Johan
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi there! I am looking to get into your work. I have The Curse of Chalion in my bookshelf, ready for me to dig in. But I thought I would ask you, the author, a question: "Which book written by you would you recommend for a first-timer?" It can be a personal favorite, it can be a book you feel is your best work, or a book that represents your oeuvre?
Lois McMaster Bujold
Welcome!
That answer will vary depending on the tastes and interests of the reader. The Curse of Chalion is my usual starter-rec for fantasy readers, so you're good to go there. Dive in.
The science fiction side is trickier. If you like to read your series in strict order, Shards of Honor is first in the Vorkosigan series in chronological, publication, and writing order, and also my first novel. If you prefer a young male protagonist, The Warrior's Apprentice, another early and early-series book, also works, or The Borders of Infinity novella collection for a sampler platter, though I really feel that would work better after tWA.
Start the recent Penric & Desdemona novella series with the e-novella "Penric's Demon" or its first paper collection Penric's Progress.
Note that while The Hallowed Hunt is set in the same fantasy world, it does not follow on from the first two, Chalion and its direct sequel Paladin of Souls but is rather a stand-alone set 200 years earlier in another realm and with a completely different cast of characters. If you know that going in, you won't waste time flailing around either waiting for it to turn into a continuation or peeved that it doesn't. It does lay in some worldbuilding useful for the later "Penric and the Shaman" novella.
Happy reading!
L.
-- As always, my compete reading-order guide is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
Welcome!
That answer will vary depending on the tastes and interests of the reader. The Curse of Chalion is my usual starter-rec for fantasy readers, so you're good to go there. Dive in.
The science fiction side is trickier. If you like to read your series in strict order, Shards of Honor is first in the Vorkosigan series in chronological, publication, and writing order, and also my first novel. If you prefer a young male protagonist, The Warrior's Apprentice, another early and early-series book, also works, or The Borders of Infinity novella collection for a sampler platter, though I really feel that would work better after tWA.
Start the recent Penric & Desdemona novella series with the e-novella "Penric's Demon" or its first paper collection Penric's Progress.
Note that while The Hallowed Hunt is set in the same fantasy world, it does not follow on from the first two, Chalion and its direct sequel Paladin of Souls but is rather a stand-alone set 200 years earlier in another realm and with a completely different cast of characters. If you know that going in, you won't waste time flailing around either waiting for it to turn into a continuation or peeved that it doesn't. It does lay in some worldbuilding useful for the later "Penric and the Shaman" novella.
Happy reading!
L.
-- As always, my compete reading-order guide is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
More Answered Questions
bedlambelle
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I had a brief moment of panic when I saw an "outline" of the plot for gentleman Jole on wikipedia because there was a whole menage a trois storyline which feels so wrong for Aral and Cordelia. Then I saw someone had fixed it to directly quote you. I feel like the answer is yes, but were Cordelia and Aral monagamous throughout thier relationship?
A Goodreads user
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
In Komarr, there is a scene where Miles pursuades Nikki to leave the bathroom by telling him that he once employed a ten-year-old girl. Was this covered in one of the earlier books? I am wracking my brain and can't seem to remember it, familiar as it sounds.
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