After I'd read the first two Vorkosigan Saga books, Andrew told me this one was next, and described the plot to me, and I was like, "um, that sounds REALLY BAD", so I skipped it, but then on my second read through the Vorkosigan series, I didn't skip it, and damn, it really works and it's a fun book. I don't love it quite as much as the Miles-centric books, but still, Lois is the best and has yet to write a book I don't love.

An excellent bait and switch, with a cover promising a female love interest when the protagonist is humorously gynophobic and very gay (and is in fact from a planet of gay men.) For those who are accustomed to the more explicit LGBT romance of the 21st Century, the queerness may actually not go far enough. But I respect Bujold a lot for being ahead of the curve.

Another fun entry in this series despite some strained points in handling a planet of men, although arguably no more than it would have been with another author and a planet of women. Miles doesn’t make an appearance here, and instead the connection is Elli Quinn.

Pretty goofy stuff. Maybe I'll skip over this one...

An interesting look into a different world in the Vorkosigan universe. This book does not have Miles in it, except as a passing mention, but it keeps the energy of the Miles books.

An interesting portrayal of phobias. How would you view a telepath? A spy? A pediatric doctor for pre-verbal patients? Or a doctor for stroke or accident victims who have lost the ability to communicate? A menace or a savior? What does a person's assumptions or views say about her or him? Probably 3.5, just disappointed that Miles didn't appear.

A very sympathetic, homosexual character. The ovarian tissue cultures Athos had ordered had been sabotaged. In order to save his all male planet, Ethan must leave it for the first time and deal with females of his own species. However, his first day on station Kline he is beaten up, kidnapped, drugged, nearly murdered and rescued by Commander Quinn. He finds himself caught between brutal Cetagandans and a telepathic boy with only Commander Quinn to protect them. Facing homophobia and alternating with death threats he has to think his way out.

Actually, I rounded this up to a 4, since I sat down to reread more of it when I stopped to drop it off at the library. I had forgotten what an intelligent, good character Ethan was. I also had forgotten the scene where Ethan asks Quinn for one of her ovaries. 1/1/11

Enjoyed again.

I kind of think the book would be written a lot differently today, but Bujold did avoid some major cliches and turned a bunch of others on their heads.

This was such a fun and easy read. I picked it because I wanted to try out Bujold's writing and get a feel for the Vorkosigan Saga and this one seemed stand-alone within it. Also the idea of a planet with no women was intriguing and the story that unfolded of one man being sent out into the terror of a planetary system populated by *gasp* women to try and find the ovary cultures to keep his planet going was really well played out.
I thought Bujold found a really neat balance. Ethan encounters women and is terrified and suspicious thanks to the 200 year history of "religious instruction" on his home planet emphasing how women control men and lead them to sin. His experience of women once off his own planet though is rich and contradictory, as is his experience of men from other planets.
I really enjoyed everybody's secret agendas that got slowly exposed as they went along.
Definitely looking forward to reading more of the main saga now.

The first one in the series that didn't grab me. I was tired when I started reading, so maybe we got off on the wrong foot. But, onward!