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A review by tophthesapper
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
5.0
I know this book is polarizing, but I fall very firmly into the camp that absolutely loved it. A beautiful story of love blooming into friendship, older romance, loss, and moving on after significant chapters in your life come to an end. Cordelia’s character is a pleasure to read and discover, as always.
Side note: I’m puzzled by fans’ insistence that Aral cheated on Cordelia, because it read more like they had a conversation off-page about opening the relationship, not that it never occurred. It also did not seem out of character, as the previous books have mostly focused on Miles, who is rarely home and even when he is home, would theoretically pay about as much attention to his aging parents’ romantic lives as…well, as any son would, which is not much. The revelation of their polyamory imo did not clash with any previously established character traits; they were monogamous, they were not, and they kept their private lives very private in a judgmental Vor society. I’m familiar with ethical non-monogamy though, so that’s where my bias comes through; being poly doesn’t mean you suddenly are a dramatically different person from who society (or readers) perceives you as. Who you are in the bedroom is a private and personal choice, and simply because Aral and Cordelia’s romantic choices are only now divulged to the reader, does not mean their characters were retconned into other people.
I also don’t understand the low reviews given by those who claim there’s barely any Miles in this — hello? The title alone should clue you in that the story is about The Red Queen (so, not Miles) and Gentleman Jole (also….not Miles)
Side note: I’m puzzled by fans’ insistence that Aral cheated on Cordelia, because it read more like they had a conversation off-page about opening the relationship, not that it never occurred. It also did not seem out of character, as the previous books have mostly focused on Miles, who is rarely home and even when he is home, would theoretically pay about as much attention to his aging parents’ romantic lives as…well, as any son would, which is not much. The revelation of their polyamory imo did not clash with any previously established character traits; they were monogamous, they were not, and they kept their private lives very private in a judgmental Vor society. I’m familiar with ethical non-monogamy though, so that’s where my bias comes through; being poly doesn’t mean you suddenly are a dramatically different person from who society (or readers) perceives you as. Who you are in the bedroom is a private and personal choice, and simply because Aral and Cordelia’s romantic choices are only now divulged to the reader, does not mean their characters were retconned into other people.
I also don’t understand the low reviews given by those who claim there’s barely any Miles in this — hello? The title alone should clue you in that the story is about The Red Queen (so, not Miles) and Gentleman Jole (also….not Miles)