Book Review: Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga)
I’ve actually read nine books since the last Vorkosigan book, and I must admit I had an attack of the warm and fuzzies when I started Diplomatic Immunity.
Miles is returning from his honeymoon when he receives a request from Emperor Gregor to detour to Graf Station to use his diplomatic wiles to peacefully resolve a dispute involving a Barrayaran military escort. Upon arriving at the station, Miles finds a missing crewman who’s presumed dead, another who wants to desert, and several more cooling their heels in the station cells, facing a variety of charges. Then, just when he thinks he’s getting somewhere in sorting out this mess, he becomes the victim of an assassination attempt, finds evidence of biochemical weapons, and learns that Barrayar and Cetaganda are on the brink of war.
Graf Station is Quaddiespace which was great. I loved Falling Free and it was lovely to see how far Quaddie society had grown in the couple of hundred years since that book was set. If this didn’t make me feel sentimental enough, there is also the unexpected addition of one of my favourite characters from the earlier books (won’t spoil by saying who because it was luckily a surprise to me).
Fans of the more space based books should be happy with Diplomatic Immunity. Unlike the last few Barrayar based books, this one is set entirely in space. LMB takes advantage and makes good use of the whole isolated and claustrophobic atmosphere space ships can provide. In fact, there were a few tense moments in this book. One time in particular was really scary. I don’t usually expect this type of horror-like scenes in Vorkosigan books but it was a really enjoyable change up.
Not to say that LMB doesn’t include her usual trademark humour. Miles’s snappy thoughts always make me laugh. And now, we get the addition of Ekaterin who is just as skilled when it comes to regaling the readers with her dry wit. (They continue to be sooo Harriet/Lord Peter like.)
I got the sense that LMB might have written this book with the idea of ending Miles’s story and the series with it. I know there are now a couple more additions to the series, but I did get the feeling of real resolution at the book’s conclusion. (I’ll have to wait and see if I think she should have left it here until I read the last couple of books.)
The reason I shaved off half a star from my rating was that there’s probably not as many deep and thought provoking moments in this book as there were in the more recent Vorkosigan books. Still, compared to many other books, it was extremely entertaining. 4 1/2 out of 5
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