Memory

Nothing in life is easy for some people. Miles Vorkosigan is back from the dead, but he has a tendency towards seizures in stressful moments, which leads to him nearly botching a rescue mission, falsifying logs to cover up his medical problems, and getting cashiered on Barrayar. It may be the perfect time, because the legendary chief of Imperial Security, Simon Illyan, has come down with a brain disease which is destroying his memory and sanity, and only Miles has the necessary guile to find out who is trying to decapitate Barrayar. What follows is a mole hunt that John le Carre could be proud of, interspersed with Miles’ ruminations on identity and purpose. This book feels a lot more grounded than Mirror Dance and Brothers in Arms, and it feels like Miles has made a definite positive bend in his character arc, but the book as a whole is a transition. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.