Miles, Mystery & Mayhem (Ethan of Athos / Labyrinth / Cetaganda)

"This is probably my favorite series of all time. I've read it many times, and just finished reading it again. The characters and the world Bujold creates are outstanding, but what is perhaps the most fascinating is the way she uses those characters and setting to tell so many kinds of stories: classic space opera, murder mysteries, psychological thrillers, and even straight-up comedy of manners, a la Jane Austen. Her themes are universal and tend to at least touch on the theme of the search for identity in all her books. Miles, Mystery & Mayhem is an omnibus of Cetaganda, Labyrinth, and Borders of Infinity. All are outstanding. The writing is elegant, the humor subtle and yet LOL-funny, and the plot satisfyingly original. Her creation show more of Miles Vorkosigan is a true literary masterpiece, and also I'd like to marry him. Truly, these book are not-to-be-missed. Cetaganda is an excellent and unpredictable murder mystery, and Borders of Infinity has some great surprises in it. Labyrinth introduces the wonderful character Taura." show less

ETHAN OF ATHOS
2012-03-05
4/5

All-around solid Vorkosigan novel, though more traditional sci-fi than the usual space-opera. Interesting thoughts on misogyny/sexism (and the economics thereof!), futuristic family structures, and space-station life, with some additional touches on homophobia and genetic engineering. Info-dumpy in a few spots, but most of the thoughtful sci-fi stuff was well-integrated into the plot. Like the whole process of getting rid of the body!: total excuse to tour the life-support systems of a space station, but still advanced the plot.

I appreciated that Ethan didn't stop being gay just because he'd realized there were other options. Maybe that's a weird thing to say, but I was acutely aware of the possibility from show more the moment he met Elli. Yay!

Normally Bujold's characters are amazingly complex and realistic, but I didn't really "get" Terrance. He acts very teenager-y, so it was jarring that he was also old enough to be driven by the ideas of marriage and reproduction. Those two things make some sense as results of his upbringing, but he didn't get enough screen time to integrate them and become a complete character. And the specific sci-fi issues he represented/advanced were the least well-integrated into the plot.

This is part of my current, internal-chronology, start-to-finish reread of the Vorkosigan books. Heh. I've picked up on a few fun inter-book references, and I'm hoping for more.

CETAGANDA
2009
3/5

Probably my least favorite of the Vorkosigan books. The intrigue bored me, for once, and I still can't remember what happened. Something about genetics.

LABYRINTH show less

This is the third omnibus book containing 3 works in the Vorkosigan Saga by Bujold: two novels, Cetaganda and Ethan of Athos and a short novella, "Labyrinth." This is already quite a few novels into a novel with a complex universe, and so none of these are where I'd start, although Ethan of Athos is a rate standalone--in the same universe, but not featuring any of the Vorkosigan characters. The primary character in these series is Miles. Miles is born with near-crippling physical disabilities, short, brittle-boned and hunchbacked, into a military culture that prizes physical vitality and good looks. That means he has had to work hard for acceptance and respect--and to compensate for his physical drawbacks with a very canny mind. The man show more can talk his way into and out of almost everything, and that's a lot of what makes him fun to read about.

Cetaganda - This presents an interesting society on the planet Cetaganda--a very hierarchical and tightly controlled society. They're the traditional enemies and rivals of Mile's Barrayar, and Miles and his cousin Ivan are there as part of a diplomatic delegation attending a state funeral. While there Miles is caught up in a murder mystery that could bring war between their two planets and goes up to the highest levels of Cetaganda society. Like all the Vorkosigan stories I've read thus far, this is a fun, entertaining fast-paced read as well as a solidly written mystery.

Ethan of Athos - One of the aspects of Bujold's Vorkosigan universe is that this is an interstellar society with quite advanced reproductive technology including artificial wombs. On Athos, this technology has been used to create an all male society that censors the very existence of females they see as demonic. Ethan is sent out of that world in order to obtain new ovarian material to sustain their society. That makes things tricky in several ways--all the more because this was written in the 1980s. Because first and foremost this is a society with a misogynist basis--and certainly a homosexual one and written in an era when gay marriage and raising of families was unheard of. Yet Bujold manages to make Ethan very sympathetic, and lets him interact with a strong woman character in ways that while it does change how he sees women, doesn't change his basic orientation or that of his society--and doesn't do this in any heavy-handed way. Instead, like the other Vorkosigan books I've read, this is fun, entertaining, fast-paced action adventure. I have to tip my hat to that, even if I did miss Miles.

Labyrinth - This is a novella in the Vorkosigan Saga set between the events in Cetaganda and "The Borders of Infinity." Most of the Vorkosigan stories I've read thus far deal to a great extent on just what it means to be human, to be normal, and to be different. Miles himself is a test of those questions given he was born with physical deformities into a society that prized physical perfection. He's often touchy and bitter about those handicaps as a result. So it was interesting here to see him find a mirror and foil in Taura, an physically strong but emotionally vulnerable girl designed to be a warrior who wishes she was "normal." So when Miles tells her not to try to be normal, but the best she can be, I felt he was certainly speaking as much about and to himself as he was to her. Taura is definitely a character I hope we see again. show less

Really interesting collection of stories about what it means to be human. Bujold teases with ideas of biological and social determination in fun and poignant ways. Perhaps the most interesting moment of these three stories is Miles' realization that Taura can speak, and the immediate shift in perception (and tactic) he has because of it.

I also really liked that Bujold gives us the opportunity to visit other planets. She states in the afterword that with Cetaganda she wanted to make the Cetagandans more interesting than just a stock enemy that's trying to take over the galaxy, a goal she accomplishes it skilfully. Bujold particularly excels at creating, and showing, realistically complex political systems and intertwined personal show more relationships and motives without getting bogged down in dry exposition.

I have to admit, I kept waiting for Miles to appear in Ethan of Athos, which probably says more about me as a reader than anything else. However, I think it was good to have kept the story focused on Ethan and Elli — the latter of which I had no idea would be making a return, after having last "seen" her several novels ago without a face. And of course, I can only wonder at this point what other minor characters may reappear to seize the stage... show less

This is probably my favorite series of all time. I've read it many times, and just finished reading it again. The characters and the world Bujold creates are outstanding, but what is perhaps the most fascinating is the way she uses those characters and setting to tell so many kinds of stories: classic space opera, murder mysteries, psychological thrillers, and even straight-up comedy of manners, a la Jane Austen. Her themes are universal and tend to at least touch on the theme of the search for identity in all her books. Miles, Mystery & Mayhem is an omnibus of Cetaganda, Labyrinth, and Borders of Infinity. All are outstanding. The writing is elegant, the humor subtle and yet LOL-funny, and the plot satisfyingly original. Her creation show more of Miles Vorkosigan is a true literary masterpiece, and also I'd like to marry him. Truly, these book are not-to-be-missed. Cetaganda is an excellent and unpredictable murder mystery, and Borders of Infinity has some great surprises in it. Labyrinth introduces the wonderful character Taura. show less

This book is an omnibus of two books and a novella. It is the second omnibus chronologically of Miles Vorkosigan's adventures. It is still early enough to jump in without losing too much - though her humor builds on character a great deal. All three of these books deal very closely with themes of genetic manipulation.

Cetaganda is a story about Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan and how they save the Empire - The Cetagandan Empire (aka, the badguys). It did a great job of outlining a culture we only had the vaguest notions about in previous works, and making them human, and inhuman, in delightfully believable ways. One last comment: kitten tree - lol.

Ethan of Athos is set very much in the Miles Vorkosigan universe - featuring the show more lovely Ella Quinn, who appears in the first book and in many later stories - but does not include everyone's favorite non-mutant midget himself. It does include a planet on which male chauvinist religious extremists have decided to live on their own - without women. Start filling in blanks yourself. I have to say, for not including any of my favorite regular characters, this is one of my favorite books of Bujold's. It has one of the most unique concepts I've run across, and some of the most well constructed telepaths.

"Labyrinth" is perhaps my least favorite of Bujold's shorter works, which speaks to the extremely high quality of her other stories, rather than any low quality of this one. Features the introduction of Taura, and who doesn't love Taura? show less

Bujold's writing is superb but this trilogy of stories within the novel was difficult to enjoy. Clearly one has to read from the beginning of the Vorkosigan saga, starting (if I understood correctly) with Falling Free or maybe Shards of Honor? I do find alien worlds in science fiction a challenge to mentally embrace and just "go with the flow". I was especially hung up on getting through Ethan of Athos. The novel lay untouched for several weeks while I coped with that section and mostly skimmed to try for a sense of where the plot was going.

Aside from that, I liked many of the scenarios developed in the book: there were clever characterisations of the strange beings on different worlds and unique interpretations of biotechnological show more advances. I enjoyed the Miles character and even Ivan was engaging in his way. But I'm not so keen on being wrapped up in meanness, unremitting insidious plots which in the end, didn't make much sense to me, didn't have a feeling of resolution and lead to only more stories.

I know there are Bujold stories I have enjoyed (Curse of Chalion for instance) and her world-building is excellent, but I suspect further Vorkosigan series are not book titles in my future. show less