Review of DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY by Lois McMaster Bujold

Baen, May 2002

While coming back from his honeymoon, Miles Vorkosigan gets word of a diplomatic crisis involving Barrayaran soldiers attacking civilians, quadie kidnapping of a Barrayaran pilot, and the possible murder of an intelligence officer. Bringing his new wife with him, Miles is quick to begin an investigation but finds the truth difficult to unravel. There appears to be a Cetagandan entanglement--and the Cetagandans are Barrayar's long-time rivals and former invaders. Yet even that doesn't make sense. When Miles is attacked and almost assassinated, the crisis moves from a mere diplomatic difficulty to near-war--a war that Miles desparately works to head off.

Author Lois McMaster Bujold (click to see other BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by this author) delivers a powerful mix of fast-paced adventure, intellectual challenge, and emotional depth. Over the course of a dozen or so novels, Miles has evolved from a cocky teen with a huge inferiority complex to a sophisticated but still vulnerable adult man. He still has that urge to solve the world's problems by himself, but he is no longer quite so hot-headed about it. Naturally that doesn't keep him from nearly getting killed again. As always, the women in Miles' life manage to mediate his worst mistakes and give him at least a chance to survive his impulses.

After the slower-paced A CIVIL CAMPAIGN, Vorkosigan fans will welcome back the more active and hard-charging Miles. For me, the hint that Miles may intend to reduce his adventuring is a serious threat--come on, Bujold, we want to see Miles in action.

Four Stars

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