Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen

Always a fan of the Vorkosigan adventures, I dived into this at the first opportunity without doing any prior reading of others reviews or impressions. This story veers away from the adventures of Miles and delves deeper into the later life of Cordelia and, posthumously, Aral.

"Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen" is not an adventure story. Rather, it's a delightful catching up with Cordelia who's mostly appeared as texture in the last dozen books or so. You're reminded what a badass she really is and the sacrifices she's made for Aral and Barraya. It's also an in depth introduction to Oliver Jole, onetime lover and right hand man to Aral. Bujold reveals this romantic relationship between Aral and Oliver, one that exists with the blessing and endorsement of Cordelia. The story picks up 3 years after the end of "Cryoburn" and Aral Vorkosigan's sudden death. It's the story of two dear friends passing through the acute portion of their mutual grief and beginning to form a connection of their own. It's light and lovely and hopefully sets up for future adventures in the Vorkosiganverse.