No, I started with The Curse of Chalion before I read anything from the Vorkosiverse. It was liking Chalion so much that persuaded me to trust Bujold on the Miles thing because everything I'd heard about him up to then made me want to run away screaming.

But since I fell in love with Caz on page one and he remains my favourite fictional hero of all time, I figured I'd give her a chance. I'm a habitual chronological order person so I started at the beginning (excluding the non-Vorkosigan standalones). I was a bit underwhelmed with Shards of Honour, though I'd like to read it again now that I know how all the characters turn out, but the characters started to build and I liked Barrayar well enough. That little glimpse of infant Miles at the end of it (the one with Grandfather Piotr) was enough to make me order the Young Miles omnibus and - that was it. Hooked. From the moment Miles breaks his legs on the obstacle course though being stupidly pig-headed I just loved him for _trying_.