If Memory were the first Bujold book you ever picked up, you wouldn’t have any problems reading it.
I expect there are quite a few people who would disagree with me on that one. And I’ll admit that it’s hard for me to judge how a newcomer would come to this book: The first time I came to it, I was reading the entirety of the Vorkosigan series in published order – so I was distanced from the newcomer’s perspective then, and I certainly haven’t regained my objectivity by re-reading the book multiple times.
But, looking at it as objectively as possible, I do think this is a book which is accessible to the first time reader. And, more importantly, its effective for the first time reader. Perhaps not as effective as it would be for a long-time reader, but that’s simply a natural consequence of the strengths to be found in series fiction.
All that being said: I wouldn’t recommend this book to the first time reader. If you’re approaching Bujold for the first time, this is my advice:
(A) Start with Shards of Honor, Bujold’s first book. If you find that you enjoy this light, romantic adventure – despite its minor flaws – then keep reading in publication order until you finish the series.
(B) If you don’t enjoy Shards of Honor, then you should know that Bujold improves dramatically over the course of her career. Skip ahead to Barrayar (it’s conveniently contained in the same omnibus).
(C) If Barrayar doesn’t, at the very least, make you interested in the series, then it probably isn’t going to work for you. You might want to try Bujold’s fantasy.
(D) If Barrayar does work for you, then I suggest going to back to read The Warrior’s Apprentice, Brothers in Arms and Borders of Infinity. Then go to Mirror Dance and read in publication order from there until the end of the series. After that, you may feel compelled to go back and pick up the stuff you haven’t read yet.
Have fun.
