The Flowers of Vashnoi

Short story by Lois McMaster Bujold

"The Flowers of Vashnoi" is a 2018 science fiction novella by Lois McMaster Bujold, part of her Vorkosigan Saga. It was first published by Subterranean Press.

Synopsis

When Ekaterin Vorkosigan and Enrique Borgos test Enrique's genetically engineered insects (modified "butter bugs" from A Civil Campaign) for the bioremediation of the radioactive wasteland surrounding the former site of the city of Vorkosigan Vashnoi, they discover that the area is not deserted as they had thought.

Reception

Publishers Weekly praised the novella as "enjoyable" and "savory", noting that Ekaterin is "as formidable, whip-smart, and compassionate as her husband".[1] AudioFile, reviewing the audio version, considered that "(t)he plot is not terribly complicated", but emphasized that "like most of the [Vorkosigan] series, [it] is character driven", and lauded Bujold's "sardonic humor".[2] Tulsa Book Review described it as "heartwarming" and a "gentle elaboration of the complexities of Barrayaran history and culture", while warning that a true appreciation of the text requires a familiarity with Bujold's oeuvre.[3] Tor.com commended Bujold's increased focus on Enrique and her reuse of Ekaterin as a viewpoint character, observing that the story is "all about redemption".[4]

References

  1. ^ The Flowers of Vashnoi, reviewed at Publishers Weekly; published June 6, 2019; retrieved April 14, 2020
  2. ^ THE FLOWERS OF VASHNOI Vorkosigan Saga, Book 14, reviewed at AudioFile; published January 2019; retrieved August 14, 2020
  3. ^ The Flowers of Vashnoi, reviewed by David Lloyd Sutton; at Tulsa Book Review; retrieved August 14, 2020
  4. ^ Rereading the Vorkosigan Saga: The Flowers of Vashnoi, by Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer; at Tor.com; published January 21, 2019; retrieved August 14, 2020
  • v
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Lois McMaster Bujold
Vorkosigan Saga
Works
Novels
Novellas
  • "The Borders of Infinity" (1987)
  • "The Mountains of Mourning" (1989)
  • "Labyrinth" (1989)
  • "Weatherman" (1990)
  • "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" (1995)
  • "Winterfair Gifts" (2004)
  • The Flowers of Vashnoi (2018)
Characters
Vorkosigan family
Fantasy
Works
Standalone
World of the Five Gods
  • The Curse of Chalion (2001)
  • Paladin of Souls (2003)
  • The Hallowed Hunt (2005)
  • "Penric's Demon" (2015)
  • "Penric and the Shaman" (2016)
  • "Penric's Fox" (2018)
  • "Masquerade in Lodi" (2020)
  • "Penric's Mission" (2016)
  • "Mira's Last Dance" (2017)
  • "The Prisoner of Limnos" (2017)
  • "The Orphans of Raspay" (2019)
  • "The Physicians of Vilnoc" (2021)
  • "The Assassins of Thasalon" (2021)
  • "Knot of Shadows" (2019)
  • "Demon Daughter" (2024)
The Sharing Knife
  • Beguilement (2006)
  • Legacy (2007)
  • Passage (2008)
  • Horizon (2009)
  • Knife Children (2019)


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