Captain Vorpatril's Alliance

Did You Know?

• Bujold began writing the novel in November 2009 but was interrupted by medical issues.
• In December 2010, she deleted the last five chapters and rewrote them with the same characters but a different location.
• The book was sold as a non-proofread advance reader e-book from June 2012, with the official print release in November 2012.

Plot

While on Komarr, Captain Ivan Vorpatril is recruited by undercover Imperial Security agent Byerly Vorrutyer to learn the true identity of a young woman named Tej, who may be in danger. Ivan visits her workplace and attempts to flirt with her, but she rejects his advances. After following her home, he is allowed into her apartment, where her companion, a genetically modified woman named Rish, ambushes him. Ivan spends the night tied to a chair while the two women decide what to do.

When two men break in, Ivan alerts the women, who stun the intruders. Ivan then offers his flat as a safe haven. The persecutors accuse the women of illegal entry and Ivan of kidnapping, using the police investigation to track them. As police force their way into his apartment, Ivan hastily marries Tej and hires Rish as her employee for legal protection.

Tej reveals she is the youngest daughter of Baron Cordonah from Jackson's Whole, whose House was recently taken over by a competitor who placed a bounty on its members. As part of a high Vor lord's family, Tej and Rish travel with Ivan to Barrayar. There, Rish becomes romantically involved with Byerly. Ivan and Tej seek a divorce from Count Falco Vorpatril, but he refuses, telling Ivan to face the consequences of his actions. Ivan and Tej begin developing feelings for each other.

Reception

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance was a finalist for the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Jo Walton at Tor.com called it adorable, deeply readable, and a remarkably good science fiction novel, comparing it to Georgette Heyer's Cotillion. Paul Di Filippo at Locus Online likened it to a Gilbert and Sullivan farce and a lighthearted version of C. J. Cherryh's works, praising the alternating viewpoint between Ivan and Tej. Steven H Silver at the SF Site felt the alternating viewpoint was not executed as well as it could have been and that Ivan works better as a supporting character, though he conceded that Ivan and Tej may seem less dynamic only in comparison to Bujold's typical protagonists.