Brothers in Arms (Bujold novel)

Plot summary

After rescuing thousands of prisoners of war from the Cetagandans, Admiral Miles Naismith and his Dendarii mercenaries arrive on Earth to escape Cetagandan retribution and repair their ships. Miles visits the Barrayaran Embassy in London to secure payment for their last mission, reporting to Captain Duv Galeni, a Komarran whose aunt was a victim of a massacre allegedly committed by Miles' father. While awaiting funds from a distant sector headquarters, Miles resumes his identity as Lieutenant Vorkosigan and serves as third assistant military attaché under Galeni, alongside his cousin Ivan Vorpatril.

Galeni disappears, and Miles is abducted; a clone created by Komarran diehards takes his place. The Komarrans, led by Ser Galen—Galeni's father presumed killed—imprison Miles with Galeni. Miles is given fast-penta but reacts idiosyncratically, becoming manic and reciting military manuals and literature to avoid answering questions. Before execution, Miles and Galeni are rescued by Dendarii subordinate Elli Quinn.

Reception

Jo Walton praised Bujold's depiction of politics and technology interacting beyond the main stories, but noted the novel was a poor entry point for new readers, as its emotional impact relies on familiarity with the series. The SF Site similarly felt it did not work as an entry point, while lauding its ethical issues about identity and personhood and noting parallels to The Comedy of Errors. James Nicoll commended Bujold's choice not to portray future Earth as a dystopia and observed that Ser Galen's plan failed because it required many complicated events to align correctly.