, having one of the most stunning plotlines I have ever read (it's on my list of books I would love to read for the first time all over again, although I think that if I got that wish it would kill me). It is also the darkest of the Vorkosigan books.
I always repress the ED trigger warnings, and they smack me against the face again and again.
2021 reread
Fuck this book is amazing and heartwrenching and heartwarming and I suppose heartgrowing (IYKYK) too.
July 25, 2020
This is a novel that is part of Vorkosigan Saga, where we finally have some return of Cordelia. I read is as a part of Vorkosigan Saga challenge in July 2020 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group.
This review contains some spoilers of the previous book, Brothers in Arms.
The story starts with Mark (clone-brother of Miles) hitchhiking Denarii ship under the guise of his brother to proof that he is no worse a commander and to have a revenge on Jackson's Whole, which created him. What starts with a funny chase ends up in a tragedy that allows Mark to finally meet his parents.
A great depiction of traumatized and unsecured Mark, who grew up as a tool of revenge. There are some dark issues throughout the story, but just like say a rape in Shards of Honor they are shown as a serious problem but not overblown as in some other modern SF.
The book greatly balances with both serious issues and wry humor, definitely a worthy read
This review contains some spoilers of the previous book, Brothers in Arms.
The story starts with Mark (clone-brother of Miles) hitchhiking Denarii ship under the guise of his brother to proof that he is no worse a commander and to have a revenge on Jackson's Whole, which created him. What starts with a funny chase ends up in a tragedy that allows Mark to finally meet his parents.
A great depiction of traumatized and unsecured Mark, who grew up as a tool of revenge. There are some dark issues throughout the story, but just like say a rape in Shards of Honor they are shown as a serious problem but not overblown as in some other modern SF.
The book greatly balances with both serious issues and wry humor, definitely a worthy read
August 2, 2017
Must be the darkest book in the series. And since most of it is not from Miles's PoV there is no sarcasm and humour to soften the blows. That said it had some some really touching moments when I wanted to give the book 5*. The most highlights in the series.
I expected headcount towards the end - but worry not - the ending is positive.
"People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people. There is none in the universe at large. Solitary confinement is a punishment in every human culture."
"All . . . true wealth . . . is biological."
"Do brains make up for all the rest? In the female view?"
"Not to every woman, I suppose. Just to the smart ones."
"I once thought—I only found this out when I grew old, understand—that there is no more terrible fate than to become the mentor. To be able to tell how, yet not to do. To send your protege out, all bright and beautiful, to stand your fire . . . I think I've found a worse fate. To send your student out knowing damn well you haven't had a chance to teach enough. . . . Be smart, boy. Duck fast. Don't sell yourself to your enemy in advance, in your mind. You can only be defeated here." He touched his hands to his temples.
I expected headcount towards the end - but worry not - the ending is positive.
"People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people. There is none in the universe at large. Solitary confinement is a punishment in every human culture."
"All . . . true wealth . . . is biological."
"Do brains make up for all the rest? In the female view?"
"Not to every woman, I suppose. Just to the smart ones."
"I once thought—I only found this out when I grew old, understand—that there is no more terrible fate than to become the mentor. To be able to tell how, yet not to do. To send your protege out, all bright and beautiful, to stand your fire . . . I think I've found a worse fate. To send your student out knowing damn well you haven't had a chance to teach enough. . . . Be smart, boy. Duck fast. Don't sell yourself to your enemy in advance, in your mind. You can only be defeated here." He touched his hands to his temples.
June 26, 2017
I tend to skip this one when I reread the series, these days. Indeed, this is probably only the second time I've read this one. That last quarter or so is just very hard to go through. It colors so much of the following books, though, and since I was listening with Melissa so she could hold me through the night terrors, I endured it again. And upped my unfair rating to where it should be and realized, once again, how much I love Bujold's stories and sheer brilliance.
July 27, 2012
I'm a little tempted to include some of these on my "Spy-Fi" shelf, LOL.
I was advised for a long time to read the Miles Vorkosigan series, but as it's another rather long series I had put it off. Now that I've started I think I owe a thank you to all those who kept recommending them. I've read several books by Lois McMaster Bujold. Some I've liked greatly others, frankly I almost disliked by the time I got through them. These are in my estimation the best so far.
I haven't read all these in order so I was aware of some of what happens here before I went into the book, that didn't take away from the book at all. As I read I filled in details of the story that made a couple of things I'd already read clearer. The writing here is consistent. The characters are "themselves". By that I don't mean they stay the same but the way they grow is coherent and believable. I went directly from this book into the one that follows it as I hadn't read that one either.
Are there any drawbacks? Yes I think there are though what I see as a drawback may not bother others as much. It seems to me that books take a while to get going, to find their stride. There were a couple I was very disenchanted with at first (including this one) but then, like an early generation star ship slowly accelerating toward the speed of light over a period of months the story was suddenly charging ahead, pulling me in and holding my interest.
So, 4 stars not quite 5 but an excellent installment to an excellent series.
I was advised for a long time to read the Miles Vorkosigan series, but as it's another rather long series I had put it off. Now that I've started I think I owe a thank you to all those who kept recommending them. I've read several books by Lois McMaster Bujold. Some I've liked greatly others, frankly I almost disliked by the time I got through them. These are in my estimation the best so far.
I haven't read all these in order so I was aware of some of what happens here before I went into the book, that didn't take away from the book at all. As I read I filled in details of the story that made a couple of things I'd already read clearer. The writing here is consistent. The characters are "themselves". By that I don't mean they stay the same but the way they grow is coherent and believable. I went directly from this book into the one that follows it as I hadn't read that one either.
Are there any drawbacks? Yes I think there are though what I see as a drawback may not bother others as much. It seems to me that books take a while to get going, to find their stride. There were a couple I was very disenchanted with at first (including this one) but then, like an early generation star ship slowly accelerating toward the speed of light over a period of months the story was suddenly charging ahead, pulling me in and holding my interest.
So, 4 stars not quite 5 but an excellent installment to an excellent series.
July 11, 2014
**edited 11/28/13
When Mark Vorkosigan looks in a mirror, he doesn't quite know what stares back. Mark was created a clone, trained as an assassin, intended to replace his progenitor, Miles Vorkosigan, as part of an attack against the infamous Lord Vorkosigan of Barrayar. But Mark failed spectacularly in carrying out his task, partially because of the discovery that Miles himself has constructed an artificial identity as Admiral Miles Naismith of the Dendarii Free Mercenaries. Now Mark again plans to step out of the mirror to assume the identity of his clone brother, this time as his Naismith persona. For Mark to regain his sense of self, he wants to go back to his birthplace, the ruthless and ruleless Jackson's Whole, to rescue the other clones from their dismal fates. But Mark is merely a doppelganger; he lacks Miles' addiction to adrenaline and furious thinking in the face of adversity. When that desperate moment comes, can Mark carry out Miles' dance in his place?
Mirror Dance is one of my favourite books in the Vorkosigan Saga. Sure, it's a rip-roaring adventure involving at least three heists--I rather lost count--but it also touches upon the profound.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy,
the rest of my (rather verbose) review is posted on my blog.
When Mark Vorkosigan looks in a mirror, he doesn't quite know what stares back. Mark was created a clone, trained as an assassin, intended to replace his progenitor, Miles Vorkosigan, as part of an attack against the infamous Lord Vorkosigan of Barrayar. But Mark failed spectacularly in carrying out his task, partially because of the discovery that Miles himself has constructed an artificial identity as Admiral Miles Naismith of the Dendarii Free Mercenaries. Now Mark again plans to step out of the mirror to assume the identity of his clone brother, this time as his Naismith persona. For Mark to regain his sense of self, he wants to go back to his birthplace, the ruthless and ruleless Jackson's Whole, to rescue the other clones from their dismal fates. But Mark is merely a doppelganger; he lacks Miles' addiction to adrenaline and furious thinking in the face of adversity. When that desperate moment comes, can Mark carry out Miles' dance in his place?
Mirror Dance is one of my favourite books in the Vorkosigan Saga. Sure, it's a rip-roaring adventure involving at least three heists--I rather lost count--but it also touches upon the profound.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy,
the rest of my (rather verbose) review is posted on my blog.
May 2, 2019
4.5 stars
It's probably because I've watched SO many hours of Game of Thrones that I can't help but associate Tyrion Lannister with Miles Vorkosigan. On top of the personality similarities, did you know that Miles and Peter Dinklage are even approximately the same height? How can I not think of Miles Vorkosigan as Tyrion Lannister in space and raised by much better parents?
This book gives a view of Miles raised in radically different circumstances in the form of his clone brother, Mark. Bujold again excels at characterization as she brings Mark to the fore, and we see the differences and similarities of personality between the two men. Mark isn't presented as an evil twin, or perhaps even worse, a pale copy of Miles. He is very much his own person, with as many layers revealed in Mirror Dance as I am sure there are to come in subsequent books.
The saga continues to impress as the story stays fresh and evolving, relying as much or more on deepening the existing characters as it does on introducing interesting new ones.
As far as the audiobook is concerned, I really love the narrator, Grover Gardner. He has a dry, sardonic voice that compliments and enhances the tone of an already vivid story.
It's probably because I've watched SO many hours of Game of Thrones that I can't help but associate Tyrion Lannister with Miles Vorkosigan. On top of the personality similarities, did you know that Miles and Peter Dinklage are even approximately the same height? How can I not think of Miles Vorkosigan as Tyrion Lannister in space and raised by much better parents?
This book gives a view of Miles raised in radically different circumstances in the form of his clone brother, Mark. Bujold again excels at characterization as she brings Mark to the fore, and we see the differences and similarities of personality between the two men. Mark isn't presented as an evil twin, or perhaps even worse, a pale copy of Miles. He is very much his own person, with as many layers revealed in Mirror Dance as I am sure there are to come in subsequent books.
The saga continues to impress as the story stays fresh and evolving, relying as much or more on deepening the existing characters as it does on introducing interesting new ones.
As far as the audiobook is concerned, I really love the narrator, Grover Gardner. He has a dry, sardonic voice that compliments and enhances the tone of an already vivid story.
July 28, 2014
Despite the whole evil-twin setup, this novel pulls off something much deeper and exciting than I would have expected. Twists and turns, complicated plots, and severe complications are studded in this novel. It's more than satisfying to read, and it sucks you in quite nicely.
Mile's corpulent brother has become more than fascinating in his own right. His growth is not only in his waistline. :) His black gang friends are very humorous. I'm glad to know that Mile's genes can express his insanity in so many flavors.
The first time I read it, I was shocked by the main reversal. I think I even yelled at the book. This was okay. I was surrounded by many people in the English department that often did the same thing. It became a mark of pride in whatever you were reading if it evoked such a strong reaction without making you also throw the book across the room.
I HAD to KNOW, and that drive was enough to make me stay up all night both times I read the novel, tearing through it and sacrificing health to do so. You know, just like Miles would.
Mile's corpulent brother has become more than fascinating in his own right. His growth is not only in his waistline. :) His black gang friends are very humorous. I'm glad to know that Mile's genes can express his insanity in so many flavors.
The first time I read it, I was shocked by the main reversal. I think I even yelled at the book. This was okay. I was surrounded by many people in the English department that often did the same thing. It became a mark of pride in whatever you were reading if it evoked such a strong reaction without making you also throw the book across the room.
I HAD to KNOW, and that drive was enough to make me stay up all night both times I read the novel, tearing through it and sacrificing health to do so. You know, just like Miles would.
January 30, 2010
4.0 stars. Another well-written, well-polotted and interesting story involving one of the best characters ever created, Miles Vorkosigan.
Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1995)
Winner: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1995)
Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1995)
Winner: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1995)
January 21, 2010
I've been rather under the weather lately. I've done too much physically and my CFS has come along and thwacked me around the head to remind me it's still there. As a result, my brain isn't running on full steam either. So I don't have this post quite planned out in my head and I don't know how coherent I'm going to be. However, I know that the longer I put it off, the more and more likely it becomes that I won't write anything at all. So here we go. I'll start typing and we'll see what happens.
This is a reread for me, being read as the part of the Vorkosigan Series Read with the Beyond Reality group on Goodreads. I'm not sure how many times I've read it - it feels like the answer should be "many" but I rather suspect it is less times than I imagine. All the same, it's a book I remember as a favourite and the point where the series turns from books I really enjoy to books I love.
All the same, I was nervous about reading it. For once, I even knew why. You see, as the book begins, one of the two main protagonists does something incredibly stupid. I've always been very embarrassed for characters than do this kind of thing. I'll put the book down and need to take a breather (a few seconds or a few days, sometimes it can run long enough the make the book a DNF). If it's on TV I'll get up and leave the room and I think the only time I ever walked out of a movie before it finished was for this reason.
And in this case, that character, he's very close to being my favourite character in the series. Miles is such a brilliant creation that he remains my favourite, but Mark is always right there behind him breathing down his neck. And yes, it is Mark who does the colossally stupid thing. What makes it worse is that he doesn't actually do it out of stupidity, but from inexperience and youth and a desperate urge to get out of Miles' shadow and be a hero in his own right.
The problem is that Mark isn't Miles, no matter how much he was conditioned to be so, and he can't be a hero like Miles. The triumph of this book is that Mark gradually discovers that he can be a hero like Mark.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I was talking about being nervous about reading the book. To do so, I was going to have to go through that with Mark and Miles and the other characters and watch it all unfold - and unfold badly. I tried to express this in a conversation on the group and was struggling to find the right words, and one of the other readers came back with "cringe". And yes, that's it exactly. If Mark had just being an idiot doing something idiotic, I could grimace a bit, but just think "well, you had that coming." But Mark isn't actually an idiot and he's trying so desperately hard (and is terrified the whole time but still keeps on going) and still he totally screws everything up. It makes me cringe.
In fact, it makes me cringe in advance, just when I start thinking that I'm going to have to read it soon. It doesn't help that Mark does something else awful, not out of meanness or maliciousness or evil, but out the situation of his very, very screwed-up childhood and upbringing. Yes, he's much more at fault in this case, but not competely and again, I cringe.
When I look at the dates I started and finished this book, I can break it down into the early "cringe" part of the novel and the rest. I would guess that it took me 4 days to read the first third of the novel and 2 to read the last two-thirds. Once I got past the hard bit, I couldn't stop reading and just kept going until I was finished.
Which brings me to the point of this very long ramble before I even move on to the meat of the book. I don't find the first part of the book cringe-worthy because it is bad; it is because it is just so damn good. You're right there with Mark; Bujold makes you understand his motivations right along with his dreams and his errors and his ignorance. If you start reading Mirror Dance and like me, find yourself cringing as you read this early part - please, please, please don't give up on the book. The payout at the end is so very worth it. In fact, you start getting payout on your uncomfortableness (yes, I know that's not a word but it best describes what I'm getting at) long before you get to the end of the book. Please stick it out. You'll be rewarded.
As for the rest of the book, on some levels it is another space adventure like earlier Vorkosigan books, but I think it is also something deeper. This is a book about identity. This has been a theme in earlier books in the series as Miles juggles Lord Vorkosigan and Admiral Naismaith, but here with the presence of Mark and the events towards the end of the book, it becomes so much more about identity than any of the earlier books have been.
For the first section of the book, Mark is never mentioned by name. We get several chapters entirely from his point of view, but still Bujold only uses "he" to identify her protagonist. While Miles gave him the name Mark back on Earth in Brothers in Arms, he hasn't chosen to claim it for himself, and sees himself essentially as without an identity. Or more importantly, if he doesn't identify with Miles himself, there's no-one left to be him. So he swans along to the Dendarii, posing as Admiral Naismith, and sends them on a mission of his own choosing, always angry with him that they don’t recognise that is, in fact, not Naismith. But all the same, he is not Miles and everything falls apart around him.
That's the cringe-worthy but good stuff. From there it moves on to the still good but no longer cringe-worthy stuff. With Miles out of the picture (I'm not going to tell you why or how as that's a spectacular spoiler), the remaining Dendarii, headed by Quinn, send Mark off to Barrayar. There he discovers he has a number of relatives, the most astounding of these being his parents (or grandparents, or parents-once-removed, or whatever you call people due to the tricky legalities of cloning). In her usual, clear-headed way Cordelia soon sets him straight that she would like to be, if he will let her, simply his newly-met mother. These people don't compare him to Miles (or not much), they don't expect him to do anything for them, they just want him to be a person in his own right - Lord Mark Pierre Vorkosigan. The problem, of course, as that he has no idea who that is or how to be him.
All the same, he slowly begins to learn.
There's a lovely part quite early on in his time of Barrayar, where Mark and Aral are talking and it is brought up that they have all studied each other and know a lot about each other.
And this is a core of the identity issue here. Mark can't study to be himself - or Miles for that matter. All he can do is accept the potential of Mark and slowly find out what that is and who he can become.
The lovely thing about the book is that he does. It takes a while, but he does. As the action moves away from Barrayar and back into the wider galactic sphere, that respite on Barrayar (despite having some high drama of its own) has given Mark some time to take tentative steps towards developing an identity of his own. He's beginning to realise he has a mind just as smart as Miles' is; it's just that he can and wants to use it in different ways. He's had people around him react with him directly as Mark instead of as a substitute Miles (whether they know the truth about it all or not). True, that identity isn't very far developed yet, but it's enough that he knows he wants to discover who Mark is, not get tossed back into being the no-one/anyone he was before.
Meanwhile, there's Miles. When we re-encounter him, he's lost his memory. (This is foreshadowed early in the book and relates to Mark's colossal blunder, so I'm going to mention it but work very hard to avoid any conspicuous spoilers.) That brilliant brain is still spinning at its usual rate, but without the background knowledge and information he usually has, he can't make the leaps of intuition he usually does to take control of the situation. Instead Mark reappears, steely and determined to rescue his big brother which leaves Miles, even memory-less, feeling like he's lost control of situation in which he should be in charge.
From there, all the strands begin to weave themselves back together again, to the point where Miles, memory returned, sets out to rescue Mark, only to find his baby brother has already done it for himself and perhaps, even with his personality back together, he's not quite so in control of things as he always imagined he was.
Bujold does do some pretty nasty things to Mark in this book (I'm not going to say what) but they are all implied rather than shown and I'm perfectly happy to leave it that way. We get the full force of Mark's triumph without needing the gory details. Personally, I find this much easier to read than the cringe-worthy first section.
It is also lovely to see Aral and Cordelia back on their own turf, so to speak. Cordelia is her usual, clear-eyed self and her outsider’s view helps Mark appreciate the ways the reality of Barrayar doesn’t match the lies he was taught by Galen. But mostly, it is her honest, not necessarily comforting assessments of her husband and both her sons that take me love her all over again. Aral, Barrayaran to his soul even with his galactic wife, struggles with the whole mess that is so outside his experience, but remains the solid, stubborn and honest man we know him to be. And the book is almost worth it’s cover price just for the fun of watching Cordelia face down Simon Illyan and defeat him absolutely.
Another thing I like about this book is that by the end, Mark isn't actually fixed. He knows who he is and he's at peace with that - but he also knows that he's very screwed up inside his head and needs to do something about it. With Cordelia's support, he voluntarily decides to head off to Beta Colony for some serious therapy (which is apparently pretty good if they're not working on false assumptions like they were with Cordelia back in Shards of Honor). There's even a hint that in a more distant future, when she's older and he's less damaged, he might get the girl (I'm still holding out for that to happen).
To finish on a fun note, my favourite line of the book comes when Miles tries to explain about Mark (although not the Vorkosigan part) and what he has done.
This is an excellent book that sets us up for several more of my favourite books to come as I love Memory perhaps best of all, and love Komarr and A Civil Campaign especially for one of the new characters they introduce. I'm looking forward to it.
I love me a Vorkosigan book with Miles in it; but I love me even more a Vorkosigan book with both Miles and Mark in it. Mirror Dance is the reason why. The journey Mark takes in this book carries me along with it and leaves me exhausted and satisfied at the end. I cringe so much at the beginning because I so desperately want Mark to succeed and it hurts when he does the exact opposite. I don't know quite why I emphasise with him as much as I do, but the fact is that I do.
I love this book. I love this series. If you haven't, give it/them a try and stick with it through the cringe. I don't think you'll regret it.
This is a reread for me, being read as the part of the Vorkosigan Series Read with the Beyond Reality group on Goodreads. I'm not sure how many times I've read it - it feels like the answer should be "many" but I rather suspect it is less times than I imagine. All the same, it's a book I remember as a favourite and the point where the series turns from books I really enjoy to books I love.
All the same, I was nervous about reading it. For once, I even knew why. You see, as the book begins, one of the two main protagonists does something incredibly stupid. I've always been very embarrassed for characters than do this kind of thing. I'll put the book down and need to take a breather (a few seconds or a few days, sometimes it can run long enough the make the book a DNF). If it's on TV I'll get up and leave the room and I think the only time I ever walked out of a movie before it finished was for this reason.
And in this case, that character, he's very close to being my favourite character in the series. Miles is such a brilliant creation that he remains my favourite, but Mark is always right there behind him breathing down his neck. And yes, it is Mark who does the colossally stupid thing. What makes it worse is that he doesn't actually do it out of stupidity, but from inexperience and youth and a desperate urge to get out of Miles' shadow and be a hero in his own right.
The problem is that Mark isn't Miles, no matter how much he was conditioned to be so, and he can't be a hero like Miles. The triumph of this book is that Mark gradually discovers that he can be a hero like Mark.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I was talking about being nervous about reading the book. To do so, I was going to have to go through that with Mark and Miles and the other characters and watch it all unfold - and unfold badly. I tried to express this in a conversation on the group and was struggling to find the right words, and one of the other readers came back with "cringe". And yes, that's it exactly. If Mark had just being an idiot doing something idiotic, I could grimace a bit, but just think "well, you had that coming." But Mark isn't actually an idiot and he's trying so desperately hard (and is terrified the whole time but still keeps on going) and still he totally screws everything up. It makes me cringe.
In fact, it makes me cringe in advance, just when I start thinking that I'm going to have to read it soon. It doesn't help that Mark does something else awful, not out of meanness or maliciousness or evil, but out the situation of his very, very screwed-up childhood and upbringing. Yes, he's much more at fault in this case, but not competely and again, I cringe.
When I look at the dates I started and finished this book, I can break it down into the early "cringe" part of the novel and the rest. I would guess that it took me 4 days to read the first third of the novel and 2 to read the last two-thirds. Once I got past the hard bit, I couldn't stop reading and just kept going until I was finished.
Which brings me to the point of this very long ramble before I even move on to the meat of the book. I don't find the first part of the book cringe-worthy because it is bad; it is because it is just so damn good. You're right there with Mark; Bujold makes you understand his motivations right along with his dreams and his errors and his ignorance. If you start reading Mirror Dance and like me, find yourself cringing as you read this early part - please, please, please don't give up on the book. The payout at the end is so very worth it. In fact, you start getting payout on your uncomfortableness (yes, I know that's not a word but it best describes what I'm getting at) long before you get to the end of the book. Please stick it out. You'll be rewarded.
As for the rest of the book, on some levels it is another space adventure like earlier Vorkosigan books, but I think it is also something deeper. This is a book about identity. This has been a theme in earlier books in the series as Miles juggles Lord Vorkosigan and Admiral Naismaith, but here with the presence of Mark and the events towards the end of the book, it becomes so much more about identity than any of the earlier books have been.
For the first section of the book, Mark is never mentioned by name. We get several chapters entirely from his point of view, but still Bujold only uses "he" to identify her protagonist. While Miles gave him the name Mark back on Earth in Brothers in Arms, he hasn't chosen to claim it for himself, and sees himself essentially as without an identity. Or more importantly, if he doesn't identify with Miles himself, there's no-one left to be him. So he swans along to the Dendarii, posing as Admiral Naismith, and sends them on a mission of his own choosing, always angry with him that they don’t recognise that is, in fact, not Naismith. But all the same, he is not Miles and everything falls apart around him.
That's the cringe-worthy but good stuff. From there it moves on to the still good but no longer cringe-worthy stuff. With Miles out of the picture (I'm not going to tell you why or how as that's a spectacular spoiler), the remaining Dendarii, headed by Quinn, send Mark off to Barrayar. There he discovers he has a number of relatives, the most astounding of these being his parents (or grandparents, or parents-once-removed, or whatever you call people due to the tricky legalities of cloning). In her usual, clear-headed way Cordelia soon sets him straight that she would like to be, if he will let her, simply his newly-met mother. These people don't compare him to Miles (or not much), they don't expect him to do anything for them, they just want him to be a person in his own right - Lord Mark Pierre Vorkosigan. The problem, of course, as that he has no idea who that is or how to be him.
All the same, he slowly begins to learn.
There's a lovely part quite early on in his time of Barrayar, where Mark and Aral are talking and it is brought up that they have all studied each other and know a lot about each other.
"So what's the test?" [asks Mark:]
"Ah, that's the trick of it. It's not a test. It's real life." [Aral answers:]
And this is a core of the identity issue here. Mark can't study to be himself - or Miles for that matter. All he can do is accept the potential of Mark and slowly find out what that is and who he can become.
The lovely thing about the book is that he does. It takes a while, but he does. As the action moves away from Barrayar and back into the wider galactic sphere, that respite on Barrayar (despite having some high drama of its own) has given Mark some time to take tentative steps towards developing an identity of his own. He's beginning to realise he has a mind just as smart as Miles' is; it's just that he can and wants to use it in different ways. He's had people around him react with him directly as Mark instead of as a substitute Miles (whether they know the truth about it all or not). True, that identity isn't very far developed yet, but it's enough that he knows he wants to discover who Mark is, not get tossed back into being the no-one/anyone he was before.
Meanwhile, there's Miles. When we re-encounter him, he's lost his memory. (This is foreshadowed early in the book and relates to Mark's colossal blunder, so I'm going to mention it but work very hard to avoid any conspicuous spoilers.) That brilliant brain is still spinning at its usual rate, but without the background knowledge and information he usually has, he can't make the leaps of intuition he usually does to take control of the situation. Instead Mark reappears, steely and determined to rescue his big brother which leaves Miles, even memory-less, feeling like he's lost control of situation in which he should be in charge.
From there, all the strands begin to weave themselves back together again, to the point where Miles, memory returned, sets out to rescue Mark, only to find his baby brother has already done it for himself and perhaps, even with his personality back together, he's not quite so in control of things as he always imagined he was.
Bujold does do some pretty nasty things to Mark in this book (I'm not going to say what) but they are all implied rather than shown and I'm perfectly happy to leave it that way. We get the full force of Mark's triumph without needing the gory details. Personally, I find this much easier to read than the cringe-worthy first section.
It is also lovely to see Aral and Cordelia back on their own turf, so to speak. Cordelia is her usual, clear-eyed self and her outsider’s view helps Mark appreciate the ways the reality of Barrayar doesn’t match the lies he was taught by Galen. But mostly, it is her honest, not necessarily comforting assessments of her husband and both her sons that take me love her all over again. Aral, Barrayaran to his soul even with his galactic wife, struggles with the whole mess that is so outside his experience, but remains the solid, stubborn and honest man we know him to be. And the book is almost worth it’s cover price just for the fun of watching Cordelia face down Simon Illyan and defeat him absolutely.
Another thing I like about this book is that by the end, Mark isn't actually fixed. He knows who he is and he's at peace with that - but he also knows that he's very screwed up inside his head and needs to do something about it. With Cordelia's support, he voluntarily decides to head off to Beta Colony for some serious therapy (which is apparently pretty good if they're not working on false assumptions like they were with Cordelia back in Shards of Honor). There's even a hint that in a more distant future, when she's older and he's less damaged, he might get the girl (I'm still holding out for that to happen).
To finish on a fun note, my favourite line of the book comes when Miles tries to explain about Mark (although not the Vorkosigan part) and what he has done.
"You see," Miles explained in a hollow voice to the What-the-hell-are-they-talking-about portion of the room, "some people have an evil twin. I am not so lucky. What I have is an idiot twin."
This is an excellent book that sets us up for several more of my favourite books to come as I love Memory perhaps best of all, and love Komarr and A Civil Campaign especially for one of the new characters they introduce. I'm looking forward to it.
I love me a Vorkosigan book with Miles in it; but I love me even more a Vorkosigan book with both Miles and Mark in it. Mirror Dance is the reason why. The journey Mark takes in this book carries me along with it and leaves me exhausted and satisfied at the end. I cringe so much at the beginning because I so desperately want Mark to succeed and it hurts when he does the exact opposite. I don't know quite why I emphasise with him as much as I do, but the fact is that I do.
I love this book. I love this series. If you haven't, give it/them a try and stick with it through the cringe. I don't think you'll regret it.
August 27, 2014
And we're back to Mark! Eeeennnteresting. What's even more interesting are the ways in which this Vorkosigan book has a large chunk there in the middle without any Miles in it! I was shocked when that happened, and I'm trying very hard to figure out how to allude to what happened without giving it away. I wasn't sure how a Miles book without Miles would work.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
June 4, 2020
Menudo viaje. Hasta ahora, el mejor libro de la saga. Todo un deleite y a la vez un sufrimiento ver crecer a Mark hasta encontrarse a si mismo. Ahora que los protagonistas ya rondan la treintena, es el momento de hacer un pequeño parón y leer un par de otros libros, para afrontar ya el resto de la saga del tirón hasta el final.
September 29, 2022
Somehow this book got me to both hate and love the character of Mark.
April 28, 2017
This is a hard book to read, painful at moments, and yet I think it draws power from those very things. Miles's clone brother Mark, who is trying very hard to be Lord Mark Vorkosigan, is deeply damaged, and his disastrous attempt to rescue fifty clones from House Bharaputra has far-reaching consequences I can't discuss without venturing into spoiler territory. But despite their effects on Miles (who is, after all, the hero of this series), this book is ultimately about Mark even when, like the titular mirror dance, he's following in his brother's wake.
I find the last...quarter, maybe?...of the book deeply moving, and I'm not sure whether it's that Bujold dared to make Mark a true sacrifice, or whether it's how Mark saves himself. But in the end, everyone is neatly positioned for the roles they'll play in Memory, which is my favorite.
This book is not for the faint-hearted in a lot of ways, and I think Bujold was wise to move from this one to writing Cetaganda, which was a much-needed relief, though I don't think I appreciated that at the time. I'm enjoying the audiobook presentations and am looking forward to moving on to Memory.
I find the last...quarter, maybe?...of the book deeply moving, and I'm not sure whether it's that Bujold dared to make Mark a true sacrifice, or whether it's how Mark saves himself. But in the end, everyone is neatly positioned for the roles they'll play in Memory, which is my favorite.
This book is not for the faint-hearted in a lot of ways, and I think Bujold was wise to move from this one to writing Cetaganda, which was a much-needed relief, though I don't think I appreciated that at the time. I'm enjoying the audiobook presentations and am looking forward to moving on to Memory.
October 23, 2014
It's a tough call on this book. It started out slow, got kind of crappy, then finished fantastically. Excellently read again.
The first third had a lot of back story in it. If a person hadn't read any of the series, they would appreciate it. BUT, it's a series. Skip books at your own risk & let those of us who have read it read the new story.
The middle got into Mark's head until it was just boring. He had a horrible life & a lot to figure out.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
(Bored yet? I was.)
Saying anything about the end would spoil it, so I'll just say that once the action picked back up, the story flew along & dragged me along. Totally worth putting up with the rest.
The first third had a lot of back story in it. If a person hadn't read any of the series, they would appreciate it. BUT, it's a series. Skip books at your own risk & let those of us who have read it read the new story.
The middle got into Mark's head until it was just boring. He had a horrible life & a lot to figure out.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
Got it.
(Bored yet? I was.)
Saying anything about the end would spoil it, so I'll just say that once the action picked back up, the story flew along & dragged me along. Totally worth putting up with the rest.
August 7, 2021
Jo Walton's is the review to read:
https://www.tor.com/2009/04/09/all-tr...
"Mirror Dance is my favourite of the Vorkosigan series. It’s the third Hugo winner of the series, and Bujold’s third Hugo award-winning novel in a row."
Time for a reread, I think.
https://www.tor.com/2009/04/09/all-tr...
"Mirror Dance is my favourite of the Vorkosigan series. It’s the third Hugo winner of the series, and Bujold’s third Hugo award-winning novel in a row."
Time for a reread, I think.
February 17, 2020
Hay momentos en la vida de los pueblos en los que las apuestas se doblan. No me refiero por supuesto a los 'stakes' que están en juego en la novela, porque al final en esta saga las consecuencias para el universo han sido mayores prácticamente desde el libro uno. Tampoco en las vidas privadas de los personajes, porque eso también ha ocurrido desde el principio. Me refiero a que, en un grupo de novelas hay un momento en el cual los protagonistas comienzan a caer en un patrón y el autor, ya sea por su propia evolución literaria o sólo para echarle picante al caldo, decide mover el tapete.
El ejemplo más típico de este fenómeno pasa con El Cáliz de Fuego. Todavía recuerdo mi shock y ese cambio firme entre la emoción, el descreimiento y la mortificación por lo que había pasado al final. Era un territorio nuevo para los personajes. Y tras el pequeño preludio (que admito, no me gustó mucho) que vimos en Hermanos de Armas, es el turno de que ocurra algo análogo con la Saga Vorkosigan.
Han llamado a ésta la novela más oscura de la Saga Vorkosigan (amén de que también es la más larga). Ante la bipolaridad de Miles, Mark es disociado y practica el auto-odio con delectación. Los momentos más oscuros y la desesperación más honda en la vida del original sólo son pinceladas ante el cuadro tupido de pintarrajos de la vida del clon, que alcanza un giro un tanto sorpresivo y tremendamente sádico en el tercer acto, casi hasta el punto de parecer fuera de tono con el resto de la saga. La presión de Miles y las expectativas que pesan sobre él son un día de campo (o algo similar) si se comparan con la vida en el espejo. Y en esta novela, comparando lo que le pasa a cada uno, la verdad no hay a quién irle. Pero todo se refleja muy bien en cuanto a temas y arcos. La novela cumple su función de ser una danza de espejos.
Leyendo un par de entrevistas a Bujold, me fui dando más y más cuenta que ella es uno de los escritores llamados "jardineros", que ven la historia en general y van sembrando cositas por acá y por allá hasta hacer florecer un jardín, sin preocuparse en mantener tanto el esbozo. Tengo una nota mental que esto funciona maravillas con las series que no están forzadas a terminar en un punto fijo y cuyas historias mayor o menormente pueden leerse en desorden. Por eso Pratchett funciona tan bien haciendo florecer al Mundodisco y por eso los dos autores cuyos libros llevan ya casi diez años de prometidos (ustedes saben quiénes son) parecen tener la historia contra la pared. En el caso de Bujold, dice en entrevista que su idea durante una buena parte de la saga era narrar una historia, pasar a otra y luego regresar a la primera para crear una novela "par" que construyera sobre ella para enriquecer el mundo. Fragmentos de Honor y Barrayar hacen un par. El Aprendiz de Guerrero y El Juego de los Vor hacen otro. Uno más es el de Hermanos de Armas y Danza de Espejos. Y el último el de Komarr y Una Campaña Civil. Recuerdos, una de las novelas más importantes de la saga, es una que construye sobre todo lo anterior. Así, no es sorpresa que de todos estos pares, el segundo volumen siempre es el mejor y casualmente tres de ellos son los que ganaron los famosos Hugo a mejor novela. En éste, se trata de un arco 98% para Mark Vorkosigan, y el 2% restante para Miles. Pero ese arco de Mark, con el peligro de ser algo parecido al de su hermano, sale bien librado y genera una novela de lo más sólida y sin casi ninguna duda, merecedora de su Hugo.
Otro aspecto fenomenal es ver el crecimiento de algunos personajes y viendo su interacción, reconocer cómo han evolucionado viejos amigos. Aral y Cordelia, por supuesto, pero también mi generalmente favorito Emperador Gregor. Y lo que se empieza a notar es el cambio de uno de los grandes protagonistas de la saga (y del cual casi no hablamos): el propio Barrayar. Hay notas importantes sobre cómo el replicador uterino está empezando una revolución, cómo la juventud -la generación de miles- ya tiene otras ideas y otras costumbres y cómo la paz ha traído prosperidad al planeta. Difícilmente se reconoce al Barrayar que vimos en Fragmentos de Honor con sus psicópatas y sus oficiales políticos.
Yo tenía una idea diferente de Danza de Espejos: me imaginaba que se trataría de una aventura espacial con una carrera loca por todo el nexus de los agujeros de gusano tratando de encontrar cierta cámara criogénica. Así, me sorprendió hallarme un largo segundo acto en Barrayar, con Aral y Cordelia tomando un rol cuasi protagónico que no tomaban desde casi el principio de la saga. A estas alturas del partido hay muchos personajes que considero muy cercanos y ver su evolución me reporta mucha calidez y satisfacción. Como viejos amigos. Además, las escenas que pasan en las fiestas de Barrayar con todo su boato me sacan un poco de lo espacial y me hacen sentir en un rango entre El Prisionero de Zenda (novela que adoro) y un cuento de hadas.
Una parte de mí no está muy segura de dar este rating. No sé si sea por conocerla ya bien, pero en esta novela ya se nota mucho qué es lo que pretende Bujold. Lo que va a pasar en la novela siguiente se ve venir a leguas. Hay un insta-love un tanto atrabancado. Pero lo perdono porque estoy enamorado de estos libros.
El ejemplo más típico de este fenómeno pasa con El Cáliz de Fuego. Todavía recuerdo mi shock y ese cambio firme entre la emoción, el descreimiento y la mortificación por lo que había pasado al final. Era un territorio nuevo para los personajes. Y tras el pequeño preludio (que admito, no me gustó mucho) que vimos en Hermanos de Armas, es el turno de que ocurra algo análogo con la Saga Vorkosigan.
Han llamado a ésta la novela más oscura de la Saga Vorkosigan (amén de que también es la más larga). Ante la bipolaridad de Miles, Mark es disociado y practica el auto-odio con delectación. Los momentos más oscuros y la desesperación más honda en la vida del original sólo son pinceladas ante el cuadro tupido de pintarrajos de la vida del clon, que alcanza un giro un tanto sorpresivo y tremendamente sádico en el tercer acto, casi hasta el punto de parecer fuera de tono con el resto de la saga. La presión de Miles y las expectativas que pesan sobre él son un día de campo (o algo similar) si se comparan con la vida en el espejo. Y en esta novela, comparando lo que le pasa a cada uno, la verdad no hay a quién irle. Pero todo se refleja muy bien en cuanto a temas y arcos. La novela cumple su función de ser una danza de espejos.
Leyendo un par de entrevistas a Bujold, me fui dando más y más cuenta que ella es uno de los escritores llamados "jardineros", que ven la historia en general y van sembrando cositas por acá y por allá hasta hacer florecer un jardín, sin preocuparse en mantener tanto el esbozo. Tengo una nota mental que esto funciona maravillas con las series que no están forzadas a terminar en un punto fijo y cuyas historias mayor o menormente pueden leerse en desorden. Por eso Pratchett funciona tan bien haciendo florecer al Mundodisco y por eso los dos autores cuyos libros llevan ya casi diez años de prometidos (ustedes saben quiénes son) parecen tener la historia contra la pared. En el caso de Bujold, dice en entrevista que su idea durante una buena parte de la saga era narrar una historia, pasar a otra y luego regresar a la primera para crear una novela "par" que construyera sobre ella para enriquecer el mundo. Fragmentos de Honor y Barrayar hacen un par. El Aprendiz de Guerrero y El Juego de los Vor hacen otro. Uno más es el de Hermanos de Armas y Danza de Espejos. Y el último el de Komarr y Una Campaña Civil. Recuerdos, una de las novelas más importantes de la saga, es una que construye sobre todo lo anterior. Así, no es sorpresa que de todos estos pares, el segundo volumen siempre es el mejor y casualmente tres de ellos son los que ganaron los famosos Hugo a mejor novela. En éste, se trata de un arco 98% para Mark Vorkosigan, y el 2% restante para Miles. Pero ese arco de Mark, con el peligro de ser algo parecido al de su hermano, sale bien librado y genera una novela de lo más sólida y sin casi ninguna duda, merecedora de su Hugo.
Otro aspecto fenomenal es ver el crecimiento de algunos personajes y viendo su interacción, reconocer cómo han evolucionado viejos amigos. Aral y Cordelia, por supuesto, pero también mi generalmente favorito Emperador Gregor. Y lo que se empieza a notar es el cambio de uno de los grandes protagonistas de la saga (y del cual casi no hablamos): el propio Barrayar. Hay notas importantes sobre cómo el replicador uterino está empezando una revolución, cómo la juventud -la generación de miles- ya tiene otras ideas y otras costumbres y cómo la paz ha traído prosperidad al planeta. Difícilmente se reconoce al Barrayar que vimos en Fragmentos de Honor con sus psicópatas y sus oficiales políticos.
Yo tenía una idea diferente de Danza de Espejos: me imaginaba que se trataría de una aventura espacial con una carrera loca por todo el nexus de los agujeros de gusano tratando de encontrar cierta cámara criogénica. Así, me sorprendió hallarme un largo segundo acto en Barrayar, con Aral y Cordelia tomando un rol cuasi protagónico que no tomaban desde casi el principio de la saga. A estas alturas del partido hay muchos personajes que considero muy cercanos y ver su evolución me reporta mucha calidez y satisfacción. Como viejos amigos. Además, las escenas que pasan en las fiestas de Barrayar con todo su boato me sacan un poco de lo espacial y me hacen sentir en un rango entre El Prisionero de Zenda (novela que adoro) y un cuento de hadas.
Una parte de mí no está muy segura de dar este rating. No sé si sea por conocerla ya bien, pero en esta novela ya se nota mucho qué es lo que pretende Bujold. Lo que va a pasar en la novela siguiente se ve venir a leguas. Hay un insta-love un tanto atrabancado. Pero lo perdono porque estoy enamorado de estos libros.
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