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tjoliverbooks's review
3.0
I waited patiently for another Vorkosigan book to come out and was very surprised to discover Bujold chose to revisit her first (and my favorite) main character: Cordelia. Thank you Bujold for showing her again, in depth, and tempered but fundamentally unchanged despite 40 years in Barrayarian space. She’s ever so much the Betan in this book as she’d been in the first! She’s influenced her husband, Aral, in ways we never knew about in previous books. She knew who and what he was and took him as he was. Gentleman Jole is a darling new addition to explore in this storyline as well.
I cannot help that I was, at first, taken aback by the sudden change in what I perceived as Aral’s proper role in Cordelia’s life. But as I kept reading the change grew to one I could accept, then enjoy. I find it daring for an author to challenge her readers in such a manner, and I can see why fellow fans may find it a betrayal (of a sort).
But this is Bujold’s story to tell, and what a fascinating new direction! I wondered how Miles would handle the news, and he doesn’t fail to behave like one would expect. He’s ever the full-tilt and dogged person we have followed from his cryo-chamber beginnings into a full-fledge Count Vorkosigan in his own right. So much of his mother in him, and his father too. I only wish we had a chance to see more of Mark in this story. I’m curious where Bujold will go next, and it seems she’s created a lot of room for additional tales with this new direction.
I cannot help that I was, at first, taken aback by the sudden change in what I perceived as Aral’s proper role in Cordelia’s life. But as I kept reading the change grew to one I could accept, then enjoy. I find it daring for an author to challenge her readers in such a manner, and I can see why fellow fans may find it a betrayal (of a sort).
But this is Bujold’s story to tell, and what a fascinating new direction! I wondered how Miles would handle the news, and he doesn’t fail to behave like one would expect. He’s ever the full-tilt and dogged person we have followed from his cryo-chamber beginnings into a full-fledge Count Vorkosigan in his own right. So much of his mother in him, and his father too. I only wish we had a chance to see more of Mark in this story. I’m curious where Bujold will go next, and it seems she’s created a lot of room for additional tales with this new direction.
anuragsahay's review
5.0
This review has some heavy spoilers for the series (if you've read anything about this book, or if you've reach the first three chapters completely then it's probably spoiler safe)
I have complicated feelings about this book. Here's the short of it: I liked it, unlike what seems to be the reaction of like 90% of the internet.
The long of it is the following: this book has no plot to speak of, no conflict to resolve, and no real stakes whatsoever. It also has very little Miles, and no perspective from Miles at all, so it's completely understandable why this would cause whiplash to a lot of people. In that sense, this is not really a Vorkosigan novel.
However, one of my favourite books from this series, and one that I anticipate I'll reread the most also has very little plot (I speak of "Memory"), so it's not as if plot is essential if the characterisation is good.
There are three levels on which this books operates:
1. The story of Cordelia and Oliver dating and everyone's response to that
2. The story of Cordelia and Oliver grieving for, and moving on from Aral's death
3. An exploration of their polyamourous marriage
In some sense, there's also the politics of Sergyar itself, but they're more dressing for the above than anything else.
As an exploration of Cordelia and Oliver falling in love, this book fails. After the greatness that is Shards of Honor and A Civil Campaign, I don't buy the romance in this story in and of itself. As an exploration of the relationship between Oliver, Aral and Cordelia... well, damn, it seems like it comes out of nowhere. I really, really wish that there was more of a hint of this than the fact that Aral is bisexual before. I wish that there was Aral's perspective in all of this. I wish that this book didn't deal with the aftermath of their marriage but it's beginning or middle. Having not had those wishes, once you commit yourself to the idea that Aral would go from his monogamy in "Barrayar" to this, this book works, but the lack of explication of that process is a huge gap for this book.
However, once you manage to buy into the idea of this 3-way relationship, and get past the first chapters babies ever after shock, the book works very, very well as an exploration of the impact of Aral on the lives of these characters and their relationship to each other. This book is about bereavement and dealing with it, and it works very well for that.
Overall, I hope this isn't the end of the series. While I don't really want more stories from Miles' perspective, Mark's life is left mostly untouched after the "Brothers in Arms"-"Mirror Dance" doublet, with a small amount in "A Civil Campaign", and so much of Aral and Cordelia's life (especially the time between "Barrayar" and "The Warrior's Apprentice") is largely or completely unexplored. I would also not mind a few more Ekaterin or Ivan stories.
To conclude: the Vorkosigan saga is amazing. There are some downs, but they are far, far outweighed by the ups. I imagine that the sequence of books from "Mirror Dance" to "A Civil Campaign" will be re-read by me a large number of times. I strongly recommend the saga.
I still hate you Shashwat. ;_;
I have complicated feelings about this book. Here's the short of it: I liked it, unlike what seems to be the reaction of like 90% of the internet.
The long of it is the following: this book has no plot to speak of, no conflict to resolve, and no real stakes whatsoever. It also has very little Miles, and no perspective from Miles at all, so it's completely understandable why this would cause whiplash to a lot of people. In that sense, this is not really a Vorkosigan novel.
However, one of my favourite books from this series, and one that I anticipate I'll reread the most also has very little plot (I speak of "Memory"), so it's not as if plot is essential if the characterisation is good.
There are three levels on which this books operates:
1. The story of Cordelia and Oliver dating and everyone's response to that
2. The story of Cordelia and Oliver grieving for, and moving on from Aral's death
3. An exploration of their polyamourous marriage
In some sense, there's also the politics of Sergyar itself, but they're more dressing for the above than anything else.
As an exploration of Cordelia and Oliver falling in love, this book fails. After the greatness that is Shards of Honor and A Civil Campaign, I don't buy the romance in this story in and of itself. As an exploration of the relationship between Oliver, Aral and Cordelia... well, damn, it seems like it comes out of nowhere. I really, really wish that there was more of a hint of this than the fact that Aral is bisexual before. I wish that there was Aral's perspective in all of this. I wish that this book didn't deal with the aftermath of their marriage but it's beginning or middle. Having not had those wishes, once you commit yourself to the idea that Aral would go from his monogamy in "Barrayar" to this, this book works, but the lack of explication of that process is a huge gap for this book.
However, once you manage to buy into the idea of this 3-way relationship, and get past the first chapters babies ever after shock, the book works very, very well as an exploration of the impact of Aral on the lives of these characters and their relationship to each other. This book is about bereavement and dealing with it, and it works very well for that.
Overall, I hope this isn't the end of the series. While I don't really want more stories from Miles' perspective, Mark's life is left mostly untouched after the "Brothers in Arms"-"Mirror Dance" doublet, with a small amount in "A Civil Campaign", and so much of Aral and Cordelia's life (especially the time between "Barrayar" and "The Warrior's Apprentice") is largely or completely unexplored. I would also not mind a few more Ekaterin or Ivan stories.
To conclude: the Vorkosigan saga is amazing. There are some downs, but they are far, far outweighed by the ups. I imagine that the sequence of books from "Mirror Dance" to "A Civil Campaign" will be re-read by me a large number of times. I strongly recommend the saga.
I still hate you Shashwat. ;_;
acousticbanana's review
3.0
I have to say - this is the least interesting Vorkosigan book ever. I gave it three stars after I read it, but only because of my fondness for the characters, I think. I love Cordelia and I want her to be happy, and I loved when Miles showed up (and wanted more of him). I enjoy Bujold's style and humor, and it was nice to see those characters again. But still... The plot is weak and lacks any real conflict; the only surprise was the principle premise of the relationship between Aral, Oliver Jole, and Cordelia, which I had heard about ahead of time anyway (and don’t object to; Cordelia’s an open-minded Betan, sure, she’d accept an additional partner, I buy it). And I found Jole’s character kind of boring, honestly.
The thing is, the part of the story that would have actually interested me is the development of the relationship between Jole and Aral Vorkosigan—a younger aide developing a romantic relationship with a superior and a polyamorous arrangement with his wife? How did this develop? Lots of potential interest there! Unfortunately, we’re only told about this, never shown it. It’s an odd elision of something that could have been interesting, in favor of a much less interesting heterosexual pairing.
I find it unbelievable that so many characters want SO many children. Would Cordelia really want SIX additional children? I know she has a long Betan lifespan and can hire help and everything, but being a single parent to six daughters seems like a lot to take on for a woman who’s already raised a child and lived through all kinds of interesting times. And then Jole deciding to have children too, and Miles already having six — maybe it’s just because even if I was fabulously wealthy, could hire lots of help, had a great partner, and didn’t have to go through childbearing, I’d still personally stick with two or three kids, but I find it hard to believe.
When you combine the lots-of-kids things with the fact that none of the bisexual characters end up with someone of the same sex... it makes for a very heteronormative picture.
The thing is, the part of the story that would have actually interested me is the development of the relationship between Jole and Aral Vorkosigan—a younger aide developing a romantic relationship with a superior and a polyamorous arrangement with his wife? How did this develop? Lots of potential interest there! Unfortunately, we’re only told about this, never shown it. It’s an odd elision of something that could have been interesting, in favor of a much less interesting heterosexual pairing.
I find it unbelievable that so many characters want SO many children. Would Cordelia really want SIX additional children? I know she has a long Betan lifespan and can hire help and everything, but being a single parent to six daughters seems like a lot to take on for a woman who’s already raised a child and lived through all kinds of interesting times. And then Jole deciding to have children too, and Miles already having six — maybe it’s just because even if I was fabulously wealthy, could hire lots of help, had a great partner, and didn’t have to go through childbearing, I’d still personally stick with two or three kids, but I find it hard to believe.
When you combine the lots-of-kids things with the fact that none of the bisexual characters end up with someone of the same sex... it makes for a very heteronormative picture.
bethmitcham's review
5.0
A Cordelia novel! Hooray! It works even better on the reread, where you see all the pieces pointing towards the conclusion. I appreciate books about people even older than me.
jkh107's review
4.0
I'm going to be honest. Not everyone is going to like this book. There are two major things that even fans of the series may have some difficulty with, and the first is lack of adventure. The second is a revelation that puts past relationships in this series in a new light, and will be discussed later. This reads like a coda to the Vorkosigan series--it travels up and down memory lane (fans of the series will love this), explores past events through viewpoints that we haven't seen, and talks an awful lot about relationships (especially relationships in the public eye), parenthood, grief (and grief's aftermaths), and romance between people who are no longer young. Being in my mid-forties (and in this book, that's Miles's age) and a parent of rapidly-growing children, I can appreciate this, but if you love the Vorkosigan series for its sprightly adventure aspect--this book may not be quite your cup of tea.
I love this book. In one of her comments on the Bujold List, the author describes it as a mashup between SF and women's fiction, and that is exactly right. However, none of the previous books have fallen into this category, so I think there are fans who are going to think it's kind of boring. But if you like SF, are as openminded as a Betan should be, and enjoy clever yet understated autumnal romances like [b:Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|6643090|Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|Helen Simonson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320539020s/6643090.jpg|6837577], you will probably love it too.
The plot revolves around widowed Sergyaran Vicereine Cordelia Vorkosigan, as she draws Sergyar fleet Admiral Oliver Jole into a reproductive scheme sure to surprise, if not scandalize, everyone on the planet.One of the Big Reveals in this book is that Oliver Jole (first mentioned, I think, in [b:The Vor Game|68483|The Vor Game (Vorkosigan Saga, #6)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322571824s/68483.jpg|1129239] as Aral's perfect and handsome young assistant--through Miles's viewpoint, we see him as more of a possible rival for parental attention, but, heh, no.) had been Aral's long-time lover, with Cordelia's support, and, in some cases, participation. Cordelia, with her practical (and hyperanalytical) Betan mind, sees Oliver as a co-spouse rather than an interloper, but the intimate aspect of their relationship ended shortly after Aral died. I think some readers are going to have a some trouble wrapping their minds around this revelation, given the views--from their initial romance through Miles's and Mark's views of their parents-- they've seen of Aral and Cordelia's relationship in past books. How the relationship between the two of them progresses is also a large part of the book--and how their families, ambitions, and interests will fall in line with their plans presents much of the plot of this book. There are also some interesting side plots about a Cetagandan "discernment garden" and Sergyaran wildlife, and some less-interesting side plots about concrete and military contracting, which didn't go anywhere much although I kind of thought (or hoped?) it would.
This book has much the feel of a wrap-up to it. Unlike most of the books in this series, it would present a terrible entry-point. And while it doesn't exactly preclude other books in the Vorkosiverse, one hopes that this set of characters, at least, will get to enjoy their respective happy endings.
I love this book. In one of her comments on the Bujold List, the author describes it as a mashup between SF and women's fiction, and that is exactly right. However, none of the previous books have fallen into this category, so I think there are fans who are going to think it's kind of boring. But if you like SF, are as openminded as a Betan should be, and enjoy clever yet understated autumnal romances like [b:Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|6643090|Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|Helen Simonson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320539020s/6643090.jpg|6837577], you will probably love it too.
The plot revolves around widowed Sergyaran Vicereine Cordelia Vorkosigan, as she draws Sergyar fleet Admiral Oliver Jole into a reproductive scheme sure to surprise, if not scandalize, everyone on the planet.
This book has much the feel of a wrap-up to it. Unlike most of the books in this series, it would present a terrible entry-point. And while it doesn't exactly preclude other books in the Vorkosiverse, one hopes that this set of characters, at least, will get to enjoy their respective happy endings.
pshotts's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mimsy42's review
4.0
Definitely not parked in the "exciting space hijinks" lot with the rest of this series, so be warned about that--I kind of kept expecting something to go horribly, spectacularly wrong. Instead, we face monumental life-path decisions.
ahsimlibrarian's review
4.0
This is definitely a book that won't appeal to the average SF reader and one that requires prior knowledge of the series. It is a story of widowhood and loss. It is a story about an open marriage and bisexuality. It is the story of finding love later in life. It is a story about parenting and what it means to choose to be a parent. Yes, Bujold's world-building is on full-display and SF plotlines intersect with these other ones. It is lovely to spend time with Cordelia and I love that Bujold gave her a book--again! But this is practically a literary novel wrapped in SF scaffolding, which is why I loved it. Bujold often remarks that few academic classes or articles spend much time on how series work, their nuances and accumulations over the arcs of series. Bujold herself does think about this, even if her work isn't given proper credit. Bujold is an author that rewards loyalty with depth. But if you are looking for space opera action, pick up Captain Vorpatril or Young Miles instead.
abatie's review
4.0
While the book (eARC version) was good, it is not the political intrigue and mystery that we've come to expect from the Vorkosigan series. Instead, it's more of a character study and "day-to-day life" of Cordelia; the "investigation" by Miles is very low key, not a major part of the story, and a satisfaction of curiosity rather than a real investigation.
pattydsf's review
4.0
“But you can’t be planning development out that way,” said Miles. “Mother is trying to get people to move away from the local tectonics.” Cordelia abandoned patience as unrewarding. “Actually, Oliver and I are dating.” Miles stared. The silence stretched just a little too long, though Ekaterin raised her eyebrows, looked back and forth between Cordelia and Jole, and ventured, “Congratulations!” Miles closed his mouth. In another moment, he opened it again. “Er…what exactly do you mean by dating? In this context.”
Many years ago, I found a series of novels and short stories about a young man named Miles Vorkosigan. I read them faithfully as each one was published and loved how Miles managed to come out on top in every episode. I don’t know when I stopped reading these books or why. Life often intervenes and we can’t see the patterns until we look in the rearview mirror.
Now we are in the pandemic (CORVID-19) and libraries are mostly closed, and books seem hard to come by. This is patently untrue – I have 32 regular books checked out, 50 some ebooks on loan from 4 libraries and then all the books that live in my house and Kindle full time. However, when my friend offered to lend me the latest volume of the Vorkosigan saga, I jumped at the chance. I figured I would like encountering Miles again even if it had been years since we last got together.
Bujold did not disappoint. She could always tell a tale well. Her stories are always full of action and adventure and I fell into this one just like her other books. I remembered why I had been a faithful reader. There was one small issue – Miles was no longer the main character. We were still in the same universe and things seemed familiar. It was Miles’ mother, Cordelia, that was the main character. After a bit of a surprise, I had a great time.
Now the question is, do I go back and fill in the details that I missed?
Many years ago, I found a series of novels and short stories about a young man named Miles Vorkosigan. I read them faithfully as each one was published and loved how Miles managed to come out on top in every episode. I don’t know when I stopped reading these books or why. Life often intervenes and we can’t see the patterns until we look in the rearview mirror.
Now we are in the pandemic (CORVID-19) and libraries are mostly closed, and books seem hard to come by. This is patently untrue – I have 32 regular books checked out, 50 some ebooks on loan from 4 libraries and then all the books that live in my house and Kindle full time. However, when my friend offered to lend me the latest volume of the Vorkosigan saga, I jumped at the chance. I figured I would like encountering Miles again even if it had been years since we last got together.
Bujold did not disappoint. She could always tell a tale well. Her stories are always full of action and adventure and I fell into this one just like her other books. I remembered why I had been a faithful reader. There was one small issue – Miles was no longer the main character. We were still in the same universe and things seemed familiar. It was Miles’ mother, Cordelia, that was the main character. After a bit of a surprise, I had a great time.
Now the question is, do I go back and fill in the details that I missed?