Description:
Young Miles is actually three separate works published together; the only horsey content is in the middle 90-page novella, "The Mountains of Mourning," where Miles is sent by his father to resolve a woman's claim that her daughter was murdered and the local village Speaker will not act. Although aircars are available, Miles' father (Count Vorkosigan) believes that the intervention will be more effective if more rural transport methods are used - thus, he sends Miles on horseback. Miles rides Fat Ninny, an ugly but beautifully trained roan, the last horse trained by his imposing but late Grandfather. It's clear that Bujold knows something about horses; every detail is right, and Miles has a special fondness for Fat Ninny and a decent knowledge of horsemanship (drilled by Grandfather) even though he is not all that interested in horses.

The other two stories in this volume are pure space opera, and horse-free, but they're funny and a bit unusual. Miles is the son of famous military officers, but was born with severe birth defects due to a poisoning incident, a deformed heir on a world where physical imperfections are deeply feared as a sign of radiation poisoning. He's smart but physically vulnerable, and wields a silver tongue that would make Baron von Munchausen green with envy as his most potent weapon.

Accuracy:   How would you rate the accuracy of the horse content in this book? painfully inaccurate   [login to vote]   detailed and exquisitely accurate 4.00 Rating, 1 Vote Quantity:   How extensive is the horse content in this book? minimal or background   [login to vote]   horsey 1.00 Rating, 1 Vote Quality:   Rate the overall quality of this book. waste of time   [login to vote]   worth a worldwide search 4.00 Rating, 1 Vote

Ratings Key

Login to add a review or comment

Home | Frequently Asked Questions | Add a listing | Login | Buying Books | Contact ponydom.com