Scan barcode
awano's review
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.75
shai3d's review
Great book! I love the fact that it is focused on Cordelia which is where the series began.
cjkerr's review
3.0
3.5⭐ - Enjoyed this substantially more on a second read with my expectations adjusted.
ivinklerkomaric's review against another edition
3.0
ČITATELJSKI IZAZOV - NASLOVI PREMA SLOVIMA MOGA IMENA (12 - K)
Okeeej, ne znam što sam očekivala od ove knjige, ali baš samo ljubić nisam. Gdje su one poznate Bujoldicine napete priče, oni dobri zapleti, odlična akcija... Jedino čega mi nije falilo je njen karakterističan humor i pametni dijalozi. Sve ostalo... meeh. Radnja je bila prespora, pratimo Cordeliju i Olivera Jolea kako obnavljaju svoju ljubavnu vezu, rasprave o majčinstvu, očinstvu, obitelji, jednu rođendansku proslavu... Ne znam što je Bujoldica željela postići s ovom knjigom, možda samo pokazati da i Vorkosigani imaju ne pretjerano napet obiteljski i ljubavni život, ali ja bih radije čitala neku njenu napetu svemirsku operu. Strah me kako će iduća knjiga iz Vorkosigan sage izgledati, ako je bude bilo. Ova dobiva trojkicu zbog stare slave.
Doduše, sad me puca takva nostalgija za svim prijašnjim nastavcima, da ozbiljno razmišljam uhvatiti se ponovnog čitanja cijelog serijala.
I sretna sam što sam uspjela pročitati još jednu knjigu iz izazova. Sad mi ih je ostalo "samo" još sedam.
Okeeej, ne znam što sam očekivala od ove knjige, ali baš samo ljubić nisam. Gdje su one poznate Bujoldicine napete priče, oni dobri zapleti, odlična akcija... Jedino čega mi nije falilo je njen karakterističan humor i pametni dijalozi. Sve ostalo... meeh. Radnja je bila prespora, pratimo Cordeliju i Olivera Jolea kako obnavljaju svoju ljubavnu vezu, rasprave o majčinstvu, očinstvu, obitelji, jednu rođendansku proslavu... Ne znam što je Bujoldica željela postići s ovom knjigom, možda samo pokazati da i Vorkosigani imaju ne pretjerano napet obiteljski i ljubavni život, ali ja bih radije čitala neku njenu napetu svemirsku operu. Strah me kako će iduća knjiga iz Vorkosigan sage izgledati, ako je bude bilo. Ova dobiva trojkicu zbog stare slave.
Doduše, sad me puca takva nostalgija za svim prijašnjim nastavcima, da ozbiljno razmišljam uhvatiti se ponovnog čitanja cijelog serijala.
I sretna sam što sam uspjela pročitati još jednu knjigu iz izazova. Sad mi ih je ostalo "samo" još sedam.
nvonhein's review
3.0
This was definitely not my favorite of these books but was still a nice bookend on the series, with themes of grief and moving on where it felt like Bujold was letting go of the series alongside the characters. There’s a very small scale plot compared to other books in the series and not much tension as the book is mostly characters coming to terms with the changes they’ve undergone and settling down to a new life again. There’s enough of characters that I love to keep this interesting enough to finish and enjoy but not too much else. I’m glad this book exists as it does seem to wind things down nicely and let the characters keep going, while acknowledging all of the consequences of the lives we’ve seen play out.
lisalark's review
4.0
You guys, I really liked this. I think everyone who didn't is not Betan enough, frankly. You're all closet Barrayarans. Puritans. Children. Whichever.
I loved that this got back to Cordelia (heart) and I especially (from the ripe age of 33 and childless) loved loved the theme of "Oh hey! Parents have lives! That don't include you, Miles." Haha he's used to being the center of everything, isn't he? Poor tyke.
The fringe mentions of various people, including one Thorne, and cameos by Cetagandans being, well, Cetagandan, were lovely. I'm also a huge sucker for science and urban planning and public administration so basically YES PLEASE to settling new planets and biological surveys and city building.
Only sad bit is that I've now read them all, dammit.
I loved that this got back to Cordelia (heart) and I especially (from the ripe age of 33 and childless) loved loved the theme of "Oh hey! Parents have lives! That don't include you, Miles." Haha he's used to being the center of everything, isn't he? Poor tyke.
The fringe mentions of various people, including one Thorne, and cameos by Cetagandans being, well, Cetagandan, were lovely. I'm also a huge sucker for science and urban planning and public administration so basically YES PLEASE to settling new planets and biological surveys and city building.
Only sad bit is that I've now read them all, dammit.
kimu's review
5.0
I always wanted another Cordelia book, so THANK YOU Lois McMaster Bujold! Not exactly the average Vorkosigan cup of tea, this one. But enjoyable nonetheless.
sylda's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.5
pickett22's review
4.0
I think that if I had been spoiled for the big plot reveal I would have done like Andre and Jasmine and not read this book, so I'm really glad I wasn't spoiled for it. It's hard to put into words how I feel about this book. I had to do a lot of mental gymnastics to keep myself from feeling cheated, which was unpleasant, but it's done now. However, the fact that I had to do that still makes me feel somewhat cheated.
Basically this book isn't anything I wanted. It is, however, what I have, and I'd like to think I'm a big enough person to deal with what I'm given up to a point. I've decided that this book doesn't cross that "up to a point," but I completely understand that for a lot of people it will.
The book is very light on plot, being intensely character driven. I'm 100% fine with that. That does mean, however, that when you get to the end it does feel very... short, I guess. A light snack, rather than a meal. It spends so much time unraveling all these threads from the past that it never gets to explore much of depth. I suppose my complaint is that it's character driven without much by way of character growth. Jole grows, to a certain extent, because he has to figure out what he really wants in life, but that's about all.
But the book isn't about character growth, it's about untangling the past, which is what it does, so I guess my complaint comes back to it not being what I wanted. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it very well. It's funny, though not as funny as some of the other books, and it's sweet, though not as sweet at some of the other books, and I could go on like that.
It was fine, is what it all rounds down to. Good, even. I'm willing to go with it, but I don't want any more like it. It doesn't spoil the rest of the series for me, I don't think, and I did enjoy the read. So yes. It was fine.
Edit, two years later:
Here's a funny thing: when I need something comfortable and sweet and painless and lovely, I go to this book. I've never re-read the entire thing cover-to-cover, but this been something to comfort myself with in dark times, even though when I first closed this book I thought I would never open it again.
Isn't it strange how we become something different? How we change? How we need different things at different times? And when I have needed to remember that life goes on after heartache, and when I needed to remember how my parents live an entire life apart from me, and when I needed to see an example of a complex adult relationship, there was this book that shook me so unpleasantly at first giving me all of that and asking nothing in return. Is not that strange?
Basically this book isn't anything I wanted. It is, however, what I have, and I'd like to think I'm a big enough person to deal with what I'm given up to a point. I've decided that this book doesn't cross that "up to a point," but I completely understand that for a lot of people it will.
The book is very light on plot, being intensely character driven. I'm 100% fine with that. That does mean, however, that when you get to the end it does feel very... short, I guess. A light snack, rather than a meal. It spends so much time unraveling all these threads from the past that it never gets to explore much of depth. I suppose my complaint is that it's character driven without much by way of character growth. Jole grows, to a certain extent, because he has to figure out what he really wants in life, but that's about all.
But the book isn't about character growth, it's about untangling the past, which is what it does, so I guess my complaint comes back to it not being what I wanted. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it very well. It's funny, though not as funny as some of the other books, and it's sweet, though not as sweet at some of the other books, and I could go on like that.
It was fine, is what it all rounds down to. Good, even. I'm willing to go with it, but I don't want any more like it. It doesn't spoil the rest of the series for me, I don't think, and I did enjoy the read. So yes. It was fine.
Edit, two years later:
Here's a funny thing: when I need something comfortable and sweet and painless and lovely, I go to this book. I've never re-read the entire thing cover-to-cover, but this been something to comfort myself with in dark times, even though when I first closed this book I thought I would never open it again.
Isn't it strange how we become something different? How we change? How we need different things at different times? And when I have needed to remember that life goes on after heartache, and when I needed to remember how my parents live an entire life apart from me, and when I needed to see an example of a complex adult relationship, there was this book that shook me so unpleasantly at first giving me all of that and asking nothing in return. Is not that strange?