Rating: 
Summary: Worth the wait, but how could you skip the wedding?!?
Review: Welcome to my first Amazon review! "Diplomatic Immunity ' is classical Bujold fare, with fast paced plots, good character/background development, and as always, the self depreciating humor and slightly absurd circumstances that makes Miles Vorkosigan my favorite "new" science fiction character. As a former independent (no chain bookstores here, please!) bookstore manager and mass market buyer, I have prided myself in having an estalished stable of excellent writers to draw upon for my formidable book collection. Last year, a friend loaned me his copies of the Vorkosigan collection through "Memory". It took me a couple of weeks to wade through the pile and get smart about the Barrayaran universe, but after settling in I find Ms. Bujold's work is easily the BEST science fiction I have ever encountered. The humor in particular is unique and amazing, and like other reviewers, I am flabbergasted and disappointed that Lois' work isn't on the shelves next to Eddings, Vance, Heinlein, Brooks, and other wonderful sci fi authors. This title is very good, and the only criticism I have is that it's a chapter or two short - I was hoping for the story of Mile and Ekaterin's wedding before hearing about their honeymoon...but apparently that's coming out soon from another publisher as a short story. Oh well. Kind of like tuning in to your favorite soap opera (or Star Trek/Babylon 5 episode) ten minutes after it starts. Enjoy this book; might wait for the paperback in about 6 months (Apr. 03) if you've just discovered Miles and are working through the list of books; otherwise, enjoy! Lois is the best!
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to her usual standards
Review: Too much of the story is missing, and too much of it is told to us after the fact. Why, oh why, didn't Lois let us "see" Ekaterin in action instead of just telling us about it afterwards? And what, short of a Cetagandan war or the birth of an Imperial heir or two, would keep Miles Vorkosigan from taking a honeymoon for a year-and-a-half? We're never told. We're just supposed to assume that he'd calmly wait for the opportunity instead of moving galaxies to get what he wants. And how did Corbeau get promoted from Ensign at the beginning of the story to Lieutenant at the end when he was under the cloud of desertion charges?
I gave this 3 stars for the occasional moments of brilliance - like when Miles figures out what the Ba is really up to, but this is really only for die-hard Miles fans. If you still want to read this book and it's been a long time since you've read Cetagenda, re-read it first just to refresh your memory of how their political system works and who the players are.
If you want to read a really good book, I'd recommend rereading one of the earlier Vorkosigan books, like Shards of Honor, Barrayar, or the short-story Mountains of Mourning.
Rating:
Summary: It depends on which Bujold style you like
Review: Miles novels come in three flavours:a. Action/mystery. "The Warrior's Apprentice", "The Vor Game", "Cetaganda" and "Brothers in Arms" b. Angst. A turning point in a character's life. "Mirror Dance" (Mark); "Memory" (Miles) and "Komarr" (Ekaterin). Mystery is an element, but not the chief one. c. High Comedy. "A Civil Campaign." "Diplomatic Immunity" is type a. This is my least favorite type of the lot, but everybody's different. "A Civil Campaign" is my favorite Miles, with type b in second place. I've never been able to get through "Cetaganda" and this is something of a sequel to it. It's not bad, or anything. Plenty of humour, and a very touching scene at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic!!!!
Review: This book definitely continues the fabulous tradition of the Vorkosigan saga in all it's glory!! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in anything- as it has something to offer everyone! Adventure, intrigue, true love and friendship- all rolled up into the compact form of Miles Vorkosigan- the hyperspastic little git! (Fans will recognize this endearment). The suspense is fabulous and the ending will rock you and shock you just as Miles' adventures always do!! Thank you Lois and please please keep them coming!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best Work But Worth The Effort
Review: I had been looking forward to this book with great anticipation. The Vorkosigan series is a classic in my family and I have probably read the entire collection 5 times. Diplomatic Immunity seemed rushed. It was slow to start but the details were important. It is NOT a stand alone book and having the references back to Cetaganda and the Dendarii Mercenaries was essential. I was disappointed in Ekaterine's lack of involvement and the ending seemed thrown together. I still liked the book but it seemed like the plot was not as developed. More of one expanded idea rather than a full length novel.
Rating:
Summary: Short but not boring - Miles digs up trouble again!
Review: The first thing to say about the newest Miles Vorkosigan book is, he's not slowing down! Oh, a wife and impending fatherhood has Miles trying to move at a sedate pace through his newest adventure. But the hint of a missing murder victim and the clue of someone trying to shoot at him (or is it at his 'local guide', Bel Thorne? Or perhaps the Betan gentleman unlucky enough to be walking with them?) is like the hint of the starting gate or the clue of the starting bell to a racehorse. He's off - undeterred by the diplomatic mess he's supposed to be untangling at Graf station, handling the quaddie natives, the Barrayaran military escort, and the impounded Komarran fleet like so many deputies in his search for what is actually going on. And something far more sinister is going on than anything that happened in Miles' latest lighthearted episode (A Civil Campaign, where he courts Ekaterin among the trials and tribulations of a brother trying to make money off a mad scientist and various factions trying to make use of his influence with Emperor Gregor). Harking back to Komarr, which included a plot that might have set of interstellar war, or even The Vor Game, where war with the Cetagandan Empire was a very real possibility, we're flung into a plot that if not unraveled would very likely lead to outright war between the star empires of Barrayar and Cetaganda. A fine thing to happen on the last days of a long-delayed honeymoon, and just before Miles' babies are due to be decanted from their uterine replicators too. Then again, Miles' appointment to the post of Imperial Auditor several books back probably had something to do with his nose for trouble. Long-time readers of Bujold's tales will enjoy the reappearance of a couple of long-missing characters - the quaddie Nicol and once-Captain Bel Thorne - and find that in the Vorkosigan universe nothing ever actually stays the same. We'll be looking forward with trepidation and anticipation to what Miles' children do to this universe! My favorite quote from early in the book, referring back to Miles' secret history: "Portmaster Thorne, ah..." Miles felt himself scrambling for firm footing in more ways than one. His voice went brightly inquiring. "Have we met?" "I don't believe we've ever met, _Lord Auditor Vorkosigan_, no," returned Bel...
Rating:
Summary: A return to form
Review: If, like me, you did not enjoy the last two Miles Vorkosigan books as much as the preceding ones, you may be thinking of skipping Diplomatic Immunity. But if you are thinking of skipping it -- don't. The romance and deep characterization of Komarr, which I found plodding, was enjoyed by many fans, and while the light comedy of A Civil Campaign likewise had its adherents, I found it overly slight to the point of insignificance. But subpar Miles is better than no Miles at all, so I persisted, and Dipolmatic Immunity rewarded my efforts. It is a return to the fast-paced political adventure plots of old -- the kind of story in which a character like Miles can, and does, really shine. Here, our fast-thinking hero walks into one of Bujold's trademark complicated yet comprehensible political squabbles, then finds himself matching wits with a shadowy and sinister opponent for whom no tactic is too evil or barbaric. Diplomatic Immunity is written with Bujold's witty and quotable language, her evident love for her characters, and her cynical yet generally upbeat view of human nature. Plus, we get to see some old friends from Miles's days as a secret agent-cum-mercenary. If you read Bujold for fast-paced, gripping adventure, Diplomatic Immunity is just your thing. And those who'd stick with Miles through thick and thin, as I have, will find this one of the best recent books in the Vorkosigan series.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Miles Vorkosigan Returns: Always A Very Good Thing
Review: Lois McMaster Bujold's hero, Miles Vorkosigan, 4'9" of hyperactive military and investigative genius returns in a new adventure. Miles has come a long way, from the botched asassination attempt while he was still in his mother's womb, resulting in his diminutive and deformed status, to his present existence as an expectant father. Miles' delayed honeymoon with his wife, the lovely and intelligent Ekaterin, is winding down, the happy couple returning home to Barrayar, where they have two children waiting to be born in uterine replicators. However, trouble has been brewing, and Emperor Gregor has a mission for Miles in his capacity as Imperial Auditor: Free up a merchant convoy which has been detained in Quaddiespace, due to the heavy-handed behaviour of the Barrayaran military escort. Things are not quite what they seem, which should come as no surprise to Ms. Bujold's faithful readers. We get to meet again with Bel Thorne, last seen in "Mirror Dance" a Betan hermaphrodite who was formerly a captain with the Dendarii Mercenaries Miles had commanded in his Admiral Naismith persona. We also meet several other past members of the Vorkosigan Universe, including Nicol, the lovely Quaddiemusician introduced in the short story "Labyrinth." Quaddies were genetically engineered to have 4 arms, the second pair where the legs would be, the better to live and work in zero gravity. There are plenty of twists and turns, but this is perhaps the weakest novel in the entire Vorkosigan saga. This novel has the feel more of a novella than a true novel, almost more like one of the short stories in "Borders of Infinity". Still, Ms. Bujold on an off day is better than most authors at their best.
Rating: 
Summary: C'mon Lois, you can do MUCH better
Review: I eagerly awaited the next novel from Lois set in the Barrayar world with Admiral Naismith and company only to be saddled with this load of guff. It is worse than her last one. I read page after page with nothing happening except to hear from Miles telling his wife how lovely she looked and how lucky he was, blah blah blah, yata yata yata. End the series Lois, because it is going nowhere fast because it ain't moving.
Rating:
Summary: Great adventure--Miles is back
Review: While coming back from his honeymoon, Miles Vorkosigan gets word of a diplomatic crisis involving Barrayaran soldiers attacking civilians, quadie kidnapping of a Barrayaran pilot, and the possible murder of an intelligence officer. Bringing his new wife with him, Miles is quick to begin an investigation but finds the truth difficult to unravel. There appears to be a Cetagandan entanglement--and the Cetagandans are Barrayar's long-time rivals and former invaders. Yet even that doesn't make sense. When Miles is attacked and almost assassinated, the crisis moves from a mere diplomatic difficulty to near-war--a war that Miles desparately works to head off. Author Lois McMaster Bujold delivers a powerful mix of fast-paced adventure, intellectual challenge, and emotional depth. Over the course of a dozen or so novels, Miles has evolved from a cocky teen with a huge inferiority complex to a sophisticated but still vulnerable adult man. He still has that urge to solve the world's problems by himself, but he is no longer quite so hot-headed about it. Naturally that doesn't keep him from nearly getting killed again. As always, the women in Miles' life manage to mediate his worst mistakes and give him at least a chance to survive his impulses. After the slower-paced A CIVIL CAMPAIGN, Vorkosigan fans will welcome back the more active and hard-charging Miles. For me, the hint that Miles may intend to reduce his adventuring is a serious threat--come on, Bujold, we want to see Miles in action.
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