I wish Rish had been male; I don't think it would have affected the story too much. It would have changed the first parts a bit - Ivan's not seeing her as a threat etc, but I think it could have worked.
all of Bujold's homosexual/bisexual characters do one of die horribly; be Eeeevil; or Turn Heterosexual for Love there are a few that don't, but oddly it seems to be more in the fantasy series that Vorkosigan: Umegat (in Curse of Chalion, and some in Sharing Knife (but spoilers)
Book 2 is slow paced for a lot, but the pace of the books picks up from there.
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It would have changed the first parts a bit - Ivan's not seeing her as a threat etc, but I think it could have worked.
all of Bujold's homosexual/bisexual characters do one of die horribly; be Eeeevil; or Turn Heterosexual for Love
there are a few that don't, but oddly it seems to be more in the fantasy series that Vorkosigan: Umegat (in Curse of Chalion, and some in Sharing Knife (but spoilers)
Book 2 is slow paced for a lot, but the pace of the books picks up from there.