**Build an Empire, Were it So Easy **
The Warrior’s apprentice takes a cocky 17 year old Miles as he machinates his way through warring factions to build a mercenary empire. From Miles’ initial failed leap of faith, I felt myself losing connection to both the characters and the world-building as every improbable and sub-optimal move led to spectacularly successful results. Would you jump off a wall too high to safely land knowing that you might break both your legs, just to make a point to a competitor that might not be paying attention? Do you want to read a full novel about somebody dumb enough to make that choice?
It’s like watching somebody new play poker, knowing that they are going to win every hand. It’s tough to enjoy any of the action, because the results of the gambling are fixed, and there is no suspense as to the outcome. So the remaining fun is on the meta level, watching Bujold create a world in which Miles is able to trade up into the command of his own ship, warship, and then military fleet. Entertaining, but not enough to keep going with the series.
**74th book of 2021 **