Lois McMaster Bujold’s Ethan of Athos

This installment of the Vorkosigan Saga features a young doctor from the all-male, generally homosexual planet of Athos who must acquire a new set of ovaries for the continuation of life on Athos. The problem is, he must interact with the morally inferior Galactics, and in particular, women. Ethan joins with Admiral Naismith’s agent Elli Quinn to uncover a plot that threatens the stability and longevity of the Athosians.

This wasn’t a bad book. It wasn’t particularly great either, but it wasn’t bad. Miles is non-existant except as a source of inspiration for Quinn, and no other typical Vorkosigan characters are present. It lacks the energy of the other Vorkosigan novels, however (probably due to the lack of Miles’s hyperactivity). Given how great an average Bujold novel usually is, I rate this one slightly below average. I would recommend this to those who are already fans of the Vorkosigan series. Newcomers should read Cordelia’s Honor or Young Miles. If you are looking for a good sci-fi adventure novel in general, I would say pick up Weber’s On Basilisk Station.