Another home run from Bujold, albeit with a strong pivot to a new cast of characters. She has a really consistent habit of balancing worldbuilding and "hard" sci-fi with good characterizationd. Her implicit sense of humour and lightness comes through, even in objectively disturbing or horrific situations - as does her sense of empathy for her characters. In that sense, Ethan of Athos warrants its place in the Vorkosiverse, and Bujold's talent as a "writer" rather than simply a "sci-fi writer" shines through. Regarding the character Ethan: I realize that his naivety may cool him to certain readers, but I found him endearing and sweet.

I wil say that given this material, it could have easily devolved into x-sploitation or shocky gimmicks, which Bujold has the maturity and writing instincts to stear far from. She respects her ideas, which usually focus on the social effects of new reproductive technologies, enough to not undermine them for the audience's sensibilities. She also respects her characters enough to not deus ex machina a narratively satisfying romantic ending bewteen Ethan (a quasi-homosexual) and Elli  - which audiences of the 90s certainly would have probably hankered for. In that sense, the writing comes off as mildly prophetic and ahead of its time. I will say that while she doesn't railroad the romance, she does tend to deus ex machina her plots and endings- not just here but in all her books. Under a less adept writer, I may have cared more about this, but  her distinct voice, sense of humour, and smart characterizations just leave me happy to be able to bask in the Vorkosiverse a little longer. On to the next!