Vorkosigan Readthrough: Barrayar

[extrapenguin]

This is slightly ahead of schedule, since apparently my weekend shall be consumed by the Barrayar-approved activity of "boffering", that is, "playing medieval warfare with pieces of drainage pipe coated with foam plastic". In any case, here are my notes on Barrayar:

• Hmm, no regents for 120 years?


• There's a very nice description of the Residence near the beginning!


• Aral, you really should've briefed Cordelia before sending her to meet with Kareen. Or given her a Barrayar Translator.


• Kareen only wears half-mourning (grey) in private. Scandalous, or expected?


• What's going on in Darkoi with Count Vorlakial? Do we ever get an answer?


• Kou is 6'4. Barrayarans: tall. Very tall. That's like 193cm in real units. Though since he's a grocer's son, I guess he got adequate nutrition while growing up?


• "Appeal to Irrelevant Authorities at Headquarters" oh, Cordelia


• Bujold: very good with foreshadowing – Vordarian's family tree, Bothari the midwife, A+


• Alys has two sisters.


• Cordelia's Rules of Barrayaran Sexual Behavior :DDD


• Hm, Piotr enjoys explaining Barrayar to Cordelia. An interesting, if tragically brief, moment in canon.


• Gergor's birthday seems to be in the autumn. Ezar's was earlier in the year.


• Cordelia's conversation with Vordarian: very confusing for both of them. Yet another example of Cordelia operating from a completely different reference system.


• Barrayaran therapy: not all that good, it seems.


• The Caravanserai is part of Vorbarr Sultana, but guarded by Count Vorbohn's guard? What's going on here?


• There are a surprising amount of incidents summarizable as "Kou noooo".


• "Post-partum fatigue" oh dear. :D


• Aral and Piotr's arguments are very gut-punching. Piotr, please get your head out of your ass.


• Drou: A+ pulling of Kou's strings during the start of their rescue mission.


• Dorca's great-uncle kept over 300 horses in the old old imperial stables.


• The amount of gut-punch lines seems to have increased notably: ghost of his most notable failure at his banquet of victory


• Vordarian's head! On the table!


• Captain Illyan: certified grade-A puppy.


• Cordelia has a lot of troubles adjusting to the Barrayaran attitude, it seems.

Next book (The Warrior's Apprentice) will be later, I fear, since I'll be going abroad for a while. I can't promise anything, but somewhere in the vicinity of the 6th of July.