With time, Lois M. Bujold has started giving romantic plots more weight in her novels. For a time this has not affected my enjoyment of the Vorkosigan saga. Books like A Civil Campaign work quite well as a romantic comedy mixed with action. Here we have several problems. It's a romance, but it does not really have other plot threads to make it interesting for readers who are not fans of the romance genre. Besides, even as a romance, it is quite unexciting. Admiral Jole is just dull, and even Cordelia is much less interesting that in much earlier novels like Shards of Honor or Barrayar. Unlike other reviewers, I was not bothered by the revelations about Cordelia and Aral's sexuality, but reading this felt like a chore. I love this series, but I should have given this one a miss.

Perhaps the author has run out of things to say about these characters (I'm glad to see Miles happy as a father and husband, but it does not make for exciting reading). Or perhaps Bujold is losing her touch with age, as happens to some authors. Seeing some of her recent work, I'm afraid it's the latter. Still, she has written many great books, so I'm still grateful and full of admiration for her. ( )

With time, Lois M. Bujold has started giving romantic plots more weight in her novels. For a time this has not affected my enjoyment of the Vorkosigan saga. Books like A Civil Campaign work quite well as a romantic comedy mixed with action. Here we have several problems. It's a romance, but it does not really have other plot threads to make it interesting for readers who are not fans of the romance genre. Besides, even as a romance, it is quite unexciting. Admiral Jole is just dull, and even Cordelia is much less interesting that in much earlier novels like Shards of Honor or Barrayar. Unlike other reviewers, I was not bothered by the revelations about Cordelia and Aral's sexuality, but reading this felt like a chore. I love this series, but I should have given this one a miss.

Perhaps the author has run out of things to say about these characters (I'm glad to see Miles happy as a father and husband, but it does not make for exciting reading). Or perhaps Bujold is losing her touch with age, as happens to some authors. Seeing some of her recent work, I'm afraid it's the latter. Still, she has written many great books, so I'm still grateful and full of admiration for her. ( )

I didn't mind that this was slow and domestic, but it's a drastic tone change from every other Vorkosigan book, which range from "energetic" to "madcap."

(mild spoilers from here on)

It's also more conventionally heterosexual than you would believe that a novel about two members of a poly triad reconnecting years after the death of the third person could be. I actually prefer Dira Sudis' (fanfic) version of how Aral and Jole got together; their story is almost completely omitted from Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, on the basis that Jole doesn't want to go into it with Cordelia and she respects that. Like, ok, fine, but it comes off as a cop-out instead of an exploration of boundaries within a poly relationship.

The only boundaries that actually get pushed are the futuristic possibilities (biological, social, and legal) for reproduction. I've long suspected that this is a special interest of Bujold's. Still... I would have liked to actually see some of the conflicts and awkward social situations play out, instead of having to be satisfied with Cordelia and Jole discussing how they might handle theoretical issues. ( )

Not what I was expecting, but it was quite nice! It was light-hearted and not at all the action packed space sorcery of the past books. But - It was good to read about an accomplished older woman and a middle aged man at the heights of their powers beginning to plan their next stage in life. I love seeing myself in characters and since I became a middle aged person, I rarely see it now.

I very much hope that we see the adventures of Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. It would be such a nice switch. ( )

My “let’s re-read the Vorkosigan saga” project - done!
And this last entry is even more brilliant than I remember :) It is slow and wise, letting us see the beloved characters in new ways. It is about what marriage can be, what family can be, about love and choices. I’m so glad I read it again. ( )