Rating: 
Summary: bad stories from great writers
Review: Although Asaro is one of my favorites in terms of enjoying the world and people she invents, she's not a world-class writer in terms use of language. She's an idea-centered rather than word-centered, if that makes any sense to you. This collection proves she's also not a good managing editor. It seems like each author sent in a story from their drawer of stuff-I-wrote-that-never-sold. And unfortunately Asaro accepted these terribly weak contributions by great names rather than prodding them to do better. I gamely tried to read each story, then gave up in disgust and gave the book away to a local charity.
Rating: 
Summary: For Bujold Completists
Review: I bought the book for the Bujold story, as this is the only Miles fix we will get for some time. And almost no Miles! But I enjoyed it anyway. I do think new readers would be puzzled. You have to know the backstory to follow the action.As for the rest, I tried to read each one, but just couldn't engage. The worst was the Putney, with its cliches and its total lack of historical sense despite all the right names and places; the Stover had an interesting idea, as did the Roberson.
Rating:
Summary: For Bujold Completists
Review: I bought the book for the Bujold story, as this is the only Miles fix we will get for some time. And almost no Miles! But I enjoyed it anyway. I do think new readers would be puzzled. You have to know the backstory to follow the action. As for the rest, I tried to read each one, but just couldn't engage. The worst was the Putney, with its cliches and its total lack of historical sense despite all the right names and places; the Stover had an interesting idea, as did the Roberson.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I bought this book solely for the Bujold story about Miles' wedding, and was disappointed to find that Miles was a minor character, the wedding was background, and the main focus was a romance between Armsman Roic and Sergeant Taura. Worthy characters, yes, but not Miles. If you are a Bujold fan, you will probably want this story, but maybe it will appear in a later Vorkosigan collection. Reading the reviews, I can see that everyone bought this book based on one author they personally liked. Almost no one liked any of the other stories in the collection. This was true for me. Apparently, this collection afforded equal dissatisfaction for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as strong as I'd hoped
Review: I bought this for the Bujold story, but expected more finds among the other authors. Three decent stories out of 6 is disappointing. As suggested elsewhere, there seems to be a problem of authors who are good at 400 page novels scaling stories down successfully.
Bujold's story of Armsman Roic meeting Sergeant Taura is strong on character, a romance that doesn't end 'off to be married for 50 years', and revisiting old favorite characters. She's very good in the novella length, but this one lacked the surprising plot twists of, say, Labyrinth or The Mountains of Mourning--you know what the problem will be, who the villain will be, what the outcome will be. But her well-developed characters and sense of fun still make this a good read.
I usually like Mary Jo Putney, but her story didn't work well--one dimensional characters and no time for a believable romance to develop. It might have worked better as a full-length book.
Deb Stover was a new find for me, and I really enjoyed her story of a man sent back to Earth to help his widow find new love. I laughed a lot, and will look for other books by her.
Jennifer Roberson's tale of Robin Hood and Marian was enchanting--I usually find her work lovely but rather slow, so the shorter novella length worked to advantage here.
The other two stories were by authors I hadn't read before, Asaro and Beverly, and I couldn't work up interest in either. The protaganists of Asaro's story appear to be 14, which I found a little unsettling.
Rating: 
Summary: Bujold Shines!
Review: I only bought this collection for the entry by Lois McMaster Bujold, "Winterfair Gifts", which is about the marriage of her series-hero Miles Vorkosigan, and which is set between her recent series novels A CIVIL CAMPAIGN and DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY. I have not yet read any of the other stories, but this story alone is worth the price. It's not only about Miles's wedding, but also about more serious issues such as prejudice, trust, and some very old-fashioned romance (although one of the lovers involved is rather unusual). It's a wonderful read, and its only flaw is that it is too short.
Rating:
Summary: Bujold Shines!
Review: I only bought this collection for the entry by Lois McMaster Bujold, "Winterfair Gifts", which is about the marriage of her series-hero Miles Vorkosigan, and which is set between her recent series novels A CIVIL CAMPAIGN and DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY. I have not yet read any of the other stories, but this story alone is worth the price. It's not only about Miles's wedding, but also about more serious issues such as prejudice, trust, and some very old-fashioned romance (although one of the lovers involved is rather unusual). It's a wonderful read, and its only flaw is that it is too short.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Review: I read this book because I'm a Bujold fan, especially of her Vorkosigan universe. I have read and re-read her books several times. "Winterfair Gifts" is an enjoyable visit to her universe, but not at all on par with her other novels or her previous short stories about Miles Vorkosigan. You certainly won't understand why there are many Miles devotees from reading this short story, which is truly for only Vorkosgian fans. As far as the other stories, boring, boring and boring. The only possible author of interest of Asaro, I found some of the elements in her story interesting. I too agree with a few other reviewers in that I was troubled with the very young age of the protagonists. If you are a fan of one of the authors, please take this book out of the library. This book is a shameless attempt to make money for shoddy second-rate work by beloved authors.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Review: I read this book because I'm a Bujold fan, especially of her Vorkosigan universe. I have read and re-read her books several times. "Winterfair Gifts" is an enjoyable visit to her universe, but not at all on par with her other novels or her previous short stories about Miles Vorkosigan. You certainly won't understand why there are many Miles devotees from reading this short story, which is truly for only Vorkosgian fans. As far as the other stories, boring, boring and boring. The only possible author of interest of Asaro, I found some of the elements in her story interesting. I too agree with a few other reviewers in that I was troubled with the very young age of the protagonists. If you are a fan of one of the authors, please take this book out of the library. This book is a shameless attempt to make money for shoddy second-rate work by beloved authors.
Rating: 
Summary: Something for everyone
Review: I wasn't familiar with any of the other authors' works, but I am a rabid Bujold fan. Being a Bujold fan, how could I NOT adore Taura being appreciated by someone other than Miles, or getting some more backstory on the endearingly awkward Armsman Roic? The answer: I would have loved to get more of their stories -- but not in lieu of Mile's wedding! Bujold's Vorkosigan series is a complete delight -- witty and insightful, with a hero who is as much a hero for what he isn't as for what he is. The end of "A Civil Campaign" was a huge build up to Miles and Ekaterin's wedding -- but her next book in the series, "Diplomatic Immunity", simply refers to the wedding as a done deal in the past tense, thus cheating thousands of vicarious wedding guests out of a promising spectacle. Alas, "Winterfair Gift" only makes sense if you know and love the characters, already. One will not develop a keen appreciation for Miles' wit and razor-sharp intellect in this book (indeed, he comes across as a bumbling bozo in need of severe babysiting). And Ekaterin's portrayal as a gloomy, weeping bride-to-be is never fully explained. The story gives Taura and Roic a chance to shine, but that chance comes at the expense of our full savoring of The Wedding. Oh, yes, I did try reading some of the other stories, but none of them engaged me enough to motivate me to pick up the authors' other works, so I can certainly understand their fans, unfamiliar with Bujold, would feel the same way. A noble effort -- but, regrettably, flat.
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