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sasha_featherUpon reflection I think that Captain Vorpatril's Alliance was pretty sexist and I'm disappointed in LMB, who I have previously considered to be a (generally speaking) feminist author.
1. The story features Tej, a Jacksonian fleeing a hostile takeover of her house. She is accompanied by her sister Rish (who has bright blue skin), and they are pursued by kidnappers. They are rescued by Ivan, who, in a dash of inspiration, marries Tej in order to give her the protection of Barrayaran citizenship.
Later the danger is not so urgent, but Tej feels trapped by her overbearing family. She escapes this by choosing to stay married to Ivan, which she wants to do anyway. This is not so bad as a romance plot (actually I am weirdly fond of the accidental or political marriage that ends up working), but it frustrates me that Tej pursues no career or life other than marriage. At the end, she is simply lazing on a beach with Ivan, a year after the main part of the story. There is a suggestion that she will be an Ambassador's wife, a career given again through her husband-- and is this one of those jobs with responsibilities but no pay? Ivan is her knight in armor, I guess?
2. Rish, despite being educated by Betans, cannot seem to get the pronouns right for Lord Dono Vorrutyer.
3. The repeated comments about Tej's breasts are just unnecessary. Then the comments about how basically all men look at her breasts, and one comment near the end about how Simon hugs her, because "What man wouldn't?" Very heterocentrist and also assumes that all men are kinda gross.
4. Repeated use of the word "manned" when "staffed" would have worked just as well.
5. Ivan, despite being friends with Byerly for years and years, and despite being a bit of a player himself, and despite being 35, still puts up a fuss about By's sex life and dodges a direct question from the Jacksonians about By's bisexuality.
6. The back cover is embarrassing. (I realize the author probably has no control over that.)
Things I did like:
A. The foiled heist on ImpSec, which was actually exciting, and the consequences thereof.
B. Gregor.
C. Alys.
Overall this book is overly concerned with marriage and heterosexuality, and less concerned with adventure or interesting characters. Disappointing.
1. The story features Tej, a Jacksonian fleeing a hostile takeover of her house. She is accompanied by her sister Rish (who has bright blue skin), and they are pursued by kidnappers. They are rescued by Ivan, who, in a dash of inspiration, marries Tej in order to give her the protection of Barrayaran citizenship.
Later the danger is not so urgent, but Tej feels trapped by her overbearing family. She escapes this by choosing to stay married to Ivan, which she wants to do anyway. This is not so bad as a romance plot (actually I am weirdly fond of the accidental or political marriage that ends up working), but it frustrates me that Tej pursues no career or life other than marriage. At the end, she is simply lazing on a beach with Ivan, a year after the main part of the story. There is a suggestion that she will be an Ambassador's wife, a career given again through her husband-- and is this one of those jobs with responsibilities but no pay? Ivan is her knight in armor, I guess?
2. Rish, despite being educated by Betans, cannot seem to get the pronouns right for Lord Dono Vorrutyer.
3. The repeated comments about Tej's breasts are just unnecessary. Then the comments about how basically all men look at her breasts, and one comment near the end about how Simon hugs her, because "What man wouldn't?" Very heterocentrist and also assumes that all men are kinda gross.
4. Repeated use of the word "manned" when "staffed" would have worked just as well.
5. Ivan, despite being friends with Byerly for years and years, and despite being a bit of a player himself, and despite being 35, still puts up a fuss about By's sex life and dodges a direct question from the Jacksonians about By's bisexuality.
6. The back cover is embarrassing. (I realize the author probably has no control over that.)
Things I did like:
A. The foiled heist on ImpSec, which was actually exciting, and the consequences thereof.
B. Gregor.
C. Alys.
Overall this book is overly concerned with marriage and heterosexuality, and less concerned with adventure or interesting characters. Disappointing.
