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A review by jandi
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
4.0
And thus ends this incredible series of character driven sci-fi. I'll try my best not to give away too much information - I had accidentally stumbled into a major reveal before I even started this book and that detail is revealed very fairly on, so it was not a deal breaker. The majority of the books starring Miles Vorkosigan are a whirlwhind filled with manic ingenious plans. If you can see past the scheming (and lets not forget the masterfully orchestrated comedy in a few instances), it is really the story of a family with oversized influence, and the growth of a society thrown into change far too quickly. While Miles is the main character, the story begins with his parents, Cordelia and Aral, and this book wraps up with Cordelia at 76.
The pace of this book is deliberate and soothing. There is very little action, in spite of the misleading description - there is nothing to investigate, no evil plots to uncover. Instead, we have two people in extremely busy upper management jobs trying to rebuild happiness. It is a story of love, grief, second chances and of moving on to what is next in life after handing off the mantle to the next generation. It is an unexpectedly beautiful end to the series.
If you are expecting mercenary adventures or political intrigue, there is none of that here. Instead, you will find calm, optimistic sci-fi. If you like Becky Chambers, this will be up your alley.
In my review of [b:CryoBurn|7841670|CryoBurn (Vorkosigan Saga, #14)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1269879970l/7841670._SY75_.jpg|10621859], I commented on the fact that Miles had not seemed to come across the point where we figured out that his Da was just human, given the enormity of his role in Barrayar's history. Miles does come to terms with it in this book. Miles' response to his mother's plan for more sisters - "Am I not enough?" is heart breaking, and an unsurprising response for someone that has spent his entire life trying to justify his own existence. Insecurities and fear are not the exclusive domain of youth. Cordelia on the other end, has always been incredibly mature, although in this instance it did veer a little too much to the incredibly end - if she has any flaws, there are nowhere to be seen.
The pace of this book is deliberate and soothing. There is very little action, in spite of the misleading description - there is nothing to investigate, no evil plots to uncover. Instead, we have two people in extremely busy upper management jobs trying to rebuild happiness. It is a story of love, grief, second chances and of moving on to what is next in life after handing off the mantle to the next generation. It is an unexpectedly beautiful end to the series.
If you are expecting mercenary adventures or political intrigue, there is none of that here. Instead, you will find calm, optimistic sci-fi. If you like Becky Chambers, this will be up your alley.
Spoiler
Even though I was already aware of the role of Jole, the manner in which it happened did take me by surprise. I would have expected everything to have started with Cordelia's consent and encouragement, I would have expected Jole to have played a bigger role in the events in Mirror Dance. Although most of the previous books are told from the point of view of Miles and sometimes Mark, and children are usually oblivious to their parents' love life, so it does make sense that none of this made it into Miles' point of view.In my review of [b:CryoBurn|7841670|CryoBurn (Vorkosigan Saga, #14)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1269879970l/7841670._SY75_.jpg|10621859], I commented on the fact that Miles had not seemed to come across the point where we figured out that his Da was just human, given the enormity of his role in Barrayar's history. Miles does come to terms with it in this book. Miles' response to his mother's plan for more sisters - "Am I not enough?" is heart breaking, and an unsurprising response for someone that has spent his entire life trying to justify his own existence. Insecurities and fear are not the exclusive domain of youth. Cordelia on the other end, has always been incredibly mature, although in this instance it did veer a little too much to the incredibly end - if she has any flaws, there are nowhere to be seen.