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barbara007's review against another edition
5.0
I've only read one chapter and I'm already crying happy tears and squeeing all over the place!
(Flash forward to a few days later) I tried to read as slowly as possible to make it last but alas it's over! I don't know if Lois is planning on writing more in this universe, but I hope so!
(Flash forward to a few days later) I tried to read as slowly as possible to make it last but alas it's over! I don't know if Lois is planning on writing more in this universe, but I hope so!
triscuit807's review against another edition
4.0
Every new Bujold book is a treat and this one doesn't disappoint. In GJRQ she revisits one of the two characters that started the whole saga in "Shards of Honor", Cordelia Naismith, 3 years after the death of her husband Aral Vorkosigan. She's still Vicereine of Sergyar (the planet she discovered in Shards), she's in her 70s (still young for a galactic), and she's wanting to move on. Note: this is not a Miles book, although he does show up. Like all of the Vorkosign saga, GJRQ is a space opera tinged with romance. However, the romance is more central than the space opera - even more so than "Komarr" and "Civil Campaign" - and I hope that's not too much of a spoiler. Having read it, I find myself wanting to re-read all of them again. It's been 30 years since Shards, so why not? This also fulfills my 2016 Reading Challenge by ticking the box "read a romance set in the future" PopSugar).
jdkimble's review against another edition
3.0
This is easily my least favorite book in the Vorkosigan book series. It's not hateful, just pretty boring.
jtone's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the romance between two older characters as the main plot element. It was good to see them making their choices based on their experiences. Having Miles being Miles when not mid-crisis was fun too.
poffalina's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another wonderful story by Lois McMaster Bujold. Less frantic energy than some of the other books, but it distinct from a lot of science fiction in that it focuses on older protagonists, who have more mature problems they are grappling with.
jaeclectic's review against another edition
4.0
Caution: Toward the end of this review, I mention some general topics / themes that may be considered spoilers, in that they might lessen the surprise of certain events in the book.
I enjoyed this a great deal, and heartily recommend it to fans of the series. It provides an update on Cordelia (and to a lesser extent, Miles and other characters), while also filling in some history of Cordelia and Aral's life together that Miles (and thus readers of the books focused on Miles) were unaware of.
I am not sure this would work as well for new readers. I felt like the dramatic decisions that the characters needed to make were not all that dramatic, and the outcome(s) felt like foregone conclusion(s). This lack of tension made for a cosy pleasant read when visiting old friends, but might not grab the interest of someone meeting these people for the first time.
An exception could be readers who are specifically interested in a story that embeds acceptance of bisexuality and ethical non-monogamy -- relatively unsurprising to those of us who know what Beta Colony is like, but still a pleasant exception to the rule in the fiction of modern day Earth :)
I enjoyed this a great deal, and heartily recommend it to fans of the series. It provides an update on Cordelia (and to a lesser extent, Miles and other characters), while also filling in some history of Cordelia and Aral's life together that Miles (and thus readers of the books focused on Miles) were unaware of.
I am not sure this would work as well for new readers. I felt like the dramatic decisions that the characters needed to make were not all that dramatic, and the outcome(s) felt like foregone conclusion(s). This lack of tension made for a cosy pleasant read when visiting old friends, but might not grab the interest of someone meeting these people for the first time.
An exception could be readers who are specifically interested in a story that embeds acceptance of bisexuality and ethical non-monogamy -- relatively unsurprising to those of us who know what Beta Colony is like, but still a pleasant exception to the rule in the fiction of modern day Earth :)
morgandhu's review
4.0
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, Lois McMaster Bujold's latest entry in her long-running Vorkosigan series, is a domestic romance, with nary a hint of military action or undercover missions, and only the barest of political subplots. But that's just fine, because the romance is both sweet and mature, and it allows for many reminiscences that harken back to the earliest volumes of the series and remind us of a lifetime of events.
It also asks us to accept a revisioning of one of the central relationships of the series, that of Aral Vorkosigan and Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan. We learn, with very little warning, that for the latter decades of Aral's life, their relationship had been not one between two persons, but one between three - Aral, Cordelia, and Aral's one-time military secretary Oliver Jole. From conversations and recollections, we learn that Aral had been the one to bring Jole into the relationship, and with his death, Cordelia and Jole had not continued the relationship, although they remained friends.
The book opens three years after Aral's death, as Cordelia, Vicereine of the Barrayaran colony of Sergyar - the planet where Aral and Cordelia first met - returns after a voyage to Barrayar. She is met, as befits her rank, by Jole in his capacity as Admiral and commander of the Barrayaran troops in Sergyar space.
Slowly, they discover that time has sufficiently healed the wounds made by Aral's loss that they are both ready to contemplate relationships again - and that they are drawn to each other even without Aral to be the bond between them.
Romance between mature adults is rare in fiction, and thus a delightful thing to read. One aspect of their growing relationship and how they handle multiple issues that could derail it is that being mature and intelligent people, they don't keep secrets or hide things, they talk to each other. They know that communication, not sex, is what keeps a a relationship of the level of intimacy they desire alive year after year. I was so delighted to read a romance that is not riddled with the standard foolishness of lovers who can't be honest with each other.
Family and continuance is also at the core of this gentle romance. Miles, Ekaterin and their children make a significant entrance, and Miles' clone/brother Mark and his partner are clearly part of the family even if not present. Even more, the developing relationship between Cordelia and Jole is woven around Cordelia's plans to use preserved genetic material from Aral and herself and extrauterine reproductive technology to have the daughters that she and Aral never had the time to bring into the world. And she offers Jole the use of some of Aral's genetic material, and several of her own ennucleated ova, so that he can, if he wishes, have sons who will be both his and Aral's.
In this novel, all the action, all the suspense, is driven by decisions surrounding relationship, and yet it captivated me as much as any high-octane thriller.
It also asks us to accept a revisioning of one of the central relationships of the series, that of Aral Vorkosigan and Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan. We learn, with very little warning, that for the latter decades of Aral's life, their relationship had been not one between two persons, but one between three - Aral, Cordelia, and Aral's one-time military secretary Oliver Jole. From conversations and recollections, we learn that Aral had been the one to bring Jole into the relationship, and with his death, Cordelia and Jole had not continued the relationship, although they remained friends.
The book opens three years after Aral's death, as Cordelia, Vicereine of the Barrayaran colony of Sergyar - the planet where Aral and Cordelia first met - returns after a voyage to Barrayar. She is met, as befits her rank, by Jole in his capacity as Admiral and commander of the Barrayaran troops in Sergyar space.
Slowly, they discover that time has sufficiently healed the wounds made by Aral's loss that they are both ready to contemplate relationships again - and that they are drawn to each other even without Aral to be the bond between them.
Romance between mature adults is rare in fiction, and thus a delightful thing to read. One aspect of their growing relationship and how they handle multiple issues that could derail it is that being mature and intelligent people, they don't keep secrets or hide things, they talk to each other. They know that communication, not sex, is what keeps a a relationship of the level of intimacy they desire alive year after year. I was so delighted to read a romance that is not riddled with the standard foolishness of lovers who can't be honest with each other.
Family and continuance is also at the core of this gentle romance. Miles, Ekaterin and their children make a significant entrance, and Miles' clone/brother Mark and his partner are clearly part of the family even if not present. Even more, the developing relationship between Cordelia and Jole is woven around Cordelia's plans to use preserved genetic material from Aral and herself and extrauterine reproductive technology to have the daughters that she and Aral never had the time to bring into the world. And she offers Jole the use of some of Aral's genetic material, and several of her own ennucleated ova, so that he can, if he wishes, have sons who will be both his and Aral's.
In this novel, all the action, all the suspense, is driven by decisions surrounding relationship, and yet it captivated me as much as any high-octane thriller.
sbisson's review
4.0
Recent Reads: Gentleman Jole and The Red Queen. Lois McMaster Bujold returns to Cordelia's story in this latest Vorkosigan novel. A legacy is dealt with and a picnic is planned.
mudder17's review
3.0
3-3.5 stars
I'm a little surprised I'm giving this less than 4 stars, but it's just not what I was expecting. While I didn't mind at all the romance part of it and the relationship between Cordelia, Aral, and Oliver, nothing really happened, unlike in most of the Vorkosigan Saga books. Even the first book in the series that was mostly Cordelia and Aral (no Miles) was exciting and full of interesting events, so it wasn't just that Miles didn't play that much of a role in this book. In fact, the scenes with him were some of the more interesting ones in this book. The author's writing is just as strong as ever, and overall, I did like this book. But for much of it, I was just waiting for something earthshattering to happen. I thought there would be more conflict and political stuff with all the embryos, but there really wasn't. Even people's reactions to the relationship between Cordelia and Oliver were not over the top the way I was expecting. So not a bad story, but by far from one of my favorites for this universe.
I'm a little surprised I'm giving this less than 4 stars, but it's just not what I was expecting. While I didn't mind at all the romance part of it and the relationship between Cordelia, Aral, and Oliver, nothing really happened, unlike in most of the Vorkosigan Saga books. Even the first book in the series that was mostly Cordelia and Aral (no Miles) was exciting and full of interesting events, so it wasn't just that Miles didn't play that much of a role in this book. In fact, the scenes with him were some of the more interesting ones in this book. The author's writing is just as strong as ever, and overall, I did like this book. But for much of it, I was just waiting for something earthshattering to happen. I thought there would be more conflict and political stuff with all the embryos, but there really wasn't. Even people's reactions to the relationship between Cordelia and Oliver were not over the top the way I was expecting. So not a bad story, but by far from one of my favorites for this universe.
kukushka's review against another edition
5.0
As much as I want to keep reading new Vorkosigan books forever, this is a perfect cap to the series. The characters are older, wiser, slowing down, and now begins a time of reflecting back on their lives and the choices that have been made along the way. They make peace with themselves and each other as they prepare for the next phase in their lives.
It's a slower story than others in the series, and the stakes are much lower (some shenanigans with the local fauna notwithstanding). But I've spent a year with these characters now, getting to know and love them, and this was a satisfying epilogue to their saga.
It's a slower story than others in the series, and the stakes are much lower (some shenanigans with the local fauna notwithstanding). But I've spent a year with these characters now, getting to know and love them, and this was a satisfying epilogue to their saga.