Lois McMaster Bujold

This is a one-off fantasy novel that Bujold published 9 years before [b:The Curse of Chalion|61886|The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1322571773l/61886._SY75_.jpg|1129349], the first of the World of the Five Gods series. Compared with the Five Gods series, the setting is similarly mediæval but slightly later in time: cannons have been invented, but no smaller firearms. The story takes place mostly in and around Montefoglia, a fictional Italian city and small duchy located at the foot of a lake, somewhere between Milan and Venice.

"The narrow lake extended eleven miles north from Montefoglia", so it's about the size of the real Lake Iseo.

In this world, magic is performed by mages, using spells, ingredients, diagrams on the floor, and sometimes the spirits of dead animals and humans. The religion seems to be conventional Christianity.

The novel starts slowly but gradually becomes more exciting, mainly focused on Fiametta (a name normally written Fiammetta in Italy), a mage's daughter, and the ruthless Lord Ferrante, who attempts a hostile takeover of Montefoglia.

It's quite a good story, but the Five Gods series features finer characterization and a scenario that's more original and more carefully worked out. Thus, this is a decent novel, worth reading if you like this kind of thing, but not an award-winner.

Bujold seems to have researched mediæval metal-working techniques for this book, which contains plausible technical details occasionally, where appropriate. But she shows her research with restraint and avoids going on about it at length.… (more)

I've been gradually reading Bujold's works in the wrong order, which eventually brings me to this one. Knowing that this was her first novel, I wasn't expecting too much, but in fact it makes a pretty good start to the Vorkosigan saga, and I read the whole thing in one afternoon, which I did routinely when I was younger but don't tend to do these days. It's a good story.

The one criticism that occurs to me at this point is that it features a case of mutual love-at-first-sight, which I suppose must happen to some people, but I still find it rather implausible. The non-mutual kind is easier to believe.

Although Aral and Cordelia make a good hero/heroine pair, with some weaknesses to make them more believable, this story makes neither of their home worlds (Barrayar and Beta Colony respectively) seem attractive. It wasn't written to encourage tourism.… (more)

This rather short novella tells the tale of the winter wedding of Miles and Ekaterin, from the viewpoint of Armsman Roic: a man of humble origins frequently taken aback by the diverse people he encounters.

The wedding passes off smoothly and uneventfully, apart from one spot of trouble that almost becomes fatal.

Perhaps the most unusual guest is Sergeant Taura: an eight-foot-tall, genetically-enhanced female soldier, who has back story with the much smaller Miles. Although I suppose most people on Barrayar might regard the Emperor and Empress as unusual wedding guests.

There isn't really much to this story, but it makes quite a pleasant optional afterword to [b:A Civil Campaign|12779339|A Civil Campaign (Vorkosigan Saga, #12)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446998868l/12779339._SY75_.jpg|1093445], especially if you'd like to meet Taura. Readers of the whole series will have met her before.… (more)

The story is told from the viewpoint of Cordelia, who arrives on the planet Barrayar for the first time as a foreign bride. She comes from Beta Colony, which is technologically and socially more advanced than Barrayar, and her new home wasn't likely to suit her well at the best of times.

This is not the best of times. Soon after her arrival, civil war breaks out, and most of the book is painful, arduous, and dangerous not only for her but for everyone else.

It's a well-executed book, but I suffer with the characters, and I really don't respond well to downbeat stories. At first reading, I gave it two stars. I find it more bearable the second time, knowing what to expect, and I suppose I can bring myself to give it three stars this time.

Its underlying purpose is to set up the leading characters for the rest of the Vorkosigan Saga, who will be with us for decades to come. It explains how Miles is born crippled, Ivan is born and loses his father on the same day, Gregor the boy emperor loses his mother (having already lost his father), and so on.

Bujold usually provides a happy ending (for which I'm grateful); a truly happy ending isn't really feasible here, but at least the ending has positive aspects: things turn out relatively well, could have been worse.

For me, this book is worth reading not so much for its own sake as for its role in the series as a whole.… (more)