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count_zero's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Pregnancy, and Police brutality
Moderate: Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
beccaand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Pregnancy, Ableism, and Death
Moderate: War and Medical content
Minor: Rape
valjeanval's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
On the whole, Cordelia is one of my favorites of old school SF heroines. She is a scientist, an adventurer, a sometimes soldier, and in this book she is also a wife and mother, and she holds all these identities without sacrificing a one of them. Her impressions of Barrayar still ring as a commentary on our barbaric world today even thirty years later. God reading older science fiction can really show you how little has changed. Bujold is a great writer who balances political intrigue and action fairly effortlessly.
But again, it's hard to gloss over the way SA and mental health in general are treated. It feels like dated misunderstanding more than anything, but it definitely requires a big old content warning at the top not for any sort of graphicness but just for how casually it is treated. I don't think Bujold would write this way anymore, but it does dampen an otherwise wonderful adventure read.
Moderate: Ableism, Classism, Grief, Sexual assault, Abortion, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Rape, and War
jayraytan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, and War
Minor: Sexual violence
jess_justmaybeperfect's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Biphobia, Ableism, Sexual assault, Murder, War, and Pregnancy
ellianderjoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Murder, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Torture, and Toxic friendship
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gun violence, Death, Ableism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Biphobia, Medical content, Blood, War, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, Xenophobia, and Confinement
I truly cannot emphasize enough how much ableism is directed to people with physical disabilities by antagonists in this book. Additionally, this book contains a slur against intersex people (repeated twice).blusocket's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault and Ableism
booksanddopamine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The writing showed its age at some points like the use of the term "hermaphrodite". There's also bisexual erasure where it's pointed out that a character is no longer bisexual because he's married to a woman.
Eugenics are a key theme in this book, so be forewarned that ableism is front and center. There's mention of infanticide but only in dialogue.
I'm beginning to feel invested in the Vorkosigan family and am interested to see what the next book in the series has in store.
Graphic: Ableism
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Biphobia, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexism, War, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Alcohol, Child abuse, Abortion, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Hate crime, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, and Suicide attempt