THE MILES VORKOSIGAN SERIES BY LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD

This engaging sci-fi series is my all-time favorite—I've re-read them so much they're tattering. The series focuses on personalities, not on technological marvels. Its scientific framework never overshadows the characters. The first two books feature MILES' parents, CORDELIA NAISMITH VORKOSIGAN and ARAL VORKOSIGAN.

In BARRAYAR CORDELIA has retired from her life as a Beta Colony Survey Captain, expecting a quiet and fertile life as the wife of a retired soldier. Then ARAL's career unexpectedly heats up when he's made Prime Minister. Now he has numerous political enemies. A vicious bioweapon attack by one damages the fetus CORDELIA is carrying. CORDELIA literally fights for MILES' life, and he survives when no one else thought he could or should. He's permanently damaged from the bioweapon, with bones like chalk and a stunted height, 4'9.” In the eyes of his world, he's a freak, looking like a despised mutant.

He survives by intelligence, wit, charm, devious manipulation and sheer force of his personality. He ruthlessly bamboozles others into carrying out his plans. Prevented from a normal military career, he spectacularly succeeds in galactic covert ops. Of course, the occasional failures are spectacular, too.

The only thing missing from the series is another book about CORDELIA. She's such a fabulous character and richly deserves a third book. EKATERIN VORSOSSION, a character introduced in KOMARR, provides some potent female viewpoint, and she may be the one to rein in MILES.