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saskia_slottje's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Again, wonderful worldbuilding, and it was nice to catch up with characters I love from previous novels. But it felt a bit like an epilogue to a series.
I could have done with more intrigue, action, and peril. However, if you're looking for a feel-good space story, this is it.
I could have done with more intrigue, action, and peril. However, if you're looking for a feel-good space story, this is it.
kbhenrickson's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This one has quite a different tone and pace than the rest of the series. In some ways, it feels like a strange place to end the series, and in others, it feels just right.
Things I liked: It was great to have another Cordelia-focused book because I love her character so much. This also gave it a “completing the circle” feeling, since I stared the series with Shards of Honor, which is told from her point of view and even takes place partly on the same planet. I liked that we check in with Miles, Mark, and families to see where they are now in the more settled periods of their lives. I didn’t mind the quietness of the story, and I enjoyed most of the day to day details of Jole’s and Cordelia’s lives.
Things that didn’t work as well for me: I am fine with a slow story generally, but this one was very slow, especially in the first third, to the point where I found my attention drifting sometimes. It does pick up, though. Also, I liked Jole as a character, but I had a hard time believing in the romance - maybe because, despite the back filling in this story, he wasn’t really present in the other books in the series (that I recall, at least).
Unrelated to the actual story, it was a little weird for me to read a book with a character (albeit minor) who has my first name - especially so since I listened to the audiobook, and this is the first time this has happened to me.
If this is all there is of the Vorkosigan books (which it seems likely), I am okay with this quiet ending. Though I still have one more to read in the series - Falling Free - which I left for last, since it takes place in the same world but doesn’t have any Vorkosigans in it.
Things I liked: It was great to have another Cordelia-focused book because I love her character so much. This also gave it a “completing the circle” feeling, since I stared the series with Shards of Honor, which is told from her point of view and even takes place partly on the same planet. I liked that we check in with Miles, Mark, and families to see where they are now in the more settled periods of their lives. I didn’t mind the quietness of the story, and I enjoyed most of the day to day details of Jole’s and Cordelia’s lives.
Things that didn’t work as well for me: I am fine with a slow story generally, but this one was very slow, especially in the first third, to the point where I found my attention drifting sometimes. It does pick up, though. Also, I liked Jole as a character, but I had a hard time believing in the romance - maybe because, despite the back filling in this story, he wasn’t really present in the other books in the series (that I recall, at least).
Unrelated to the actual story, it was a little weird for me to read a book with a character (albeit minor) who has my first name - especially so since I listened to the audiobook, and this is the first time this has happened to me.
If this is all there is of the Vorkosigan books (which it seems likely), I am okay with this quiet ending. Though I still have one more to read in the series - Falling Free - which I left for last, since it takes place in the same world but doesn’t have any Vorkosigans in it.
kirstenrose22's review
2.0
This just did not work for me. I realized that what I am usually looking for, in a Vorkosigan book, is wacky hijinks and capers with Miles, not an extended domestic fanfic (with not much happening) with Cordelia as the ever-perfect Mary Sue. Sometimes the writing really faltered and I had to re-read sentences to figure out the weird structure, or who was talking. I had to force myself to finish for completeness's sake. *sigh*
mysana's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Very different from the rest of the series but deeply enjoyable none the less.
alyssaarch's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
piazelda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I always love diving back into the Vorkosigan verse, and this is a fitting conclusion. Spending more time with Cordelia is always wonderful, and Jole was a surprising bonus. It's also nice when there is no treason or military matter at the heart of the plot. It makes a nice change, even if I'm also always in favour of thrilling space highjinks.
timinbc's review
2.0
Wow, what a disappointment. Think of everything you have liked about this series.
Got it? OK, there's hardly any of it here.
And, this is not a spoiler but a warning - Nothing Much Happens!
As some have said, it feels like fanfiction.
A charitable or biased reader might see it as a loving addition to the canon, filling in gaps and tying things together. But gosh, a lot of it is stuff that it's hard to believe wouldn't have come out before if it really was part of the story. It feels pasted on, forced.
This really makes it clear how some of the characters are more annoying that we had realized, and that spoils my memories of the whole series. Cordelia is pure Mary Sue, never been wrong in her life, and people just naturally want to strew rose petals in her path. But Jole is Marty Stu just as much - handsome, charismatic, smart, funny, whatever. And the people who work for them are all superb and unflappable. Even Ekaterina is just too, too perfect. Indeed, the only one who's even slightly jerkish is Miles, perhaps not without reason, but if you wanted another fix of Miles it ain't here.
It's all senior sex (and I'm 66, I don't mind), and tea and politeness, and babies and children. Words like "twee" and "sickly sweet" and "cloying" come to mind. I skimmed most of the last half, and I never thought I'd write that about the work of one 0f my favourite authors.
Every once in a while, we see something that hints of conflict to come, and possible treachery or violence or invasion or trickery or heinous f***ry most foul, but time after time they just fizzle.
If you've read the whole Vorkosigan series, it's possible this will bring you a pleasant sense of completion. But I recommend that you don't read it. It brings down the series.
I had the same feeling reading Larry Niven's recent work, speaking of my favourite authors.
Different reasons, same sad result. Sigh.
Got it? OK, there's hardly any of it here.
And, this is not a spoiler but a warning - Nothing Much Happens!
As some have said, it feels like fanfiction.
A charitable or biased reader might see it as a loving addition to the canon, filling in gaps and tying things together. But gosh, a lot of it is stuff that it's hard to believe wouldn't have come out before if it really was part of the story. It feels pasted on, forced.
This really makes it clear how some of the characters are more annoying that we had realized, and that spoils my memories of the whole series. Cordelia is pure Mary Sue, never been wrong in her life, and people just naturally want to strew rose petals in her path. But Jole is Marty Stu just as much - handsome, charismatic, smart, funny, whatever. And the people who work for them are all superb and unflappable. Even Ekaterina is just too, too perfect. Indeed, the only one who's even slightly jerkish is Miles, perhaps not without reason, but if you wanted another fix of Miles it ain't here.
It's all senior sex (and I'm 66, I don't mind), and tea and politeness, and babies and children. Words like "twee" and "sickly sweet" and "cloying" come to mind. I skimmed most of the last half, and I never thought I'd write that about the work of one 0f my favourite authors.
Every once in a while, we see something that hints of conflict to come, and possible treachery or violence or invasion or trickery or heinous f***ry most foul, but time after time they just fizzle.
If you've read the whole Vorkosigan series, it's possible this will bring you a pleasant sense of completion. But I recommend that you don't read it. It brings down the series.
I had the same feeling reading Larry Niven's recent work, speaking of my favourite authors.
Different reasons, same sad result. Sigh.
captlychee's review
2.0
Not up to Ms Bujold's ususla standard.
The first hal is pretty interesting, discussing the datin game, as it were, for two people in middle age, with middle age here being derined as 50 and 76 (with duenotice taken of Cordelia Vorkosigan's increased longecity) and the court ship of the two title characters is well handled.
Then I tgets bogged down in tedious exploration of the future of children who might be born by uterine replicator long after these two are dead, then it gets even sillier as Miles Vorosigan comes into the story and he gets involve in long discussions about his mother dating someone and the ramifications of these new children being born who would be half-siblings to him. Meanwhile the hapless reader is left wondering what ifference it will make since Miles' succession to Count Vorkosigan is already assured.
Even the Cetagandans turn out to be harmless.
For fans of the unicerse, though, we at last get a figure for the length of the time of Isolation, which I will leave as a mystery here because it is about the only interesting thing in the book.
The first hal is pretty interesting, discussing the datin game, as it were, for two people in middle age, with middle age here being derined as 50 and 76 (with duenotice taken of Cordelia Vorkosigan's increased longecity) and the court ship of the two title characters is well handled.
Then I tgets bogged down in tedious exploration of the future of children who might be born by uterine replicator long after these two are dead, then it gets even sillier as Miles Vorosigan comes into the story and he gets involve in long discussions about his mother dating someone and the ramifications of these new children being born who would be half-siblings to him. Meanwhile the hapless reader is left wondering what ifference it will make since Miles' succession to Count Vorkosigan is already assured.
Even the Cetagandans turn out to be harmless.
For fans of the unicerse, though, we at last get a figure for the length of the time of Isolation, which I will leave as a mystery here because it is about the only interesting thing in the book.