A review by sonofthunder
Miles, Mystery & Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold

3.0

Well, I could almost count this as 3 books, as it's comprised of 2 novels (Ethan of Athos & Cetaganda) and one novella (Labyrinth), but it's all contained in this handy omnibus and so is in actuality bound all together and so one book it is. I enjoyed this read, although not all parts equally so. Bujold is a master of her craft and I'd forgotten how fresh and wonderful her writing is. I do love me a good sci-fi novel but so many can be a bit heartless and dark and grim at times. Bujold enlivens her stories with personality and her characters are ever so real. There's a warmth and joy here that isn't often present in sci-fi (or...in any books, for that matter!). Yes, there are spaceships and plots and fancy technologies and all that...but there are also relationships and genuine human concerns swirling throughout these books. And that grounds these books a bit. Of course, Bujold's plots are relentlessly forward moving, driven (usually) by the dynamo that is Miles Vorkosigan. Miles is a joy (and sometimes exhausting!) to read about and these stories (more so than some of the previous ones) highlighted his disabilities and how they affect him...while also not lessening him in any way. Now - I've barely touched on the actual stories in these books, so briefly...I simply loved Cetaganda, a glimpse into a quite alien mindset. The previously faceless villains, the Cetagandans are much expanded on and humanized and I really enjoyed the peek into their world! A aristocracy that controls and manipulates the human genome. Fascinating, indeed. And Miles was something to behold in this one. Oh Miles, you just can't help yourself, can you? But he was magnificent nonetheless and I loved this story in all its overwrought glory. Ethan of Athos, slightly less so. Partially because of the absence of Miles (very keenly felt!) and partially just due to the nature of the story itself. Bujold does a wonderful job of imagining all the implications of the technology she creates, and so as a consequence of the reality of the uterine replicator, she posits a world of only men (women - no longer required!). Fascinating indeed, but also disturbing seeing a whole society who hates and fears women and consequently utterly isolates themselves from women. Ethan was just a bit of a bland protagonist, which also detracted from my interest in the tale. But still an enjoyable read. It was great seeing Elli Quinn again and she was definitely the best character in the story! The last story, the novella Labyrinth was a quick read and honestly over a bit sooner than I would have liked. Would have enjoyed more of Miles and the Dendarii's adventures on Jackson's Whole. But this story was beautiful primarily for setting up expectations...then shattering them utterly. I shall say no more for fears of spoiling. Now, let me end this far too long of a review.