Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold

Hello, Stranger.

Let's talk about Lois McMaster Bujold's Diplomatic Immunity.

The Short of It

Plot: If only Lieutenant Solian had just been murdered and not this he-said, she-said disappearance... then Auditor Miles Vorkosigan would have no need to go investigate.

Page Count: 320

Award: Part of the Vorkosigan Saga

Worth a read: Yes
Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character)
Bechdel Test: Pass
Technobabble: Sufficient.
Review: Arguably the perfect Vorkosigan story. A legitimately engaging smaller scale conflict - in this case, a mystery - with much broader ramifications. Real twists and turns, compelling antagonists and side characters... it's a ton of fun. Inclusion of side story involving Miles and Ekaterina needing to see the birth of their children adds both higher stakes and a ticking clock, upping the pace. Great one-off characters as well. Nice to see some tie-ins with Falling Free after all this time. Tight plotting, fun mystery, both interacts with and expands the Vorkosigan universe.

The Medium of It

Spoiler Free!

Way back in the early days of once upon a time, in my review of The Vor Game, I noted that there is something to be said for smaller scale conflicts and lower stakes. That more grounded stories work because they are easier to grasp. The problem, then, is making us care. In The Vor Game the jump from low to high stakes feels abrupt and not necessarily earned; it works well enough but it is jarring.

Despite the initial mystery and conflict being smaller, we know that there are eyes watching and that diplomacy is vital. Even on the scale at which we start there is a backdrop of greater things going on. Bujold can thus both have her cake and eat it too: the story can focus on plotting details and on-the-ground action, while still having more going on - of which we are already aware - in the background. As a side note, I've always found not eating that cake which is already mine to be a greater challenge, but what do I know?

There are two different backdrops to the main plot. The first set are the trade and diplomacy rumblings already noted. The second are related to the birth of Miles and Ekaterina's children. The coming of kids suddenly gives Miles a much more real reason to fear death - he needs to be there for them. And, after spending so much time with him, we know how important it is for him to see their birth. We need him to get there as much as he needs to be there. We have a clear countdown for how long this mystery can go unsolved. It creates a perfect tension of pressures: a drive to blast through to get things done directly countered by a need for increased caution.

This has one of the stronger sets of supporting characters from any Vorkosigan book. Graff Station feels far more lived-in than most other places we've encountered. There are a number of clever new characters who matter but there are also more characters there to organically fill up space: both work well here. It gives us new people to cheer on and/or doubt, while also populating an otherwise alien space. Nothing makes the alien more tangible than having people act like people despite everything.

On that point: Quaddies are fun. I was not sold on them before, but I am now. Lots of cool stuff to do with world building and design: how does a living space look when you've got BONUS HANDS to do your thing? I'm also a big fan of having the most alien creatures we encounter always be human. The Quaddies are the results of experiments, not some other form of entity. The Vorkosigan universe stretches far: but the most "monstrous" creatures within it are just demonstrations of human hubris.

The Long of It

Spoilers Ahead!

A mystery is always supposed to have a solution that is shocking but feels inevitable. It's hard to say that the Vorkosigan mystery storylines ever do that: there is always too much missing from the information as we, the audience, are given it. But... in context, it stands. At this point I had almost completely forgotten about the Cetagandans. It's been a little bit since we saw them as main antagonists. But for Barrayar, of course it's more present in mind.

Though I spend the previous chunk singing the praises of this one, I can't say that it's my favorite. I do think that it is one of the best plotted books of the series. I do think that the transition to Cetaganda and war at the end actually works shockingly well. But at this point it is hard to not feel a bit of fatigue with the series, despite still enjoying them.

This book suffers from having multiple climaxes. There is an extended clash involving Miles and one of his compatriots locked in with the main villain. And they're both infected with a deadly bioweapon. It's an intense and well done set of scenes but at some point it feels like it should be over by now. The bad guy just keeps figuring out ways to lock them out, they both get sicker and sicker. And once they've solved one issue another pops up. And then, having successfully cured the engineered disease, stopped a biobomb from being planted, and gone after the actual antagonist, they need to travel elsewhere to resolve some more conflicts and stop an all out war between Barrayar and Cetaganda. It feels like everything is resolved, until it's not - over and over again.

This is still an excellent read. It's probably the best plotting of an actual mystery within the Vorkosigan series, and one of the few with for-real, honest, you didn't see that coming plot twists.

I guess don't start a war, Stranger? Unless it's justified? 

Confusing times, Stranger.

And don't forget to read a book!