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rouver's review
4.0
A bittersweet book; wonderfully written, but there's a sadness knowing that McMaster Bujold is going into retirement with this final installment of the Miles Vorkosigan series. Miles' mother, Cordilia has existed through the past 3 years following her husband's death. Ready to live again, she's decided to throw caution to the wind & raise 6 girls, which can be done thanks to the technological advancement of uterine replicators. Wishing to share her husband's legacy, she offers Aral's DNA to a close friend who is childless. It's a good ending, one that offers new beginnings and adventures to characters that have become old friends.
I've loved reading this series & need to sit down & go through them all again.
I've loved reading this series & need to sit down & go through them all again.
trike's review
4.0
This feels like an extended coda for the entire Vorkosigan saga. It is decidedly low stakes, with its focus on Cordelia’s imminent retirement from imperial duties and her decision to stay on Sergyar, where she met Aral all those decades earlier, along with the other POV of Admiral Oliver Jole as his 50th birthday party looms. This is not the sort of derring-do and fireworks that have featured in previous installments, although fireworks *do* figure prominently in the climax at the party among a swarm of local insects.
I suspect if someone had been waiting a few years between novels this might be something of a let-down, but as I’ve eagerly consumed almost the entirety of the series over the past three months, this was a satisfyingly gentle landing.
This has the feel of finality about it, being the last novel in the series. However, Bujold did write a prequel novella which was published a year ago in May 2018, so maybe we’ll see further adventures of the next generation of Vorkosigans in due time. If this is it, so be it. No complaints from me.
I suspect if someone had been waiting a few years between novels this might be something of a let-down, but as I’ve eagerly consumed almost the entirety of the series over the past three months, this was a satisfyingly gentle landing.
This has the feel of finality about it, being the last novel in the series. However, Bujold did write a prequel novella which was published a year ago in May 2018, so maybe we’ll see further adventures of the next generation of Vorkosigans in due time. If this is it, so be it. No complaints from me.
jmslib's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book was disappointing to me, it felt like a lot of space was taken up restating what had happened in earlier books and some of Cordelia’s choices really seemed out of left field. Not a lot of “action” compared to earlier books. I would have liked the series to end earlier - A Civil Campaign and Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance were much more enjoyable - this left me feeling -meh- when I really liked the series overall.
wynwicket's review
4.0
This was a different sort of Vorkosigan story -- gentler, slower, and with significantly less Miles -- but it brings the story full-circle back to [b:Shards of Honor|531792|Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga, #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388212776s/531792.jpg|9673658]. It felt like the last book in a series, and if it all ended here, I think I'd be happy. Instead of a rollicking space adventure, we have a story about recovering after the passing of a spouse and re-inventing (or rediscovering) one's self when it comes time to retire. I'll always carry a torch for Miles Vorkosigan, and it is good to see him happy, but this story about Cordelia (and the new, but wonderful, Admiral Oliver Jole) was one that needed to be told.
kentcryptid's review
Speaking as a massive fan of the series, unfortunately this really didn't work for me.
Jole is a blandly beige character and I found myself skimming passages because I was so bored being inside his head. I was wishing for Miles' POV (particularly during the final revelatory conversation between himself and Jole), or Kaya's, or Ekaterin's, or anything that wasn't Jole musing about his troubles with concrete for pages on end. And there's a truly excessive amount of detail about reproductive biology, town planning, and god damned toilets.
Finally, the plot just... isn't there. At one point I hoped there might be the gem of something interesting about diplomatic relations with Cetaganda emerging but this led to nothing. It's essentially the story of two people making career decisions and having a boring relationship.
One of the things I love most about the Vorkosigan series is its sense of fun, but sadly there's no fun to be had here.
Spoiler
It's probably the most talky and exposition-heavy of all the Vorkosigan books. Huge amounts of time are expended on characters recounting to each other events from decades earlier, which any interested reader who's reached this point in the series will already know.Jole is a blandly beige character and I found myself skimming passages because I was so bored being inside his head. I was wishing for Miles' POV (particularly during the final revelatory conversation between himself and Jole), or Kaya's, or Ekaterin's, or anything that wasn't Jole musing about his troubles with concrete for pages on end. And there's a truly excessive amount of detail about reproductive biology, town planning, and god damned toilets.
Finally, the plot just... isn't there. At one point I hoped there might be the gem of something interesting about diplomatic relations with Cetaganda emerging but this led to nothing. It's essentially the story of two people making career decisions and having a boring relationship.
One of the things I love most about the Vorkosigan series is its sense of fun, but sadly there's no fun to be had here.
manolitagafotas's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
imakandiway's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
4.5
alexakm's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
4.0
barryhaworth's review
3.0
This latest book in the Vorkosigan series takes up Cordelia's story three years after Aral's death at the end of Cryoburn. I enjoyed having Cordelia as a POV character again, and the return to Sergyar, the setting for Shards of Honor. Miles turns up also about two thirds of the way through the book, but as a supporting character. The main characters are Cordelia and Admiral Oliver Jole, a new addition to the Vorkosigan universe.
The book explores some aspects of the Vorkosigan universe we haven't seen. There are many references and reminiscences of previous books, most notably Shards of Honor, but also The Vor Game and several others. The action is this one is fairly low key and personal - no war or diplomatic incident, but people working out what direction to take in life. I enjoyed the book as giving a new perspective on characters and incidents I already knew. I don't know how it would appeal to a newcomer to the series.
The book explores some aspects of the Vorkosigan universe we haven't seen. There are many references and reminiscences of previous books, most notably Shards of Honor, but also The Vor Game and several others. The action is this one is fairly low key and personal - no war or diplomatic incident, but people working out what direction to take in life. I enjoyed the book as giving a new perspective on characters and incidents I already knew. I don't know how it would appeal to a newcomer to the series.
kcollett75's review
5.0
Bujold's Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen will be published soon! I've already read the eARC, and it's good, good, good! Yes, very different from the young Miles books, or the young Cordelia for that matter, but Bujold's never been one to write the same book twice. So when you read it, read THIS book. And if you haven't read any Bujold before, what a treat is in store for you!