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nicolesnook's review
2.0
The romances in this collection were all okay, but I expected more from these authors. There's nothing specifically wrong with any of the stories, I just found them forgettable. I just didn't find the stories engaging enough to hold my interest. The story I most enjoyed was "The Alchemical Marriage" by Mary Jo Putney, but it was still not up to the standard I would expect from Putney. Overall, I was disappointed.
nwhyte's review
http://nhw.livejournal.com/110771.html[return][return]I bought this because it contains the latest installment of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, the short story "Winterfair Gifts", about Miles Vorkosigan's wedding, so set a few months before the most recent novel of the series, Diplomatic Immunity. The book is worth it for this story alone; I've seen several reviews along the lines of "I haven't read anything else by Bujold but this was very good". Even if you have read everything else by Bujold, as I have, the story is very good.[return][return]It's just as well, because most of the other stories are crap. This is an attempt at a cross-genre anthology linking sf and romance, and I think I'll stay off the romance for now. "Skin Deep", by Deb Stover, was so dire, and the plot resolution signalled so very very far in advance, that I couldn't finish it. The only other one I felt was worthwhile was "The Trouble with Heroes" by Jo Beverly; perhaps not coincidentally, the story with the least "romance" in it. I'll look out for Beverly's work in future.
debraisretired's review
3.0
Yet another reader here who read it just for Lois McMaster Bujold's "Winterfair Gifts. A charming story for those who know the characters but others may not understand the relationships. If I could rip the other pages out, I would.
wealhtheow's review
2.0
This book contains:
"Winterfair Gifts" by Lois McMaster Bujold. The reason I read this book. I always love returning to Bujold's Vorkosigan series, but this, like the last several novels, felt a bit slack to me. Miles's marriage is the background to Armsman Roic's love affair with Taura. Despite poison and intrigue, the plot never had the sense of urgency that used to make me tear through these books. Instead, it kinda felt like Bujold was wrapping up her time with the series by pairing the last spare characters off.
"The Alchemical Marriage" by Mary Jo Putney. Two mages have to work together to prevent the Spanish Armada from invading England. In so doing they join their hearts, their magic, and their ~bodies~. Purple prose, silly plot.
"Stained Glass Heart" by Catherine Asaro. Yet more purple prose and silly plot, but at least it's a twist on that old tune, the arranged marriage: to ensure his family's success, would-be dancer Vyrl is engaged to the Matriarch of Majda, but loves a simple farm girl he grew up with. The Matriarch is an experienced woman, older and wiser than Vyrl; although it's an arranged match, she hopes they'll grow to like each other in time. Which woman will Vyrl choose? Not that I gave a crap, but he chooses the girl described as having "waist-length curls flying in the wind, streaming around her, shiny and red-bronze, touched with gold sun-streaks." (She also has violet eyes, naturally.) He and his luvah experience no hardships for dissing a powerful leader of a planet, and instead get an epilogue about all their babies. Blegh.
"Skin Deep" by Deb Stover. A ghost is given one last chance to get into heaven: get his ex-wife to fall in love with her old boyfriend.Apparently the ghost had framed the boyfriend as a cheater, thus getting the girl. In the guise of a hot lady, the ghost pushes his ex-wife into the path of the boyfriend she should have stayed with. There's a subplot about the boyfriend being a DEA agent, but it feels pretty unnecessary. I don't really know what I was supposed to think about this story: was I supposed to care about the selfish ghost character? The bland ex-wife or blander boyfriend? Another slog.
"The Trouble with Heroes" by Jo Beverly. On an alien planet, people with extra powers are named "Fixers" and tasked with everything from healing to preventing alien incursions. Then a lady falls in love with a Fixer and finds out that a lot of people have a tiny amount of Fixing power, and that they can all work together to make the world a better place. I guess? I started skimming this about 10 pages in; it felt very scattered.
"Shadows in the Wood" by Jennifer Roberson. Merlin emerges from a tree and asks Marion and Robin Hood to help him return Excalibur to its rightful place. Fans of the Mists of Avalon and that kind of pagan fantasy would undoubtedly appreciate this a good deal more than I did. I thought it clunky and artless.
A surprisingly uninspired, uninspiring collection, overall.
"Winterfair Gifts" by Lois McMaster Bujold. The reason I read this book. I always love returning to Bujold's Vorkosigan series, but this, like the last several novels, felt a bit slack to me. Miles's marriage is the background to Armsman Roic's love affair with Taura. Despite poison and intrigue, the plot never had the sense of urgency that used to make me tear through these books. Instead, it kinda felt like Bujold was wrapping up her time with the series by pairing the last spare characters off.
"The Alchemical Marriage" by Mary Jo Putney. Two mages have to work together to prevent the Spanish Armada from invading England. In so doing they join their hearts, their magic, and their ~bodies~. Purple prose, silly plot.
"Stained Glass Heart" by Catherine Asaro. Yet more purple prose and silly plot, but at least it's a twist on that old tune, the arranged marriage: to ensure his family's success, would-be dancer Vyrl is engaged to the Matriarch of Majda, but loves a simple farm girl he grew up with. The Matriarch is an experienced woman, older and wiser than Vyrl; although it's an arranged match, she hopes they'll grow to like each other in time. Which woman will Vyrl choose? Not that I gave a crap, but he chooses
"Skin Deep" by Deb Stover. A ghost is given one last chance to get into heaven: get his ex-wife to fall in love with her old boyfriend.
"The Trouble with Heroes" by Jo Beverly. On an alien planet, people with extra powers are named "Fixers" and tasked with everything from healing to preventing alien incursions. Then a lady falls in love with a Fixer and finds out that a lot of people have a tiny amount of Fixing power, and that they can all work together to make the world a better place. I guess? I started skimming this about 10 pages in; it felt very scattered.
"Shadows in the Wood" by Jennifer Roberson. Merlin emerges from a tree and asks Marion and Robin Hood to help him return Excalibur to its rightful place. Fans of the Mists of Avalon and that kind of pagan fantasy would undoubtedly appreciate this a good deal more than I did. I thought it clunky and artless.
A surprisingly uninspired, uninspiring collection, overall.
booksladycma's review
5.0
I read this book for the Lois McMaster Bujold story, which was excellent. It brought back characters I loved from previous books, involved them in a mystery, gave Armsman Roic a love story of his own, and showed happily ever after for Miles and Ekaterin. Lois gift for characters and how they drive the story really shines through.
kukushka's review
4.0
Like many others, I got this because I needed "Winterfair Gifts" - to come so far with Miles and then miss his wedding?? Of the other authors, only Catherine Asaro is on my radar (I've had her Skolian Empire books recommended to me, though I haven't read them yet), so I was walking into this rather blind.
As I would have predicted, "Winterfair Gifts" was fabulous. It was absolutely everything I didn't know I wanted. The rest, however, really weren't up to that same quality. That's not really fair, as I came into "Winterfair Gifts" with so much backstory that Bujold had the luxury of economy. All the other authors, however, had to build their worlds for me from scratch.
None of the stories were bad, by any means, but they also weren't amazing. For the most part, I just didn't find them particularly memorable. There were some good ideas, some bits I enjoyed, but I haven't been moved to seek out any of the authors.
The book is worth getting just to have "Winterfair Gifts" on my shelf, and I am glad that I got to read some stories that aren't in my usual wheelhouse. But if you buy this book, it'll almost certainly be for Bujold's story.
"Winterfair Gifts" by Lois McMaster Bujold
I knew coming in that this was going to be the story of Miles and Ekaterin's wedding, but that's it. I was prepared to revel some more in their relationship, with maybe a bit of plot on the side, but this delivered so much more.
I didn't expect the POV shift. The protagonist of this story isn't Miles, but rather his armsman, Roic (of bug butter fame). Having gotten to know Aral in Cordelia's books, I enjoyed shifting to Miles's perspective and getting to see how Aral appears from the outside. Now, we get to see Miles through Roic's eyes.
The main highlight of the story, for me, was getting to spend more time with Taura. In particular, getting to see her in a social environment. I also loved the glimpse we get of Ekaterin, and how strong she is, as well as how perfect she is for Miles. She's reminding me a lot of Cordelia, while also being her own separate self.
"The Alchemical Marriage" by Mary Jo Putney
Coming right after "Winterfair Gifts", this story really didn't have a chance. For one thing, it has to make me care about the lovers and their relationship in just a handful of pages, whereas I was already cheering in Taura's corner before I ever started "Winterfair Gifts." It almost seems cruel to put Bujold's story first in this collection!
Trying to look at "The Alchemical Marriage" in isolation, it's fine. It's not my genre, so I'm less practiced at overlooking the genre's conventions. Besides that, Macrae's growly wildness struck me as a silly affectation (particularly since I don't have much patience for that brand of masculinity).
I wasn't particularly sold on the relationship, either. The lovers seem to have an attraction to each other, but it's not really explored. We're told that they are plumbing each other's depths and vulnerabilities so that they can exchange magic more completely, but I didn't get a sense of what that would mean to the characters. Isabel seems to struggle with sharing some parts of herself, but we are never told what those parts are and, in the end, she gives them up rather easily.
When the lovers do finally bone, it's a matter of convenience - they have to bone to save England, you see! But then, suddenly, Macrae shows up at Isabel's house all a-bluster, assaulting her servants and threatening her parents, because now they obviously have to get married. Isabel seems to think that Macrae's approach is a performance to compensate for his own vulnerabilities, but is it? Really?
While perhaps more predictable, I would have liked more about the sharing of vulnerabilities. It's mentioned how lonely Isabel was, as the only real magic user in her family. That should have been more central, I think. As it was, I got the feeling that the author was going for an exploration of the male/female dichotomy, but defined those terms too casually (like having Macrae be gruff), and then failed to make a compelling case for why these two essentialities should go well together.
I did like the insertion of magic into a historical event, though. That was fun.
"Stained Glass Heart" by Catherine Asaro
I found this one quite good. It was a little heavy-handed, but I did like the gender switching on the political marriage to a much older person plot, and I found that I quite liked the two main characters.
There was too much going on for a short piece, though. For example, having the main character's whole family be empaths, including both of his parents. Having them be empaths at all was unnecessary to the story, and then it raises so many questions - such as why they are all empaths and why no one else is, even though his mother and father are from entirely different planets. The role of dance was a bit hamfisted as well. I liked that the main character had something "different" about him, and that he had a real dream that he had to give up if he wanted to stay with the girl he loved, but it was introduced a little late in the story. Also, given how many times the reader is told that "men don't dance", I feel like it should have been a more important part of the story before it becomes a plot issue.
All that aside, I liked the two main characters, and I liked that I could actually see why they liked each other. Giving Vyrl a shameful passion and having Lily happily accept it as part of who he is was a nice touch.
"Skin Deep" by Deb Stover
This one does pretty well with an absurd concept: A deceased husband is brought back to earth in a new body so that he can help his widow bone the man who had been his rival for her affections when they were first courting. Oh, also? There are male strippers, drug traffickers, and some sort of mob organisation complete with cops on the take. And all of that is crammed into a short story.
The story does well not to take itself too seriously, but it just doesn't have much for substance. It's competently written, but I'm sure I'll forget all about it in a day or two. Except, maybe, for its cheesy early 90s set up.
"The Trouble with Heroes" by Jo Beverley
Not a bad story, but I felt that it was an awkward combination of too heavy handed while not having thought through what it was trying to say. There's something there about soldiers being changed by war and coming back to a population that honours their heroism while also being afraid of what they've become. That's all well and good, but then there's the stuff about magic and controlling people's minds, and it lost me.
It's well written, and there are bits of the worldbuilding that have potential, but the story just didn't work for me as a whole.
"Shadows in the Wood" by Jennifer Roberson
Nothing to write home about, but I did actually enjoy this one. I grew up on stories like Robin Hood and King Arthur, and seeing them combined was just good fun. I also liked the bits about old magic and the importance of blood and sacrifice, as well as giving the story to Marian.
As I would have predicted, "Winterfair Gifts" was fabulous. It was absolutely everything I didn't know I wanted. The rest, however, really weren't up to that same quality. That's not really fair, as I came into "Winterfair Gifts" with so much backstory that Bujold had the luxury of economy. All the other authors, however, had to build their worlds for me from scratch.
None of the stories were bad, by any means, but they also weren't amazing. For the most part, I just didn't find them particularly memorable. There were some good ideas, some bits I enjoyed, but I haven't been moved to seek out any of the authors.
The book is worth getting just to have "Winterfair Gifts" on my shelf, and I am glad that I got to read some stories that aren't in my usual wheelhouse. But if you buy this book, it'll almost certainly be for Bujold's story.
"Winterfair Gifts" by Lois McMaster Bujold
I knew coming in that this was going to be the story of Miles and Ekaterin's wedding, but that's it. I was prepared to revel some more in their relationship, with maybe a bit of plot on the side, but this delivered so much more.
I didn't expect the POV shift. The protagonist of this story isn't Miles, but rather his armsman, Roic (of bug butter fame). Having gotten to know Aral in Cordelia's books, I enjoyed shifting to Miles's perspective and getting to see how Aral appears from the outside. Now, we get to see Miles through Roic's eyes.
The main highlight of the story, for me, was getting to spend more time with Taura. In particular, getting to see her in a social environment. I also loved the glimpse we get of Ekaterin, and how strong she is, as well as how perfect she is for Miles. She's reminding me a lot of Cordelia, while also being her own separate self.
"The Alchemical Marriage" by Mary Jo Putney
Coming right after "Winterfair Gifts", this story really didn't have a chance. For one thing, it has to make me care about the lovers and their relationship in just a handful of pages, whereas I was already cheering in Taura's corner before I ever started "Winterfair Gifts." It almost seems cruel to put Bujold's story first in this collection!
Trying to look at "The Alchemical Marriage" in isolation, it's fine. It's not my genre, so I'm less practiced at overlooking the genre's conventions. Besides that, Macrae's growly wildness struck me as a silly affectation (particularly since I don't have much patience for that brand of masculinity).
I wasn't particularly sold on the relationship, either. The lovers seem to have an attraction to each other, but it's not really explored. We're told that they are plumbing each other's depths and vulnerabilities so that they can exchange magic more completely, but I didn't get a sense of what that would mean to the characters. Isabel seems to struggle with sharing some parts of herself, but we are never told what those parts are and, in the end, she gives them up rather easily.
When the lovers do finally bone, it's a matter of convenience - they have to bone to save England, you see! But then, suddenly, Macrae shows up at Isabel's house all a-bluster, assaulting her servants and threatening her parents, because now they obviously have to get married. Isabel seems to think that Macrae's approach is a performance to compensate for his own vulnerabilities, but is it? Really?
While perhaps more predictable, I would have liked more about the sharing of vulnerabilities. It's mentioned how lonely Isabel was, as the only real magic user in her family. That should have been more central, I think. As it was, I got the feeling that the author was going for an exploration of the male/female dichotomy, but defined those terms too casually (like having Macrae be gruff), and then failed to make a compelling case for why these two essentialities should go well together.
I did like the insertion of magic into a historical event, though. That was fun.
"Stained Glass Heart" by Catherine Asaro
I found this one quite good. It was a little heavy-handed, but I did like the gender switching on the political marriage to a much older person plot, and I found that I quite liked the two main characters.
There was too much going on for a short piece, though. For example, having the main character's whole family be empaths, including both of his parents. Having them be empaths at all was unnecessary to the story, and then it raises so many questions - such as why they are all empaths and why no one else is, even though his mother and father are from entirely different planets. The role of dance was a bit hamfisted as well. I liked that the main character had something "different" about him, and that he had a real dream that he had to give up if he wanted to stay with the girl he loved, but it was introduced a little late in the story. Also, given how many times the reader is told that "men don't dance", I feel like it should have been a more important part of the story before it becomes a plot issue.
All that aside, I liked the two main characters, and I liked that I could actually see why they liked each other. Giving Vyrl a shameful passion and having Lily happily accept it as part of who he is was a nice touch.
"Skin Deep" by Deb Stover
This one does pretty well with an absurd concept: A deceased husband is brought back to earth in a new body so that he can help his widow bone the man who had been his rival for her affections when they were first courting. Oh, also? There are male strippers, drug traffickers, and some sort of mob organisation complete with cops on the take. And all of that is crammed into a short story.
The story does well not to take itself too seriously, but it just doesn't have much for substance. It's competently written, but I'm sure I'll forget all about it in a day or two. Except, maybe, for its cheesy early 90s set up.
"The Trouble with Heroes" by Jo Beverley
Not a bad story, but I felt that it was an awkward combination of too heavy handed while not having thought through what it was trying to say. There's something there about soldiers being changed by war and coming back to a population that honours their heroism while also being afraid of what they've become. That's all well and good, but then there's the stuff about magic and controlling people's minds, and it lost me.
It's well written, and there are bits of the worldbuilding that have potential, but the story just didn't work for me as a whole.
"Shadows in the Wood" by Jennifer Roberson
Nothing to write home about, but I did actually enjoy this one. I grew up on stories like Robin Hood and King Arthur, and seeing them combined was just good fun. I also liked the bits about old magic and the importance of blood and sacrifice, as well as giving the story to Marian.
wyvernfriend's review
4.0
The first story in this series overshadowed all the rest for me but then again I'm a Lois McMaster Bujold fan and any extra story in Miles' world is a good thing. This is a story of Taura who attends Miles' wedding and Roic who learns that appearance isn't everything.
The Alchemical Marriage by Mary Jo Putney is an interesting story of two magicians who have to work together to save England from the Spanish Armada. Pretty predictable but not a bad story and I really did care for the characters.
Catherine Asaro's Stained Glass Heart is set in her Skolian Empire world and is a story of one of the sons of Kurj and Roca and his choice between the Empire and love.
Skin Deep by Deb Stover is a fun story of the afterlife and an angel who gets something he didn't expect when he goes to help his ex-girlfriend find love.
The Trouble with Heroes by Jo Beverly is a story that just didn't resonate with me. It's a story of human contact with a people they really don't understand and how that mis-understanding causes serious trouble.
Shadows in the Wood by Jennifer Roberson is a very interesting Robin Hood story. Concentrating more on Marian than Robin and including Merlin it sounds at first like it could be overdone but it's well handled.
Overall it's not a bad set of stories but really didn't gel as a set of stories like many other sets of stories like this. A book to dip into between other books.
The Alchemical Marriage by Mary Jo Putney is an interesting story of two magicians who have to work together to save England from the Spanish Armada. Pretty predictable but not a bad story and I really did care for the characters.
Catherine Asaro's Stained Glass Heart is set in her Skolian Empire world and is a story of one of the sons of Kurj and Roca and his choice between the Empire and love.
Skin Deep by Deb Stover is a fun story of the afterlife and an angel who gets something he didn't expect when he goes to help his ex-girlfriend find love.
The Trouble with Heroes by Jo Beverly is a story that just didn't resonate with me. It's a story of human contact with a people they really don't understand and how that mis-understanding causes serious trouble.
Shadows in the Wood by Jennifer Roberson is a very interesting Robin Hood story. Concentrating more on Marian than Robin and including Merlin it sounds at first like it could be overdone but it's well handled.
Overall it's not a bad set of stories but really didn't gel as a set of stories like many other sets of stories like this. A book to dip into between other books.
leahcorduroy's review
3.0
I picked this up because it was the only way to get Lois McMaster Bujold's story "Winterfair Gifts" in mass market paperback size, but I decided to read the rest of it before dismembering it. The stories are well-written, but romance is definitely not my genre.
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