(no subject)

[rivka]

DAMN YOU LOIS BUJOLD.

I knew it was coming. In the first place, I knew that it had to happen in this book; I had heard that it was the reason why we waited eight years for the next book after Diplomatic Immunity. But also she telegraphed the ending. I was totally expecting it.

Still.

"The man has carried me since I was five years old," answered the Emperor of Barrayar. "It's my turn."

Still had me crying in the damn hospital cafeteria.



(Links to people writing about Cryoburn are very welcome, in comments.)

Comments

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Miles' drabble about Cordelia made me think of Ezar saying that he had always believed theists were more ruthless than atheists.

[platypus]

It really was foreshadowed quite a lot during the book, and it was downright painful when Miles started saying he'd skip Sergyar on the way home and maybe see his parents at Winterfair. The last words of the book are devastating, and the drabbles were lovely (and not as strained as drabbles often are).

I really enjoyed the catching-up-with-everyone aspects of the book, and I'm increasingly fond of Roic (I had to reread "Winterfair Gifts" this weekend). But I did wonder what became of Nikki. As far as I know, he was only referred to once, by Roic (as Ekaterin's "teenage son from a previous marriage"). It seemed odd for Ekaterin not to mention him at all in her communication with Miles, and for him not to feature in any of Miles' photos, not even the family portrait.

I do wonder if there will be more books set in the future of the series. There have been several points that could have served as endings, and this is another, though I know Bujold's writing something set earlier now, and it would be odd to end the series on an out-of-sequence book. I would like to see more of how everyone deals with what's happened. Lois once said that Cordelia would go back to Beta Colony, but would she really? What's there for her, besides a comfortable political climate? (Well, possibly her very aged mother. But surely all those grandkids on Barrayar are a draw.)

[pbrim.livejournal.com]

Lois once said that Cordelia would go back to Beta Colony, but would she really? What's there for her, besides a comfortable political climate?

Well, what I have heard is that Lois has long thought Cordelia would take some of Aral's DNA to Beta to finally be able to have the daughter(s) she always wanted, that were not politically possible on Barryar. Now that Gregor has heirs, and especially if they are raised on Beta, or elsewhere out of the empire, they won't threaten the stability of the empire.

With the naturally longer Betan life-span, not to mention Mark's "fountain of middle age", she should have at least another 50 to 100 years of life yet, possibly much longer. Certainly long enough to raise another family and even start another career after that if she has a mind to. And travel to Barrayar, or family visiting Beta, is not problematic anymore, as it was when she first married.

On the other hand, the Author always reserves the right to Have A Better Idea.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

I thought it interesting that there was a point made (out of Vorlynkin's mouth, to Jin's mother and aunt), that Cordelia is Vicereine of Sergyar in her own right, not as a courtesy to the wife of the Viceroy. Obviously no one will force her to stay (who could?) if she chooses to resign and either return to Beta or descend upon her grandchildren on Barrayar, but she may very well choose to remain on Sergyar and continue the work that she and Aral started.

[lizardling.livejournal.com]

Yes. I tore through my copy when it arrived, and... oh man.

[naomikritzer]

As soon as I saw the Colonel in his incongruous full-dress uniform, I knew what was coming.

I was somewhat disappointed in the book other than the ending. Here is Mary Anne Mohanraj's review; she echoed a lot of what I'd been thinking: http://www.mamohanraj.com/journal/show-entry.php?Entry_ID=5766

[ricevermicelli.livejournal.com]

But from that review:

"But so glad to hear that she's sixteen chapters into an Ivan novel!"

YES! WANT!

I have fantasized for years about plots of which Bujold would probably comment "looks like a job for fanfic woman." Imagine Ivan dropped into the Barrayaran equivalent of the plot of Heyer's Cotillion - that's like the awesomest fantasy sequence ever, isn't it?

And given that Bujold is Bujold, I suspect that there is stronger, darker, better stuff about Ivan lurking in her head than there is in mine.

[ailbhe]

Nhh nnnhhng ngn nngggg hhnnngggnn.

That's me imagining that. I'm dribbling a bit, too.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I'd thought she'd changed her mind and wasn't expecting it by the time it happened. I've never had a book break me up so much in the last three words.

Also, Aral Alexander's name thing was disconcerting for me.