Labirynth, by Lois McMaster Bujold

I'm now returning to the Vorkosigan saga with Labirynth, a novella set somewhat in mid-career for Miles Naismith.  In this volume he is Admiral Naismith, commanding the Dendarii Free Mercenaries.  We get to see something of Jackson's Whole, the libertarian paradise where most anything goes.  Miles is to recover a talented genetic engineer, who won't come without his samples, which turn out to be embedded in an ideal soldier prototype.

Here we see, for the first time in the internal chronology, Miles as a sexual being.  He claims to have had sex at 15, but where in previous volumes he was mostly frustrated he now has acquired a backstory of at least trying to get laid.  And get laid he does, by the soldier, an 8-foot tall female frightening powerhouse.  Well well.  In the aftward to the omnibus volume linked above, Bujold says that this volume explores more of the boundaries of what it means to be human and acceptable.  It's effectively done and a nice add for the series.  I am plunging on, hoping to finish by Christmas.  After all, next year's awards start soon after that!  And I do have a few other things in mind to read.