The Warrior's Apprentice

The Warrior's Apprentice is an English language science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold and is part of the Vorkosigan Saga.^[1] It was the second book published in the series, and is the fifth story, including novellas, in the internal chronology of the series. The Warrior's Apprentice was first published by Baen Books in 1986, and was included in the 1997 omnibus Young Miles.

Plot

The Warrior's Apprentice features the first appearance by regular Bujold protagonist Miles Vorkosigan. He flunks out of the Barrayan milliary academy after breaking both legs, brittle bones being one of the legacies of a gas attack on his pregnant mother. With his bodyguard Bothari and Bothari's daughter Elena, he goes to Beta Colony to visit his grandmother. There he finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and establishes a new identity for himself as the commander of a mercenary fleet. In this new role the three of them become involved in smuggling weapons during an interplanetary war.

Reception

Jo Walton, writing for Tor.com, described The Warrior's Apprentice as having "about ninety percent more depth than you’d expect it to have", but also notes that "the series does get a lot deeper and more complex as it goes on from here."^[2]

References