Rating: 
Summary: The best so far
Review: I really loved this story. Cannot wait till september to read the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth buying, but only to keep up with the story line
Review: This book read like the first half of a *real* Miles adventure. I won't say it was a waste of time, BUT... Miles never really gets into trouble (ok-- he gets chained to a post... whoop-te-do), so we never get to see that trademark manic fast-talk double-speak wheeeeeeee boy-was-that-close that makes these books so much fun. There was one pretty big ethical dilemma, but it was over so quickly that I almost forgot about it and said that there wasn't one. On the other hand, Miles is still miles above most other serial characters these days. If you're gonna read the series, you might as well buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: A human Vorkosigan
Review: To my surprise Komarr is, to my point of view, the best Vorkosigan's novel. It is the first time that Miles appear to be human. The lack of action is a large contribution to this. I would like to say that my great regret about the other books was the difficulty to consider the situations described as real possibilities. The large place of the "Deus ex machina" was a disturbance. The greatest part played by psychology is also an improvement (perhaps due to the new serenity of the character). Therefore it is a delight to spend time with this novel. Congratulations.
Rating:
Summary: A Lady for Miles
Review: I must disagree with those who feel that Ekaterin is a wimp or stupid or fillintheblank for not leaving her husband. I'm tempted to suggest that they spend some time volunteering with a domestic violence crisis center. In the novel, it's pretty clear that Ekaterin got married because it was expected of her as a good Vor daughter and because she wasn't sure how she as an adult could define herself except as a good Vor wife. Tien is a classic example of an emotional abuser, which is generally harder to walk away from than someone who's walloping you. Plus, remember that according to law Ekaterin wouldn't have custody over Nikki--Tien does until his death, and then Nikki's guardian is Tien's next of bloodkin, NOT Ekaterin. If your only child was (potentially)ill, and you believed your husband wasn't the world's best parent, and that you didn't have a hope in Hades of getting custody if you divorced, would you walk away, or would you stay on and try to work within the marriage for the sake of your child's health?
Rating:
Summary: Another triumph for Bujold
Review: Will September never come? That's when the next Bujold installment is supposed to be out. The biggest problem with Komarr is that it's too short -- actually, it's not all that short, it's just that I WANT MORE, NOW. Bujold is the best SF writer in the field, and it takes time to produce that kind of quality. (If ever I fall into a temporal disruption and come out in the future, one of my first objectives will be getting ahold of all the post-Komarr Vorkosigan books and reading them in one insomniac orgiastic blitz.) Komarr itself is a superbly written addition to the Vorkosigan saga. It's less frenetic than some of the earlier books, but that's one of the joys of this series: Miles changes over time. Watching him grow up is simply fascinating. Ekaterine is a sensitively drawn, subtle, but compelling character. Although some reviewers have decried her as wimpy, she's anything but. (Supporting details foregone per the no-spoilers rule.)
Rating: 
Summary: Another Bujold entry
Review: This is not the usual Miles Naismith Vorkisigan tale. Most of this story is told form the point of view of his latest love interest. She is most like Tuara in her first appearance but has some slight elements of Elena. But if your looking for her to be a slick talking, shoot from the hip and answer only the questions that don't matter Elli Quinn type you'll be disappointed. But should you take this story as an independent story and not try and force her to be a new Elli you may like this tale I did.
Rating:
Summary: Introducing Ekaterin
Review: I'm a fan of LMB and Miles Vorkosigan. If you review any author's life's work (from Shakespeare to Heinlein), there are ups and downs and you can trace new directions they've tried out in their work. All authors should be allowed that freedom without undue harsh criticism from us plebians. LMB is one of the best authors I've read. I agree with reviewers who say it's not opera but literature. In this book she tells a story through the eyes of two people and so handily introduces Ekaterin who will most likely end up being Miles wife. The only question is how many books will it take before Miles pop the question? :) Kudos to the author for drawing yet another believable character. It is an awesome achievement - especially when I read the other reviewers panning this one as unbelievable/unsympathetic. I suspect it is because they are North American and so can not understand Ekaterin. You have to think with an Asian woman's mindset to realize how amazingly true this portrayal of a smart, passionate woman trapped by tradition and loyalty is. Then you'll understand why LMB was so careful to outline Ekaterin's steely courage and smart planning when leaving her husband. She wrote that Ekaterin was careful not to totally alienate Etienne for the sake of Nikki. What an amazing author!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good! - now to find more of Bujold's work
Review: This is the first Bujold I have read - I bought it on a whim, having seen it on the back cover of Interzone. It was only after reading quite a bit that I realised Miles was an established character - but this did not detract from this particular story. I thought Komarr pretty good - I enjoyed my reading experience and was not expecting anything particular from the characters - but perhaps this helped, given the negative comments from some of the other reviews presented here. Komarr was good enough for me to look out more of her work; the story is engaging, the characters are good, the science is right.
Rating:
Summary: Combat wasn't as tough as administration! :)
Review: One thing Lois McMaster Bujold never does is keep doing quite the same thing each time. Miles' predicament in this novel reminds me of a scene in Farley Mowat's "Dog Who Wouldn't Be" where the dog is trying to sit on five wounded ducks at once. He has four paws and five ducks... Here, Miles has to solve a mystery, discover true love for the first time in his life, learn a new profession and a couple of other things that I'll let you find out by reading the book. At the same time, we get a fascinating glimpse of what it's like to watch the "Dwarf Tornado" as our favorite hyperactive tries to play whack-a-mole in real time. As always, I had an awful lot of fun reading this book and I absolutely can't wait for the next one, "A Civil Campaign." Incidentally, I've seen some complaints that Miles seems a bit thick-headed as an Imperial Auditor. I don't agree. In the earlier books, Miles was leading the band. Here, he's essentially a cop, and, as somebody once commented, cops are historians. They come along *after* the deeds are done and try to cope with the mess. That's a lot harder than combat. I've read this book three times, and expect to read it a few more.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it. It's a romance novel.
Review: I'm a big fan of Bujold, have been since I first read "shards of Honor"; but I had never realized how much her books are influenced by the romance novel genre until I read "Komar". Being a guy, I don't normally read romance novels. In "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" she talks about the romance novel and the influence it's had on her writing. It was news to me, but looking back through her work, it suddenly became obvious. Take "Shards of Honor" and think of it as a romance. It works! those who just want military sci-fi should check out David Weber or David Drake, but for good story telling with characters who are not stereotypes plus a little romance, all thinly disguised as military sci-fi try Lois Bujold, my favorite living writer.
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