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mysana's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Very different from the rest of the series but deeply enjoyable none the less.
alyssaarch's review
emotional
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? No
4.0
piazelda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I always love diving back into the Vorkosigan verse, and this is a fitting conclusion. Spending more time with Cordelia is always wonderful, and Jole was a surprising bonus. It's also nice when there is no treason or military matter at the heart of the plot. It makes a nice change, even if I'm also always in favour of thrilling space highjinks.
timinbc's review
2.0
Wow, what a disappointment. Think of everything you have liked about this series.
Got it? OK, there's hardly any of it here.
And, this is not a spoiler but a warning - Nothing Much Happens!
As some have said, it feels like fanfiction.
A charitable or biased reader might see it as a loving addition to the canon, filling in gaps and tying things together. But gosh, a lot of it is stuff that it's hard to believe wouldn't have come out before if it really was part of the story. It feels pasted on, forced.
This really makes it clear how some of the characters are more annoying that we had realized, and that spoils my memories of the whole series. Cordelia is pure Mary Sue, never been wrong in her life, and people just naturally want to strew rose petals in her path. But Jole is Marty Stu just as much - handsome, charismatic, smart, funny, whatever. And the people who work for them are all superb and unflappable. Even Ekaterina is just too, too perfect. Indeed, the only one who's even slightly jerkish is Miles, perhaps not without reason, but if you wanted another fix of Miles it ain't here.
It's all senior sex (and I'm 66, I don't mind), and tea and politeness, and babies and children. Words like "twee" and "sickly sweet" and "cloying" come to mind. I skimmed most of the last half, and I never thought I'd write that about the work of one 0f my favourite authors.
Every once in a while, we see something that hints of conflict to come, and possible treachery or violence or invasion or trickery or heinous f***ry most foul, but time after time they just fizzle.
If you've read the whole Vorkosigan series, it's possible this will bring you a pleasant sense of completion. But I recommend that you don't read it. It brings down the series.
I had the same feeling reading Larry Niven's recent work, speaking of my favourite authors.
Different reasons, same sad result. Sigh.
Got it? OK, there's hardly any of it here.
And, this is not a spoiler but a warning - Nothing Much Happens!
As some have said, it feels like fanfiction.
A charitable or biased reader might see it as a loving addition to the canon, filling in gaps and tying things together. But gosh, a lot of it is stuff that it's hard to believe wouldn't have come out before if it really was part of the story. It feels pasted on, forced.
This really makes it clear how some of the characters are more annoying that we had realized, and that spoils my memories of the whole series. Cordelia is pure Mary Sue, never been wrong in her life, and people just naturally want to strew rose petals in her path. But Jole is Marty Stu just as much - handsome, charismatic, smart, funny, whatever. And the people who work for them are all superb and unflappable. Even Ekaterina is just too, too perfect. Indeed, the only one who's even slightly jerkish is Miles, perhaps not without reason, but if you wanted another fix of Miles it ain't here.
It's all senior sex (and I'm 66, I don't mind), and tea and politeness, and babies and children. Words like "twee" and "sickly sweet" and "cloying" come to mind. I skimmed most of the last half, and I never thought I'd write that about the work of one 0f my favourite authors.
Every once in a while, we see something that hints of conflict to come, and possible treachery or violence or invasion or trickery or heinous f***ry most foul, but time after time they just fizzle.
If you've read the whole Vorkosigan series, it's possible this will bring you a pleasant sense of completion. But I recommend that you don't read it. It brings down the series.
I had the same feeling reading Larry Niven's recent work, speaking of my favourite authors.
Different reasons, same sad result. Sigh.
captlychee's review
2.0
Not up to Ms Bujold's ususla standard.
The first hal is pretty interesting, discussing the datin game, as it were, for two people in middle age, with middle age here being derined as 50 and 76 (with duenotice taken of Cordelia Vorkosigan's increased longecity) and the court ship of the two title characters is well handled.
Then I tgets bogged down in tedious exploration of the future of children who might be born by uterine replicator long after these two are dead, then it gets even sillier as Miles Vorosigan comes into the story and he gets involve in long discussions about his mother dating someone and the ramifications of these new children being born who would be half-siblings to him. Meanwhile the hapless reader is left wondering what ifference it will make since Miles' succession to Count Vorkosigan is already assured.
Even the Cetagandans turn out to be harmless.
For fans of the unicerse, though, we at last get a figure for the length of the time of Isolation, which I will leave as a mystery here because it is about the only interesting thing in the book.
The first hal is pretty interesting, discussing the datin game, as it were, for two people in middle age, with middle age here being derined as 50 and 76 (with duenotice taken of Cordelia Vorkosigan's increased longecity) and the court ship of the two title characters is well handled.
Then I tgets bogged down in tedious exploration of the future of children who might be born by uterine replicator long after these two are dead, then it gets even sillier as Miles Vorosigan comes into the story and he gets involve in long discussions about his mother dating someone and the ramifications of these new children being born who would be half-siblings to him. Meanwhile the hapless reader is left wondering what ifference it will make since Miles' succession to Count Vorkosigan is already assured.
Even the Cetagandans turn out to be harmless.
For fans of the unicerse, though, we at last get a figure for the length of the time of Isolation, which I will leave as a mystery here because it is about the only interesting thing in the book.
gasket's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
4.0
applegnreads's review against another edition
4.0
heartbreaking. I loved aral. who didn't? and in a lot of ways, this is a book about him, the most present character who is, in fact, not there.
not lots of plot. more looks back into something we aren't really surprised by (since we know our people rather well) and looks around to possible futures. kind of a bring us up to date and summarize what's been going on.... which means the next book could be about anyone again.
now, excuse me while I go read everything again. this may take some time.
not lots of plot. more looks back into something we aren't really surprised by (since we know our people rather well) and looks around to possible futures. kind of a bring us up to date and summarize what's been going on.... which means the next book could be about anyone again.
now, excuse me while I go read everything again. this may take some time.
katieinca's review
1.0
Hands down my least favorite of these. Don't get me wrong, it had some good scenes. I love these characters. I like picturing the years of Aral & Cordelia & Jole having been happy together while we were busy with Miles. But I kept waiting for a plot that never came. It's not a romance - Jole and Cordelia figure that out early on. It's not... other stuff. It has the feeling of that last chapter of Harry Potter where that doesn't do much except say "look, everyone's going to be okay, they have kids, they're happy, yadda yadda." I just wish she could have had these characters have these conversations while there was a mystery to solve or a crisis to avert or some other kind of adventure to go on. Or else had a novella about Jole & Cordelia getting together and a few short stories with the interesting conversations, and skip the rest. We kept reading a chapter of this, looking at each other and saying "should we do another one?" and deciding "nah, maybe tomorrow."
gabliotecaria's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0