Memory (Book)

Harra Csurik* had been almost right. It wasn’t your life again you found, going on. It was your life anew. And it wasn’t at all what he’d been expecting.

Miles. Memory. Milestone. Mystery. Melding. In Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold chronicles a turning point in the life of Miles Vorkosigan. Miles turns 30. After mishandling his seizure condition, he is forced to leave the Barrayaran military as well as the Dendarii Mercenaries. He is at loose ends and possibly dangerous to himself. --Although, he does manage to accidentally find Emperor Gregor a wife during this time-- When Simon Illyan, the long suffering and Miles-abused head of Imperial Security, suffers damage to the memory chip implanted in his brain, Miles feels compelled to help. Soon, Miles is drawn into a mystery. In order to solve it, he must combine his personas of Lord Miles Vorkosigan and Admiral Naismith.

Memory is the tenth book in the Vorkosigan Saga. It was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Science Fiction awards. While not actually winning any awards, I believe it is tremendously rewarding for those who have been following the saga. The story contains the usual humor, some deep moments, and a healthy dose of mystery. It draws on many of the plot lines from earlier stories, looking at them from a more mature Miles perspective. And, as always, it is nice to catch up with old “friends.”

*Harra Csurik is the woman whose baby was murdered in Border’s of Infinity. Miles visits her a decade later in Memory.