3.5 stars. Good, and sometimes great. Miles and Ekaterin are enjoying a belated honeymoon, visiting other planets while their twin babies grow in their uterine replicator back home on Barrayar. A problem occurs in Quaddiespace, and Emperor Gregor asks Miles to check it out as his official Imperial Auditor -- a kind of inspector general or chief snoop with almost unlimited imperial power.So off he goes with Eketarin, running into his old pal Bel Thorne, former pilot in the Dendarii Free Mercenaries that Miles created, and once commanded. Miles also renews his friendship with Nicol (introduced in Labyrinth.There is a big misunderstanding, resulting in a military and civilian stand off. A missing person. Death. Nasty bio-engineered toxins. Babies. A frog-like amphibious man (Gupta). War with Cetaganda looms large. Miles resolves it all, with help from Bel, Armsman Roic, and Eketarin. Comments: Glad to see the married couple happy. The mystery was fine, and the adrenaline-high life-or-death scenes in the big ship were well done, with maybe just a tad more medical info than I wanted. I was glad Eketarin got to show her stuff, as she did in Komarr.Quibble: I wanted Eketarin to have an even stronger role. I wanted to see her do what she did, at the end. I didn't want to just be told she did it, and it was so great, and you oughta-shoulda been there. Bujold could remove the overly-descriptive and nonessential visit to the opera house, and instead tell the action as it happens, frame by frame.More on Miles: Lord Vorkosigan is about 32 in this book. He has a brilliant mind in a little body. By age 30, he finally got his bones replaced with super-strong plastic and his spine made straight. Growing up on Barrayar, he was considered a mutant, rejected by some peers, and labeled by the hillfolk as "the mutie lord" or worse.Whether serving in his new role as Imperial Auditor, or in his old alias as Admiral Naismith, I love to see him outsmart and out-bluff the big baddies. I chuckle at his fascination with tall, strong-willed women (like his wife, Eketarin). He's a soft-hearted hero with a temper, an impulsive tyrant with boundless energy and ideas. His values are sound, his friendships true, and his escapades alternatively fascinating, worrisome, and hilarious.======Planet Barrayar and the Vor Lords: Many names sound the same. On planet Barrayar -- where Miles was born -- noble houses begin with Vor, as with Miles Vorkosigan, emperor Gregor Vorbarra, Ivan Vorpatril, etc. "Vor-" is a prefix that means "military warrior" or something similar. This naming system began about 600 years ago, after Barrayar's wormhole to Mother Earth collapsed and the Period of Isolation began, transforming (and regressing) advanced Barrayar into a feudal system of government. Barrayarans are descendants of Russian, English, French, and Greek colonists. The Vorkosigan Saga is space opera -- an adventurous lark across the cosmos, laced with danger, romance and philosophy. As science fiction, the "science" is not technical (fine by me). I read this series for the characterization and relationship development as well as the plot and pacing. The dialogue flows. In addition, Bujold occasionally inserts a word I hadn't heard before (I like that).======= My reviews of this series (*favorites): Shards of Honor review*Barrayar review*The Warrior's Apprentice reviewThe Vor Game reviewCetaganda reviewThe Mountains of Mourning reviewLabyrinth review*Borders of Infinity reviewBrothers in Arms reviewMirror Dance review*Memory review*Miles in Love: Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Winterfair Gifts review*Komarr reviewDiplomatic Immunity reviewCaptain Vorpatril's Alliance (no review, but I'd say 4 stars)Cryoburn review
Amazon.com Review Fans won't find this surprising in the least, but Miles Vorkosigan--the plucky, short-statured hero of Lois McMaster Bujold's beloved series--is uniquely incapable of having an uneventful honeymoon. Between a racially fueled diplomatic dispute, the appearance of a hermaphroditic old flame, and a bizarre Cetagandan genetic conspiracy, Miles just can't seem to get a minute of peace with his new wife, the lovely and resourceful Ekaterin (whom Miles courted in A Civil Campaign). Miles had hoped to give "hands-on op games" a rest once and for all, but when the Emperor urgently calls on him to resolve a "legal entanglement" in Quaddiespace, diplomacy alone might prove inadequate. (Quaddies, you'll remember, are the no-legged, four-armed free-fallers introduced in Falling Free.) Our newly minted Imperial Auditor almost immediately forgets all about "Baby's First Cell Division" (after the assignment comes in, Ekaterin quickly observes "You know, you keep claiming your job is boring, Miles, but your eyes have gone all bright"), but even Miles feels the heat after his diplomatic attempts devolve into a series of flattering assassination attempts. Vorkosigan (and family now!) is as winning as ever, with Bujold offering up her usual fun mix of space-opera action and droll social commentary in a character-centered plot. And here's a bonus for Milesophiles and Vorkosiga novices alike: a book-by-book timeline detailing what trouble Miles got into and when. --Paul Hughes From Publishers Weekly Those who have followed Bujold's superb far-future saga about the undersized and unorthodox warrior, Miles Vorkosigan, will heave a sigh of relief as our hero and his beloved Ekaterin enjoy wedded bliss (including looking at "baby pictures," i.e., a sperm fertilizing an egg) on a belated galactic honeymoon until a diplomatic crisis intrudes. As a Barrayaran Imperial Auditor, Miles must look into a murder whose investigation is complicated by the boorish behavior of the Barrayaran military. When the case develops a host of new angles, Miles wonders, "How many angles can dance on the head of a pin?" A seemingly straightforward crime leads him to mass murder, kidnapping, hijacking, biological warfare and Cetagandan genetic politics, all on an orbital habitat of the quaddies (the genetically engineered four-armed humans introduced in the author's Nebula Award winning Falling Free). Preventing interstellar war is a tough job, but fortunately Miles has his lady working beside him, in the best tradition of Nick and Nora Charles or Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. As usual, Bujold is adept at world-building and provides a witty, character-centered plot, full of exquisite grace notes such as the description of quaddie ballet (hint: four arms and no gravity make many things possible). Established fans will be thoroughly gripped and likely to finish the book in a single sitting. While this isn't the best place to start for new readers, they'll be helped by a concise chronology at the end that neatly sums up Miles's earlier adventures. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Do You like book Diplomatic Immunity (2015)?
I'm sad that I'm now caught up with all the Miles books that have been published so far... and sad that this volume didn't live up to my expectations of the series.Granted, the Vorkosigan saga seems to weave back and forth... one good book, a couple of really amazing books, and then another one or two that are just good. This one was good, but not the dazzling hit that some of them have been.What's more, this is the first time I've ever felt cheated by Bujold's story telling. Seriously, what kin
—Victoria
Least interesting of Bujold's novels I've read yet. The Miles Vorkosigan series started going down after Mirror Dance - I only liked Civil Campaign because of Mark, and he wasn't in this one. No decent supporting characters at all, actually.It was just basically a science fiction space procedural mystery - not my favourite kind of mystery at all. I like her books for the characters, not the threats to the galaxy. No character development, just Miles being his superheroic ultracompentant self. I don't like characters who are that improbably skilled.
—Kristi Thompson
This and Komarr are the weakest of the Vorkosigan series. By the end, I really didn't care how it was going to end, I just wanted it to end. A Civil Campaign, which fell between Komarr and Immunity, was very good so I don't think I can chalk it up to series fatigue. I think that this book was more stand alone and presented little character developement. I think seeing character development over a long series is what makes this series so great. Plus, things just stared to get redundant. Also, the end just seemed hurried. This is probably my weakest rating for a Vorkosigan book.
—Tom Rowe
