(no subject)

[gogollescent]

Through careful experimentation, I've determined that my levels of Vorkosigan fannishness are primarily founded on "how long has it been since I read the part of Brothers in Arms where Miles and Galeni are held prisoner", despite the fact that there are a number of other characters that I'm sincerely attached to, and it's not even my favorite in the series.

.../rereads Brothers in Arms

It's just so delightful. What a great book about secret clones. What a satisfying execution of like four of my favorite tropes--let's see, that's "previously wary characters open up to each other because they have nothing to do all day but sit around and wait to get interrogated/killed", "characters get hit with the best inhibition-lowering type truth drug in literature", "character expresses non-pointless but hilarious defiance towards their former loved one and present torturer", and "character resists said truth drug through sheer manic overresponse." Like hitting cans on a fence. The only depressing thing is that in my memory it's always longer. Oh, and I could do with more Mark in the mix. But otherwise: perfect idfic, go directly to Komarran secret-terrorist-cell jail, do not pass Go.

Comments

[elsane]

Brothers in Arms is one of my favorite Vorkosigan books as well! And the bit where Miles and Galeni are held prisoner is the crux of it, and I am inordinately fond of it. Richard the Third! Bitter, ironic defiance! Prickly defensive negotiating-his-identity Galeni! With multiple narratives mirrors and cracked reflections going on for several layers. Yes plz.

I am so delighted to meet you.

[gogollescent]

Yesss, it's really a great mélange, and as you say there are so many echoes of earlier family-and-identity themes that reach maximum ricochet in the cell; Galeni and Mark, Miles and Mark--weirdly, Galeni and Aral are also aligned in some surprising ways, between the ruthless revolutionary fathers and the dead older brothers, haha. And it's really the first of the novels where Miles seems like an adult, which helps keep any of the wisecracking and gallows humor from cloying. It's just raw.

It's lovely to meet you too, and may you enjoy your stay! My current Aubreyad posts are sadly spoiler-laden, but if you at any point want to discuss what you've read so far my ears… are totally yours. Because I'm still going through withdrawal pangs. No, uh, because they're great! And I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed them so far.