Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen spoiler thread

It occurred to me that it might be useful and amusing to set up a thread where people who had already read the book (currently in eARC only) could talk to each other about it freely, and the spoiler-sensitive could safely steer clear. So, you speed readers (the book took me 4 years to write, you know...), this comment space is yours.

The book may be seen at:

http://www.baenebooks.com/p-2892-gent...

if you missed the note. Four free sample chapters are up there.

***

Meanwhile, someone had asked about the audio version -- there will be one, from Blackstone Audio, due to release simultaneously with the hardcover on February 2, 2016.

http://www.blackstonelibrary.com/cata...

The downloadable version, which is 99% of my audiobook sales, does not yet have a page on downpour.com but I expect one will appear closer to time. I'm not sure what the lead-time is over on that e-arm. (I know they can't have recorded it yet, because they won't have the final version in hand for several more weeks.)

***

Later: It also occurs to me this thread could be used by folks to report typos. I already have "as she forced herself though what had seemed the endless gauntlet"... Feel free to mention any others below.

Ta, L.

Later still: The file has gone to the printer, so the shop is now closed for further typo reports. Thanks, all!

Ta, L.
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Published on October 22, 2015 05:27
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message 251: by Lois (new)

Lois Bujold Ursula wrote: "Lois wrote: "Ursula wrote: "So, I was thinking, these books tend to be about the worst possible thing that can be done to the lead character.

And for Cordelia, apparently, the worst possible thing... ... Plus, of course, Miles walking in on Cordelia mirrors nicely Cordelia and Aral walking in on the dinner party. "



Some tropes are universal. :-)

Plus, which one may only learn when older, that particular privacy problem cuts both ways. Preemptive sibling rivalry, I finally decided.

The tension between Miles and Jole couldn't exactly be called sibling rivalry, nor precisely stepfather-stepson, but there was certainly a dead serious struggle for possession of Cordelia going on under the so-polite-and-careful veneer.

(Cordelia won.)

Ta, L.


message 252: by Jan (new)

Jan Lois wrote: "(Cordelia won.)"

Well, yeah! Of course.


message 253: by Matthew (last edited Nov 19, 2015 02:54PM) (new)

Matthew George Now I have an entirely new insight into why the WGW and Chalionverse exist. Any interest into branching out into psychological horror? (I suspect not, but you'd be so *good* at it...)

I will note that Aral and Cordelia own and live at Vorkosigan house, while Miles neither owns nor lives in Viceroy's Palace. Unexpectedly showing up at one place vs. the other is very different.


message 254: by Ursula (new)

Ursula Matthew wrote: "Now I have an entirely new insight into why the WGW and Chalionverse exist. Any interest into branching out into psychological horror? (I suspect not, but you'd be so *good* at it...)

I will note that Aral and Cordelia own and live at Vorkosigan house, while Miles neither owns nor lives in Viceroy's Palace. Unexpectedly showing up at one place vs. the other is very different."


Good point about the right to be there.

Also, Aral and Cordelia let everyone know in advance that they were going to be coming, even if the precise time they showed up wasn't known. Which is reasonable, as it was a long (several days, at least) trip, and unexpected things can happen to make a firm arrival time difficult to plan.

But at least, since their arrival was anticipated, the Vorkosigan house staff could anticipate their arrival, and have things ready.

Cordelia, on the other hand, seems to have greatly reduced the staff at the Viceroy's Palace since Aral's death. And they had no warning of eight guests plus staff being moved in for an unknown amount of time.

Although I'm a bit surprised that none of Cordelia's staff called to warn her of the unexpected guests, if only to ask where to put them all, and would the cheapest, worst, hotel in K-berg be suitable for Miles.

Did the staff not think to call Cordelia, emergency level "Volcano"? Was the palace left unlocked and unoccupied, so Miles could just walk in? Did he pick the locks?


message 255: by Karl (new)

Karl An Auditor's Seal overrides all locks.


message 256: by Lois (new)

Lois Bujold Karl wrote: "An Auditor's Seal overrides all locks."

Heh. But think it was more the thing where children, despite having grown up and moved out, still tend to regard the parental home as theirs, especially if the 'rents haven't taken the precaution of moving somewhere too small or distant for the kids to move back into.

In this case, Miles has been there a number of times before, lulling the staff ("Oh, we want to surprise my mother!"), so he is assumed to have access, plus he was pulling his practiced "No one expects the Imperial Auditor!" move. Which of course worked about as well as courting Ekaterin like a Dendarii mission.

Ta, L.


message 257: by Ursula (last edited Nov 21, 2015 09:39AM) (new)

Ursula Lois wrote: "Karl wrote: "An Auditor's Seal overrides all locks."

Heh. But think it was more the thing where children, despite having grown up and moved out, still tend to regard the parental home as theirs, especially if the 'rents haven't taken the precaution of moving somewhere too small or distant for the kids to move back into."


Ha! And for Miles, an entirely different solar system isn't too distant, nor is the viceroy's "palace" too small, being merely a "low, rambling house" certainly smaller than either of the Vorkosigan residences in the capitol or at the lake.

If Cordelia wants privacy, she'll likely need a one-bedroom flat somewhere in the Cetagandan Empire. Probably with paranoid ghem providing the security and staff, as Miles seems capable of turning her own against her.


message 258: by Bungluna (new)

Bungluna Miles could probably subvert the Cetagandan security too!


message 259: by Matthew (last edited Nov 23, 2015 12:34PM) (new)

Matthew George Okay, pronunciation question:

Kaya Vorinnis: Is that kay-uh or kah-yuh? (IPA: keʌ or kɑjʌ)


message 260: by Lois (new)

Lois Bujold Matthew wrote: "Okay, pronunciation question:

Kaya Vorinnis: Is that kay-uh or kah-yuh? (IPA: keʌ or kɑjʌ)"


KAI-yuh

Or, what the reader wills.

Ta, L.


message 261: by Jan (new)

Jan Is there a pronunciation guide anywhere for the series that I haven't stumbled upon as yet? It wasn't that long ago (Cryoburn?) that I learned that Vorkosigan has a long O in the middle.


message 262: by Matthew (new)

Matthew George Drat. I wish that had been spelled Kaia, then.

Does Barrayar still use its ToI full-phonetic alphabet?


message 263: by Matthew (new)

Matthew George The Vorkosigan Companion, which was included on the Cryoburn CD, has a pronunciation guide for essentially every name in the series up to that point.


message 264: by Jan (new)

Jan Will have to see if I can find a Cryoburn CD. I snagged the Kindle version.


message 265: by Lois (new)

Lois Bujold Jan wrote: "Will have to see if I can find a Cryoburn CD. I snagged the Kindle version."


Copies of the first (and only) hardcover printing of Cryoburn are still for sale out there. The disc comes-with.

Ta, L.


message 266: by Lois (new)

Lois Bujold Matthew wrote: "Drat. I wish that had been spelled Kaia, then.

Does Barrayar still use its ToI full-phonetic alphabet?"


I would pronounce that Kah-I-yah. Or perhaps Kay-ee-uh. No improvement in accuracy, anyway.

Ta, L.


message 267: by Jan (new)

Jan Lois wrote: "Copies of the first (and only) hardcover printing of Cryoburn are still for sale out there. The disc comes..."

Thanks, Lois and Matthew. I didn't know this existed!


message 268: by Michael (last edited Nov 25, 2015 04:18AM) (new)

Michael A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-published)


message 269: by Karenhunt (new)

Karenhunt Michael wrote: "A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-published)"

Any chance I could contact Suford Lewis? I wouldn't mind adding pronunciation guides for the articles in the vorkosigan wikia site, but I'm disinclined to perform large-scale theft of other people's work (which is why there's nothing there for pronunciations).


message 270: by Kate (new)

Kate Halleron Karenhunt wrote: "Michael wrote: "A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-published)"

Any cha..."


You could just provide a link to the Nexus guide.


message 271: by Karenhunt (new)

Karenhunt Kate wrote: "Karenhunt wrote: "Michael wrote: "A somewhat out of date guide can be found at The Bujold Nexus. The is the same text as in the Vorkosigan Companion. (The author Suford Lewis allowed it to be re-pu..."

Maybe, but I'd want something in each article, ideally. I'll think on it a bit, anyway. Nothing stops me from putting something on the front page, linking there, it's true.


message 272: by Tria (new)

Tria Hang on, the Companion is supposed to be on the disc with CryoBurn? It wasn't on my copy!


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