When handsome Ivan Vorpatril reluctantly agrees to help Barrayar’s undercover security keep an eye on a young woman in danger, he is drawn into a tangled network of intrigue and unlikely romance. The job description did not include arrest warrants from the local police or being caught in the endless schemes of warring Houses from Jackson’s Whole. Returning to Barrayar with the young lady, both are faced with choices and challenges neither had expected.
Review of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
не судитиму про всю сагу (а вона виросла у щось величезне)… ця частина — доволі приємне розважальне чтиво на один раз, нічого особливого. знову-таки, зараз не можу не порівнювати всю фантастику з серією «the expanse» (https://www.goodreads.com/series/56399-the-expanse)… все, що читав з бужолд, яким би цікавим не здавалося раніше — в цьому порівнянні витягує хіба що на трієчку.
Review of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This book is officially available on November 6th, 2012. Go ahead and pre-order at your friendly local bookstore. I bought the e-book Advance Reader Copy back in July, and loved it. If you haven't already read the rest of the Vorkosigan Saga, go do that now. Don't worry — I'll wait. I didn't discover them until June 2010. I read the 8 books then available in two weeks. Oh, this series is so good! I love the way she'll make one of the books fundamentally a mystery, another space opera, and the next a romance. They are all incredibly fast-paced, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny.
Because I did start at the beginning, I'm a poor judge, but I believe they can be read as stand-alones. Especially this one. Part of the charm is that Bujold does not try to pack every character into every book. (We've all seen the sad bloat …
This book is officially available on November 6th, 2012. Go ahead and pre-order at your friendly local bookstore. I bought the e-book Advance Reader Copy back in July, and loved it. If you haven't already read the rest of the Vorkosigan Saga, go do that now. Don't worry — I'll wait. I didn't discover them until June 2010. I read the 8 books then available in two weeks. Oh, this series is so good! I love the way she'll make one of the books fundamentally a mystery, another space opera, and the next a romance. They are all incredibly fast-paced, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny.
Because I did start at the beginning, I'm a poor judge, but I believe they can be read as stand-alones. Especially this one. Part of the charm is that Bujold does not try to pack every character into every book. (We've all seen the sad bloat that this can create as a series staggers onward.) Bujold's world has multiple planets. While interstellar travel and communication exist, they are slow enough that when Captain Ivan Vorpatril finds himself serving on a planet away from home, he doesn't have family and friends nearby to pull him out of trouble.
Ivan gets himself into deep water, fast. Wait, does it count as "get yourself' if you're ambushed and kidnapped? Whatever. He agrees to do a favor, and the universe punishes him for that foolishness. It's fast-paced, funny as hell, and intelligent.
Ivan is a wonderful character. He's played a minor role in the previous books, as a sidekick to Miles. He's smart, good looking and athletic, but has chosen to keep as low a profile as he could, given his family connections. He certainly would have been nuts to compete with his cousin Miles. I find him a bit of a Wodehouse drone, if Bertie Wooster was smarter. He's been underestimated by those around him, who are lulled by his casual quality into not realizing just how hard it is not to make waves when you grow up with Miles. He's avoided getting passionate about anything, including the aristocratic young women interested in his family connections, but now he finally takes the plunge and most unsuitably.
Review of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
On the one hand, this was a fun read.
On the other hand, it really felt like Bujold wanted us to know that By was heterosexual. Some room was left for interpreting him as bi, but that's left to the reader, and by the end, the queerest character has disclaimed his only evidence of queerness, flirting with Ivan, had an implied sex romp with two call-girls, and been paired off with woman. It feels a little pointed.
Review of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
It's always a treat when a new Vor book arrives. This book focuses on one of the series' supporting characters rather than Miles Vorkosigan himself, but the book was no less satisfying because of it.
Like Cryoburn, plot took a bit of a back seat in this book, with the characters first and foremost. The story itself was interesting, but it progressed in a much quieter direction than the first quarter of the book suggested. There was also less action than I expected. I'm used to the diplomatic direction the recent Miles stories have taken, but cousin Ivan has always been a man of action. This series' books are gradually turning from science fiction novels into romance novels with science fiction trappings. And you know? Strangely enough, I'm OK with that. Bujold's well-rendered characters have always been her strong point, and they feel so real and familiar to me that …
It's always a treat when a new Vor book arrives. This book focuses on one of the series' supporting characters rather than Miles Vorkosigan himself, but the book was no less satisfying because of it.
Like Cryoburn, plot took a bit of a back seat in this book, with the characters first and foremost. The story itself was interesting, but it progressed in a much quieter direction than the first quarter of the book suggested. There was also less action than I expected. I'm used to the diplomatic direction the recent Miles stories have taken, but cousin Ivan has always been a man of action. This series' books are gradually turning from science fiction novels into romance novels with science fiction trappings. And you know? Strangely enough, I'm OK with that. Bujold's well-rendered characters have always been her strong point, and they feel so real and familiar to me that listening to their conversations and spending time with them is enough. The mortal danger so common in previous volumes isn't necessary to keep my interest. Ivan and his family are like old friends, and new character Tej is a worthy addition to the cast of characters.
I look forward to the next installment in the series, and I hope it lasts forever.
Review of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I didn't mean to read the entire book in one sitting, but I end up saying that about most of the books in this series: as always, the characters grab you and next thing you knows it's past midnight. I love this book and I love this series and the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is that, unlike most of the series so far, this book really does require you to have read the others. Too many references and in-jokes, which fans will love, but it would be confusing if you don't already know Ivan's family and world. Anyway, assuming you do, this book does not disappoint as By Vorrutyer helps get Ivan into one scrape after another all of which escalate to a degree that requires Emperor Gregor's intervention. Both Ivan and By manage to extricate themselves (more or less) without in any way …
I didn't mean to read the entire book in one sitting, but I end up saying that about most of the books in this series: as always, the characters grab you and next thing you knows it's past midnight. I love this book and I love this series and the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is that, unlike most of the series so far, this book really does require you to have read the others. Too many references and in-jokes, which fans will love, but it would be confusing if you don't already know Ivan's family and world. Anyway, assuming you do, this book does not disappoint as By Vorrutyer helps get Ivan into one scrape after another all of which escalate to a degree that requires Emperor Gregor's intervention. Both Ivan and By manage to extricate themselves (more or less) without in any way becoming Miles-like, and it's always delightful to see more of Lady Alys and Illyan. Miles and Ekaterina (now highly distracted by offspring) make a brief but not overwhelming appearance early on then retire to Sergyar to let Ivan have his own story. As always, I regret reaching the end and will probably reread it again soon.
Review of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Captain Vorpartil’s Alliance is an extremely entertaining book for me. There is a lot of humour and witty dialogue in it and many situations just invite to laugh.
Meet captain Ivan Xav Vorpatril who, thanks to helping an old friend to watch over someone, gets into a very strange situation, one that is supposed to be only temporary: he gets married. His wife, who comes from a high family on another planet in an entirely different area of the universe, brings with her a heritage that she herself was not even aware of, but when Ivan Xav’s family in law arrives, things really take a turn for the worse!