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Title: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Space opera romance (latest in a long-running series)
Thingummies: 3.5
Synopsis: Ivan's made a career of being mediocre. But when he accidentally finds himself married to a refugee from an interstellar mob with some surprising in-laws, he'll have to finally rise to the occasion.
Thoughts: Bujold has two different modes of writing--complex strategic adventure and charmingly sappy romance. Oh, her books often have at least a thread of both, but one or the other tends to dominate. While a Barrayar novel, this is a romance more in line with A Civil Campaign than with The Warrior's Apprentice.
I've been getting the feeling that she's a little tapped out on Miles stories, so this one focuses on Ivan. Of course, with Ivan no longer available as the irritating-relative/foil, she needs a new victim and Byerly steps into the role.
There's quite a lot of wacky hijinks, beginning with a hideous vase, continuing through one of the more awkwardly frantic wedding ceremonies ever conducted, and ending with a rather spectacular set piece of a disaster at the climax. In the interim, we get some nice development of Lady Alys and Simon Illyan (letting us get properly caught up with how he's doing, post-chip removal). And because it's Ivan, there's a lot of people being exasperated.
I'll admit I'm a little annoyed with Ivan's lady love, Tej. Most of the Barrayar women are powers in their own right. Whether strategists/warriors like Cordelia and Elena or equally competent and steely civilians like Alys and Karen and Ekaterin, even the romantic interests in Bujold novels usually stand well on their own. Tej, I'm not so impressed with. I don't mind the contrast to her rather mercenary family, but at one point she notes that the one brother who escaped is still respected because he does something. She doesn't--she doesn't seem to have any strong interests or desires, and while she's got an impressive gift for languages, it never plays any part in the plot or her life. Essentially, she discovers someone who wants her to be a housewife and is delighted by this. (It's not like she actually has to do housework as Lady Vorpatril--I'm not really sure what she does with her life besides drinking fruity drinks and writing letters to her relatives in the end.) It's a little disappointing, even if she's a pleasant enough character.
Anyway, this is hardly a standout novel, but it's a pleasant little revisit to old friends.
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Space opera romance (latest in a long-running series)
Thingummies: 3.5
Synopsis: Ivan's made a career of being mediocre. But when he accidentally finds himself married to a refugee from an interstellar mob with some surprising in-laws, he'll have to finally rise to the occasion.
Thoughts: Bujold has two different modes of writing--complex strategic adventure and charmingly sappy romance. Oh, her books often have at least a thread of both, but one or the other tends to dominate. While a Barrayar novel, this is a romance more in line with A Civil Campaign than with The Warrior's Apprentice.
I've been getting the feeling that she's a little tapped out on Miles stories, so this one focuses on Ivan. Of course, with Ivan no longer available as the irritating-relative/foil, she needs a new victim and Byerly steps into the role.
There's quite a lot of wacky hijinks, beginning with a hideous vase, continuing through one of the more awkwardly frantic wedding ceremonies ever conducted, and ending with a rather spectacular set piece of a disaster at the climax. In the interim, we get some nice development of Lady Alys and Simon Illyan (letting us get properly caught up with how he's doing, post-chip removal). And because it's Ivan, there's a lot of people being exasperated.
I'll admit I'm a little annoyed with Ivan's lady love, Tej. Most of the Barrayar women are powers in their own right. Whether strategists/warriors like Cordelia and Elena or equally competent and steely civilians like Alys and Karen and Ekaterin, even the romantic interests in Bujold novels usually stand well on their own. Tej, I'm not so impressed with. I don't mind the contrast to her rather mercenary family, but at one point she notes that the one brother who escaped is still respected because he does something. She doesn't--she doesn't seem to have any strong interests or desires, and while she's got an impressive gift for languages, it never plays any part in the plot or her life. Essentially, she discovers someone who wants her to be a housewife and is delighted by this. (It's not like she actually has to do housework as Lady Vorpatril--I'm not really sure what she does with her life besides drinking fruity drinks and writing letters to her relatives in the end.) It's a little disappointing, even if she's a pleasant enough character.
Anyway, this is hardly a standout novel, but it's a pleasant little revisit to old friends.
