A Civil Campaign
A novel by Lois McMaster Bujold

Miles Vorkosigan, diminutive intergalactic man of action, is in love. Can he win the heart of his lady without throwing everything around him into chaos? This is the question around which multiple plots spin in A Civil Campaign, the latest of Lois McMaster Bujold's award-winning series of Vorkosigan Adventures. This book is a light, romantic, and funny departure from the rest of the series, which is generally a bit more intense. It's also primarily a domestic drama, so readers looking for high-tech hijinks in outer space may be disappointed. Anyone else, however, will find that A Civil Campaign is an hilarious installment with some surprisingly serious underpinnings. Whether or not you're a fan of the series, this one's well worth a read.

If you're familiar with Bujold's work, you'll recall that Miles is not your typical manly sci-fi hero. In utero exposure to a deadly toxin has severely stunted his growth, and a life of adventure has left him with an array of medical problems. But the fast-talking, super-determined Miles has never been one to let something as trifling as mere physical impediment slow him down. As the book opens, Miles, at 31, is the youngest Imperial Auditor ever appointed on his home planet of Barrayar. He has also been a deep-space mercenary and admiral of his own fleet, as well as a member of the Emperor's Imperial Security force. He's been a lover and a fighter. He's been cloned. He's even been dead. But Miles has never been able to find a woman who might be willing to settle down with him on ultra-conservative, military-mad Barrayar -- until, he fervently hopes, now.

The object of Miles' affection is the lovely widow Ekaterin Vorsoisson, who is brave, smart, and -- hallelujah! -- a member of Barrayar's aristocratic Vor class, like Miles (who has had his share of difficulty trying to woo women to the Vor way of life). The problem: Ekaterin's husband was an immature, emotionally abusive jerk, and she's in no hurry to replace him. But if there's one thing Miles is accustomed to, it's creative effort in a good cause, and he concocts a strategy of dubious merit that will allow him to steal Ekaterin's heart without her even realizing it.

Complications abound, and not just for Miles. His clone-brother, Mark, returns home from college with a Barrayaran girlfriend, a fugitive mad scientist, and a plan: He intends to co-opt the basement of Vorkosigan House for the production and distribution of "bug butter," a new food whose composition is as nutritious as its origins are disgusting. But his girlfriend, Kareen, has trouble reconciling her life as an adult back at University with her comfortable role in her well-meaning but overprotective family, and heartbreak is just around the corner. Meanwhile, Miles must help an old friend who discovers a long-buried family secret with dire ramifications. Cousin Ivan's former flame, Lady Donna Vorrutyer, blows into town, having taken some rather... extreme measures to ensure that her late brother's Countship doesn't fall into the wrong hands. On top of all that, the Emperor is about to get married, and Miles, as best man, is being run ragged with preparations.

Bujold effortlessly weaves these diverse plotlines together; before long, everyone else's problems are beginning to affect Miles's increasingly frantic courtship of Ekaterin. The situation culminates in a disastrous -- and screamingly funny -- dinner party Miles throws in an attempt to impress Ekaterin, at which secrets are revealed, reckless words are spoken, and bug butter is on the menu. From there, the book roars to a photo finish. Only at the very end, when the bug butter plot devolves into slapstick, do things flag just a bit.

As funny as A Civil Campaign is, though, Bujold is also up to something a bit more serious -- an exploration of the challenge of being a strong woman in a male-dominated society. Bujold looks at a number of facets of women's experience on patriarchal Barrayar, from the "unofficial" power the women there can and do wield -- check out the scene where a group of Vor matrons conspires to influence a key vote in the all-male Council of Counts -- to the struggles of individual female characters to choose their own path in life. For example, Ekaterin must overcome a lifetime of conditioning, the memories of a stultifying marriage, and the unwanted "assistance" of a passel of family members before she can really come into her own and find happiness. Kareen must learn to function as a sexually liberated woman in a society that may not be completely ready to accept her liberation. And Lady Donna's saga, while humorous in many respects, is dead serious at its core, particularly when the specific reasons for her actions are revealed.

A Civil Campaign is the latest in a long line of Vorkosigan Adventures, and as such it contains quite a bit of byplay that will make a lot more sense to someone who has read at least some of Bujold's previous books. (I recommend, at minimum, Komarr for Ekaterin's background and the dark and brilliant Mirror Dance, for Mark's.) But even if you're entirely unfamiliar with Barrayar and its environs, this book is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. And if you're already a fan -- well, I'm pretty sure you'll be satisfied. Bujold has already proven successful writing action, adventure, mystery, and romance in a science fiction setting; now, she adds comedy to her repertoire. Is there anything she can't do?

I don't know, but I can't wait to see what she does next.

RE-READ FACTOR: I've already re-read it twice, and it's held up well. It's a good book to go back to on a rainy day or when you're in a bad mood.

SEQUEL FACTOR: I hope so. I really want to know what happens next to Miles and his family and friends.

STRONG CHICK FACTOR: No complaints here! The theme of female struggle and, ultimately, empowerment, pretty much guarantees that the book will be full of strong women.

-- Kate Nagy

A Civil Campaign, published by Baen Books, is currently available in paperback.

We welcome your comments on The 11th Hour and this review. Please send letters to: letters@the11thhour.com