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Summary: A side-bar to the saga of Miles Vorkosigan
Review: After re-reading this book recently (I'm working my way through the entire Miles Vorkosigan works in chronological order) I appreciate it much more now than I did after the first reading. I still find the first part, about Ethan before he leaves his home planet of Athos, uninteresting if not repulsive (a world with no women is my idea of Hell), but once he gets out into the wider galaxy, and especially after he runs into Elli Quinn (yes, Vorkosigan fans, THAT Quinn) it gets a lot better and turns into a highly interesting mystery/space opera in the classic Bujold style. The first time I read it I didn't know who Quinn was; now I do. Since knowing seemed to add a great deal of enjoyment to the second read, I recommend you not read this until you have read at least some of the Miles Vorkosigan novels. (No, Miles is not in this book, except for an occasional mention of the absent Admiral Naismith, Miles' alter-ego.) Chronologically, it fits between The Vor Game and "Labyrinth," the second story in Borders of Infinity, but I would recommend waiting until you've read all three stories in Borders before taking this book en passant, as it were. If you're determined to plow through the Miles V. series as fast as possible, you could side-step this book completely, but if you like Bujold (how could you not?) read it sometime. Read it twice. It's worth it.
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Summary: Fun and interesting
Review: Athos is an out-of-the-way planet populated entirely by men. When a crisis threatens their reproductive methods, Dr Ethan Urquhart is chosen to bravely venture out into space, where he is sure to encounter that most mysterious alien species referred to as women. Leaving behind a fizzling relationship, Ethan thinks he's prepared for Kline Station, but he's soon faced with the contrary as not only is he drawn into an interplanetary conspiracy, but also he must forge an uneasy alliance with a woman called Commander Elli Quinn. With humor and some interesting social commentary, Lois McMaster Bujold has created a lively tale that doesn't necessarily have to be read along with her other books.
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Summary: Mild Entertainment
Review: Book Review by C. Douglas BakerEthan of Athos is a difficult book to review because the bulk of the novel is a rather average adventure story set in the universe of Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan stories. It does have some very engaging and thought provoking peripheral details, however. Ethan is from an all male planet where women are seen as little more than demons. The planet is entirely based on homosexual relationships between males who must form contracts for permission to reproduce. Reproduction is accomplished artificially through the use of ovaries purchased from other planets. Athos is cheated out of a group of ovaries they purchased from Jackson's Whole so Ethan, being the head of one of Athos' reproduction centers, is sent as an emissary to discover what has occurred and to purchase new ovaries. Arriving on Kline Station, Ethan, who had never seen a woman before and views them as evil incarnate, is saved from being abducted by Jackson's Whole thugs by the vivacious Elli Quinn of the Denderii Mercenaries. Elli Quinn, Miles Vorkosigan fans may recall, is the attractive, aggressive, female bodyguard of Miles. Thrown into the mix is a paranoid telepath fleeing the same Jackson's Whole thugs. Each are interested in the missing ovaries for their own reasons. The tenuous teamwork of these three incompatibles sets up humorous interactions as the mystery of the
missing ovaries unravels. Despite a promising plot the novel unfolds rather tediously. The novel's most engaging characteristic is its exploration of life on an isolated space station. Within such a closed environment there is grave fear of viral and other infectious diseases. Being the number one public safety concern, quarantine of infected persons and items takes precedence over just about anything. Extensive recycling of all kinds of valuable resources and a quite unique air cleansing and oxygen generating system are also norms life aboard a space station. Bujold also explores the abuse and terrible consequences of genetic engineering. These interesting asides, along with brief glimpses of the social life on Athos and the comical, really farcical, nature of the adventure make Ethan of Athos mildly entertaining.
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Summary: A Planet of Fags? Yuck!
Review: Don't even waste your time
Rating: 
Summary: Leave This One Alone
Review: Dull, ploding, with a story line of only mild interest. This one is best left on the shelf. LMB has much better offerings. If you have a couple of hours to kill then go for it. This one you will be able to put down anytime you need to.
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Summary: Bujold's weakest book to date still contains highlights
Review: Ethan of Athos contains some of the neatest explanations for a space station's operations. The plot has a few interesting twists, but the story lacks a strong character. Bujold's strength remains in her character development, and this book focuses on the plot. Komarr contains much of the same mystery elements as Ethan of Athos, but is much better written.
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Summary: Read it for leisure
Review: I found the premise interesting and it could have been a solid novel if Bujold weren't just taking a foray into B-movie humor. Still, it was fun. Forget Ethan, I want more of Elli Quinn. I was expecting more development on Elli in future novels but unfortunately Quinn's character development, along with a handful of the other mercenaries, has hapharzardly been pre-empted by Miles lethargic romance trilogy. How sad...
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Summary: Not for homophobics
Review: I quite enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book, but the last 3rd let me down. The concept of an all male planet based on the idea of a monastary was well done. The Athos prejudice against women was a bit on the strong side until you consider that, after all, the planet's residents had never seen women in their life. To them, heterosexual sex would seem disgusting because they had no knowledge of it or of the female sex. To be sure, Athos isn't a planet I would ever want to be even near to, but their attitude towards women would be as natural as our attitude is toward those who are totally alien to us. My disappointment with the latter part of the novel stems from my feeling of just plain tiring of the characters. I would still recommend it to most science-fiction readers, but not as strongly as CETAGANDA.
Rating:
Summary: Not for homophobics
Review: I quite enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book, but the last 3rd let me down. The concept of an all male planet based on the idea of a monastary was well done. The Athos prejudice against women was a bit on the strong side until you consider that, after all, the planet's residents had never seen women in their life. To them, heterosexual sex would seem disgusting because they had no knowledge of it or of the female sex. To be sure, Athos isn't a planet I would ever want to be even near to, but their attitude towards women would be as natural as our attitude is toward those who are totally alien to us. My disappointment with the latter part of the novel stems from my feeling of just plain tiring of the characters. I would still recommend it to most science-fiction readers, but not as strongly as CETAGANDA.
Rating: 
Summary: The kind of book you can't put down.
Review: If you don't have a few hours of free time don't pick up this book, because once you pick up this book you can't put it down. From the first page to the last it will keep your eyes glued to the pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like a good book to read weather you like science fiction or not
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