Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15)

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Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication order) #15)

by Lois McMaster Bujold (Goodreads Author)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 2,472 ratings · 607 reviews

Book fifteen in the best-selling Vorkosigan series. This time the story moves away from Miles Vorkosigan, the protagonist of the earlier books, to his cousin, Captain Ivan Vorpatril.

Captain Vorpatril is happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor’s life as a staff officer to a Barrayaran admiral, assigned to the planet Komarr, far from the Byzantine court politics of his...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 422 pages

Published November 6th 2012 by Baen

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Mar 21, 2013 Marjorie Baldwin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: stalwart fans of the Vorkosigan Saga

Recommended to Marjorie by: Ed Stalker (a friend and fan of the books)

Shelves: milsf

I've given this 4 stars but wish I had half-stars because this is a smidge more than a 3 but not as much as a 4. Since I cannot rate it 3.25 and don't want to go DOWN to a 3, I've knocked it up just for the sake of it being a Bujold. Her writing is just that good, always, but this story (unusually) left me wanting. Story gets a 3, writing quality a 4. Suprising since usually I rate her work a 5 without any reservations at all.

So how did this end up leaving me so unplussed? It started out implyin...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, space-opera, humor

I am a sucker for Bujold’s science fiction tales that combine thrills with humor and romance. The setting is in a future where distinct and competing human societies develop on different planets linked by wormholes. The ingredients of her space opera stew are heroes and villains, loyalty and treachery, ambition and greed, love and heartbreak. Great character development, superb plotting, and good doses of humor take a lot of the soap out of the opera.

Instead of her usual star Miles Vorkosigan, B...more

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Jul 31, 2012 willaful rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, forced-arranged-or-conv-marriage, sexy-beta, made-me-laugh, too-complicated

This is the long-awaited romance of Miles Vorkosigan's cousin Ivan Vorpatril; if you haven't previously encountered this character, you'll get a sense of him from the fact that many people half expected the title of his book would be Ivan, You Idiot.

I wondered how Bujold was going to turn iconically idiotic Ivan into a romantic hero -- would it be a Scarlet Pimpernel sort of thing, or maybe more like Loretta Chase's Mr. Impossible? There are elements of both: Ivan does sometimes deliberately pr...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This is not one of Lois Bujold's profound, heart-tearing efforts--but it's fun, and funny, and it's a joy to see Ivan, who is usually overshadowed by his brilliant (and crazy) cousin Miles, shine. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance builds on the glimpses we had, in Memory and in Civil Campaign, of the real Ivan Vorpatril: a man who is just as highly intelligent as his insane Vorkosigan relatives but...less insane. He likes a quiet life. He likes a job that does not require huge shots of adrenalin, or...more This is not one of Lois Bujold's profound, heart-tearing efforts--but it's fun, and funny, and it's a joy to see Ivan, who is usually overshadowed by his brilliant (and crazy) cousin Miles, shine. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance builds on the glimpses we had, in Memory and in Civil Campaign, of the real Ivan Vorpatril: a man who is just as highly intelligent as his insane Vorkosigan relatives but...less insane. He likes a quiet life. He likes a job that does not require huge shots of adrenalin, or people trying to kill him, or having to produce insane, last minute plans to save everybody. He likes flowcharts, not practical applications of chaos theory. In short, Ivan Vorpatril likes order, organization, and keeping things neat. Where his cousin(s) are masters of chaos and on-the-fly brilliance, he is a master of the orderly.

Beware of spoilers below!!!

Naturally, that gets shot to hell--in a small way--in this novel. And Ivan proves that he is not without a share of the family ability to produce insane-plans-that-turn-out-brilliant-in-the-long-run: when placed into a situation that, on a smaller scale, greatly resembles some of Miles's, he panics, and then produces a workable, spur of the moment solution. It's not a particularly original plan--in fact it comprises the plot of any number of romance novels, ie, marry the heroine in order to save her from some worse fate/help her out of trouble. What turns this on its head a bit, however, is the fact that there is, overall, a notable lack of angst. To be sure, Ivan is faced with a little bit when he realizes that, despite years of avoiding it, he quite likes being married, and to his wife in particular, and he ends up with a bit of worry over whether or not he can convince her to stay put. She has some of the same angst, and like previous Vorkosigan saga heroines who are not Cordelia, she has Relatives, and they are a Pain. (Loveable, but a Pain.)

Insofar as suspense goes, there really isn't much in the book. Because it's set a good six years before Cryoburn, we all know that Ivan gets out of any serious danger. (I'm racking my brain though--I've only read Cryoburn once so far--and I don't recall there being any hints in there about the events of this book. But as it's about Miles, and as it's six years down the road, well...there may not be. It's not as though the Vorkosigan books were written in order, after all.) And, considering the light, fluffy fare of Alliance here, it's really a very good thing that it's not set after Cryoburn, as one would expect any follow-up to THAT one to deal with the bombshell dropped at its end. It's fairly clear, too, that things will work out for Ivan, despite his romantic frustration as we last saw it in A Civil Campaign. Like his uncle, he had better luck in marrying a galactic--and unlike Miles, he had no trouble convincing her to stay on Barrayar.

Some reviews I have seen found Tej to be a bit mild and boring and unworthy of Ivan. I have to disagree, at least on the boring and unworthy-of-Ivan part. Granted, compared to most of the Amazons that Miles tended to hook up with--and even bearing in mind her quiet nature, Ekaterin is still a warrior woman, albeit of the Vor type--Tej is a bit "dull." She is somewhat amazonian in build, being (so I gathered) about six feet tall (or very close to it) and with a distinctly generous figure (hooray for another Bujold heroine who is NOT skinny!). But one must remember that Ivan is NOT Miles. Ivan likes order, and stability, and organization, remember? I think many of us (and I admit to falling for it myself from time to time) often forget that Ivan is not, in fact, an adrenaline junkie like Miles. To be sure, he popped up in many of Miles's insane adventures, particularly early in their careers, and he pulled through more than adequately. And no one can fault his brilliant method of dealing with depressed Miles in Memory, when Ivan hauled Duv Galeni (an extremely dubious and half-terrified Galeni) in to shock Miles out of his funk. But Ivan has never, over the course of the books, stopped voicing his dislike of being dragged into Miles's messes. He still, more than a decade after the events of Brothers in Arms, loathes dark enclosed wet spaces (and it isn't claustrophobia, dammit! It's a perfectly reasonable fear!). He still clings happily to his job as a "secretary" (albeit at this point its for the head of Barrayaran Military Ops, arguably one of the single most important positions in the empire)and does his damndest to avoid promotion (which brings with it jobs that do not entail organization and flowcharts). It makes sense, therefore, that Ivan would fall in love with a woman who comes from an extremely colorful family of overachievers but who herself would really like to be left alone to pursue quiet, calmer interests. In other words, Ivan's love affair is NOT a case of "opposites attract" (which I always find a bit unbelievable) but rather a case of "Oh, hey, we share definitely compatible views on life and life-goals." This is not the frankly unlikely plot of a romance novel, folks, despite it playing with romance novel tropes. It is, really, a pretty calm and realistic story of two people falling in love.

Because it's part of the Vorkosiverse, though, the manner in which Ivan and Tej meet, and various other events in their courtship/marriage, are pretty spectacular, ranging from an ImpSec sting (and hooray! Byerly Vorrutyer being snarky!) to ImpSec screwing up (Byerly again, as well as various other ImpSec "weasels") and Ivan stepping in to prevent ImpSec from making a complete hash of his quiet life. Again. There are also Jacksonians, bounty hunters (mostly, as Ivan calls them, "bargain ninjas" who suck at their jobs), a pretty exciting treasure hunt and, in what is perhaps a disaster that might just top Miles's Epic Failed Dinner Party, the hilarious Sinking of the ImpSec HQ building. More excitement than Ivan likes, but nothing approaching Miles Vorkosigan-levels of excitement--fortunately for Ivan's state of mind. Overall, it's a farce much like Civil Campaign: no empire-threatening plots, and no real casualties other than people's pride or expectations. (Simon Illyan's pride being one of the most notable--the man finally gets bored enough to screw up, and Gregor is forced to quietly suggest to Lady Alys that she take him on a long vacation. Off planet.)

What I loved best about this book was the fact that, at long last, we get to meet the "real" Ivan Vorpatril. And no, he is not a superhero commando. He is, more or less, exactly what he's been trying to tell his relatives he is all along: a highly capable Ops clerk who really loves flowcharts, organization, and QUIET. What he is NOT, however, is a feckless idiot, having outgrown that years ago. Alliance points out, much to my personal delight, that just because he lacks the flashy, explosive brilliance of his cousin Miles (or, indeed, his Uncle Aral) this does not mean he is in any way stupid or incapable. He even actively sabotages a superior's glowing report of his incredibly adept skills as organizer, expediter, and general efficiency-guru because he likes his current position and does not want to risk getting reassigned or promoted somewhere less peaceful. And, over and above all of this, Ivan Vorpatril (despite being a jerk as a very young man) is a nice man. He's thoughtful, and helpful, and courteous to women. His so-successful seduction technique? Making women laugh. And also playing the odds, and going to places where there are likely many women looking for company and therefore increasing his odds of success. When he is forced to focus on one woman solely (his attempt to "rescue" Tej at the start of it all), he actually crashes and burns fairly spectacularly. Also, as he points out to Byerly, his reputation as a "womanizer" has come at the cost of many, many breakups--all of which, he also admits to himself, he has felt fairly keenly, regardless whether or not he was the one doing the breaking up, or being broken up with. Because, after all, Ivan Vorpatril is not actually a rake (this being another trope the book plays with and turns on its head): he's a Nice Guy.

And let's face it: any woman with sense--especially one who also wants a quiet life--goes after a Nice Guy.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

A thoroughly charming and highly amusing adventure starring Ivan "You Idiot" Vorpatril and his supposedly temporary wife of convenience as they navigate Komarr, Barrayar, and goodly number of people who want to kill them. This works well enough as a stand-alone book, though you will cackle easily three times as much if you've read the other books in Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, even though the famous Coz gets little screen time, and his formidable parents never actually make an appearance. This is...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Yune rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought the electronic advance reader's copy as soon as it went on sale; I am a little irrational about any book about Ivan that doesn't do a prompt nosedive into the carpet. For that reason, I originally thought this would be a terrible introduction to the series for a newcomer, since there wouldn't be any anticipatory build-up about Ivan, who played a supporting role in most of the Vorkosgian Saga. But Bujold makes a visible effort to let him shine in his own corner of the universe without to...more I bought the electronic advance reader's copy as soon as it went on sale; I am a little irrational about any book about Ivan that doesn't do a prompt nosedive into the carpet. For that reason, I originally thought this would be a terrible introduction to the series for a newcomer, since there wouldn't be any anticipatory build-up about Ivan, who played a supporting role in most of the Vorkosgian Saga. But Bujold makes a visible effort to let him shine in his own corner of the universe without too many distractions from other books, so perhaps this wouldn't be all that poor a welcome after all. Just...not as preemptively gleeful.

So! The good: no nosedive. Ivan holds his own here as he saves a damsel in distress. He's shown to be quite competent in a non-flashy military position. Doesn't benefit from any galloping rescues by his brilliant cousin Miles (the main protagonist of the rest of the series). Still committed to his bachelor lifestyle, a state I suspect was pretty much doomed as soon as this book was conceived.

(view spoiler)

Sadly, although his love interest is a very nice person indeed, she didn't stand out for me in any way. She was...acceptable. Not the kind of woman I expected would win over Ivan. What made the relationship work for me was that I could see very well what she liked in him.

He carried the story with Bujold's usual flair for writing -- she has this sort of...aplomb in folding in humor, while never making an outlandish mockery of situations. Interactions had zip, dialogues were natural, the characters felt warmly human as per her trademark style. Some of the deeper psychological insights that made other of Bujold's books strike heart and bone are missing here, but it doesn't feel like a lack, just an incompatible feature with the sort of tale being told here.

Even if you were worried about the trend of quality in the previous two books (I was), I think you should come back to the series for this one. It's just plain fun.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Space Opera

Shelves: fiction, humor-and-comedy, novels, romance, science-fiction

This is the latest of (so far) 15 books in the Vorkosigan Saga, the 14th in chronological order. If you've never read a book in this space opera series, you're in for a treat--and arguably this could stand alone. (Though I think it is more fun if you get references to prior books, and I don't think this is among the strongest books in the series.) The reason this can stand alone is that this book changes its focus. The first two novels focus on Aral Vorkosigan of Barrayar and Cordelia Naismith,...more This is the latest of (so far) 15 books in the Vorkosigan Saga, the 14th in chronological order. If you've never read a book in this space opera series, you're in for a treat--and arguably this could stand alone. (Though I think it is more fun if you get references to prior books, and I don't think this is among the strongest books in the series.) The reason this can stand alone is that this book changes its focus. The first two novels focus on Aral Vorkosigan of Barrayar and Cordelia Naismith, the rest (other than this one and a couple of others) on their son, Miles. And it's his entry that kicked the series up another level. This book focuses on what had been a minor but endearing character, Captain Ivan Vorpatril. He's not as fascinating a character as Miles--but then Miles is one of my fictional heartthrobs and one of the most colorful and complex characters in science fiction. As Ivan himself says of his cousin, Miles...overachieves. Born crippled and dwarfed into a society and into a military ruling caste that ordinarily would have killed him for it, Miles defines driven. I've heard him described as a "feminist Captain Kirk." He's a lot more manic than Kirk or his literary progenitor, Horatio Hornblower, but definitely in that mold. Ivan's talent, on the other hand, had been to underachieve. He's the slacker often addressed as "Ivan, you idiot." Yet he takes the center of the book and Miles gets only a (brief) scene about a third way into the book.

So, yes, the very absence of Miles does bump this down a notch for me. This book is charming though, and I do like Tej the romantic interest. She's a scion of a House on Jackson's Whole, an anarcho-capitalist planet and on her mother's side she has Cetagandan blood--Cetaganda being the traditional enemies of Barrayar. And she comes with, shall we say, some interesting baggage. This is very much a light-hearted book as befits its subject. None of the heavy angst of say, Mirror Dance. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is more a light romantic comedy such as the earlier A Civil Campaign but not quite as funny. That book had me laughing out loud more than once--and its butter bugs had me howling. This book though, although frequently smile-worthy, only pushed me near cackling once. But a fun read? Yes. If you're interested in more, try to find the hardcover edition of Cryoburn with the CDRom. The CDRom includes all the previous Vorkosigan stories to date with the exception of the novel Memory.(less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Lizzie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fine-prose, humor, mystery, read-in-2012, squee, sci-fi-romance, read-in-2013, re-read

This was entirely too funny for words. 'Budget ninjas' will stick with me for quite some time, as will the plot point of instant breakfast groats. The structure of this book actually follows the Sharing Knife (Beguilement) series in miniature- romance, followed by reconciling with the two families, followed by mad adventure. Ivan's POV is well done- honest to previous characterization of his feckless youth but quite convincing of his very real adult smarts and talents. His role as aide de camp,...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Carol Cooper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not going to say a lot about this one, as almost anything would be a 'spoiler' at this stage. In case anyone is puzzled at seeing this title rated, when it's not being published until November, Baen have made available an 'e-ARC' or electronic Advance Reader Copy, which many of LMB's diehard fans have already purchased and devoured.

This is, after much prodding from fans, 'Ivan's Book' - a story in which Ivan is the main protagonist and Miles is very peripheral and even off-planet for some of...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Loki rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just got the e-ARC off of Baen's ebook site.

I found it a pretty good read, and a lot of fun. Without posting many spoilers I can say that as the long-hoped for Ivan book, it works very well, shaking Ivan out of his rut. By also makes an appearance and contributes much to the plot, and the fun of the story.

Bujold does time travel a bit for this book, putting it comfortably before the action of Cryoburn.

Over all, I'd call it a farce, on several levels. And obviously, like A Civil Campaign, stro...more

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Nov 13, 2012 K.V. Johansen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-reads-in-2012

I am so, so looking forward to this. I've been wanting a story centred on Ivan since Memory, when he really came into his own. Ivan the Wicked is in fact named after Ivan Vorpatril; we were hoping he'd turn out a laid-back, Drones' Club kind of dog (Tales from the Drones Club , Eggs, Beans And Crumpets ). Unfortunately he takes more after Miles ...

And now that I've read it ...

Seeing Ivan's well-hidden depths was really satisfying. I knew he had them! When push comes to shove, he can take charge...more I am so, so looking forward to this. I've been wanting a story centred on Ivan since Memory, when he really came into his own. Ivan the Wicked is in fact named after Ivan Vorpatril; we were hoping he'd turn out a laid-back, Drones' Club kind of dog (Tales from the Drones Club , Eggs, Beans And Crumpets ). Unfortunately he takes more after Miles ...

And now that I've read it ...

Seeing Ivan's well-hidden depths was really satisfying. I knew he had them! When push comes to shove, he can take charge, analyze a complex situation, and think on his feet. The story here is very entertaining, if on the light side. Definitely a lighter comedy with less at stake than in A Civil Campaign. Good comedy, though. I ended up laughing out loud at some bits. Illyan and Gregor -- ImpSec HQ ... I did find that it lacks the depths of passion and desperation that Bujold, at her very best, can send her characters through. Tej, as a secondary hero, didn't have as much to interest me as Ekaterin or even Kareen, no passions or interests of her own that were brought out into the story, no drive. However, one can't see Ivan wanting to marry anyone very forceful, driven, or complex, really. Still, I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more meat on her bones (not that Ivan was complaining about the covering of her bones, heh heh!) Anyway, definitely an enjoyable and well-crafted story that, like all the books in this series, I'll be reading more than once. It works as a stand-alone or entry point for newcomers to the series, too, since Tej was seeing everyone for the first time and anything she needed to know of past history was explained to her, often from a perspective the Miles-centred universe hadn't offered to readers before, which makes the reintroduction of people interesting for the dedicated Vorkosigan reader as well. That was handled very expertly.

Miles was sent, Auditorially, off to Sergyar with Ekaterin to get him out from underfoot, which does leave suggestive space in his history for another story, too. It would be nice to see what's happened on Sergyar since Shards of Honor. It would be interesting to see him being Auditorial with his parents in their viceregal capacity underfoot, too.(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Eh?Eh! rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eeeeelizabeth, babble-added

I am a boring person. As a child I obeyed my parents. I didn't sneak out of the house, never drank, never tried smoking, and did my utmost to be honest, friendly, helpful, and unbothersome. I guess if I had been a boy, I would've had so many playground beatings. Being a bookish girl in a nondescript suburban town, I made no ripples in any pools.

The benefits are that I'm disease-free, all my organs are in great shape, my teeth are my own with no fillings, and my bones are unbroken. My skin is onl...more I am a boring person. As a child I obeyed my parents. I didn't sneak out of the house, never drank, never tried smoking, and did my utmost to be honest, friendly, helpful, and unbothersome. I guess if I had been a boy, I would've had so many playground beatings. Being a bookish girl in a nondescript suburban town, I made no ripples in any pools.

The benefits are that I'm disease-free, all my organs are in great shape, my teeth are my own with no fillings, and my bones are unbroken. My skin is only scarred by chicken pox and my hair is shiny. My baggage is mostly carry-on.

The drawback is that I'm boring! I've got almost no exciting stories of scrapes or regrets with which to look back fondly (or just plain regretfully). When people sit back to exchange tales of feckless youthdom, I can only listen with envy. I can nearly see the bonding ties that I'm outside of.

Reading this book kind of felt like reading about myself. While Ivan is a character who has extraordinary background and extraordinary acquaintances and gets put into extraordinary circumstances, at heart he's just a plain old schmoe, making his way. This is unfair, but compare this to all the adventures of his cousin, Miles, and it becomes a novel-length tying-off of a loose end. Now Miles, there was an adventure, "forward momentum" with explosions! and chases! and a deft maturation of the person that snuck up from all the excitement to put a stranglehold on your heart and loyalty...how can a plain old schmoe compete with that?

He can't, poor guy. I don't want to read about myself when I'm expecting glory. And worse, I don't want to read about a schmoe who finds success in areas where I'm struggling. If he can do it, why can't I?! What's wrong with me?!

This was probably the wrong book for me at the wrong time.

Still, in this time where I'm unable to find solace in reading, I found I was able to keep on this story. Bujold is a favorite author (except for that regrettable series that will go unnamed) and her wit and intelligence makes her writing incredibly easy to read (except for the unnamed). Even in the dumps, I laughed. One doesn't have to have read all her previous books (except for the unnamed) to read this one, but there are so many little tips and jokes that I was able to catch because I have (except for the unnamed). I had wanted the rush of her earlier books (except for the unnamed), but it still felt like a cozy conversation with a good friend.

I will have to come back when I can give this book a better chance. It really is me this time, not you.(less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastical, scientifictious

Thankfully, no major characters were children, which gives this major points over Cryoburn. Still, this return to the Vorkosigan saga in no way compares to the tightly woven plotlines and witty dialogue of Komarr or A Civil Campaign. Bujold runs into plotting difficulties similar to those found in her Sharing Knife series: the most interesting and critical plot points fall into the first quarter of the novel, and what follows is only epilogue, reasonably entertaining, but not convincingly crucia...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Brian Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finished the eARC of Lois McMaster Bujold's latest, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance at lunch yesterday. As an advanced copy, it still needs some editing, and I had an issue with the line-spacing they chose to use, but I wanted to finish reading it before I made any edits of my own. It will be fun to do some automated comparisons of this with the final version when it's released in November.

I think this will be a great addition to the Vorkosigan series, and Ivan was the logical one to get his own...more

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May 11, 2013 Marie-Therese rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-fiction, science-fiction, romance

I like science fiction. I like romance (particularly the trad Regency romances upon which this is so clearly modeled). I like Bujold's Vorkosigan series. So this should have been a slam-dunk, but, oh, what a disappointment this turned out to be!

This book is awkward, charmless, silly, and, well, just aggressively mediocre. So mediocre and so lazy that I almost wonder if Bujold isn't hoping to abandon this series and is using this sub-par book as a way to get fans to detach from it. From the firs...more

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May 03, 2013 Taraza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Captain Ivan Vorpatril's not an idiot, even though his insane overbearing cousin Miles Vorkosigan calls him that many times. But Miles' is the guy who invented his own space mercenary force when he was seventeen, and is now one of Emperor Gregor of Barrayar's fearsome Lord Auditors. Ivan is kind, loyal, strong, allergic to politics and adept at staying out of crossfire. In his own book here, he gets to shine in a quiet way. Ivan is enjoying a routine posting to Komarr when his notorious undercov...more Captain Ivan Vorpatril's not an idiot, even though his insane overbearing cousin Miles Vorkosigan calls him that many times. But Miles' is the guy who invented his own space mercenary force when he was seventeen, and is now one of Emperor Gregor of Barrayar's fearsome Lord Auditors. Ivan is kind, loyal, strong, allergic to politics and adept at staying out of crossfire. In his own book here, he gets to shine in a quiet way. Ivan is enjoying a routine posting to Komarr when his notorious undercover agent cousin By Vorrutyer, snags him for a bit of work. Just check on these girls, okay? But By's never the one to show an honest face if he doesn't have to, and before Ivan knows it, he's been kidnapped by the girls he's spying on, and then they're all set upon by budget-ninjas. Before you can say boo, the Jacksonian/Cetagandans Tej and her blue friend Rish are in danger of being deported and Ivan's in danger of being arrested by Komarr security. So he rescues Tej with instant groats, and gains a temporary wife.
This amusing book is tiny piffle compared to the other Vorkosigan series, but it's cheery and welcome. The stakes aren't as high here, but there is still plenty of reward. It's a fun romp. Ivan and Tej's whacky romance is far more enjoyable than Bujold's last book, *Cryoburn,*which is obsessed with cheating death. Tej and Ivan are the low-intensity versions of their insanely plotting families, and make great comfort for each other.

The book sags a bit in the middle, mostly because of the need to introduce Tej to as many of the Vorkosiverse characters as possible. It's fascinating to see the whole set from her POV. The end makes up for it with a stunning attempted heist which goes wrong because of Tej's Jacksonian family's hubris, trapping Tej, Ivan, and all her family deep under Vorbarr Sultana.

I was mildly disappointed that the book is not more thrilling. But I do really enjoy it and have re-read it twice since I checked it out. There are not so many great scenes, but several are unforgettable. The groats! Dangerous mutant microbes, a haughty haut grandmother, and finally--the ImpSec Building!

Some have commented on how confusing this book would be to anyone encountering the Vorkosiverse for the first time. But the very first book I ever read was *Mirror Dance,* and so I was very surprised to realize that Mark Vorkosigan, Miles' clone-brother, wasn't a main character. It all works out. This is good as a stand-alone. There is so much pain and suffering in the Miles' books that it's just nice to enjoy a romantic respite.(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Karin Granström rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A three star rating for a Bujold story? Who would have thought it possible? While I am happy for Ivan that he finally found someone to love, I do wonder:
1) Why was everybody so gung-ho about Ivan staying married to Tej, considering her utter lack of politically advantageous connections (especially when her family was presumed dead)? I realize that Cordelia did not have that either, but in her case there were major pressure on Aral to have kids and she also gained respect by her achievements.
2) W...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Dangermousie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi, space-opera

Years ago, I was quite obsessed with Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series - a bunch of smart space-opera adventures featuring an super-intelligent hunchback dwarf protagonist. I've moved on to other things and so (largely) did Bujold. But I always wondered about Miles' cousin Ivan - the good-natured, deliberately shallow officer Miles would occasionally involve in his adventures. Surely nobody could really be as out of it as Ivan was without doing it on purpose. Lucky me, Bujold wrote an Ivan book a...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: being-human, courtship, government, political-thriller, revenge

GREAT bus book. And probably not a bad introduction to the Vorkosigan saga. Captain Vorpatril is safely out of the immediate line of succession, his crazy overachieving cousin and cousin’s manic clone are not dragging him into their adventures or tiny spaces quickly filling with river water, and his mother isn’t trying to marry him off hardly at all. But he has other relatives. One of them dumps a problem in his lap that appears to be solvable with groats. Wackiness ensues.

The prose is lovely....more

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Feb 06, 2013 Rachel Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, romance

I’m catching up on reviews; I read this some time last month. This is a bit unfortunate, because I enjoyed it while I read it, and if I’d reviewed it immediately afterward, I would have been more positive. One month later, I’m finding it un-memorable, which is not what I want from a Vorkosigan book.

In other ways, too, it wasn’t what I wanted. I always liked Ivan as a character, and what I probably would have liked best would be something with a tone along the lines of the early Miles books – fun...more I’m catching up on reviews; I read this some time last month. This is a bit unfortunate, because I enjoyed it while I read it, and if I’d reviewed it immediately afterward, I would have been more positive. One month later, I’m finding it un-memorable, which is not what I want from a Vorkosigan book.

In other ways, too, it wasn’t what I wanted. I always liked Ivan as a character, and what I probably would have liked best would be something with a tone along the lines of the early Miles books – funny with serious undertones, or serious with lots of funny moments – like The Warrior’s Apprentice or The Vor Game. I would have loved to see Bujold take Ivan a little more seriously, and have him wrestle with taking himself a little more seriously. Alternately, I would have enjoyed a pure light-hearted romp like Cetaganda or Ethan of Athos.

Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance had a few good serious moments, and it had some excellent light-hearted romping. But it was embedded in a lot of low-conflict, low-stakes, low-emotion, low-intensity scenes hanging around Barrayar. I found this especially frustrating because I kept seeing how a scene or plot point could have played out in a more interesting way, and then it often didn’t.

I did enjoy reading this, so the review is more grumpy than my actual experience of the book. The first quarter or so, on Komarr, was pretty great. Especially the scene with the groats. I also loved the offering to the dead, and the conversation where Tej and Rish talk over their problems and keep coming to the conclusion that they could probably be solved by someone having sex with Byerly.

My issues with this book come down to why I love Bujold’s earlier books. They tend to have very intense feelings and high stakes, whether emotional or physical. This book had low-key emotions and low stakes. It had some good comic scenes, but was too slow-paced to work as pure comedy.

The issue of stakes also applies to comedy, as a lot of comedy only works if the characters are extremely, extremely worried that something will go wrong, and are putting tons of effort into ensuring that it won’t, or trying to fix it if it does. A lot of this book would have been funnier if the characters had been more frantic.

It wasn’t that I disliked Ivan and Tej’s relationship. It was sweet. My problem was that they had no real interpersonal conflicts and very downplayed cultural conflicts. The external obstacles to their relationship were there, but both Ivan and Tej seemed only mildly worried about them, so I never worried that either of them would get emotionally hurt. This made their entire relationship feel flat.

If you have a claustrophobic character forced to go into a small, dark, wet place, I would like to see a little more fear and facing of fear. This was also so downplayed that it barely registered.

Once Ivan married Tej, he basically stopped taking significant action for what felt like the entire rest of the book. That is, he did do some stuff, but it was so low-key that he felt passive. Other people were creating most of the plot action. Granted, that has been a key character thing for him, but I would have liked to have seen it addressed more, whether by seeing him capably manipulating things to have them turn out how he wanted without the appearance of taking action, or by making a memorable choice to reveal his true character by not being passive.

I felt pretty convinced that a book from Byerly’s POV would have been more up my alley. Especially if Bujold was willing to hurt him a bit.
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Feb 04, 2013 Daniel Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an odd one. On the one hand, it's a Vorkosigan book by Bujold, so of course it was good. On the other...

On the other, it reminded me a lot of Anne MacCaffrey's Dolphins of Pern. (I think that's the one I'm thinking of; it's been a while.) And that's not a good thing.

You see, this book is practically a cozy. After books and books of war, invasion, intrigue, and various massive scales of destruction, here we have a book about whether or not Ivan can get the girl. Roughly half way through...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cryoburn, the previous Vorkosigan book in 2010 was a welcome return to the saga, albeit one of the lesser books in the series. For Book Fourteen (yes, 14!) Lois has pretty much abandoned Lord Miles Vorkosigan and written a main novel about one of the secondary characters.

For those versed in the Vorkosigan series, we have come across the titular Captain Ivan Vorpatril before, mainly in Brothers in Arms (the hostage used to draw Miles out) and most recently in A Civil Campaign (with Lady Donna Vor...more Cryoburn, the previous Vorkosigan book in 2010 was a welcome return to the saga, albeit one of the lesser books in the series. For Book Fourteen (yes, 14!) Lois has pretty much abandoned Lord Miles Vorkosigan and written a main novel about one of the secondary characters.

For those versed in the Vorkosigan series, we have come across the titular Captain Ivan Vorpatril before, mainly in Brothers in Arms (the hostage used to draw Miles out) and most recently in A Civil Campaign (with Lady Donna Vorrutyer, an ex-lover of Ivan, who becomes Dono). Ivan is second cousin to Imperial troubleshooter Miles Vorkosigan, often referred to in a joking way by Miles as “Ivan, you idiot!” In Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Ivan is generally happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor's life of a staff officer to a Barrayaran admiral. However, when asked by old friend Byerly Vorrutyer to investigate for Barrayaran Intelligence Tej, a young Jackson’s Whole refugee on a hitlist for a Komarrean crime syndicate, life gets complicated. Ivan finds himself actually held hostage by Tej and her companion Rish, and then finds out that they’re about to be assassinated. Further revelations show that Tej is actually Princess Akuti Tejaswini Jyoti ghem Estif Arqua, whose parents seem to have been killed as part of a coup on Jackson’s Whole.

Cue lots of running about, clandestine activities and secret goings on. Much of the book revolves around what happens about one-hundred pages in, which solves one problem, but creates others.

This is a lively episode in the Saga. It’s all rather James Bond-ian, but with Lois’s intelligence and humour, both important elements of this series, the series seems regenerated. Because this is not focused on Miles, there seems to be a lot more going on, and Lois takes full advantage of the situation, with Ivan being able to do things that Miles can’t do.

It also helps, perhaps, that Ivan is not the same character as Miles. Ivan is not the brightest, but he is faithful, chivalrous and loyal. Unlike Miles, Ivan’s not the sort to be masterminding clever plans. Much of Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance is about Ivan dealing with situations, whereas if it were Miles he’d be thinking ahead more.

It’s not as epic as, say, Memory or Brothers in Arms, but it is a comedy-of-errors (and manners) that uses Ivan’s chivalry to allow things to happen. In places it is perhaps a little too obvious as to what’s going to happen, to the point of being a little forced, and there’s too much happening in the plot by chance/design/misunderstanding, but it is never enough to give up on the book. The book is typical Bujold in that it is warm, humorous and intelligent.

The book also tells us more about the families that run Barrayar. And we have more details about the notorious Jackson’s Whole, the rather riotous planet where assassinations, coups and betrayal seem to be a way of life. The perspective given by the characters from Jackson’s Whole are quite interesting and make me wonder whether it is about time we had a Vorkosigan story centred there.

According to the timeline at the end of the novel, all of Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance happens after Diplomatic Immunity but before the cliff-hanger ending of Cryoburn. Whilst I felt that Cryoburn (until the ending) was a little tired, this one came across as a much more fun novel, to read and perhaps to write. I hope that Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance is evidence that Lois has regained her mojo and that we don’t wait too long before watching *that* event at the end of Cryoburn unfold.

Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance is a return to form for Lois that fans of the series will love. It may not be the best place to start the Saga, and rather predictable, but it is entertaining, and many will appreciate this as a solid addition to the series.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 David George rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bujold (unlike others I could mention, talking about you David Weber) has managed to write a really long series without really much repeating herself. She's managed to keep the stories interesting in part by letting life change the characters, deeply in many cases. She's also managed to let a few other characters take a lead role and that's worked well too. This book is Ivan's turn. Like most of this series, the story is really a romance in a Science Fiction setting. If you crack this open expec...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Brigid Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fiction, science-fiction

"Captain Vorpatril's Alliance," by Lois McMaster Bujold, is the latest installation of the Vorkosigan Saga. Is it really a saga now? Not just a series? Saga? Seriously? Well.

Bujold has a gift for writing interesting, complex female characters. Sometimes they are allowed to stand on their own like Ista (Paladin of Souls) or Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan (before she becomes a full time wife and mother) but more frequently they exist as interesting sexy puzzles for male protagonists to solve and con...more "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance," by Lois McMaster Bujold, is the latest installation of the Vorkosigan Saga. Is it really a saga now? Not just a series? Saga? Seriously? Well.

Bujold has a gift for writing interesting, complex female characters. Sometimes they are allowed to stand on their own like Ista (Paladin of Souls) or Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan (before she becomes a full time wife and mother) but more frequently they exist as interesting sexy puzzles for male protagonists to solve and conquer and collect and romance/marry. The latest book is just one more example of this.

Confirmed bachelor Ivan X. Vorpatril is drawn into sexy intrigue by professional gad-about-town and secret agent Byerly Vorrutyer and, on the spur of the moment, gets married to an illegal immigrant/galactic refugee despite knowing almost nothing about her other than her cup-size. OF COURSE they wind up falling in love (it's a slapsticky romantic comedy, after all), and it's an interesting look at both Ivan and By, characters who are pretty minor but interesting in the course of the series. It was really great seeing Ivan developed more. Bujold has long handled him well, presenting his public face as one of genial self-effacement and near-idiocy who sunnily manages to always come out on top. Of course, that's the safest face to present, one of bumbling good will, when one is so very close in line to the Imperial Throne and with such politically savvy, and active, relatives as Miles Vorkosigan. There have long been hints and glimpses that Ivan isn't as stupid as he pretends to be, and he gets to shine in this book. But Ivan's time in the spotlight really seems to come at the expense of his wife and of his mother.

It's long been hinted in the series that Lady Alys, Ivan's mother, has a complicated relationship with her (deceased) husband, that she has mixed emotions about him and his death. And while it might otherwise be a normal thing to really dig into her relationship with her husband after her son's marriage, now that he is a husband as well, the longer the series goes on the more I resent the lack of a woman focus. They're just kind of there. They're wives and mothers and they have large breasts that men stare at and they have long legs and long hair and they're smart and capable but their physical appearance is just so important (which is so very odd considering how very ugly Miles is, but he gets a pass because he's CLEVER and works hard) and Bujold is very happy to continue the presentation of man-as-sex-obsessed-beast.

Look. I like Ivan. I'm glad he got his own book. The fake marriage that oops is a real one has been done before, a lot, but it's handled well. I'm interested in Ivan's future career as a diplomat.

But I'm disappointed, too.

Bujold is really really great at making interesting and complex female supporting characters and I wish we'd get to see more of them promoted to main characters... or at least not delegated to secondary status as soon as they hook up with a dude (Cordelia, Ekaterina).

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Jan 15, 2013 Geoffrey Cubbage rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's pretty clear that Lois McMaster Bujold wants to be done with writing Vorkosigan books.

This one's about as much of an outlier as she could make it, with a side character from the earlier novels turned into the main character, but her authorial heart still doesn't seem to be in it.

Happily, Bujold at her worst is still decent, and I had fun reading Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. It's fast, witty, and comfortably feel-good. As usual, Bujold shines when she throws entertaining personalities into...more It's pretty clear that Lois McMaster Bujold wants to be done with writing Vorkosigan books.

This one's about as much of an outlier as she could make it, with a side character from the earlier novels turned into the main character, but her authorial heart still doesn't seem to be in it.

Happily, Bujold at her worst is still decent, and I had fun reading Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. It's fast, witty, and comfortably feel-good. As usual, Bujold shines when she throws entertaining personalities into a room and lets them bounce off each other for a while -- one of the biggest flaws of the plodding predecessor to this book, CryoBurn, was its tendency to leave protagonist Miles on his own for pages and pages of tedious internal monologue, and Captain Vorpatril's Alliance keeps the stage carefully cluttered.

The plot, unfortunately, can't hold up to the characters, and devolves into pretty thin farce once the first dramatic arc (the most satisfying part) comes to a close. Whipping through the book once wasn't time entirely wasted, but there's not much beyond the first scenes that I'd want to come back to a second time, and that's disappointing for a Bujold.

(view spoiler)

- Geoffrey Cubbage
http://misanthropology101.wordpress.com/(less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Chuck rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the series that I have read that didn't feature Miles as the main character. The star of this book is Miles' fun loving cousin, Ivan, who turns out to be a more responsible and admirable character than Miles thinks he is. A career Army office, Ivan is on a diplomatic mission to another planet when he is asked by an old friend to keep an eye on a young woman who may be in trouble. She turns out to be an on the run younger daughter of an important family whose planet has...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, romantic, sci-fi, space-opera, thriller, bechdel

Oh this was funny, and really, really enjoyable. I've never been one of those Bujold fans who have longed to hear more about Ivan Vorpatril, to be honest, he irritated me a little as he was obviously lazy and, well, he's just Ivan "you idiot" Vorpatril....

But here, we get a whole book of him, and to be honest, Bujold has made him a far more rounded character where his motivations become clearer - essentially he's been all for an easy life because he's got first hand experience of what happens if...more

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Jan 12, 2013 J.B. Stockings rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of the Vorkosigan series, and with the exception of a few "side stories" (Winterfair, Ethan of Athos)I've loved every one. Of course the best Vorkosigan books have plenty of Miles in them, but the pre-Miles books were good, too. I've always found Ivan to be an interesting character, so I was kind of excited to see what Lois might do with him as the star of his own title. I wonder if she is still wondering what to do with him, because she did little or nothing with him in this book...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a long-awaited addition to the Vorkosigan Saga, although of the Vorkosigans (Aral, Coredelia, Miles or Mark), Miles only makes a brief appearance. This book is about Ivan Vorpatril, with By Vorrutyer and Simon Illyan as major secondary characters. It is set a year or so sfter the events of Diplomatic Immunity. When the story begins, Captain Ivan Vorpatril is on Komarr as a Aide-de-camp to Admiral Desplains doing Fleet inspections. By Vorrutyer shows up at his quarters and asks him to pi...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Rena McGee rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Ivan finds himself in the middle of a zany romantic comedy when Byerly turns up at his doorstep in need of help. It turns out that there is a mysterious young woman who is not who she says she is, who may be in need of help. Ivan is persuaded to make contact with this young lady, but the lady in question is understandably wary; she is in fact in danger. Somehow, this ends with Ivan getting married to the young woman, who turns out to be the youngest daughter of a...more

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About Lois McMaster Bujold

One of the most respected writers in the field of speculative fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold burst on to the scene in 1986 with Shards of Honor, the first of her tremendously popular Vorkosigan Saga novels. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including two Nebula Awards for Best Novel (Falling Free and Paladin of Souls), four Hugo Awards for Best Novel (Paladin of Souls, The Vor Game, B...more

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The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga, #2)

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Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication order) #15)

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