I think I might have given this outing in the Vorkisigan Saga only 3 stars were it not that the last line delivered an emotional punch. Albeit, that punch has power from the accumulated effect of the series--not the book. I read one review I rather agree with that says in a way this book might in it's way get rated higher if you don't know the series--that this actually suffers somewhat in comparison to the other books. At the same time it benefits from the series--because for me these characters are like old friends, ones who after a long visit with I won't have another chance to see for months--until the next book comes out. I certainly wouldn't start here but with either the omnibus of Cordelia's Honor or Young Miles.
For those that don't know, the Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels that could be described as space opera. All but four of the fifteen novels to date are centered upon Miles Vorkosigan, one of the most memorable characters in science fiction. Most action-adventure heroes are notable for their brawn with which they fight their way out or their good looks with which they can charm or bed their way out. Miles is at a disadvantage since he's physically fragile and none too handsome. But his brains and hyper energy more than make up for it. In this novel he's investigating a singularly creepy planet. Kibou-daini is a necropolis and a necrocracy--most of its inhabitants are the dead--frozen in hopes of future revival and their votes going to the corporations who have taken custody of them. (Giving new meaning to cemetery voting. Boss Tweed would have loved this planet.) That this is one of those "evil executives" tales loses points for me. I'm sick onto death of the trope and the underlying worldview. It also doesn't help that with Miles on this new planet few of the secondary characters I've grown to love are around.
On the other hand, I'm tempted to give the hardcover book--although not the novel--a full five stars. Why? Because my hardcover edition comes with a CDROM with every Vorkosigan story to date except for one novel (Memory) and one short story ("Dreamweaver's Dilemma") as well as relevant essays and interviews. As I'm decidedly a fan of this series and the characters this made this particular purchase an excellent value. And since I gobbled up what I hadn't read before in just a few weeks I'll expect I'm soon to go into withdrawal. I can't wait for November when Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is finally released.
P.S. I was amused to see Bujold's Afterwards consisted of drabbles (stories of exactly 100 words) since I so often saw that as a staple of the fan fiction community.
