Diplomatic Immunity [Mass Market Paperback]

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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Adult/High School-While Miles Vorkosigan is on his honeymoon, soldiers from his planet are imprisoned for assault on a space station run by the four-armed Quaddies. He is the only competent representative of Barrayar nearby, and he's told to go and get them out, but to try to avoid a major diplomatic incident. Along the way, Miles runs into an old flame who happens to be helping the Quaddies run their space station; an agent of Barrayar is missing in a place where people with only two arms stick out like a sore thumb; and the planet's enemy seems involved as well. Bujold deftly mixes mystery and espionage into her usual well-developed plot as Miles tries desperately to solve the problem and get back to his wife. Extremely intelligent and manically energetic, Miles is one of the most enjoyable characters in science fiction. Bujold's fans will remember the Quaddies from Falling Free (1988) and will enjoy the continuation of Miles and Ekaterin's relationship from A Civil Campaign (2000, both Baen), but a chronology gets new readers up to speed. This quick read has an abundance of plot twists to keep teens glued to the pages. The author gets the technical details right, but keeps explanations to a minimum, so this book should appeal to even non-SF readers who like a fast pace.
Paul Brink, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

En route to his home to await the births of his ex-utero children, Barrayaran Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan receives a directive from the emperor: he must travel to Graf Station to investigate the impounding of an allied merchant fleet from Komorra and the seizure of Barrayaran personnel. In the course of his pursuit for the truth, Miles finds mystery, missing persons, attempted murder, and a host of suspects while simultaneously rediscovering the importance of true friends. The latest in Bujold's popular "Vorkosigan Saga" continues the adventures of one of the genre's most enterprising and engaging heroes. Recommended for most sf collections, particularly where the series has a following.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Miles Vorkosigan returns, married, much to his own and readers' relief, to Ekaterin, and, indeed, about to become a father. Lord and Lady Vorkosigan's galactic honeymoon is interrupted, however, by an incident on an orbital habitat in Quaddiespace, home of the four-armed, genetically engineered humans of the Nebula-winning Free Fall. The Barrayarans have been less than diplomatic, and everybody else's paranoia about them, and theirs about everybody else, are fueling a potentially gruesome situation. Naturally, Miles is called on to untangle several interwoven knots, involving old friends, new friends, enemies of all descriptions, the Cetagandans (of course), and Jackson's Whole and its you-pay, we-play gene engineers. There are several romances in unexpected places, though Miles and Ekaterin don't have much time for romancing. In fact, Ekaterin narrowly escapes returning to Barrayar as a widowed single mother! Most of the themes addressed refer to Miles' galactic past, but faithful followers will keenly anticipate the new Vorkosigans settling into Barrayaran society, and Bujold once again failing to disappoint them. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

"Each addition to the Vorkosigan mystique solidifies Ms. Bujold's niche in SF."

This is a comedy of terrors...A rich Komarran merchant fleet has been impounded at Graf Station, in distant Quaddiespace, after a bloody incident on the station docks involving a security officer from the convoy's Barrayaran military escort. Lord Miles Vorkosigan of Barrayar and his wife, Lady Ekaterin, have other things on their minds, such as getting home in time to attend the long-awaited births of their first children. But when duty calls in the voice of Barrayar's Emperor Gregor, Miles, Gregor's youngest Imperial Auditor (a special high-level troubleshooter) has no choice but to answer. Waiting on Graf Station are diplomatic snarls, tangled loyalties, old friends, new enemies, racial tensions, lies and deceptions, mysterious disappearances, and a lethal secret with wider consequences than even Miles anticipates: a race with time for life against death in horrifying new forms. The downside of being a troubleshooter comes when trouble starts shooting back.

Lois McMaster Bujold burst onto the SF scene in 1986 with SHARDS OF HONOUR, closely followed by BARRAYAR, and THE WARRIOR'S APPRENTICE, which introduced the physically handicapped military genius, Miles Vorkosigan. Since then she has won four Hugo Awards and two Nebulas. The mother of two, Bujold lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.