Scan barcode
shoelessgirl's review
4.0
Loved it - such fabulous characters, and a fun story, though not a great deal happened. Would have preferred more of the politics and intrigue of previous novels, but again, really did enjoy it. I may need to re-read the early Cordelia novels.
chukg's review
4.0
Maybe not up with the best Vorkosigan books but still enjoyable and it's nice to see the characters later in their lives. (I don't remember Oliver Jole from any of the earlier books, though, this almost feels like a retcon in some ways.) And the plot has challenges and interesting parts without having a 'bad guy' or any violence (although some violence from the past is occasionally discussed), it's largely about relationships and politics.
allison_r's review
5.0
I wept. Mostly because it was beautiful. Also because it was sad.
I read "Cordelia's Honor" (the collected first two books of the Vorkosigan saga) when I was in early high school. Then read it again, and again-- the first half, "Shards of Honor," is probably one of the books I've read the most times in my life.
I was drawn to it for a lot of reasons. First, it starts with a survival/exploration sequence written by a biologist, which is a treat. Second, it's a really romantic book; I swooned over it before I knew what swooning was.
But the third reason was Cordelia. A brilliant astro-cartographer who gave up her way of life to be with the person she loved. She had a clearness of vision, a certainty of what she wanted and what she was willing to sacrifice, that I think I've unconsciously tried to model for most of my life. (Jury's out if I've succeeded.)
I think one part of Lois McMaster Bujold's brilliance is that her characters are meaningfully flawed-- so flawed that, when you encounter them from another character's perspective, they can be delightfully annoying. Miles spent the greater part of this book being a little shit who took much too long to wrap his mind around his mother's autonomy. Ekaterin rarely speaks and intercedes on Cordelia's behalf even less (that we see). We get to see how irritating Cordelia's persistent correctness and counseling can be. Aral, witnessed in the memory of those who loved him, kept part of his life that was dear to him secret from his family because of his shame.
If you're reading reviews of this book, this is probably why:
I think that instead of writing off this book because of its initial plot twist, it should prompt us-- as it prompted me-- to consider why this revelation was so shocking to us. Far more ludicrous for me is the suggestion that people could be married for any length of time, let alone forty years, without their relationship and sexuality changing. And honestly, it was so cool to see people who weren't twenty-two discovering new things about their sexuality, taking delight in their partners, having crushes, having sex, and starting new projects and families. (One of the main characters of this series, Aral, was in his 80s, bisexual, and had an active sex life. In-cre-di-ble.) It's more lovely because of the uncertainty of time and the wisdom of their experience, not less.
I guess this book also makes me grieve a little. For Jole and Aral, who did not get to take what was lovely between them into the light, partially because of disastrous political fallout, but also because of their own shame. For Cordelia, who had to watch them do this and couldn't make the decision for them. The most cathartic and devastating scenes for me were when Miles and Cordelia talked about Aral's bisexuality, and again when Jole told Miles about his relationship with Aral. This book turned the tables on me; I actually begrudged Aral for not telling people about his relationship with Jole, and I've been in the closet most of my life; I know how awful and necessary it sometimes is. I grieved at how much of my world I see reflected in Barrayar. It's funny how I simultaneously love this world so much and fully understand why Cordelia will raise her daughters elsewhere.
I've heard people call this the last book of the Vorkosigan saga. I don't know if it's true. But if it is, it's a damn good ending. It had a similar tone to "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance," a distinct sense that threads are being wrapped up now, especially as Cordelia returns both to the planet she discovered and the career she set aside in order to be a countess. As the series began with her, so, perhaps, it ends. It was a hell of a ride.
I read "Cordelia's Honor" (the collected first two books of the Vorkosigan saga) when I was in early high school. Then read it again, and again-- the first half, "Shards of Honor," is probably one of the books I've read the most times in my life.
I was drawn to it for a lot of reasons. First, it starts with a survival/exploration sequence written by a biologist, which is a treat. Second, it's a really romantic book; I swooned over it before I knew what swooning was.
But the third reason was Cordelia. A brilliant astro-cartographer who gave up her way of life to be with the person she loved. She had a clearness of vision, a certainty of what she wanted and what she was willing to sacrifice, that I think I've unconsciously tried to model for most of my life. (Jury's out if I've succeeded.)
I think one part of Lois McMaster Bujold's brilliance is that her characters are meaningfully flawed-- so flawed that, when you encounter them from another character's perspective, they can be delightfully annoying. Miles spent the greater part of this book being a little shit who took much too long to wrap his mind around his mother's autonomy. Ekaterin rarely speaks and intercedes on Cordelia's behalf even less (that we see). We get to see how irritating Cordelia's persistent correctness and counseling can be. Aral, witnessed in the memory of those who loved him, kept part of his life that was dear to him secret from his family because of his shame.
If you're reading reviews of this book, this is probably why:
Spoiler
I see a lot of reviews complaining that it hadn't been revealed before in the series that Cordelia, Aral, and Jole were in a polyamorous relationship for most of the series. But I kind of think that's the point. This book is about the fundamental opacity of others, certainly to the crowd, but also to the ones who love them. Miles, a brilliant investigator and the chief narrator of the series, never deduces on his own that his father was in love with Jole, because Miles-- like us-- was raised in a heteronormative environment, which even the influence of his Betan mother couldn't erase. By the same token, he didn't guess that Jole and Cordelia were dating before Cordelia told him, because parents aren't supposed to have sex or boyfriends!I think that instead of writing off this book because of its initial plot twist, it should prompt us-- as it prompted me-- to consider why this revelation was so shocking to us. Far more ludicrous for me is the suggestion that people could be married for any length of time, let alone forty years, without their relationship and sexuality changing. And honestly, it was so cool to see people who weren't twenty-two discovering new things about their sexuality, taking delight in their partners, having crushes, having sex, and starting new projects and families. (One of the main characters of this series, Aral, was in his 80s, bisexual, and had an active sex life. In-cre-di-ble.) It's more lovely because of the uncertainty of time and the wisdom of their experience, not less.
I guess this book also makes me grieve a little. For Jole and Aral, who did not get to take what was lovely between them into the light, partially because of disastrous political fallout, but also because of their own shame. For Cordelia, who had to watch them do this and couldn't make the decision for them. The most cathartic and devastating scenes for me were when Miles and Cordelia talked about Aral's bisexuality, and again when Jole told Miles about his relationship with Aral. This book turned the tables on me; I actually begrudged Aral for not telling people about his relationship with Jole, and I've been in the closet most of my life; I know how awful and necessary it sometimes is. I grieved at how much of my world I see reflected in Barrayar. It's funny how I simultaneously love this world so much and fully understand why Cordelia will raise her daughters elsewhere.
I've heard people call this the last book of the Vorkosigan saga. I don't know if it's true. But if it is, it's a damn good ending. It had a similar tone to "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance," a distinct sense that threads are being wrapped up now, especially as Cordelia returns both to the planet she discovered and the career she set aside in order to be a countess. As the series began with her, so, perhaps, it ends. It was a hell of a ride.
ladysweden's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Loved it! Very different from the other Vorkosigan books.
onceandfuturelaura's review
3.0
Continues (completes?) the drift from grand drama to romance/comedy of manners. Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan; the Betan captain who defeated Barrayar’s attempt to conquer one planet; helped execute two crazed noblemen; married into their nobility; won a civil war by bringing back the usurper’s head in a bag; became a countess; became a governor; became a widow and dowager countess; has decided to retire at 76 and have a parcel of children. The only drama is whether and if so to what extent will she do this with an old friend who had an intimate relationship with both her and her late husband.
The prose was a pleasure; the story a bit of a let down. The deep conflict between feudalism and the future is what brings me back to the Vorkosigan saga. There’s a thread of that here. Dowager Countess Captain Naismith Vorkosigan is once again bringing something new to Barrayar, or, at least, to the Barrayan colony world she discovered as a scientist and runs as a foster-son and Emperor’s designee. But that thread just weaves through; it does not lead us down to the little deeper level.
A lot of the humor came from the fact she did once bring back a severed head from a trip to the capitol. Which truly was a wonderful moment. But I was a bit put out that she never spared a thought for the man who did the actual decapitation; poor Bothari, a man who did his absolute best by Barrayar and was turned into monster for it.
Did appreciate she was struggling with infrastructure and the lack of multiple bids for major public projects.
The prose was a pleasure; the story a bit of a let down. The deep conflict between feudalism and the future is what brings me back to the Vorkosigan saga. There’s a thread of that here. Dowager Countess Captain Naismith Vorkosigan is once again bringing something new to Barrayar, or, at least, to the Barrayan colony world she discovered as a scientist and runs as a foster-son and Emperor’s designee. But that thread just weaves through; it does not lead us down to the little deeper level.
A lot of the humor came from the fact she did once bring back a severed head from a trip to the capitol. Which truly was a wonderful moment. But I was a bit put out that she never spared a thought for the man who did the actual decapitation; poor Bothari, a man who did his absolute best by Barrayar and was turned into monster for it.
Did appreciate she was struggling with infrastructure and the lack of multiple bids for major public projects.
markyon's review
4.0
“Three years after her famous husband’s death, Cordelia Vorkosigan, widowed Vicereine of Sergyar, spins her life in a new direction. Caught up in her plans in ways they’d never imagined, Oliver Jole, Admiral, Sergyar Fleet, is confronted with an unexpected career crossroads, and Miles Vorkosigan, one of Emperor Gregor’s key investigators, dispatches himself on an inquiry he never anticipated — into the mystery of his own mother.”
So we return to the Vorkosigan Saga, of which this is the 17th book, and the first since the Hugo-nominated Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance in 2012.
Centre stage this time is Miles’ red-headed mother, Cordelia, and this gives the tale a slightly different dynamic to a Miles-centred book. Indeed, I suspect that it is this unusual perspective that has returned Lois to writing Vorkosigan tales. To be fair though, Cordelia has always been an important person in the Saga – reliable, loyal, resourceful, and fiery; a strength for Miles and his family, so fans of the series will enjoy this perspective.
If Cryoburn was about death (and the suspension of it, through cryogenics) then Gentleman Jole is its flip-side, it being about family, conception and birth. Much of the plot revolves around the idea that Cordelia is contemplating retiring from her duties as Vicereine of Sergyar and having more children, currently stored, as is the custom, as frozen eggs and created in uterine replicators – many people in Bujold’s world tend to choose to produce children by artificial pregnancy rather than in the traditional manner.
As there were ‘eggshells’ left over, Cordelia offers the enucleated ova to her close long-time companion, Admiral Oliver Jole, aide and also ex-lover to deceased Aral. Though meant as a gift, this complicates things for long-term military man Jole, who is also contemplating retirement from his duties.
Things progress and Cordelia and Jole begin (or rather, reignite) what I guess we would call ‘an autumnal relationship’, to the shock and horror of those around them:
“Apparently nobody under thirty thinks anyone over fifty has sex, so the explanations, while invective, are bound to lead people astray.”
There’s some disparate subplots about misappropriated construction supplies, a major fiftieth birthday celebration and an initially seemingly-irrelevant examination of alien lifeforms that all come together towards the end. The arrival of Miles and his lively family to the proceedings lead to this ruminance on family, friendship and child-bearing that makes up the core of the novel.
A couple of reviews have commented on ‘not a lot happening’ in the novel. To some extent this is true – readers expecting action in the manner of Miles in the Dendarii Mercenaries will be disappointed. Miles himself only appears halfway through the book. But after writing the series for over thirty years, it is often the lesser characters that provide the interest – to write about, as well as to read.
Most of all, Gentleman Jole is an examination of life-issues from an older perspective, dissecting ideas that tend to be thought of by people entering the later stages of their lives – what have I done with my life, and what or who will I leave behind to continue afterwards? The book is about heritage, and of legacy, in a science-fictional setting.
It is also about recovering after trauma and learning to live and love again, after the death of Cordelia’s life-long husband. Like many, adjusting to the loss of a long-term partner, Cordelia realises that “…she, too, might be out of practice at this sort of thing…” something which many people find as they lose or outlive their partners.
There are lots of comments throughout about the commonalities and differences between alien races, sexes and cultures, such as the imbalance between the allegedly sex-obsessed Betans (Cordelia) versus the more reticent Barrayaran perspective. As ever, the key to the success of Lois’s Vorkosigan books is that they predominantly examine human concerns, admittedly with the addition of science-fictional touches and a certain degree of humour.
The science-fictional element of the story here is created partly through the dilemmas in medical ethics created by technology – in this case the responsibility of conceiving and rearing children.
Bujold herself has said that this is a book for adults – it is a slow-burner that, beneath its relatively calm and staid surface has a lot to say about race, society and ethics. Some readers may be shocked by the sexual revelations made so calmly and quietly within this novel – but Cordelia has always had the ability to shock. Her keeping of disabled Miles as a baby when others would not have is just one facet of her character. I, for one, felt pleased that we see more of this character, in depth for the first time since the early days of Shards of Honor.
“What is love but delight in another human being? He delights me daily.”
After thirty years it can be a challenge to keep writing in a series of such volume and consistently high quality. Whilst there could be a tendency in lesser hands to keep churning out material regardless, Lois has managed to produce a book worthy of the series, though admittedly different from many therein. It is deftly written and delightful in its execution – not a place to start the series, but fans who have made the journey so far will not be disappointed.
So we return to the Vorkosigan Saga, of which this is the 17th book, and the first since the Hugo-nominated Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance in 2012.
Centre stage this time is Miles’ red-headed mother, Cordelia, and this gives the tale a slightly different dynamic to a Miles-centred book. Indeed, I suspect that it is this unusual perspective that has returned Lois to writing Vorkosigan tales. To be fair though, Cordelia has always been an important person in the Saga – reliable, loyal, resourceful, and fiery; a strength for Miles and his family, so fans of the series will enjoy this perspective.
If Cryoburn was about death (and the suspension of it, through cryogenics) then Gentleman Jole is its flip-side, it being about family, conception and birth. Much of the plot revolves around the idea that Cordelia is contemplating retiring from her duties as Vicereine of Sergyar and having more children, currently stored, as is the custom, as frozen eggs and created in uterine replicators – many people in Bujold’s world tend to choose to produce children by artificial pregnancy rather than in the traditional manner.
As there were ‘eggshells’ left over, Cordelia offers the enucleated ova to her close long-time companion, Admiral Oliver Jole, aide and also ex-lover to deceased Aral. Though meant as a gift, this complicates things for long-term military man Jole, who is also contemplating retirement from his duties.
Things progress and Cordelia and Jole begin (or rather, reignite) what I guess we would call ‘an autumnal relationship’, to the shock and horror of those around them:
“Apparently nobody under thirty thinks anyone over fifty has sex, so the explanations, while invective, are bound to lead people astray.”
There’s some disparate subplots about misappropriated construction supplies, a major fiftieth birthday celebration and an initially seemingly-irrelevant examination of alien lifeforms that all come together towards the end. The arrival of Miles and his lively family to the proceedings lead to this ruminance on family, friendship and child-bearing that makes up the core of the novel.
A couple of reviews have commented on ‘not a lot happening’ in the novel. To some extent this is true – readers expecting action in the manner of Miles in the Dendarii Mercenaries will be disappointed. Miles himself only appears halfway through the book. But after writing the series for over thirty years, it is often the lesser characters that provide the interest – to write about, as well as to read.
Most of all, Gentleman Jole is an examination of life-issues from an older perspective, dissecting ideas that tend to be thought of by people entering the later stages of their lives – what have I done with my life, and what or who will I leave behind to continue afterwards? The book is about heritage, and of legacy, in a science-fictional setting.
It is also about recovering after trauma and learning to live and love again, after the death of Cordelia’s life-long husband. Like many, adjusting to the loss of a long-term partner, Cordelia realises that “…she, too, might be out of practice at this sort of thing…” something which many people find as they lose or outlive their partners.
There are lots of comments throughout about the commonalities and differences between alien races, sexes and cultures, such as the imbalance between the allegedly sex-obsessed Betans (Cordelia) versus the more reticent Barrayaran perspective. As ever, the key to the success of Lois’s Vorkosigan books is that they predominantly examine human concerns, admittedly with the addition of science-fictional touches and a certain degree of humour.
The science-fictional element of the story here is created partly through the dilemmas in medical ethics created by technology – in this case the responsibility of conceiving and rearing children.
Bujold herself has said that this is a book for adults – it is a slow-burner that, beneath its relatively calm and staid surface has a lot to say about race, society and ethics. Some readers may be shocked by the sexual revelations made so calmly and quietly within this novel – but Cordelia has always had the ability to shock. Her keeping of disabled Miles as a baby when others would not have is just one facet of her character. I, for one, felt pleased that we see more of this character, in depth for the first time since the early days of Shards of Honor.
“What is love but delight in another human being? He delights me daily.”
After thirty years it can be a challenge to keep writing in a series of such volume and consistently high quality. Whilst there could be a tendency in lesser hands to keep churning out material regardless, Lois has managed to produce a book worthy of the series, though admittedly different from many therein. It is deftly written and delightful in its execution – not a place to start the series, but fans who have made the journey so far will not be disappointed.
jrug's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This loses out on a lot of the weight of character development in the same way as CAPTAIN VORPATRIL'S ALLIANCE without being quite as smooth. I'm pretty sure, however, that LMB is incapable of writing a boring book.
This loses out on a lot of the weight of character development in the same way as CAPTAIN VORPATRIL'S ALLIANCE without being quite as smooth. I'm pretty sure, however, that LMB is incapable of writing a boring book.
oleksandr's review against another edition
3.0
This is the final installment in the Vorkosigan Saga. I’ve read is as a part of the Vorkosigan Challenge in December 2020 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group.
The story made a full circle: the series started with Cordelia Naismith, a thirty-three years old woman, a Betan Astronomical Survey commander is the protagonist in [b:Shards of Honor|531792|Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388212776l/531792._SY75_.jpg|9673658], in later books she is more a minor role while the main character is her son Miles Vorkosigan. Now she is 75, a widow and a Vicereine of Sergyar, and plans to change her life drastically once again. Her counterpart in this novel is 50 years old man, Admiral of Sergyar Fleet, Oliver Jole, who was a secretary, confidant and lover of her late husband – he was mentioned briefly in earlier books, but played a minor role.
The story starts with Cordelia returning to Sergyar with a portable freezer. There her frozen zygotes as well as Earl’s bio-materials and she plans to finally get herself a daughter… or eight. She shares her idea, as well as her eggs with Oliver, pushing him to rethink his childless bachelor status.
I saw several comments suggesting that the story is weaker than previous works and while I agree there is no great plot with unexpected twists, it is a nice return of the initial character and a conclusion to he Saga
The story made a full circle: the series started with Cordelia Naismith, a thirty-three years old woman, a Betan Astronomical Survey commander is the protagonist in [b:Shards of Honor|531792|Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388212776l/531792._SY75_.jpg|9673658], in later books she is more a minor role while the main character is her son Miles Vorkosigan. Now she is 75, a widow and a Vicereine of Sergyar, and plans to change her life drastically once again. Her counterpart in this novel is 50 years old man, Admiral of Sergyar Fleet, Oliver Jole, who was a secretary, confidant and lover of her late husband – he was mentioned briefly in earlier books, but played a minor role.
The story starts with Cordelia returning to Sergyar with a portable freezer. There her frozen zygotes as well as Earl’s bio-materials and she plans to finally get herself a daughter… or eight. She shares her idea, as well as her eggs with Oliver, pushing him to rethink his childless bachelor status.
I saw several comments suggesting that the story is weaker than previous works and while I agree there is no great plot with unexpected twists, it is a nice return of the initial character and a conclusion to he Saga
wordnerdy's review
4.0
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2021/05/2021-book-108.html
The final (so far?) Vorkosigan book brings its focus back onto Cordelia, now a widow, but still running the planet where she met her husband. The other main POV character is the local Admiral, who was also her husband's boyfriend (which she, being from an open minded planet, was fine with). This isn’t really a romance novel, because they start dating right away, and there isn’t really any tension there. There’s also a whole thing where she's growing some daughters from her old eggs/her husband's old sperm, and has offered her husband's boyfriend some genetic stuff so he can grow some sons that are half him, half the dead husband (future science!), and he’s deciding whether he wants to be a father. Honestly, this is kind of slow and boring (in a nice way?) until she starts telling people about her future plans, and Miles comes for a surprise visit, large family in tow. Weird to read a chill Vorkosigan book, but a nice way to wrap up the series. A-/B+.
The final (so far?) Vorkosigan book brings its focus back onto Cordelia, now a widow, but still running the planet where she met her husband. The other main POV character is the local Admiral, who was also her husband's boyfriend (which she, being from an open minded planet, was fine with). This isn’t really a romance novel, because they start dating right away, and there isn’t really any tension there. There’s also a whole thing where she's growing some daughters from her old eggs/her husband's old sperm, and has offered her husband's boyfriend some genetic stuff so he can grow some sons that are half him, half the dead husband (future science!), and he’s deciding whether he wants to be a father. Honestly, this is kind of slow and boring (in a nice way?) until she starts telling people about her future plans, and Miles comes for a surprise visit, large family in tow. Weird to read a chill Vorkosigan book, but a nice way to wrap up the series. A-/B+.