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A review by tita_noir
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
3.0
Hmm.... what to say...what to say....
I initially had this shelved as Science Fiction, but it is really, truly a romance novel. It is almost a bookend to [b:Shards of Honor|531792|Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga, #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1388212776s/531792.jpg|9673658] in that book took place on what we now know as the planet Sergyar and where Cordelia finds romance with Aral during her discovery and exploration of the planet. This one is similar in that it takes place some 40-ish years later, again on Sergyar which is now an inhabited planet and where Cordelia again finds love, this time with Arals long time protege, Oliver Jole.
I think I would have really loved this book a lot if I hadn't spent the last twenty years of my own following this family through reads, re-reads and even more re-reads. On its own merits it is a lovely romance novel featuring an older woman, a slightly younger man, their long shared history and how they plan to embark on a second phased of their own lives. This is not a cracked-out-bonkers Miles adventure story nor is it even the story of the younger fierce warrior chick Cordelia we were first introduced to. Although a lot of that bonkers and fierce history is alluded to over and over again. No this is a quieter, softer story.
And it is a bit of a retcon, imo. Which is I can't love it as much I should. My history is working against me. I won't go into details but I kinda hate the the new peek inside of Aral and Cordelia we get in the aftermath of his death. It makes me feel like I didn't know them after all. Yeah, it is very plausible. But there are quite a few revelations about Aral and his thoughts and wishes that are being said about him after his death which I think I would have loved to learn while he was still alive. So it almost feels like his character is being reformatted in a way. So even as I read and enjoyed Cordelia's second chance at love and life -- even her ability to reclaim some areas of her life that she hadn't been able to realize fully because of how much Barrayer demanded from her, I couldn't help but feel a bit of a loss of Aral's agency. It is too bad because what we do learn is fascinating and interesting enough to have gotten to learn it earlier.
I will say I liked Jole. He was always a background hovering character in the earlier books. But he came to life a lot in this one and I liked him as his own full fleshed character.
I initially had this shelved as Science Fiction, but it is really, truly a romance novel. It is almost a bookend to [b:Shards of Honor|531792|Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga, #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1388212776s/531792.jpg|9673658] in that book took place on what we now know as the planet Sergyar and where Cordelia finds romance with Aral during her discovery and exploration of the planet. This one is similar in that it takes place some 40-ish years later, again on Sergyar which is now an inhabited planet and where Cordelia again finds love, this time with Arals long time protege, Oliver Jole.
I think I would have really loved this book a lot if I hadn't spent the last twenty years of my own following this family through reads, re-reads and even more re-reads. On its own merits it is a lovely romance novel featuring an older woman, a slightly younger man, their long shared history and how they plan to embark on a second phased of their own lives. This is not a cracked-out-bonkers Miles adventure story nor is it even the story of the younger fierce warrior chick Cordelia we were first introduced to. Although a lot of that bonkers and fierce history is alluded to over and over again. No this is a quieter, softer story.
And it is a bit of a retcon, imo. Which is I can't love it as much I should. My history is working against me. I won't go into details but I kinda hate the the new peek inside of Aral and Cordelia we get in the aftermath of his death. It makes me feel like I didn't know them after all. Yeah, it is very plausible. But there are quite a few revelations about Aral and his thoughts and wishes that are being said about him after his death which I think I would have loved to learn while he was still alive. So it almost feels like his character is being reformatted in a way. So even as I read and enjoyed Cordelia's second chance at love and life -- even her ability to reclaim some areas of her life that she hadn't been able to realize fully because of how much Barrayer demanded from her, I couldn't help but feel a bit of a loss of Aral's agency. It is too bad because what we do learn is fascinating and interesting enough to have gotten to learn it earlier.
I will say I liked Jole. He was always a background hovering character in the earlier books. But he came to life a lot in this one and I liked him as his own full fleshed character.