School Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (May) FYI: Bujold has won four Hugo Awards for her Vorkosigan saga. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
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. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
